Way To Go!!

I am still OP. It is 47 days and while I am really close to maxing out my flex points for this week...I am still hanging in there. I am very proud of this long string of days and intend to make it even longer.

When I finally figured out that, in order to succeed at weight loss, I will have to count my points and journal my food intake for the rest of my life, I was going to take one or two days a month off and eat whatever I wanted. I now realize that isn't such a good idea and I really don't want to do that. I also don't want to screw up my CDOPs !! The other night when I ate those Toll House Candy Bars, I had the most upset stomach. And it took a full day to feel better. It just isn't worth it to abuse my system that way. Apparently age is making my system a little more delicate!! I feel better when I eat good nutritious food.

Now on to my next problem. Although it isn't really a problem, I feel very ashamed of myself for not exercising. I feel so much better when I exercise so why aren't I?? I know for sure I will be going back to the gym when I get back to Laughlin. I really liked going and with payroll deduction I sure didn't miss the money. Guess I just decided to take the summer off....

Mary you are doing great.....stay focused.....determined.....and succeed!! You can do this!!

Again

Forty five days....we have arrived!! Although I am still OP, I don't have any flex points left for the week...so I will have to be very careful!!

I got some new walking shoes today. They are hightops and my first experience with them but they were on sale and I decided to try them out.

Today was a day off and we went for drinks....not a real diet friendly thing to do.

Oh I forgot to put my Saturday weight on the blog...I weighed in at 186.2#!!! Great!! Even though I didn't weigh myself at the beginning of this journey, I am guessing I started at 201# minimum. So I am thinking since June 10 I have lost 15#. That is a little over 2# per week and that is a very healthy rate and one which I am happy about. I need to keep this pace and really want to. If I keep up the pace, when I get home I will have another 10 to 12 pounds off or in other word 25 to 27 pounds off. That would be so wonderful and I would be thrilled!!

OK...this is where the usual pep talk appears!! Keep it up Mary..you can do this!! Stay focused and determined!!! Your turn to succeed!!

FORTY TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK so I am now up to 42 days...and still hanging in there. I have used just about all of my flex points this week, but that is what they are there for and tomorrow starts a new week.

Boy I didn't realize that I hadn't blogged since the 18th. Wow that is a long time actually. Other things on my mind I guess.

Going to Bill's funeral yesterday helped us both. We needed that closure. I know I will never forget about this tragedy but it is no longer in the foreground of my mind..thankfully. In fact today we went hiking at Camp Richardson and at the wishing well I put in a coin for each and wished peace for their souls. And also peace for their families.

Now to concentrate on the purpose of this blog. It is all about ME. I am very determined and I am very happy that I have stuck this out for 42 days and intend to continue on.

Keep it up Mary..you can do this ...you want to do this. Stay focused...stay determined...and succeed!!

Be Careful...Be VERY Careful!!

This has been a bad and dangerous day. I've not totally screwed my OP string but I could be close...and I really don't know why. Just tired and stressed I guess. I cannot get the tragedy of Bill and Linda off my mind. We are going to Bill's funeral Thursday so I am hoping that will put it off my mind. I wake up several times thinking about this and that has to stop.

Otherwise it is day 39 so we break another decade tomorrow!!

Keep strong...be focused...and SUCCEED!!

Per Mary Grace.."I am a good person and I deserve to be happy, healthy, thin, and RICH"!!

Way To Go!!

Oh WOW 38 days OP. I am truly doing well. Last night I did eat 12 points worth of baked cheetos, but I counted them and took what I had to off my 35 flex points for the week and am going forward. Today was a day off and we had cocktails but that was ok since I ate sparingly and had a wonderful grilled red snapped with tomato-avocado salsa for supper. The recipe was in the 2004 WW cookbook and it was great!! I think I have to make an effort to have the recommended 2 servings of fish weekly so I am going to be looking for more fish recipes.

WOW, I am full, it is 8pm and we just finished eating...we always eat way too late on days off.

Keep it up Mary, you are doing really well and will continue doing well. Remember stay focused, be determined, and SUCCEED!!

Short and Sad

Today I weighed in at 189.4# which is up .2# since last Saturday. It is disappointing but I am hanging in there. I really need to start exercising but I have a 36 day OP streak going and I am really proud.

Sad because the news of Bill and Linda reached us today and we've thought of little else.

Keep it up Mary...stay focused...be determined..and succeed.

