Note to Self

Hey, you!

Me?

Yep. YOU.

What now?

Remember that recent post about going the Wrong Way?

Yeah, what about it?

Feel free to make that U-turn any time now. I mean, really. Not that I'm in a rush to get back into shape or anything. It's just, well, swimsuit season is just about here. And shorts. And tanks. And, well,  you get the idea. ...

...

I'm just sayin' ...

...

Don't MAKE me force you to EXERCISE!

Wrong Way!

Have you ever been driving in unfamiliar territory and turned onto a street only to find out that you're going the wrong way on a one-way street? In my experience, it's usually discovered after either driving for a bit and realizing no signs are visible or by being rudely honked at – maybe even cursed at – by an angry driver coming my way. Then, of course, you're embarrassed and hoping no cops are nearby ...

Well ... hopefully the weight-loss police aren't nearby ...

I've suspected for some time now. I've been avoiding the scale. I've been in denial, I guess. But, today, I stepped back on the scale. While I know that some fluctuation is considered normal, I don't think a gain of 6 pounds could be considered regular fluctuation. Especially given what I've been doing lately ...

Old habits have returned ...

Too much Dr Pepper. Too much eating out. Too much chocolate and other sweets. Too much peanut butter. Too much chocolate (did I say that already?).

Not enough water. Not enough healthy foods. Not enough exercise.

And, yes, this is unfamiliar territory for me. Prior to last summer, when I decided it was time to get back into shape – or at least out of the plus sizes – I had never before seriously attempted to lose weight. I hadn't really needed to. Well, not before having babies, anyway. After each of my kids, I could've worked at it, but I found that demoralizing. I didn't want to work at it until I knew it wasn't happening again. That I'd never be pregnant again and gain 50-60 pounds in nine months.

Maybe that's an excuse. I dunno.

What I do know is that I have got to get back into this weight-loss thing. People were starting to notice! When seeing someone I hadn't seen in awhile, I'd get asked if I'd lost weight! It's been LOVELY! People can SEE it!

So, I guess it's time to get back on the bandwagon. I'm going to get back into recording what I eat on MyFitnessPal.com. I'm going to record my weight again, too. I'm GOING TO DO THIS! I CAN DO THIS!

I was so close - within a few pounds of my first goal. Plateaus suck, but I KNOW I CAN do this! I CAN and I WILL!

It's time to turn around and start moving in the RIGHT direction!

Photo Credit: VanHart - Fotolia.com

It's Official

I have officially lost 10 pounds since starting to watch what I eat! I am thrilled beyond measure - but also discouraged as it can be tough to maintain complete self control (especially right after Halloween). But, 10 pounds - to me - is a HUGE milestone. I have been begging God for weeks to just let me get to that one milestone so I can feel like I'm accomplishing something. So I can know that my efforts are paying off! I have FINALLY hit it! And really, it's not so bad - it took me about two months to do it. That's really not bad. (Too bad I know that maintaining this rate of loss isn't something I'm likely going to do, but so long as I keep losing I won't complain!)

Looking at this particular first milestone made me realize that I need to reassess my goals. For those who missed my first post on this subject, go here to read the whole story. For the rest of you, here is what I posted as my goals, with updated info in purple.

• I want to wear my wedding and engagement rings again.  Mission accomplished! I have been wearing them for about a month now! I can't get them off easily, but that's OK. I don't want them off! ;-)
  
• I want to look good again. Unfortunately, I feel like I've a long way to go to accomplish this one. But, that's to be expected.
  
• I want to feel good about myself. I wouldn't say I feel good about myself yet, but I do feel better about myself. It helps that my current pants are starting to feel loose. (I'll feel better when I can COMFORTABLY wear the next size down!)
  
• I never want to be embarrassed by my size again. Not there yet, but hope to be soon.
  
• I want to wear normal clothes - no more plus sizes. I am getting there. The loose pants are VERY encouraging!
  
• I want to be healthy. I think once I figure out a consistent exercise routine, I'll see this come to pass.
  
• I want to be a good example for my children - especially my girls. Abby told me the other day that when she's grown up she's going to eat healthy foods and exercise a lot so she can stay skinny. I hope that one day – preferably in the not-too-distant future – she'll be able to see the difference in me.
  
