And The Winner Is.....

Thea!! this morning I went into That Other Kid's room and said, "hey, I want you to pick a number between 1 and 6 (that's how many comments I had for my give awsy/anniversary post)." So he said, "ok, how 'bout 5". I said, "great, thanks!"

So I went in just now and counted looked and it was Thea! So congrats Thea....and thanks for all the comments over the past couple of years. The support you (and everyone else gives me) helps me stay focused and keep plugging along with this journey.

Just for the record I did weigh in yesterday just didn't get a post written up. I was up a bit to 196.8 so I still have much work to do to get past my plateau.

Thanks again everyone for making my journey more enjoyable!!

Confessing Is Good For Me....

It's confession time over at the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans and I've been having a week that is worthy of confessing. I need to get this off my chest in hopes that I will start having a better week.

I'll just do bullet points since that seems to be the trend for confessing right now.

*I'm still working on getting the diet (ie, food) and stomach issues worked out. Therefore, every time I eat something I have to use the bathroom. Sometimes there is nothing but gas, sometimes it aint pretty. (sorry for tmi, just being honest here).

*I'm running in the Zooma Austin 5K in just under 3 weeks and I'm not feeling very confident in my ability to run much of it. Since I haven't felt good for the past couple of weeks I haven't been outside to run, until yesterday. It was a lot more walking than running and it was discouraging.

*Today it's rainy (which is good for the ground but bad for me to run). I was hoping to run again today but I'm not hardcore enough to run in the rain!

*That Kid came home to take care of some stuff here at home and That Other Kid and him are playing a LIFELY game of "go fish"!! I miss having my boys together!! Even the bickering, arguing and constant competitive activity! Soon That Kid will be gone away to Marine Corp boot camp and my house will be entirely too quiet!

*I think I have come to grips with the fact that he will be gone soon. I can't say I'm happy with it but at least he is acting like a mature young man and doing something to better himself.

*Stress has been a constant around here lately as the hubby continues looking for more architectural work and I'm trying really hard NOT to eat out of boredom or stress. I haven't always been successful but I think I am doing better than I usually do. I guess the scale will be the true judge of that.

So...what do you have to confess this week?

**Have you filled out a comment for my give away yet? I'm giving away a Jillian Michaels DVD in honor of my 2 year journey through losing weight. Go now cuz the give away ends tomorrow night!

Celebrating 2 Years with a Giveaway and a Story!!

2 years ago today is what I am officially calling the "beginning of the end!" The end of making excuses and being so obese that the doctor was telling me I would die young!

On March 25th, 2009 I went to the endocrinologist for an exam. I wanted him to tell me what was wrong with me. Why am I fat? Why can't I sleep? Why am I always tired? Why? Why? Why? Make me better! Give me a pill or a swift kick in the arse so I won't be fat the rest of my life!!

He said, "Listen you are 43 years old and on the verge of diabetes, your blood pressure's high, your cholesterol is high and you weigh 226.8 pounds! Do you want to live to see your child (5 at the time) graduate from high school? Do you want to take medicine the rest of your life? Do you want to go through life continuing to gain weight? OR do you want to really start living and get this weight off?"

So...I ask you what would you say? I told him, "I don't want to die young or live the rest of my life taking a bunch of medicine. I want to get this weight off. How do I start?"

So...he told me to stop drinking sodas you think 2-32 ounce sodas a day might be a contributing factor to the weight gain, huh? and start EXERCISING. Start watching my calorie intake and on a consistent basis eating less than 1700 calories a day!! So...I left the doctor's office and drove to the local convenience store and bought myself a 32 ounce soda and drank it while I cried and drove home! I knew that this would be my last soda for a long time. I also knew that some serious changes were going to have to happen. Calorie counting had NEVER been a part of my life but it was about to become an important part of it. I knew I needed to really get serious about losing weight. I had a follow-up appointment scheduled and I wanted the doctor to SEE that I was serious about getting this weight off.

So...that night I started exercising and busting my butt. Every morsel of food that went into my mouth was accounted for and I started reaching out to my friends that I had made online and in real life for support. Of course, without the Sisterhood I probably would have not been nearly as successful as I have been so I owe them a bunch!!