An Observation

I work someplace that I oftentimes have a few minutes here and there to people watch. I must admit that I study body shapes and of course clothes. Anyway I see a lot of people that I am sure have a normal BMI, but they have a lot of jiggle..so just because a person has a normal BMI doesn't necessarily mean they are fit.

Today is day 35 and tomorrow is a weigh in day. I must confess that I did eat all of my flex points this week. I did walk today too.

Day 35....Mary you CAN do this!!

Why??

I would really like to understand why I am feeling so fat. I weigh less right now than I have in almost two years. I even weighed this morning just to make sure I hadn't gained 10 pounds...and the scale stopped at 189.8 which is up from 189.2 last Saturday but it sure isn't 10 pounds up.

I didn't do my "walk" today but I did walk around the shops downtown. Not quite the same thing but it is definitely moving.

OK this past winter I was very consistent going to the gym 4 to 5 days a week. I didn't lose any weight but I wasn't watching my food intake either. So that was to be expected. Now I am watching my food intake (to the tune of 33 straight days) but I am not really exercising like I did last winter or have done in the past. I have a whole cupboard full of exercise videos and I guess I need to start doing them. I think it would help me tremendously. I just need to get my but in gear. It is somewhat difficult to get in the habit because of our unpredictable work schedule. We start anywhere from 6 AM to 2 PM and have split days off. OK so I am whining and I should be able to accommodate the schedule. It isn't as if I have a big house or kids to take care of. I can do anything I want with my time. I am going to have to work on this problem.

Good for you Mary...33 days in a row...you CAN do this!!

Thirty Two

Today is day 32 of being OP. I am and deserve to be proud of myself.

We played with the grill again today but I grilled chicken breast and veggies. Better for my food diary than pizza and it tasted really good. I also made some fresh salsa since I was able to go to the Farmer's Market.

Great job Mary....you CAN do this and you want to do this. Stay focused!!

To Weigh or Not To Weigh

To weigh or not to weigh .....that is the question. I recently read an article in Prevention magazine stating that daily weighing is a habit of most people that are successful at weight loss. The idea behind this habit is, that a person that weighs daily adjusts their daily eating to make sure they don't gain. Weight Watchers advocates weekly weighing. I personally feel that weighing twice a week is a good idea during the weight loss process. It too easy to get depressed and obsessive with daily weight flucuations. Right now I weigh on Sat. and either Tues or Wed.

I actually think daily weighing would be more beneficial after a person reaches their goal weight. That is when I plan on being a daily weigher..

I am thinking the new grill might be a bad thing...we have now had pizza two days in a row. I have been using flex points to accomodate the pizza but I can't keep on with this daily pizza stuff. The rest of this week, I need to really tow the mark.

A couple of days ago I e-mailed a "letter to the editor" of Redbook Magazine regarding the 3 ladies doing the lifestyle challenge. Surprise, surprise today I got an e-mail back stating they might use my letter in the Sept. issue and they needed my full name. Cool...I might have to buy one if they do.

Today is day 31 and I am still OP but need to really watch it the rest of the week and I CAN do that. Remember--IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME!!--
Mary you can do this, and you want to do this. Be strong--be focused--and be successful.

I Missed One!

I missed posting yesterday. I think it was because I never got a computer turn. In that case it would be all Rex's fault. Anyway yesterday which was Saturday I weighed in at 189.2#. Way to go Mary!!

Today is 30 days in a row of following the the Weight Watcher's eating guidelines. I am very thankful I have made the decision to follow this plan, I am sure it is why I currently weigh 189.2# It's been a long time since I was under 190# and I couldn't be more pleased.

While on this journey to become a healthier person, I try to notice the little things along the way. Such as a pair of shorts that now fit and didn't before or the fact that my arms hang straight down from my shoulders instead of taking a detour by my hips. I try to be thankful for all of these little victories and savor them. I read somewhere that for every pound lost you take 4# of pressure off your knees. My knees are very thankful about that!!

Mary you are doing great. Remember you can do this and that you WANT to day this!! Way to go...........and keep it up.....the rewards are definitely worth it!!

I Am So Thankful!!

I am thrilled to report that this morning I weighed 189.8#....less than 190#. It is also day 28 of being OP which, I am sure, is why I am down.

Normally I weigh in on Saturdays, but I decided to weigh today too. This is just great!!

Mary you CAN do this!!

Tools

We all use tools for whatever activity we pursue. And we all have favorites...I almost can't cook without my glass mixing bowls that are also measuring cups. I actually have several kitchen gadgets I would hate to be without.

