Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Weigh In Time

Real quick post tonight before I go take a nap before heading off to work. This week has seemed incredibly long and I have accomplished so little that I am really feeling stressed and overwhelmed. The good news is tomorrow morning is payday and I managed to lose .6 pounds this week even though I was feeling so overwhelmed!

Last week's weigh in: 189.8
Today's weigh in: 189.2

Loss of .6 pound which as I keep reminding myself "it is a loss -- even if it's small!" I'm glad that I am slowly losing weight. Right now would be a prime opportunity for me to say, "screw it all I'm going to eat and drink whatever"! But I know how hard I have worked to lose weight this year and I'm not willing to throw it all away. I also was given one of the highest compliments this weekend that just made me feel like it was all going to be ok!

That Other Kid's hockey coach told me that it looked like I had "lost weight"! I can't tell you how good that made me feel. I wanted to hug the man!! He has no idead how that boosted my attitude the rest of the day! Especially after having a frustrating weekend where I ate junk and didn't get to catch up on my sleep like I wanted to/needed to.

Anyway....I am only .2 pound away from my starting point for this challenge and still 4.2 pounds away from my personal goal for this challenge. Um, wonder what I could do to speed this process up? I have to eat enough food to keep my strength up for all the physical stuff I do at work and I can only sleep so many hours before That Other Kid is bored out of his mind and needs me to spend time with him. Oh well, all I can do is "do my best" and progress along anyway I can.

Hope ya'll had a great week. I will try to do better with my updates and posts, but I'm not promising anything. I really miss checking out all my blogging peeps...

Thursday, March 25, 2010

One Year and Counting....

One year ago today I went to the Endocrinologist for an appointment. During that appointment he prescribed medicine for a thyroid condition, vitamin D supplement and asked me a simple question that changed my life. That question?

"Do you want to become diabetic?"

I responded with the answer that I'm sure most of his patients gave him, "No". I mean really who wants to go through life (and normally a shorter one at that) with a disease that for MOST people is preventable by making a few (or sometimes a lot) of changes to ensure weightloss and healthier living? I sure didn't. I have a small child to care for, a young adult son to watch mature and grow into a man of character, and a husband to continue loving. Although I joke around that I am old, I am not really that old.

That one question scared me into changing nearly everything about my life. That one question scared me so much so that I walked out of that doctors office and decided then and there that I WOULD lose weight and begin a healthier lifestyle.

The next thing I did was drove to the nearest convenience store and bought myself my LAST COKE for the next 6 weeks. Yes, coke was my biggest vice in NOT losing weight and I KNEW it! As I drank that coke and drove home I talked to God and told him that if he helped me lose weight I would start taking care of the body HE gave me. I WOULD exercise and I WOULD eat healthier and I WOULD stop consuming literally HUNDREDS and some days even a THOUSAND extra calories a day of empty bad calories.

I wanted to live life and live it to the fullest. In order to do that I knew what to do. Eat fewer calories, exercise CONSISTENTLY (not just whenever the mood hit me) and to make sure the calories I was consuming were HEALTHY, GOOD ones.

Starting March 25, 2009, when I walked into the doctor's office weighing in at 226.8 pounds (and sadly that wasn't my highest known weight) I determined that from that point forward I would ONLY go down in weight on the scales. I have kept that agreement and I started exercising and losing weight.

As of this afternoon, when I woke up I have lost exactly 37 pounds. I weighed 189.8 this afternoon and although it isn't what I hoped to have lost by this time I am pleased that I AM LOSING and not gaining. I am so much healthier now than I was 1 year ago. I am consistently exercising (when I feel like it, right now). I can lift more than most people would think I could and I am working a physically demanding job that one year ago there is NO WAY I would have been able to do. I have lost 2 full pant sizes...I was approaching needing a size 20 and I am now able to wear a size 14 without feeling squished!!

I feel so much better...and my doctor is pleased with my progress. He keeps asking how I am doing it. I keep telling him, "Willpower, motivation from my Sisters, and FEAR of dying before old age!" I truly believe this to be true, too. I have come so far, and although I still have a long way to go I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt I CAN DO IT!! I eat (mostly) healthy foods, I drink coke only on occasions when I determine to, and I am physically active. I am progressively getting closer to my goal of a healthy BMI and living a healthy lifestyle.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Weigh In Time

It's weigh in time again with the Sisterhood. Time to jump on the scales and see what progress was made this week. I have been trying hard to watch my food intake this week while at work. Some nights were easier than others. Some nights I just couldn't handle watching everyone eating chips while I ate my cheese and triscuits. Some nights I needed the caffeine that a coke would give me. But overall, I did pretty well with the temptations.