Over the past 2 years I have accomplished losing and keeping off some 30 pounds during some extremely challenging times in my life. I am a stress eater and some days it is really hard not to just dig into the pantry and eat till I'm sick but then I think, "Do I really want to go there?" and I always have to say a resounding, "NO"!! I still have around 40 pounds more to lose before I am in a really good BMI according to what I've been told...but every day I get up and think back to that day 2 years ago I realize that "I'm worth it"!! and my kids are worth it, too!! I've started running (which I was always afraid of) and I'm working every day to make the right choices to get me where I want to go!!

This summer my oldest son will be turning 21 and going off to Marine Corp boot camp. He will likely be gone for many months once he is done with boot camp...probably in some land FAR, FAR AWAY!! So before he leaves it is my goal to be in better physical condition and thinner than he can ever remember. I don't want his last memory of his mom to be of me being FAT and unhealthy! I still have a few months to work on this and so over the next couple of months I am working on trying to bust through my plateau that I hit and really get this weight off. I've always been the kind of person who won't stick with a "diet" so I'm looking for ways to get the weight off safely and with no "special formula". This isn't a diet...it's a lifestyle!! I want my lifestyle to be a healthy, safe one!! Lots of exercise, no stress eating, and limited soda drinking are key to this for me.

This past week I have had some kind of stomach virus food poisoning from crap food and haven't been able to eat much or exercise but last night I finally felt normal again and exercised! It felt great and I'm looking forward to exercising a lot this weekend!! Over the past week I have come to realize that I really need to concentrate on eating healthy, fresh foods and very little processed crap food! That's what I have done this week and it's been a real eye opener as to how much better I feel so that is the new plan of action!

So..this morning my weight is 196.4 . In 2 years I have officially lost 30.4 pounds. In the next few months I want to see the number on the scale go down dramatically so that I can get this process over and done with! Accountability is a key for me so I'm going to be logging into my LoseIt program with my food and exercise, and keeping up my blogging and reporting back here with my progress.

To celebrate my 2 year anniversary I want to give ya'll something special too. You are my support system. You are my cheerleaders, my friends and I want to give something back to you. At my local Target they have their Jillian Micheals DVD's on sale. I personally owe a lot of my beginning weight loss to her 30 Day Shred DVD so I want to offer a give away. So here we go...Tell me one of your fitness/weight loss goals over the next few months and tell me how you plan on getting there. On Wednesday night, March 30th I will choose a winner and send you either the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD or the 30 Day Shred DVD (your choice)!!!

so.....come on ya'll tell me what you want to accomplish!!! It'll help me, too!!

Weigh In with Stomach Issues...

I haven't felt well since Friday night -- some kind of weird stomach thing. Hubby wanted Grandy's for dinner Friday night and usually when he wants something like that I just go get something else. My stomach and taste buds don't go for that much greasy fried food anymore so I almost always go get something different. BUT...this time I felt like having a good ol' chicken fried chicken, so I went ahead with the order. I took it home, ate it and actually enjoyed it UNTIL about 1 1/2 hrs later!! Since then my stomach has been upset and nauseated. I spent a good part of Friday night and Saturday in the bathroom. I haven't vomited and I haven't had the "runs", but I haven't felt good. My stomach has been rumbly and upset. Yesterday, was the first day since Friday that I did more than the basics of living and last night I was extremely tired. So needless to say I have broken my run on the 100 Days of Moving Challenge that I have been working on. I did walk a lot yesterday at the Arboretum and I did SOME of the #tworkout last night with the Sisterhood so at least I moved more than from the bathroom to the couch and kitchen yesterday but I certainly haven't done what I planned to do this week. I'm hoping to be well enough to run tomorrow since the weather here has been so nice and I really need to prepare for the 5k that is coming up on the 16th of April.

Since my stomach was a mess the past few days I wasn't too worried about losing at least a little weight...it's hard to gain weight when you don't eat much but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed to see the number on the scale this morning: 196.4. I know it's better than gaining and having a greater than 1 pound loss is good but you would think with all the misery I would have been rewarded for it in a more positive way!

