1 Year

1 year... 52 weeks... 365 days... 8760 hours... 525,600 minutes...

One year ago today I randomly decided to walk into a Weight Watchers meeting.  One year ago today I was at my highest weight ever and beyond embarrassed.  One year ago today I was scared about going to the doctors office for a physical for fear of what that results may be.

Today I can say with pride that I have lost 40lbs.  Today I enjoy being active and going to the gym.  Today I am healthier than I have been in a long time.  Today is a new day on my journey.

While I know I didn't meet my goal of 52lbs in 52 weeks, I can't beat myself up too badly.  40lbs is nothing to snub your nose at...  Plus, it's a journey, not a race.

And if you were to look at my WW weight record, it probably looks just like this.  I've been gaining and losing the same 2lbs since mid January.  I haven't given up, but I haven't been as dedicated as I once was.  Life has gotten in the way, and thrown me quite a few curve-balls that I'm learning to deal with.  Regardless, I'm finally figuring out a routine of sorts so I hope to get past this crazy plateau that I'm hanging out on. 

This next year is going to be a good one... I can feel it.  And with the support of my amazing family and friends it's going to be even better.

So - let's do this... and welcome to year 2 of My Journey to Happy and Healthy!!

You win some... you lose some.

I've been meaning to post since last Tuesday and just haven't had a chance.  I went to WW on Monday and ended up gaining 1.4lbs.  I knew I was going to gain - I just was hoping it wasn't that much.  I do this every time I hit some kind of milestone.  I hit the milestone and that following week I throw all caution to the wind and end up gaining the following week.  I've got to break that cycle somehow.  But even though I gained, I tried to not let it get me too down and just keep moving forward with what I know is the right thing to do.

Although, I did have a great NSV (non-scale victory) on Tuesday!  When I woke up that morning I found out that I had a negotiation meeting scheduled with the Government that same day.  In my head I figured out that I would wear a pant suit that I had gotten about a year ago and had really only worn once.  I put the pants on and noticed they were definitely big, but I could roll them at the waist and it wasn't so bad...  but then I put the jacket on.  It was HUGE!  It made me look like a linebacker and 10x bigger than I actually am!  I quickly had to figure out something else to wear because it just wasn't even presentable!  I went through two more pairs of pants and another blouse before I could find something in my closet that was presentable for this Government meeting!  It really gave me the affirmation that all the hard work does pay off... and that it's time to go shopping! :):)

I've been on vacation in Atlanta since Thursday evening and the eating hasn't been the greatest.  I'll also be missing my WW meeting because we won't get back in town in time.  Regardless, I think I'm going to need this week to purge myself of the badness that this weekend has entailed!!!

Oh well - back on the wagon and back to the grind!!

Scared

So - I'll admit it.  It wasn't a good week.  For the first time (that I religiously tracked) I actually went negative in my weekly points.  I had a few days where I was completely insatiable.  So I'm going to go tonight to face the music, but it's not going to be a pretty sound!   I'm expecting a gain.  Even though I worked out 4 times this week, as the saying goes...

We shall see - Think skinny!!!

Holy crap!

I just left weight watchers and am still in shock! I lost 3 lbs this week.  That means I've lost 39.8lbs...  So close to 40 lbs gone forever,  and that much closer to my immediate goal! I'm so stoked!

Now to make sure I keep it off and keep moving in the right direction...  I'm going to relax my aching muscles so I can go to circuit training in the morning!

Immediate goal

While sitting at my parents house, I decided that by April 8th, I wanted to lose 15.2lbs.  That would mean that I would have lost 52 lbs in 52 weeks or 1 year!!! 

This also means that I have to lose on average of 1.2lbs a week for the next 13 weeks.  It'll be tight, but I think it's totally doable!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

A month... really?!

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted!  Weight wise, things have been kind of uneventful.  I gained for two weeks, and then lost for two weeks.  I did manage to lose over the Thanksgiving weekend, so that was a plus!  I'm down a total of 35.4lbs which is exciting.  Another exciting thing is that I'm officially down a pants size.  I was pushing the limit on what I was wearing before so it took a little while to have those fit comfortably, then be too big, then still not fit into the next size down, etc.  But I had to go shopping for jeans before my Thanksgiving trip and I'm officially a size down!  YAY!