Here are the results...

Last week: 191.0
This week: 190.2

So I did have a loss this week, (.8 of a pound) although less than a pound is not quite the progress I was hoping for. I have not been very good about getting the "formal" exercising in this week either so that may have slowed my progress down.
I know that stress can "KILL" weight loss efforts so I know that once things settle down a bit I will start losing more weight again.

Tomorrow will mark my 1 year anniversary for truly attempting to live a healthier life and lose weight. I will try to update again tomorrow with my 1 year loss total. Maybe if I'm careful tonight at work I can lose a little more so that I am officially in the 180's!! I really wanted to have a 40 pound loss by tomorrow's date but under the current circumstances I have to take what I can get (losing about 37 pounds in this year) and be happy that I am not GAINING weight during this time. Stagnating or losing a little every week is better than I usually get during stressful times!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

I Just Donated....

won't you??

Team Shrinking Jeans Bash

I received overtime today in my first paycheck while working overnights and since they are busting their butts putting in "overtime" training for their 1/2 marathon this summer I donated my overtime pay! Not much, but every little bit helps!

Please help this wonderful cause....Find out more here

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Weigh In Time With Some Confessions, Too

Well it's Wednesday and that means Weigh In time with the Sisterhood. Working overnights is totally kicking my butt and I am having a hard time with pretty much everything, but I am trying to stay focused and lose more weight. Let's see:

Last week's weigh in: 190.4
This week's weigh in: 191.0

That means not only did I gain a little weight this week, I am exactly where I was 2 weeks ago. I am not terribly excited about this gain (who would be??) but I totally understand where I am going wrong...

Would you like to hear what I am doing wrong? Too bad if you don't, cuz I need to get it down in print what is going on here.

1) Several late night cokes and even early evening cokes...just to get enough caffeine in my system to stay awake all night long.

2) Pudding cups and chocolate in my "lunch" bag. Eaten about 2 a.m. That can't be good for me.

3) 4 Donuts this morning on my way home from work -- at which time I promptly showered and collapsed into the bed for nearly 5 hours.

4) Suffering from intense seasonal allergies that make me pretty much miserable and not wanting to exercise even when I do manage to squeeze in the time to do it, which hasn't been entirely easy.

5) Instead of exercising every night like I have been accustomed to I am barely averaging 3 or 4 days. Of course I am moving pretty much all night long with a bunch of bending, lifting, pushing and pulling. It's not the same, but at least I'm not sedentary most nights.

6) I'm only averaging 4-6 hours of sleep a night/day. From everything I have read and heard in order to really lose weight you really need to have no less than 7 hours a night. But....how do I manage to get that much sleep and care for That Other Kid and other household responsiblities (although dh has been awesome with tackling many of the more routine things like laundry and dishes)??

7) As many of you may (or may not remember) I homeschool That Other Kid -- but because of my wonky schedule a couple of my friends have been doing much of the schooling for me. I am feeling guilty (and grateful) that I just don't have the energy to do much right now. Um...can you say additional stress? Not good for me, I know and I'm trying to not worry about it, but as a self-imposed "gotta do it all kind of mom" it has been hard.

Anyway, I am trying to learn how to adjust and deal with the stresses in my life a little better and I think overall I am doing well with it. I have been eating (for the most part) healthy at work (compared to others I am doing awesome), but I want to improve on it and try to eat a little less.

I get my first paycheck tomorrow and I'm excited that it will have overtime on it! Those overtime dollars will be donated to the Sisterhood training for their half-marathon! I'm excited that I finally get to donate and support my sisters. They have done so much for me and now I will get to do something great for them!!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

My Body Clock Is All Messed Up....

I slept till 11 a.m. today (well really yesterday; Saturday) and got a decent amount of sleep but I was groggy feeling all day. My seasonal allergies are kicking me in the butt! I take medication for them but when they are in the extreme high range I still suffer like everyone else. Not to mention I have been kind of lax in remembering to take my medicine every day with my new routine and all. Anyhoo, I finally laid down on the couch to "snuggle" with That Other Kid about 5 p.m. and the next thing I know it is 6:45 and he's asking me if it's dinner time yet? Um, yeah is actually past dinner time...I guess I was tired!

