Two days in a row!

And I'm not just talking about posting to this blog!  I exercised two days in a row too!  Okay for a lot of people on this journey, that's not such a big deal but for me it is.  My exercise has been so off track lately but things are looking up!   Yesterday morning, I got up early and walked 30 minutes on the treadmill and it felt GREAT.   Well not so much during the walking part but AFTER I felt great!   I was even looking forward to doing it again this morning.  Unfortunately, my body wasn't cooperating.    Or specifically my left foot wasn't up for it.   I recently self-diagnosed myself with plantar fasciitis (to which my doctor agreed I was probably right) and although it's been better lately, it kicks in whenever it feels like it.  I knew working in the basement on the concrete floor barefoot all weekend was going to cost me.  (Seriously Mary - put on some shoes!!)  The pain is always worse in the morning.     So I woke up as planned at 5:45 but the pain was so intense, I could barely walk to the bathroom.  Going 30 minutes on the treadmill wasn't going to happen.  So I made a deal with myself that if I couldn't do it in the morning, I had to do it on my lunch hour.     Then I remembered that it was a half day of school and the girls would be home at 12:20 and I would have to bring them to grandma's daycare.  Right in the middle of my lunch hour.  Perfect excuse to get out of exercising...  But I didn't give in.  I snuck away from my desk (work at home but have to work regular hours of 8-noon and 1-5) 10 minutes early at 11:50, got my 30 minutes in on the treadmill and walked upstairs just as the girls were getting off the bus.    YAHOO!!!  I did it!

Finishing February Strong! :)

Finishing February Strong!

Can't believe we are almost at the end of another month.   Just a few days left and I'm really hoping to finish strong.    My weight has been up and down all month so if I want to see an overall loss for the month, I need to kick some (of my own) butt these last few days.   

Good news is that this morning I actually got my butt out of bed 45 minutes early and walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes.   It was really hard to get out of my warm and cozy bed but I'm so glad I did it.    And to no surprise, it made the rest of my morning go so much better.  I wasn't dragging myself around in a half-asleep fog trying to get my kids ready for school like usual.    After they got on the bus, I jumped in the shower and was sitting at my desk on time alert and ready for the day (I work at home but have to work a fixed schedule so need to be logged in and working at 8 am).    Now, if I can just remember that great feeling at 5:30 tomorrow morning and do it again...   Tonight, I'm going to put my workout clothes next to my bed and have the water bottle ready in the fridge.  So there will be no excuse or delays.  

Another good thing is the workout room is almost complete.    Just need to do the trim around the floor, stain the door and get the curtains sewn.  Will be done by my goal deadline of Sunday.    I'll post pictures then for sure.     It was so great to go down there this morning and walk on the treadmill in my pretty new room.    The new TV on the wall and Tivo with some of my favorite shows already recorded (yes, I'm spoiled!) were a great distraction while I walked.  

Went to my mom's for lunch and she had made a great spaghetti with ground turkey breast.  We have replaced ground beef with the ground turkey breast in several of our family recipes lately.   It was so yummy!   

So like I said, I'm going to finish this month strong!  It's just 5 days.  I can focus on eating right and exercising for 5 days.  No problem.  ;)

Finally Friday!

Actually, this week went by really fast but still glad it is Friday.    Just a few hours left of work and then my mom, the girls and I are off to my favorite store - Menards (home improvement store).   Unfortunately, it is about an hour and a half away so it's a big deal when we get a chance to go and my shopping list is always a mile long.   Mostly though, I need more wood trim to finish the workout room and since that room is just the beginning of what needs finishing in our partially-finished basement, we need supplies to get started on the bathroom next.

I've been eating really well this week and bounced back good from our weekend away.   Even though my official weigh in day is on Mondays, I weigh myself everyday and happy to say that even though my weight went up for a couple days, it has bounced back to 272.   Still hoping to see 269 soon.

Getting lots of informal exercise in this week and looking forward to working out in my new workout room next week.   

Feeling positive and happy today which is great!   The sun shining and listening to the snow melt really helps too!   Might still have a couple months of winter left around here but days like today let us pretend spring is just around the corner.

Getting past the long weekend...

We had an awesome time on our weekend away to the waterpark.   Ate lots of junk food and got sick and quickly remembered why I can't eat that way.    Back to the real world yesterday and it wasn't my best day back but I'm really focused today!  

Weighed in on Sunday and finally broke through to lose two pounds.   I am now at 272 and can see the 260s on the horizon and very motivated to get there!    Hopefully this week but if not, next week for sure. 

The work out room is really coming along.  The ceiling is done - what a chore!! - and will be finishing the painting of the room today.   Then I can move on to the floors and the wood trim.   It will be done this week so very excited about that.    A big reward will going TV shopping later this week!    I fixed my treadmill so excited to get that moved in and use it for the first time in a LONG time.  

