30+ lbs & a funeral....

Yes, it has been awhile....so sorry. So much going on.

First the sad news, my uncle lost his battle with cancer. He lived in Indiana, so I didnt see him too often, it has been a few years, and I can tell you that if my family wasnt in the room for the viewing, I wouldv'e thought I was in the wrong place. They almost had a closed casket, that is how totally different and awful he looked, due to the cancer ravaging just about every organ in his body. So sad....Rest in Peace, Uncle Roger.

On the morning of the viewing, which was a week ago yesterday, I hopped on my friend, the scale. She told me that I lost my first 30 pounds! I was ecstatic! Since then I have lost 4 more lbs. I am just about at the weight I was when I got married. Still a heffer, but at least my wedding ring should fit again soon!

www.my-calorie-counter.com     The webs free Weight Loss Tracker

Before Pics -

Here are a couple "before" photos. The one below with my dog is taken about November 2008, and the one below that ( Ew) was September. If I had to guess the weight it was 260-ish. Still not at my heaviest which was 272 lbs. I will post some current pics soon.

Eating Apple Pie after midnight....and other things that REALLY don't help!

I have not been able to sleep. I am not sure what the root cause of this is. I am tempted to blame the time change....because of course, it can't be anything that I'm doing. . . but IF it were something I was doing, it may possibly be the time in which I exercise, and how late I sleep the night before. These things, I'm sure are not helping the situation. Since I have started this journey, it seems there is one night a week, at least, where I will FINALLY fall asleep about 3am. However last night, I didn't sleep at all. The night before I had 3 hours sleep. Now, I am home from work, due to lack of sleep, and still not able to sleep.

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I went to Bob Evans. Yum. I was relatively good. Having a western omelet with egg substitute and turkey sausage links. I forgot to tell the waitress "no home fries" so even though they were on my plate, kudos to me for not eating any. We did, however get a slice of pie to go. Mine was No Sugar Added Apple Pie. Larry got some Lemon thingie. I forgot about our pie , until 12:15 am, when I wasn't able to sleep. I could be wrong, but this is not the best time to eat, because obviously, it was out of boredom. But, I have to score some points for it being "no sugar added", right? Well, no points were added according to the scale. Only pounds. Allegedly gained 2 lbs. So, for those of you wondering, eating apple pie does NOT help you sleep. I'M still awake, and 2 lbs heavier than before I went to bed 12 hours ago....

Same Poop. Different Day.

Haven't written in a while, but really nothing has been happening. I have been hovering around the same 24-25 lb weight loss. I dont feel that I am at a plateau, because this week I just have not given it my all. My eating habits did not change, I still ate healthy, but only exercised a couple times this week. This week will be different, I have had enough of staying stagnate !

I am enjoying fitting into clothes that are a size smaller. People are starting to notice, too. I have a whole wardrobe of clothes for every size down to a 14 hanging in my closet. So there will be no worries in that department. Quite a few still have tags on them. Hopefully I can report a drop in my next entry.

In the meantime, please keep my step sisters family in your prayers. Her father in law passed away a month ago due to cancer, and her mother in law was found dead in her home yesterday. I can only imagine how her husband must be feeling during this time.

God Bless.

Whew!

It has been a week, but a busy one with me working out more than normal. And it has paid off. I am now starting The beginning of March with 25 lbs lost!!!

www.my-calorie-counter.com The webs free Calorie Counter

Ive just been eating right and doing Jazzercise and some dvds at home too. My husband finally noticed too, So that made me happy. Above is a pic of me taken last night, playing around with the dogs. Not the most flattering position, but I realized I havent put a pic of me lately, so there we go.

Well that's ballsy!

As mentioned in a previous post, my sister in laws wedding is July 25 th. My goal is to be below 200. Doing my best calculations possible, I will be hovering, give or take right around that. When I was at that weight before I was a size 18.

So, getting excited for the big event, I am already looking at dresses. I found one that I fell in love with that is on clearance at JCPenney. Here is the link:

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=50434&CatID=66582&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=1511a14&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=50434%7c50444%7c66582&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=26&CmCatId=504345044466582

Please let me know what you think. I love purple & black. And its not a formal wedding, so I think the dress will be great, as well as slimming with the waist line.