Anyway, I am looking at "detox plans"...I think it is time to kick my body into high gear and get all these toxins out of my system. If you have anything that has worked for you in the past, please share with me, k?

Btw, Friday, March 25th is my 2 year anniversary since I started working through this weight loss, so come back Friday for a special edition. I'm planning a couple of special things!!

Another 5K To Prepare For...

A few weeks ago the Sisterhood had a give-away for this race. We had to leave a comment, tweet, facebook, etc and tell about the reasons we want to win. I decided that if I won this race package I could finally go meet Lisa and Christy in Austin. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to me. I got excited and asked hubby about it. He said ok, so I left the comment and walked away all the while hoping and praying that I would be picked! Austin is just a few measley hours from here and I would get to meet 2 wonderful women who have helped me greatly over the past 2 years!

But, before the winner was chosen some "bad stuff" happened and it didn't look like I would be able to go whether I won or not. I emailed the ladies and told them to pull me from the contest. Apparently, Lisa didn't get the memo (and I'm glad she didn't now!!) and I was chosen as the winner for the race packet . I told hubby that was chosen and he said "um, ok I guess as long as you don't have to spend money on hotel you can go ahead and go!" I went from sad, depressed to excited and happy in one swift move. I figured I could stay with someone, right??!! Turns out my options for staying with someone were knocked out of the water. So I had a decision to make. I could go ahead and tell Lisa and Christy I am doing the race or tell them I'm not doing the race.

So...Sunday afternoon in the middle of a pretty crappy, emotional run I decided I was gonna do this. I'm gonna take my chances...do my best with preparing for the race in the 4 weeks I have before it happens and figure out where I'm gonna sleep later!! I emailed Lisa and told her it was a go...This afternoon she sent me the promo code for the race and I just finished signing up!! I am officially signed up for my next 5K so there is no turning back now!! I figure I probably won't be able to run the entire 5K yet, but I will do my best and that's all I can ask of myself. Besides I'm gonna have a great time with Lisa and Christy and I'm sure they will make the weekend worth it!!

I can't wait!!! See you guys on April 16th!! Whoohooo!!

An Amusing Little Story

For the past several weeks during the Tuesday night #tworkout with the Sisters That Other Kid has been wanting to workout with me and watch The Biggest Loser. It has been very exciting to have my 7 year old son want to watch such a inspirational show and tell me how "these people are soooooo fat. You are SKINNY compared to them!" Little does he know that at this point most of these women weigh LESS than I do right now, but it's all in the perception, right?!!

Anywhoooo, back to my story. Last night some friends and I decided we needed a night out so I went out with them and recorded the show to watch later. Tonight I sat down after dinner and started watching the show. He was in his room watching tv and building legos. When it was time for his shower I paused the show and told him to get moving for his shower. He noticed I was watching the show and said "hey I want to watch, too!" That warmed my heart, I can tell you! So after his shower he got dressed in his jammies and sat on my lap to watch the show. At the first commercial break he turned to me and said, "hey aren't we gonna TWEETOUT?" Cracked me up!! I told him, no it was last night and I was gonna workout after he went to bed. He was disappointed that he didn't get to bust a move with mom (or compete against me)!!

So...there ya go!! I'm instilling in him that commercials are for working out...not EATING!! Thanks to all the ladies over at ShrinkingJeans for helping to instill good habits in my kiddo!! Every little bit helps in this journey of raising a healthy, fit kid!!

On a side note, since it is Wednesday and even though I'm not participating in the challenge over at the Sisterhood I did weigh in and was up to 198 this week. I guess all the junk (excessive chocolate) this weekend really messed me up!! I'm back to the "no junk" eating so I should be able to get those pounds off. I have a goal in mind for this week and I'm gonna do what I can to meet it.

Next Friday, March 25th is my 2 year anniversary for my weight loss journey and I want to be able to have good things to say to myself that day!!

Have a good night ya'll!