• I want to please my husband - and make him proud of me. He has said that losing 10 pounds is impressive. Hopefully he'll soon be telling me he can see a difference and feel a difference (like when he hugs me).
  

I feel like I'm making decent progress. The impatient side of me, though, wants to see more visible results SOONER! Patience is a virtue, right? Someone says that. And I know they're right. I just don't wanna wait to look better – and to feel better about myself!

Check-in time

It has been three weeks since I first post about getting myself back in shape. (You can read that here, if you'd like.) I thought I should post a quick update as to my progress.

Keep in mind the fact that my main difference is watching what I'm eating. I'm trying to eat no more than 2,000 calories per day. I haven't started into a lot of exercise yet. I am walking more than I had been, but I haven't done much more than that. Yet. I do plan to do more. But, for now, I'm concentrating on my calorie intake first. That said, I'm happy to announce that it's working! I've been steadily losing weight! My average is slightly above 1 lb. per week, and I think that is great! At that rate, I'll be down 50 lbs. at the end of a full year! I can live with that! ;-)

For now, I am pleased to share that I have lost ...

SEVEN pounds!

Yes, that doesn't sound like much, but when you take into account that I started this five weeks ago, I think that's pretty darn good!

My main reason for deciding to post an update is I'm starting to lose some steam. I had decided to share my journey here in part to keep me accountable, so I must update occasionally to maintain that! But, I currently am struggling a bit. I want to lose the weight. I want to get back to my pre-baby weight - or at least out of the plus-sizes! But, it's hard. It's hard to be constantly disciplined and constantly keeping track of what's coming in. It's especially hard because I LOVE to eat out. Generally, eating out is not conducive to losing weight! Plus, I HATE coffee. When I need a boost, I grab a Dr Pepper, but that's not so smart when trying to lose weight! Those are a LOT of wasted calories!

I'm trying to focus on the good - I'm losing weight. If I keep on keeping on, I will find my way back to ME! I cannot WAIT for that to happen!

Woe is Me

Like almost every other American, one of my goals for this year is to lose weight. No, you don't get to find out how much I weigh! LOL No one needs to know! ;-) But, I have had three babies in the past six years - and you can tell! It sucks. I gotta do it a little at a time - I'm getting close to my first goal, but not close enough! After my first goal, I have to lose about 10 more pounds to get to my pre-Natalie weight. That will be cause for much celebration indeed! Then, there are another 10-15 lbs to get to my pre-Grant weight. That will be cause for even GREATER celebration. Beyond that, there are another 20-25 lbs to get to my pre-Abby weight. THAT will be the celebration of a lifetime - well, at least since the birth of my babies! ;-) Beyond that another 15-20 lbs would be nice, but I'll be THRILLED just to get to my pre-Abby weight. Can I do it? I sure hope so - but I'm skeptical. See, as much as I hate to admit it (out of shame), I'm lazy. If something's work, I don't wanna do it. BUT, if that work can be made fun, I'm all for it! For instance, I HATE exercising - it's a chore and takes a long time to get noticable results. BUT, I love dancing - I was on the poms squad in junior high and in high school and LOVED it. Lost weight when I joined both (there were 3 years between the two - for various reasons I'll spare you for now), and looked great. If there was a way to do that kind of thing again now that I'm 32, I'd be there - and I'd likely lose the weight! But, well, anything even remotely close to that - Zumbo, I think is what it's called, for instance - is pricey. I don't have money for that right now. Plus, if I were to take it and get results and want to keep going, it'd be a recurring expense - no room in the budget for that right now. What I really wanna do is get a Wii Fit and use that. I know it's not anything like Zumbo, but I know I could enjoy that. But, of course, I can't get a Wii Fit to save my life - and I'm sure as hell not paying upwards of $100 for something that regularly is priced around $80. No way, no how. But, let me tell you, it's all I can do to keep from just saying screw it and ponying up the money! I am sure part of the problem is the aforementioned other Americans with the same goal - and likely a similar plan. I just wonder when the Wii Fit craze will die down so I can walk into Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or Target and buy one then and there. I feel like the king dude (I can't remember what they are - lemurs?) in Madagascar - "HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE!" So, for now, I'm using Wii Sports. That tennis gets me moving pretty well. It's better than nothing, right?