Guess that's all for now.   Not much to report but wanted to get a post in as it has been a few days!

The Weekend

The girls are off school and I'm off work on Monday so we are headed out in the morning on our 5th annual trip to waterpark hotel about 90 minutes from here.    The weekend always involves swimming (although I use that word losely since I'll rotate my time between floating in the lazy river and the hottub) and eating.    And eating is a big part.   We go with my cousin and her two daughters and since it is our little mini vacation, everyone brings their favorite snack foods and we have a jolly ole time.    Granted, one plan might be to change traditions and not focus so much of the weekend around eating but hey, this is real life and that's not likely to happen.  And this is our only trip out of town during a LONG winter so it's not like it is a regular thing we do.    So I've been planning for three weeks what my 'special' treats will be.   There are these cookies that Walmart puts out at Valentine's Day that are either a shortbread or a sugar cookie with the sugar sprinkles and they just melt in your mouth.   My aunt showed them to me about 5 years ago and every year since then, my family has been inhaling quite a few bags between the last week of January and the middle of February.  I literally had an emotional reaction when I saw them on the shelf this year.   I dreamed about eating those damn cookies.  The more I resisted them, the more I thought about them.    I knew I couldn't buy them or I'd eat the whole bag.  Then I had my bright idea that I'd buy them and bring them on our weekend away.  I knew I'd be eating at least some junk food.  Might as well be the thing I craved the most.  So I bought them and they have been sitting in my room with the new Valentine pjs and swimsuits for the girls for the last *three* weeks!   There has been several times that I've been really tempted to open the bag - afterall, can't I just get another one? - but I stuck to it.  Not sure if it's a big test of willpower or just some stupid mind game I'm playing with myself but I'm kind of proud that I didn't open the bag.   And truth be told, when I packed our food bag today, the emotional tug those cookies had on me a few weeks ago has pretty much disappear.  The excitement of getting to eat them is gone.   Hmmm... wonder if there is a lesson to be learned there?!?   The other things I've been craving are licorice which is my all-time favorite candy (take that over chocolate any day) and doritos.   So the food is packed and ready to go along with a case of water and two healthy choice meals so we'll see how it goes.  One thing I know for sure is that if there are extra cookies, licorice and doritos, they will NOT be making the trip back home!   We usually have extras because even though I buy our favorites, we seem to like what my cousin brings better!  LOL.  

Since we'll be gone Monday morning, I'm going to do my official weigh in tomorrow before we leave.   The last two days have shown a small loss so hopefully that still shows tomorrow.  

Hope everyone that reads this is having a good weekend!

Some Random Thoughts

Just a few things I've been thinking about this morning...

My mom recorded a recent episode of The Doctors to show me.  It had several segments on health and weightloss.  What really stood out was that Danny the winner of last seasons' Biggest Loser was on.  He lost 239 pounds.  They had a weight bar with 240 pounds and asked him if he could pick it up.   He couldn't budge it off the ground.  Here he is now being in the best possible shape his body could be and he couldn't lift it..   When he was in his worst shape, he was carrying that around everyday.   I often think about how much easier it would be if I wasn't carrying around this 100+ pounds.  That's more than my youngest daughter weighs.  Even if I was in much better shape and stronger than I am now, I can't imagine carrying her around. Or imagine carrying ten 10 pound bags of potatoes!  No wonder my knees and feet and back and everything else hurts.   Not to mention what I can't feel - the strain on my heart.   So seeing Danny stand next to that huge set of weights has been a really good visual for me. 

While my mom and I were drywalling Sunday, she mentioned how when she was growing up, she can't imagine her mom ever making a meal thinking 'this would be healthy for my kids to eat.'  It was just a matter of making meals that would fill up the kids and taste was always a big priority.  She said that's what she knew and then when she had her own kids, it was more of the same.    It just kind of makes sense that we are all the size we are.  And all of us addicted to sugar!  Healthy eating just wasn't even on the radar.   My grandma (mom's mom) passed away last year at the age of 76.   We truly believe she'd still be here today if she'd only made some changes in her life.    She had so many health problems and most of them were brought on by her own choices.  Or at the very least made worse by her choices.   She was such a wonderful person but just wouldn't take care of herself.   My mom and I don't want our kids/grandkids to think that of us someday.     My mom and I are fighting the fight.  We do not want to be the victim my grandma chose to be.    We do not want to put our children (and grandchildren) though what she put us though.   We need to figure out the right way to do it.    THIS WILL BE OUR YEAR to get it done!

Back to the dentist today to get the permanent crown on my tooth.  When I got the temporary crown put on three weeks ago, it set me off on a mini binge once the numbing wore off.   Hope the trauma of going to the dentist doesn't do that to me today.  Okay, it's NOT going to happen.   I just hate going to the dentist so much, it sets off all kinds of emotions.   I'm aware of it today though and going to keep control!