Then I went and "laid down for a little bit" about 9:30 and the next thing I know it is 12 midnight and dh is coming to bed. I didn't know if I should get up and do something productive or just stay in bed. By the time dh went to sleep I was pretty much awake so I got up and started checking blogs, commenting, and generally wasting time. I wanted to exercise, but I'm not really sure if I should do it now or just go to bed. Decisions, decisions...

What did I manage to do on my 2 days off?? Not a whole heck of a lot. I slept a lot, got the oil changed in the truck (thanks to my friend who gave us cash money and Walmart gift cards Friday evening-- not to mention the groceries that probably adds up to at least another $100!), washed laundry (didn't fold yet), loaded the dishwasher, and blogged and commented on a bunch of my Sisters' blogs!

Not a real productive weekend if you ask me...I really want to exercise, but now I am tired again and know that I have to start back to work later tonight. With the allergy garbage I'm thinking I need to get some extra sleep. I hope that you had a more productive weekend and were able to get something more than laundry done!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

It's 3 am! Why Am I Awake???

Because my sleep schedule is so out of whack that now that it is the weekend and I don't have to work I am hungry and not really feeling like sleeping. I don't want to mess up my sleep schedule too much for during my work week! So here I am while the rest of the house and Sisterhood world (except maybe Karena) is sleeping I am blogging and making comments on peoples blogs! I have a lot of catching up to do on the weekend because I just don't have the time to blog, comment, exercise, sleep, work, and the other stuff I need to do during the week. What goes? Blogging cuz as much as I LOVE it it just ain't necessary!!

My second week of working is complete. I survived and I feel like I am somewhat adapting. I have awesome friends that are helping out with That Other Kid, so that I can sleep longer during the day and that is really important. By the time I leave for Thursday night I am pretty much toast. I am averaging 4 - 5 hours of sleep a day/night. Except for Thursday morning when I have been able to sleep 6 hours both weeks. I am tired, and my muscles are being worked in ways that I have never dreamed of using them!

On the plus side....I get my first paycheck this coming Thursday and it will be for more than 80 hours for the 2 week period! I have worked a bit of overtime both weeks and I am fortunate enough to be paid for those hours! I'm planning a mini celebration, btw so if you are looking for me on Friday night plan on checking out one of my favorite restaurants. Not sure which one, yet, but I am definitely going to celebrate!! And I won't be watching my calorie intake that night either, sorry SynErgy ladies!

So...on to some of the highlights of my week.

I have been tracking my walking with my trusty pedometer (that I haven't taken the time to EXACTLY figure out yet) and I have been averaging anywhere from 1.5 miles to 5 miles a night of walking while at work. That is not walking only...that is in addition to bending, lifting, pushing, pulling and such throughout the night! Every day when I come home I am feeling my muscles that have been worked throughout the night.

I have also tried to exercise some right after I wake up in the early afternoon. I have 4 more Wii EA More Workouts to do to complete my 2nd 6 week challenge! Gosh it's going to feel good to complete that! But it has been a great way for me to stay on track with "formal" exercise during this transition time of going back to work.

I have also tried to do the 30 Day Shred with the girls over at the 'hood! I have not been very successful with this, though. I've only done it 5 out of 12 days, so I have some serious catching up to do. Hopefully, I will do better with it once I am done with the Wii Workout challenge. Maybe I can get my friend to do it with me when we are done with the Wii challenge we are doing now. I really do love to be challenged by Jillian. You know the kind of love I'm talking about, right? The love/hate relationship...when you love the results but hate doing it!

Things are really popping over at the Sisterhood and we have some great people over there to help keep me motivated and headed in the right direction which is vital for me right now.

So with that in mind I will happily report that during the period from last Wednesday the 3rd of March to this Wednesday the 10th of March I went from

192.0 to 190.4!! .

I really needed to psychologically see a drop in my weight this week and I did! I wish it could have been more but I will take any kind of loss right now and not set myself up for disappointment if I don't accomplish my goal!

I have been drinking more soda than I want to while on my breaks but I am also drinking anywhere from 1 - 2 liters of water throughout the night, so that is a good thing. Most of my coworkers drink absolutely NO WATER throughout the night! I don't see how they can not be dehydrated. Especially since they are drinking sodas and coffee instead.