I've been eye-ing it for awhile, and today when looking for it I got scared when I couldn't find it, but I eventually did. This told me that I just need to buy it, so I did.

As long as I keep up the good work, which I really do anticipate, I think the dress will fit fine. I am not worried about it being too small when the date arrives. If for some reason it is too big then I get to buy another smaller dress. And who wouldn't want to do that???

Hmmmm....That's strange!

My husband text messaged me yesterday afternoon and asked me if I wanted to go out for mexican food last night. How can I say no? I looooooooove Mexican Food. Infact he mustv'e been reading my mind, because just the day before I had asked my friend Sasha if she was up for Mexican food next Saturday. So, I figure I have a reason to celebrate with losing my first 20 lbs and all, so of course we went!

I had the tortilla chips they bring out as an appetizer and ordered their cheese sauce. I also had a Raspberry Margarita ( been AGES since I've had one - at least a year if not more). then for dinner I had a Chimichanga. I just realized that they didnt bring me the rice I asked for but that's ok. Probably a blessing in disguise. It was absolutely DELICIOUS. We were both so stuffed. I knew I would be paying for it today.

So this morning I got up and made breakfast for us. We had turkey sausage links and oatmeal whole grain pancakes. When my husband got up, and before we ate I weighed myself.

The scale said 250 lbs.

That is a 2 lb loss.

HUH?????

After gorging myself on Mexican food and having a Margarita?

Let's try that again.

So, I hop on again and the scale still says 250 lbs.

So I get off of it and decide to agree with it.

So, I've decided I should eat Mexican Food more often!

( I wish!)

Twenty Pounds!

Today, I got on the scale this morning as I was still waking up, and saw to my amazement that I have lost 20 pounds. I had to get off the scale and back on a few more times for me to believe it. So it is official.

I immediately afterwards went to Jazzercise class. I am now home, and will do a workout dvd at home. We are having Mexican food tonight - so I will work it off before I out it on! HA!
To treat my self I also bought a new workout top and bottoms. I figure a new outfit every 20 lbs. is an excellent reward, don't you?

www.my-calorie-counter.com     The webs free Carb Counter

Muffin Top Pride!

I started my weight loss journey at a relatively snug fitting size 24 pant. I had a "clothing goal" ( which I totally forgot to mention in my last blog) of a size 22 pair of black jeans.

So, just out of curiosity, and expecting to be totally dissapointed, I tried them on before I went to work. And they fit!

Now granted, they are a little uncomfortable, and I have a muffin top, BUT THEY FIT!

Today I love my muffin top!

GOALS

It is good to have goals. I think it is more important to set yourself SMALLER goals that will make getting to the larger goal quite easier. While my ultimate weight loss goal is to get to 160 lbs, there is NO WAY that can be my only goal. It is far off, and I would get too discouraged. So I have set myself some smaller goals that I would like to share with you.

Our first major event that is coming up is going to visit the inlaws in Virginia over Easter. Ive gained a few pounds since they saw me, so they may not notice a weight loss, and thats fine. But my own personal goal would be to 235 lbs. I got married in August 2006 at 235 lbs, so I know my wedding ring will fit if I can be that weight again. I havent worn my weding ring because of that, in almost 2 years. So, that is only another 18 lb lost, and have almost 2 months to do so.

Next Goal: VACATION! This is over Memorial weekend. We are going to the Rocky Mountain area. Should be a wonderful time! I would like to be at 225-220lbs. I dont have an exact number for this one, just a range. I think again it is totally do-able sinceI will have over a month inbetween goals.

Thrd goal: my sister-in-laws wedding. Yep! Back to Virginia on July 24th! I will have 2 months for this next goal. Ideally, I would like to be under 200lbs. I dont care if it is 199.9 lbs. As long as I am under ...or honestly if it is close it will be ok ( but Shhhh! We wont tell my body that!).

So , as these next few events come up I will share with you what the results are , and I will probably add some new goals after that as well...just to make this wonderful journey just a little more interesting.

Stuck at home!

Tuesdays are my normal day off from work. At times, I will work overtime if it is available, but not today. Today I am stuck at home.