So why would it be any different when it comes to weight control? It wouldn't. This blog is a tool, it helps me keep focused and to put my thoughts down. I actually like that and while I have many times tried to keep a journal, I have never kept at it. For some reason typing seems easier for me.

The weight watchers message boards and web site are two other tools I use on a daily basis. I get a lot of good information on both. I have thought many times of joining WW on-line, but for some reason I just don't feel it is the right tool for me. I can access a lot of areas of their web site and I really enjoy them but I just don't feel the additional benefits are worth $17 per month. Having said that, I am seriously considering joining a different on-line site called my food diary. It is only $9 per month, but has a lot of features I think would benefit me and more importantly would use. It also does reports complete with charts based on your input and also makes suggestions for improvements. You input the food you eat and all your activity and it tallies up nutrition information, plus calories burned. If the program doesn't recognize the food, you can enter the recipe ingredients and it will calculate everything. The way I like to cook, that is definitely a feature that appeals to me. The site tour I took really impressed me but I won't be joining until I get back to Laughlin for the winter. Mainly because I will be without a computer while home in Sept/Oct. And of course I want to think about whether I really want to spend the money. The correct tool for the job is important and I am want to make sure that is what I get.

Plus today is day 26 OP....Way to go Mary!! You CAN do this!!

Environment

My weight has been a constant source of aggravation for several years. It is such an all consuming problem. It is NEVER completely off your mind. Fat on your body is something that is so obvious. It isn't like a messy room in your house...that you can close the door on. Fat is right out there front and center for all to see. People make assumptions about you based on your weight. I am obese, based on my BMI number and I make assumptions about overweight people....must be human nature. Dammit! Anyway I am kind of getting off my own drift.

My personal experience in regard to environment is an awareness of acceptance of my own weight. In Laughlin, I am far from the fattest person I see on a daily basis and because of that I have a different attitude and a different motivational level. But in Lake Tahoe, while I am not the fattest person I see on a daily basis, I am a lot closer. There is just a lot less fat people in Lake Tahoe and even less extreme obesity. I wonder why that is? Anyway I sure plan to fit in better in the summer of 2007.

Today is day 25 of being OP. Way to go Mary!! You can do this!! Remember this quote from MaryGrace "I am a good person and I deserve to be thin, happy, healthy.....and rich"!

Tumblers

Tumblers-when I hear the word I think of all the movies I have seen featuring safe crackers. The tumblers must click into the proper position so the safe will open. That is what I feel happens in my brain when I make a hard decision that requires a LOT of self discipline such as when I quit smoking. I had the frame of mind that made quitting smoking a relatively easy thing to do. Right now I feel that I have that same frame of mind with regard to losing weight and becoming healthier. Although I would never say this is an easy journey it is daily becoming a source of personal pride.

Today is the 24th day in a row that I have stayed OP and although I have used more flex points this week than I normally do (due mostly to yesterday's pizza) I am still on track.

Good job Mary!! You can do this!!

Rolling Along

Today is the 23rd day of being OP. I am very happy and thrilled!!

I was definitely in danger of going off program today, not because I wanted to binge but because I was watching the Food Network and I wanted to make something that I wouldn't know the nutritional value of. On the program "Boy Meets Grill", the boy was making pizza on the grill. One of my interest this summer has been pizza making. The one that interested me was grilled shrimp pizza with cilantro pesto. A quick inventory showed that I had all of the ingredients on hand so out came the bread machine and in went pizza dough ingredients. It was so good!! I had 16 points left for the day and I also added 10 of my flex points to cover it. Actually I think I was generous, but I don't want to be in danger of going over points and screwing up my CDOPs.

This 23 day string is very important to me, and I want to keep it going. I am also very proud of it.

Way to go Mary!! You can do this!!

SV AKA Scale Victory!

SV is an abbreviation for scale victory. As I mentioned before Saturday is my weigh in day and today I weighed in at 191.6 which means I am down 1.6# for the week. !! A very successful week indeed.

I have been walking the last couple of days but I need to get back to my exercise CDs. I enjoy them but just haven't been motivated for some reason. I neeed to remember to just get off by ass and "DO IT!" Another thing I need to keep in mind is that something is better than nothing. So again, "Just Do It"!

Rex just stepped on the scale and it stopped at 200.8# which is down for him cuz the last time he weighed in at 203#.

Mary you are doing well, this is day 22 and you know you can do this...and you want to succeed!!