I have set a goal for myself to be doing some kind of formal exercise at least 4 days a week and so far I have been successful. I hope I can follow through with this and even extend it, but I am trying to be realistic as well.

My dh has been doing a great job helping out around the house since I started working. He has loaded and unloaded the dishwasher, folded and put away laundry and made sure the house has been relatively clean by the time he goes to bed so I don't come home to a mess that I feel obligated to clean up before I go to bed. It has made my life a lot easier and for that I am grateful! That Other Kid seems to be adapting pretty well and he is getting some school done during the week, so I don't feel that I am a totally slacking homeschooling mom! I am planning to do school on Saturdays and do a little one on one time with him so that he doesn't feel like mommy doesn't care about him. He has been watching more tv than I approve of but for the most part he doesn't watch tv that is "bad" so he is getting some educational value from it.

Well I am getting to the point of rambling so I am off to bed...early for me! Hope ya'll have a great weekend!!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Monday's Project: What I Could Have Been Like

Rethink Your Shrink, The Monday Project

It is time to talk about this week's Monday Project that ChristieO assigned us.

What would have happened if I had waited 2 years to start working out and losing weight?
I have been thinking a lot about this project this week and I have to say it made me kind of sad, but kind of happy at the same time.

1) When I started this journey nearly 1 year ago (March 25 is my "getting skinny and healthy anniversary") I was told that I was near the point of diabetes, so if I would have waited I know for a fact I would have become a diabetic. Needles and blood and such just don't get along well with me! Giving up sweets forever? No way! Not gonna happen....so glad I started taking care of myself (at least better care of myself!)

2) I was averaging a gain of 20 pounds a year so I would have weighed somewhere in the range of 270 pounds. How nauseating is that for someone who should weigh in the area of 135 pounds? Pretty darn nauseating if you ask me.

3) I was already to the point of not wanting to go shopping for clothes (and for a woman who LOVES shopping that is just plain sad)!! I would have NEVER wanted to step inside a mall or even a discount store to shop, cuz that would have just proven to myself that I was in even worse condition than I thought. Size 18's (which is what I was wearing) would have been a thing of the past! Now I am wearing small size 16's and 14's. Gotta get the gut taken care of so I can move on down!

4) I would not have been healthy enough to work at the job that I currently have. I would have just had to find a job where I could just sit because I wouldn't have been able to move well enough to do anything else. Not likely to have found that, since there aren't a lot of jobs during the grave yard shift where you just sit (at least for a person who hasn't worked in 20 years!)

5) My feet, legs, knees, and back would have constantly HURT. With all that extra weight that I was not designed to hold up I have no doubt I would have needed even MORE medication! And possibly surgery for my knees.

6) My family would have had to put up with a MISERABLE MOM/WIFE! I was already pretty grumpy most of the time. I was unhappy, disgusted with myself and depressed. If I would have waited 2 more years I can just imagine how miserable we all would have been. It woulda been UGLY!!

7) My little boy would not have the joy of watching his mom exercise and eat healthy for 2 more years. By that time he would have gotten to the point of not even asking if I could/would do something with him because he would have heard me tell him "NO" so much that it would just have been too hard to hear it again. My goal is to be able to do fun things with him this summer and not be so self-conscience about being so fat and overweight.

8) My older son would not be able to watch the progress that I am making. By that time he would be 21 years old and never be able to remember his mom healthy, happy and thin! He would probably never be around to see the transformation that is being made now. How sad?? I want my kids to see me healthy, happy and thin....not grumpy, miserable and fat! (which is what I have been for FAR TOO MANY YEARS!)

Thanks ChristieO for making me think and for pushing me outside my comfort zone! I need to remember these things on weeks where I just want to "give up" and be fat! Weeks where it is just too hard to keep going. Weeks/days where all I want to do is drink a bunch of cokes and candy bars!

I am going to be victorious over this weight! I will not let it conquer me! I will conquer it!! Because with Christ all things are possible!!

Week In Review: Shredding, Weigh In, and Work!

Wow! This is going to be some kind of mixed up jumbled post...kind of like my week!!
Hope ya'll are ready for a lot of different topics to be covered in one post. If not, then maybe you can just pretend that it is several posts and break it up in your reading time!