FitBloggin' 11

There's a little conference going on in 70 days that I would absolutely LOVE to attend. A few months ago I had a change to win tickets to attend this conference with the ladies from the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans, but I didn't win. I admit I was sad but I was happy for the ladies that did win. They are all great women who will benefit greatly from this conference so I'm hoping that I can gleen information from them!

But...now there is another opportunity for me to win!! I could still win a chance to attend Fitbloggin'. They are giving away 5 tickets to this conference. All I have to do is tell ya'll about it and why I want to attend this conference. Oh yeah and pray like crazy that I get randomly picked to win one of those 5 tickets!!

So here are few bullet points of why I want to attend Fitbloggin':

*I would get to meet many of the wonderful women that I have gotten to know through the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans. (That would truly make this trip the best it could ever be!!)

*I am wanting to turn my blog into something other than "just a journal" of my life. When I started blogging 3 1/2 years ago I didn't really have any asperations to what I wanted from blogging other than to have an online journal. Now that I have been blogging for a while I want to turn it into something that can help our family financially as well as help others out there in the blogosphere.

*I want to learn more about becoming a healthy, fit woman so that I can help others.

*I want to spend time with like-minded men and women who "have been there done that" so that I can feel like I'm not alone in this journey.

*And the last reason I'm giving ya'll for wanting to attend Fitbloggin' is purely selfish! I NEED A VACATION and this would be a great one!! The summer is looking pretty busy already and I'm not even into spring yet so this would let me look forward to something great before the craziness of summer begins!!

I hope I win one of the tickets to this conference but if I don't then I hope that I can gleen information from some of my friends that are getting to attend!!

A Little Loss...

This week was weird. I have been feeling a little lost without my Sisterhood friends to keep me focused and going on the right path. Stress has been a part of nearly every day and I have been dealing with it in a somewhat healthy way.

I have been trying to change up the exercise routines. I have been eating when I'm hungry (and sometimes when I'm not) but not going overboard with the food. I have had some digestive issues that seem to come from stress and I'm trying to work through the stress and the digestive issues.

But...on the bright side I lost weight this week!!

Weigh in last week: 196.0
This week's weigh in: 195.2

8 ounces gone...not what I wanted, but it is progress and that is what matters to me right now. I have exercised 64 of the past 68 days for at least 30 minutes each day and I'm pretty pleased with that accomplishment.

So...how are you doing?

In Case You Are Wondering

Things are pretty hectic around my neck of the woods and I've decided that one of the things that I can do to lessen my load of responsibility is to limit my computer time. So for a while I will be limiting my computer access and trying to get more things done around here. That means no Sisterhood challenges (because if I participate I want to see how everyone is doing and spend hrs a week reading posts, etc) and few blog posts from me. Just know that I am still around but just needing to take some time to get some things in order around here. I don't know how long I will be taking this self-imposed limited access computer time, but I can tell you that I have already been doing it for the past 8 days and I'm feeling like I am missing out on so much!! I will be back as soon as I can justify it!

I'm still logging onto facebook, the Sisterhood site, and emails at least once a day so if you want to chat please feel free to contact me!! I can't neglect my sanity saving sites entirely!!

Weigh In Without Challenge

I've decided that I am not gonna be able to be a participant of the newest challenge over at the Sisterhood. It feels really strange to not be doing this challenge. I can't remember the last Sisterhood challenge I didn't participate in, but right now my computer time is extremely limited and the time I do have on the computer needs to be for more pressing matters so I decided it wouldn't be fair for me to say I am participating and then not be able to devote the time to it.

Anyway, I am still in this journey and I'm still gonna lose weight so I weighed in this morning. I was a bit surprised, quiet honestly. It' been a rough week, emotionally, so I didn't know what to expect.

Starting weight: 3/25/09 226.8
Last week's weight: 2/23/11 196.8
This week's weight: 3/2/11 196.0

Even though I'm not participating in the challenge I plan to follow along as best I can and continue exercising, running and finding new way to push and challenge myself out of the rut I have gotten into lately.

My journey started nearly 2 years ago and I plan to have something to show for it this month....more than the 30 pounds I have been stuck at for awhile now!!

Anyway, thanks for supporting me through thick and thin...