This time it's different!
I've belonged to WW more times than I can count! Twice I've done quite well, losing 40 pounds during one effort and losing 30 another time. However, life happens and each time I lost, I gained the weight back and then some. But this time around things are different and are going to be different. I have a wonderful man in my life who is not only my husband, but he's my best friend and my WW cheerleader too! I have a better appreciation for myself overall than I've ever had and FINALLY I've realized I have to do this for ME!
My journey has started out well so far as you can see by my stats. I've decided to start a webpage to share with other WWers and to make myself accountable for my actions as I'm doing WW at home. At home but not alone. I have incredible support from my husband, friends and the terrific people on the WW message boards!
6/17/02 Weigh-in this week was my first gain this time around, however, I'm not letting it get to me. I have realized this is a life change and my body is going through many different changes right now. I contribute my gain to the fact that I started going to a gym last week for the first time, as I stayed totally OP all week. Today I also experienced 4 wonderful NSV's (Non-scale victories). I work from home, however I have to travel to the "home" office a couple times a month. Yesterday I dared to wear a short skirt (to my knees which is SHORT for me), and I received so many compliments...it was wonderful!! My next NSV was that I took my measurements to find since starting WW I've lost 9 1/2 inches (I measure my bust, waist, and hips), talk about making you forget about a gain!! :) Onto my next NSV, which happened at a wonderful burger place I went for supper. I had every intention of getting a burger, I deserved it, and I’ve been working hard. But as I looked at the menu, a burger didn't even sound good, so instead I ordered a chicken pita and a side salad and enjoyed them! And for my final NSV. I went to supper with a friend who's wedding I'm going to be in in August. She brought the dress I will be wearing, which I took measurements for over a month before I started WW, anyway, when I tried it on, it was HUGE!!!! I mean falling off HUGE!! I was thrilled beyond words! I couldn't believe what a wonderful day it was and how so many great things happened that made that little gain seem so insignificant. All I can say is to take the time to notice and appreciate the NSV's, some weeks they may be all you have!
6/24/02 Today's weigh in remained unchanged from last week. Although at first it sort of bothered me, a few friends verbally kicked me in the a$$ and made me realize that I'm doing everything right and this is going to take time. I guess it's just hard when you go from a 5.5 pound and 4.5 pound loss to a slight gain and then remain the same. But that's ok! I didn't gain this weight overnight, I'm not going to lose it overnight. Thanks MC and SJ! My head is on straight again! :) It also helped to scan those pictures I just posted on the home page. Wow!! I still can't believe how different my face looks! So I award myself with an NSV with the changes I made from last summer to this summer!
7/01/02 Hurray for me!! I had a loss this week and it felt great! I was getting a little worried there after the last two weeks. But this week I broke through and lost not only the 1.5 pounds I gained two weeks ago, but another .5 pounds. I also took my measurements on Friday to see since two weeks ago I've lost another 3 1/2 inches! I've added my measurement chart to the site, which as of right now only shows the changes in each measurement. Maybe as I get further along and smaller in size I'll brave putting in my starting and current measurements. :)
7/12/02 I'm a little late getting my site updated this week, but I wanted to be sure I got it done. WI on Monday was great with a 3 pound loss after a holiday weekend! I worked so hard and stayed so focused to be sure I made the right choices during the holiday and it paid off. Not only did I have the great WI, but I also had the wonderful NSV of being able to put on (zip and button) two pairs of jeans I haven't worn in about 5 years. Talk about excited!! Of course I then had to start trying on other things I had packed away and all these cute tops are now fitting too!! So I've been shopping in my own closet and finding wonderful things I've not seen or worn in years!!! I really don't know how I could do so great without all the wonderful support I get from everyone; hubby, friends, and the WW message board family. If I've not said it in awhile, thank you!!
7/15/02 Today I got on the scales and hoped for just a 1.5 pound loss to make 25 pounds, and I got it!! I've been working so hard, exercising 4 times a week, making the right food choices and today I was rewarded with the first of five 25 pound losses I need to have in order to make goal. I realize I still have a ways to go, but that's ok. I just take it one day at a time and eventually the weight will come off.