First of all I will start with my "work week". This was the first week of work for me and it was a doozy. As I mentioned before I haven't worked in nearly 7 years and I have NEVER worked at a job during what is known as the graveyard shift...10 p.m. to 7 a.m. It has been over 20 years since I worked a 40+ work week, too. I have a new respect for police, firemen, and hospital staff that are required to work this shift. It is not for the wimpy! I have been a night owl for years but when it hits 1 a.m. I turn into a pumpkin and go to sleep. Not now....no, now I am just getting started at 1 a.m. My responsibilites are varied from night to night but for the most part I am moving for most of my 8 hour shift. Thursday night/Friday morning I logged nearly 5 miles in the 8 hours I worked. Not only did I walk but I carried, lifted, bent, and pushed and pulled. Plenty of exercise going on at work for me. It is physically demanding but not so much that I can't handle it. Boy am I glad that I have been working out over the past 11 months! I would never have been able to do this job if I hadn't at least started on this journey of weight loss and exercise! There are some younger women (and even men) there and they are wiped out after their shift and they didn't work nearly as hard as I did! YAY for exercising!!

The hardest part of the job is not actually the job it is getting enough sleep and getting my schedule adjusted so that I don't want to sleep before my shift is over. I have a good friend who is helping me with That Other Kid a couple of days a week by having him at their house. She is working on school with him and letting him play with her little boy. I got to sleep uninterrupted from 8:30 to 3 the day she kept him...Pays to have friends, let me tell you!!

I Shred with the Sisterhood!
As you know the Sisterhood started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Monday. Never one liking to feel left out and one who apparently likes the pain I decided to do the Shred with everyone! I have to say I am glad to be doing it but I am not going to be able to do it EVERY.SINGLE.DAY like I want to and like it is designed for, but I am doing it as much as I feel I can. It only takes about 25 minutes and it is a GREAT workout! I did it Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday of this week. So I say 4 out of 6 days is pretty darn good! I really do love exercising and working out now...it keeps my body healthy and keeps me from being depressed and mentally "blah".

This week's weigh in --- let's just say it SUCKED, shall we? Of course, I know in my head that this was going to be a bad week and with all the changes that occurred this week I was bound to have a sucky week but man I did not like looking down and seeing that I had bounced UP 2 WHOLE POUNDS!!

Last week I weighed -- 189.0
This week I weighed -- 191.0


I'm hoping that it is a temporary gain and with all the working out, walking, lifting, bending, pushing and pulling that I am doing these 2 pounds plus more will come off by this upcoming weigh in. Everyone I know has said that the first week of a change like this plays the biggest havic of your system, so now that the first week is over it's time for my system to kick it up a notch so I can continue losing weight. I am eating healthy at work (fruit, cheese, peanut butter, and crackers) and only succumbed to a coke 1 night. I am looking for alternative caffeine injections!! I hate coffee so don't even suggest that! I'm not really a iced tea person, although that may be my best option. I am drinking between 32 and 64 ounces of water during the night so that is a big deal for me. Of course, I am 'dying of thirst' at break times though because I am used to drinking water all day long and now it is reserved for break and meal time or when I am at home awake!

Just one more thing before I move on. Please pray for my dh as he continues seeking work as an architect. He is starting to really get depressed and down. Now that I am working I think that he is feeling even more down. He doesn't sleep well when I am not in bed with him and now that I am ALWAYS gone at night he is having problems sleeping. If this continues I'm afraid that he will get sick and then not only will he not be working but he will be sick. BAD combination, let me just tell you!

He had an interview on Friday and he felt it went well but we won't know anything for awhile about it. He has a couple of possible "contracts" (independent contractor type projects) that are supposed to happen this week. We NEED these projects. Not just for his well being but for our financial obligations and needs as well! Thanks so much for your prayers and friendship!!

Monday, March 1, 2010

First Day of Shredding

I Shred with the Sisterhood!

Well I did it!! I just Shredded with my Sisters!! Ya'll really have no excuse!! I just worked 8 hours doing physical labor and walking around ALL NIGHT LONG, came home and slept 4 hours and worked out with the 30 Day Shred!! Come on, ya'll kick some butt with me!! After looking at my pictures that That Other Kid took of me I still have A LONG WAY to go!!

Now off to shower, work on some schoolwork with That Other Kid and try to find a little more time to sleep before I do it all over again!!

Have a great day!