Today I am spending my day "waiting". Waiting on FedEx because I have to sign for a package, waiting on UPS for the same reason. Things we ordered decided to all come on the same day! Waiting for the insurance adjuster and roof guy to get here in about another hour ( which reminds me, I should change. I dont think wearing pj pants that are black with turqoise flowers and a rust colored t-shirt really go together!). Lets not forget waiting for the mail.

I should have gotten up earlier than what I did this morning ( but it felt goooood to get a couple hours extra sleep) and gone to Jazzercise. Jazzercise kicked my butt last night. But my fault for taking Hoodia before I went. I was so out of breath you woulda thought I was having an asthma attack. So of course the logical thing to do is go back for more, right? I did about a half hour dvd workout this afternoon, then the doorbell rang ( that would have been FedEx) and never got back into it. I figure I will get on the treadmill while my hubby is finishing the brakes on my Jeep this evening.

Weighed myself this morning...dare I say I have now lost 19 lbs ? YAY!

Moving along.....

So....
The scale finally moved down 2 lbs. YAY!!!! So now I have lost 18lbs. It's about FRIGGIN' time!!!!

I really needed something to get things moving. I remembered, about 80 lbs and 5 years ago, that I used to go to Jazzercise. So, last Tuesday, I took myself in and joined. WOW. I sweated like a pig. I went back for more on Wednesday and Thursday. Its definitely not the easiest thing for a now 254 lb woman, with my fat flying everywhere. But it will help, thats for sure. I'll be back again tomorrow, and maybe twice on Tuesday :)

The other thing I did was get some Hoodia Slimquick. I needed something to help speed up the metabolism, and this seems to be doing the trick. I got these on Friday. Since Friday, is when the numbers on the scale have been moving down. After 15 days of the scale not moving, I was willing to try anything if I thought I had a chance of moving the scale. It did. I'm happy.

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. My husband and I went out to Outback Steakhouse. One of his favorites. I was relatively good. I had French Onion Soup - only ate half of it, had a salad with Fat Free French dressing. My entree was multi grain wild rice with grilled chicken and 5 grilled shrimp. Absolutely yummy! Then I cheated with what was supposed to be a small kids sundae....HA! We ordered a sundae for $1.99 each on the "Under 10" menu...this thing was HUGE!...But I ate 75% of it anyway! It was all worth it when I got on the scale this morning weighing 2 lbs less. Though I wont make a habit of it!

HELP!!

HELP ME!!!!
I am stuck. I am not losing. I have been the same weight for 10 days!!!!
I am discouraged :(
I need motivation & words of wisdom!!!!

UGH!!!!! Those damn rolls!

So....last Friday I went out to O'Charleys with my husband. For those of you who dont know, it's a family restauraunt with really good food.

My intention was to order a salad, which I did. It was a huge grilled chicken salad with fat free honey mustard dressing. It was so big, I automatically asked the server for a to-go box so I could have the other half for lunch the next day.

But, where the trouble started was when they brought out the rolls. I forgot about the rolls. The butter is this cinnamon concoction that is just sooooooo delicious. I had 4.

Yeah, sooooo NOT fat free, guilt free or free of ANYTHING.

This set me back. I was down 16 lbs before this fateful day, then it was 14 lbs. Finally now, I am back at 16 lbs.

I am really longing for that 17 lbs loss, I need to see some movement on the scale - and not in the wrong direction! I cant say that I hit a plateau, I HAVE lost, but I just lost what I already lost!

So frustrating.

Can you remove a pound or two of lard while you are back there?

Today I went to the doctors office to have what was my third mole removed in my lifetime thus far.

My first one was when I was 18, on my back. I remember very little except that the shot to numb it hurt like hell. I do remember that my brother had a mole removed the same time ( perhaps there was a "remove one mole, get one removed free" special?) his was on the side of his leg by his knee. Since he had to walk and this stretched the skin, he ended up popping his stitches open later that night. Sucked to be him.

My second mole was five years ago, and as far as its location, I will just say, I was planning on having it removed when I gave birth. Since giving birth never happened, and the mole was beginning to look like a deformed third nipple, I thought it best to get it sliced. My doctor did this in his office, and was pretty painless. Miraculously, it healed up rather nicely.

Today I had my third abnormal mole removed. It again was on my lower middle back. I was seriously hoping my doc would slice off a pound or two of my attractive back fat while he had the knife in hand, but no such luck. The shot didnt hurt as much as I had remembered from 20 years ago, and I felt only a slight pain like a paper cut as he was cutting. The first stitch was a little painful. But there were only 3 stitches, so I managed to survive through it all.