7/22/02 Another successful week! Not only on the scales (a 1.5 pound loss), but also in completing an exercise challenge I joined 4 weeks ago and the wonderful results because of it. My thanks goes out to Maia on the 100+ board for starting the 4x4 challenge (30 mins of exercise 4 times a week for 4 weeks) Without this challenge there are days I would have easily said forget about it and not exercised. But I was determined to NOT fail this challenge, and I didn't!! At the end of the four weeks I had lost a total of 8 pounds and 8.5 inches!! Needless to say I was thrilled!! We've decided to keep the challenge going another four weeks, and of course I have accepted the challenge. Today I got my hair cut and had a little different style done, which was fun. Nothing too drastic, but different for me. I also went out and got a new pair of Capris, 2 sizes smaller than when I started!! My wonderful hubby bought them for me as a reward for doing so well on my journey. He's the greatest cheerleader (he's got nice legs, bet he'd look cute in one of those skirts...HA!!!) I'm already the lowest weight I've been in years and I'm only 3.5 pounds from losing 30! Keep checking back, I'll be there soon :)
7/29/02 This weeks WI brings good news and another milestone reached. With a 1.5 pound loss, my total is now 28 pounds, giving me my first 10% gone forever!! Another rather exciting thing that has happened is a bridesmaid dress (top and skirt) that was ordered before I went on program needed to be resized to fit me. The seamstress had to take the top apart, cut off the excess material and put it back together in order to fit me. Much to my excitement at the first fitting I was told she needed to cut off 12 inches of material with more to be removed once she saw that it was going to fit. 12 INCHES!!! The woman was very sweet and very happy for me for all the weight I have lost so far. :) And one more thing I would like to note, I no longer have 100 pounds to lose to reach goal!!
8/20/02Yikes, looks like I've slacked a bit on the website. Vacation was a week ago which went better than I thought it would, foodwise. I was able to stay the same after being gone for 5 days. That was a huge accomplishment for me! I even exercised on vacation!!! I was thrilled to have lost 32 pounds before vacation otherwise I'm not sure I would have fit into some of the rollercoaster seats at Michigan Adventure. I was able to ride everything I wanted to and had no problems with my size. That was a great feeling! Since my last posting, the wedding has also taken place I needed the dress altered for. The dress turned out wonderful and a picture is posted on the Work In Progress page. This week's weigh in showed a 2 pound loss (34 total now). I think it was from melting in that floor length lined satin dress in a church for 2 hours with no air, but I could be wrong...HA!
9/16/02 Ok, I know I've not kept up with this site like I had originally planned. But Maia from the Fab Four Challenge has personally challenged me to get it updated...so here it is!! It's not that I've slacked on program, I've continued to a good job with my exercising and journaling. I just slacked in keeping everyone informed of how I've done. I will try to do better from now on. (I'm sure Maia will see about that..HA!!) A major NSV happened to me yesterday when I put on a pair of 18W jeans and zipped and buttoned them (without laying on the bed!) Ok, so I couldn't breathe, minor detail...hahaha. I was just thrilled that they went on!! Especially when you consider I started out in a 32W jean. Give me a couple weeks, they'll be fitting great soon!! Thank you everyone for your continued support. I have just reached the point of losing the most weight I've ever lost on WW (41.5 pounds) and I'm still going strong!
9/30/02 I'm now wearing my 18W jeans on a regular basis and feeling GREAT!! Hubby took some pictures of me today in those jeans and also in my 32Ws that I started in. I'll post those pictures as soon as they are developed. I about fell over when I saw the difference!! I really needed to do that too. For the days when I don't FEEL like there's a change in my size, I'll just need to look at these pictures and SEE that there definitely is a change!
I want to tell you about a bracelet I bought also. It's a silver plastic beaded bracelet with ladybug charms all around it (I collect ladybugs). Well, they were all around it until I took them all off but 4. For every ten pounds I lose I will add another ladybug charm. I wear this bracelet all day as my reminder to how far I've come in my journey. So if the urge to head to the kitchen starts to overcome me I just look at my bracelet and think, "It's not worth it".
10/21/02 Here I am playing catch up with my site again. But what a reason to play catch up so I can share with you the fantastic achievement of reaching my first 50 pounds lost!! As you can imagine, I am just thrilled! I had hit a plateau a few weeks ago and decided to give the Wendie Plan a try. It seems to have done the trick as I got off my two week plateau and have lost weight the last two weeks. I've also increased my exercise from 4 days a week to 5 or 6 and joined the 100/200 Gut Buster Challenge (2500 crunches in 2 weeks).
I have some wonderful NSVs to share with you also. Last week I decided I needed to break down and buy some new shirts. All of mine are getting WAY too BIG!! That in and of itself should be considered an NSV, but what happened when I went shopping was the best NSV. I took some tops into the dressing room...all size 18 and they all fit!!!! I can remember taking 3X shirts into the dressing room and some would be snug or just not fit but I refused to go the next size up. That's not an issue anymore :)
I guess you would consider the following to be NSVs. I got to thinking today how at my biggest size I was taking 1-2 Zantac a day for acid reflux, plus I was eating TUMS like they were candy for all the stomach problems I was having. Not anymore!! I do have the occasional TUMS if I've eaten something spicy, but other than that, I've not needed either of those medications in the past couple months as my weight goes down. How cool is that??!! :)
My next goal is to reach ONEderland. I was originally shooting for Christmas, and I still am, but if I don't make it I'm not going to be disappointed. I'll get there when I get there, and I WILL get there!! I'm just 24 pounds away. (by the way, I've added my 5th ladybug to my bracelet!)