Just need to get through work (and the dentist) today and then it's a 3 day weekend for me.  Can't wait!

Thursday Again!

Can't believe it's been a week since my last post.  I really need to make a goal to post at least every other day.   I guess some days I just don't feel like I have anything interesting or significant to say.  For my own benefit though, I need to post more because it really does help me stay accountable.   

My weight has been stuck around the same number (up and down the same two pounds) for about 2 1/2 weeks.  I'm frustrated with myself because I know I can do better.  So I guess that's also the good news - there is lots of room for improvement.  The real frustration would be if I was doing everything right and the weight didn't come off - but I know that's not the case.   I've been eating very good but know I could do better.  I've been logging my food in WW online part of the time but know I need to do it ALL the time.   I've been very active but not doing enough 'formal' exercise.  

On a positive note, we're making a lot of progress on the new workout room.    The room has been emptied and cleaned from top to bottom.   The two 'outside' walls are primed and painted and my mom was over Sunday afternoon and last night to work on finishing the drywalling process on the two 'inside' walls and ceiling.   Hoping to get the drywalling done this weekend and then I can finishing painting next week.   About half way done with the staining of the woodwork (floor trim boards, closet doors, french doors going into the room).  Figured out the broken part on my treadmill and ordered that.   Hopefully everything comes together by next weekend!  

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Thursday Update

Wow - Thursday already!  This week is flying by!  I don't have much to post about but since I'd like to post more often to stay accountable, I guess I'll just update my progress on my monthly goals...

1) Exercise at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.   Accomplished Monday and Tuesday.  My feet are hurting again so I've only been able to ride my stationary bike.   On a related note, I really hoped that I'd lose 10 pounds and my feet would magically be fixed as I've been blaming the pain on all this extra weight my poor feet have to carry around.   Didn't happen as the pain was back Monday morning.  (Maybe it will magically disappear when I lose 15 pounds. LOL.)  Then again, I didn't have to crawl to the bathroom or anything in the mornings and today I'm feeling almost normal again so maybe it is getting better.   Since I'm feeling good today, I will try out one of my Walk Away the Pounds DVDs today.

2) Eat on points with the exception of 'free' meal out Friday night. And track online no matter what...   Did great Monday and Tuesday.   My splurge meal of the week was moved up to Wednesday as Mom called last night and reminded me of the Wednesday 2 for $20 deal at a local restaurant and invited us to go out for dinner.     Had a small steak and baked potato.  Oh yeah and some deep fried cheese curds.   Don't even want to know the point values of them but they were sooooooooo good.   So according to the commercials, the 'happy cows' are in California but Wisconsin still knows how to deep fry cheese curds better than anyone.     In addition to the appetizer, the 2 for $20 deal also included dessert which was some pudding thing with fresh raspberries in it.   At least it had fruit.  :)   The good thing is that I had my big meal earlier in the week and have more time to get it off before weigh in on Monday.   And I did really enjoy it which is part of the plan.

3) Plan out menus for the work week. Still need to work on that.   Have ideas in my head but really need to get it down on paper.  Did start a list of the meals my girls will happily eat (unfortunately a SHORT list).  Tonight, we are having their favorite - tacos - which I now make a lot healthier (turkey breast meat, reduced fat cheese, whole wheat tortillas).

4) Finish our new work-out room in the basement. This is more of a weekend job so haven't made any progress yet.   Did find a cheap Tivo for in there on eBay but I guess that didn't take much effort.  
 
I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and make comments.  The extra support is great!

February Goals!

Started this phase of my weight loss journey about a month ago but didn't set any definite goals other than following the WW points plan.    I think it will help to have a more definite plan so here are my goals for February:

1) Exercise at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.   Would love to do more but keeping it low to start.

2) Eat on points with the exception of 'free' meal out Friday night.    And track online no matter what - even if I have to make things up - lol.   I do great every day until the end of the work day at 5.   Then I either forget to log dinner and snacks just assuming I have enough points left over or go to my mom's for a healthy dinner and unsure of points so don't put anything in.   So that's what I say about making things up - at least log the food even if I have to guess the point values.  

3) Plan out menus for the work week.    Need to avoid the 5 o'clock panic of not knowing what to make for dinner.   Also, keep finding recipes and even buying the ingredients but then not going through with making the recipe.   Plan ahead.  Plan ahead.  Plan ahead.

4) Finish our new work-out room in the basement.    Clear out the things that are still in there from its previous use as the 'cat room'.  Clean floors.  Finish drywall, prime and paint.  Do something with the floor.  Stain doors.    Move in treadmill and bike.   Buy a TV and run cable to room.    Yikes - good thing I have the whole month.