To me the anticipation of the whole thing is much worse than the procedure. Im not too worried about if its cancerous or not. Skin cancer is not in my family, and none of the other moles have been cancerous, and if that deformed third nipple of mine came back ok, chances are pretty good this one will too.

Fred & Lincoln

These are my beautiful doggies, Fred and Lincoln. They are both Basset Hounds. Fred is the red and white one , he is older and he is 15 months. Lincoln is the tri-colored. We just got him in November. He is 4 months. They are both alot of fun.

a smile

Fat runs in our family. I suppose it could be worse. You can get rid of fat, having the willpower to do so. Unless of course making excuses runs in the family, too.

My brother, who is 4 years younger than me was heavy. I would say he at his heaviest was somewhere in the 300s, I dont know his exact starting weight. But his doctor prescribed him a diet drug, and he got the weight off. He isnt on them anymore, has been off of them for awhile actually, and he has maintained his new skinny weight. I do not know what that is either. But I do know he can fit in a size Large now, when he started out at wearing 3x's and 4x's. He works out and watches what he eats too.

In his adult life, he has been pretty much a man of little words. and out of everyone in the family, I am the one who he sees fit to talk to the most. I dont know why that is, perhaps situations in our upbringing, but there is no point in trying to figure it out, because some things just cant be explained.

I saw my brother this past Christmas when he came to visit. He lives about 3 hours west of me. I was then at my heaviest. He knows that i am on this weight loss journey, and has been supportive in his own special Jason way.

After we got off the phone yesterday, I realized I forgot to tell him that I have lost 16 lbs, so I sent him a text letting him know. Rarely does he respond to text messages, but I got back "That's good Keep it up." He gave me a compliment.

That made me smile.

So...Ive been meaning to write.

I have, really.

I am happy to report I have been doing really well, and I am at a total weight loss of 16 lbs. Not too shabby for less than a months work. Ive stayed focused, ate right, and I am on the treadmill at least once a day.

www.my-calorie-counter.com The webs free Fat Counter

I watch "Diet Tribe" on Monday nights on Lifetime as well as "The Biggest Loser" on Tuesday nights on NBC for inspiration. I even replay episodes of 'The Biggest Loser" online while I am on the treadmill. This seems to help better than listening to music. I am also reading. My current book is "Tales from the Scale" by Erin J. Shea. So far, a very good and funny read.

Seemed to have a little more time to focus on my weight than normal these past couple days, as there was a nice snowstorm dumped over Columbus. So, I took my own personal snowday. Being from Chicago, where people were used to the snow, I did not have many, so I am taking whats coming to me. I deserve snow days just as much as the next person, who cares that I am almost 39! Its even better for me, as I dont have to make them up later.

With The Superbowl this weekend and a tormentful doctors appointment on Tuesday, I will have more to share soon.

Im on My Way

I have always had a problem with my weight. On January 2, 2009, I made the decision to get rid of it, yet again. I started this journey that day at 272 lbs. Officially my heaviest. Nineteen days later, I am down 11 lbs. This morning I weighed in at 261 lbs. I have goals - it would be nice to get to 160 by the end of the year. I would be happy at that weight. Id like to be below 200 lbs by my sister-in-laws wedding in July. But my first goal is to get my wedding ring to fit again - that should happen in about 30 more lbs...which reminds me, I need to find the ring!

People ask "What kind of diet are you on?" There are so many different ways, aren't there? But, I am doing it the old fashioned way. Eating right, making healthier choices and exercising. One major rule " Calories in, Calories out". I also try not to go below 1300 calories. This is what is helping me - that number of calories was well surpassed on any given day previously. I am not starving myself by any means. If I am hungry - I Eat! I am just making healthier, wiser choices. Suger Free Jello, nutritional bars, etc.

It definitely helps that my husband has jumped on the wagon with me. He has maybe 15 lbs to lose. But he is on the treadmill, doing The Biggest Loser workout DVD with me, and I even got him to try some Turkey Tacos ( Yummmmm BTW)!

So I will blog my journey, post a few pics here and there, talk about my hubby, my beautiful dogs, my work, my family...all of me.