11/12/02 Hello!! Let's see, what do I want to share with you this time around?? I'm still plugging away at program and continue to have success. Except for the Monday after Halloween when I had a 1 pound gain. But that was okay, I allowed myself to enjoy a potluck at work and didn't beat myself up afterwards. I guess I would consider that an NSV! Speaking of NSV's I had a few more lately. This past week I treated myself to a haircut and highlights. I figured I needed a new do to go with the new bod! :) And I love it! I'll have to get a picture taken and post it soon. Also a friend from New York sent me a t-shirt, size XL and it fit (without having to stretch it out..some of you know what I mean). I'm also wearing hubby's XL sweats as my 3X are just too big anymore. This week at WI I lost 2 pounds so I was able to get rid of that nasty pound from last week plus a little more! That's what's so great about this program, you can have an "off day" and turn around and get right back on track and keep losing.
I've joined another GutBuster Challenge, this time it's for upper body work and boy does this upper body need it!! Especially the flabby arms...YUCK! I've also started taking multi-vitamins and flaxseed oil capsules (hoping to stop the excessive hair loss I seem to be going through right now).
I guess that's about it for this time around. Thanks for taking the time to catch up on what's happening with me. I'm happy you stopped by :)
1/20/03 WOW, it's been FAR too long since I've updated this section of my site. Not even sure where exactly to start. I didn't make it to ONEderland by Christmas, nor have I made it there yet. But I will. The last month has been rather slow with the weight loss, but having survived Christmas and New Years with a total of one pound gained, I can't complain too much. Santa brought me the WATP for Abs set, which I love! I alternate between the 3 mile regular workout and 3 mile Ab workout and can definitely tell a difference in my waist! Actually, I HAVE a waist! (there are some comparison pictures on page 2 of my Work In Progress Photos). Recently I purchased an exercise ball and DVD with exercises I can do on it. Ok, that I SHOULD be able to do on it…HA!! I'm having some issues with being able to stay on the silly thing!! But I'll keep working on it.
I've done some more shopping and have bought several size Large shirts, a couple pair of Large pants, and even some size 16 skirts!!! It's so bizarre for me to be able to shop in the regular sections of Wal-Mart and Meijers. The strangest thing for me is to stand there and look at these size Large tops and think, there's no WAY this would ever fit me. I try it on, and IT FITS!!! I guess I have this mental picture that I'm still 65.5 pounds heavier and still in 3X tops and when I look at the Large, I just can't picture myself being that small. Wow..."that small"...never imagined I would be saying anything like that!! What a wonderful feeling. :)
In addition to the wonderful ladies of the Fab Four challenge, I've now "met" another great group of women…all from Michigan! We started out on the WW 100+ board and have branched out into our own Yahoo group. It's been a lot of fun getting to know these ladies and the terrific support everyone provides one another is incredible! If you're from Michigan and would like to join our group, please email me (link is on the home page). We'd love to hear from you!
Well, I think that's about it for this update. Thanks for reading "What’s on my Mind". Please check back again. Take care!
1/30/03 Ok, try not to be too shocked that I am actually writing two weeks in a row!! LOL. I lost another 1.5 pounds this week taking my total to 67. I'm only 3 pounds away from another ladybug charm and 7 away from ONEderland!! I honestly never thought I would see numbers as low as they are now, let alone seeing the scale go UNDER 200!! I keep visualizing that moment in my mind and every time I get too emotional to think about it anymore. I can't tell you the last time I weighed under 200, so the anticipation is incredible and I'm sure the realization of the vision will be just as incredible!
In addition to my WATP sets, I recently acquired a Fat Burning Walk - 4 miles, by Leslie Sansone. It's a bit corny but the workout is great and I throw that tape in to mix things up a bit once in awhile.
I can't tell you enough how much support and inspiration the girls from the Fab Four challenge and from the Michigan 100+ group are. Thank you ladies for being a part of my weight loss journey and a part of my life. I don't know where I would be without each and every one of you!!
That's about it from me this week. Thanks for stopping by!! Take care :)
2/04/03 Well, here I am, against my better judgement. But I decided I needed to come here to discuss the bad with the good. As my quote on my home page states, "I realize I'm not perfect, therefore my journey to goal won't be perfect". This week was a prime example of that not so perfect journey. I showed a 1.5 pound gain which takes my quest to reach ONEderland back a few steps. But that's okay. I know where I made my mistakes this past week (over points a couple days and only exercising 3 times rather than the 5 I normally do). So it's back on track, keeping myself focused and working the program the way I know it should be worked to make the results happen. Wish me luck!! Check back next week to see how it went.
I did have a few NSVs happen last week so it wasn't a total wash. I bought two size 14-16 tops (see page 2 of photos to see me in one of them). I bought a pair of Large sweats (a much better fit than my old 3X!!). And finally I was able to walk for three hours this weekend at the Frankemuth Snowfest without getting tired or having to stop and rest. So as part of my staying focused, I am keeping these accomplishments in mind. As always, thanks for checking in on me and keep your fingers crossed for a better WI next week!! :) Take care!