The process is going much slower at this point, but that's mostly my fault.  I haven't been diligently tracking like I was in the beginning, and I have barely worked out this past month.  (I need my 6AM Zumba class back desperately!!)  But I am noticing lifestyle changes that are just becoming part of normal routines.  Making better choices at restaurants... choosing to go for walks... and just overall more energy.

I always do comparison pictures to motivate myself to keep going.  Here's the latest one:

I'm definitely going to need the motivation and keeping the end in sight over the next week or so.  Saturday we leave for a 5 day cruise to Key West and the Bahamas.  Cruises tend to be all about food!!  I'm going to take my sneakers and some workout clothes and try to at least go for walks at some point during the day.  I'm going to have to somehow combat the ridiculous amounts of food I will be consuming!  Pray for me!!! :)

What the WHAT?!

I went to WW tonight ready to own up to my gain from this week.  I officially gave up and just didn't care for the first 3 or 4 days of the week. Then I got a call from my dad telling me that he's hit a breaking point and he needs to lose weight NOW.  So while I was visiting,  the whole time was spent trying to teach him to make better decisions and choices and while I was at it,  I was practicing what I was preaching.   Lo and behold, it works and I lost 3.2lbs this week. Imagine my surprise! Not that I suggest giving up,  but I do suggest trusting the plan and that it really works!
Now I'm off to Zumba for the first time in like 2 weeks...  I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow!

Little by little

I went to WW last night with the mind set of going to face the music and expecting a gain.  I knew I had eaten like crap most of last week and to top it off on Sunday had a serious craving for a big ol' burger and fries.  So I had just that!
I'm not sure how, but I lost 0.4lbs... but I'll take it.
The past 3 weeks I've lost,  but each week has been less than a pound a week. I don't know if I'll hit my goal of 12lbs lost before the cruise but I'm going to try to get as close as possible!
Another concerning issue is that my Zumba studio is going to be stopping the 6AM class until the first of the year.  That totally screws with my schedule / routine so now I'm going to have to try to go after work and that is much harder...  I can find any excuse not to go after work! *sigh* We'll see how things pan out...

Finally back

So, remember two weeks ago that I wrote that I gained 1.6lbs?!?  Well, it's very obvious that it's much easier to gain than lose!  It took me two weeks to lose the 1.6lbs, but I finally did, so I'm back to my total loss of 30.4lbs.  Woohoo! 

I'm having to readjust again because Ryan is finally back from working out of town, so I'm having to cook for more than just myself.  Doesn't really sounds like a big deal, but Ryan is really picky and not the healthiest of eaters.  Just makes for a challenge in making stuff less bad, and a test to my willpower in not eating the crappy foods that taste oh so good. But, this is only for a few weeks, because in two weeks he'll be out of town again for 6 weeks! *sigh* good for my diet, bad for my marriage. :)

Another thing I've been thinking about is that saying that you can't out exercise a bad diet.

I did crazy walking and exercise this past week.   Not only did I work out with my normal Zumba classes, but then Friday night went to Halloween Horror nights at Universal Studios and pretty much walked for 5 hours straight.  My legs and feet were on FIRE by the time I got into bed at 3AM!  So  all that walking and exercising, and I only lost 0.8lbs this week.   Just goes to show that it really doesn't make up for a bad diet.  And I wasn't even that bad... I only had two or three bad meals all week.  Oh well - it's still a loss, right!?

And it's official - we are going on a cruise Dec. 7th!!  My goal is to lose 12.6lbs by the cruise, which means I need to lose 1.5lbs a week!  It's going to be tough - but I think it's doable.  Just going to have to be on plan religiously for the next 8 weeks!!  Wish me luck - and keep me accountable! :)

Gain

I'm a little late in my posting, but I did go weigh-in on Monday and I was up 1.6lbs.  I haven't really been tracking and life has just seemed way too busy to focus on food.  I did have a good conversation with my WW leader so I'm trying to at least track this week.  I've been successful at tracking everyday - but the food definitely hasn't been the best of choices.  For example, my lunch yesterday was a mini cupcake from Sweet and some froyo!  And then to top it off - I had Chick-fil-a for dinner - fries and all! 

What is wrong with me?  I want to continue losing, but I'm just not making the best choices.  I need to start focusing on me and what's best for me  Sounds so selfish - and I don't know how to be selfish!  I'm hoping that after all the activities for this weekend that things start to calm down.   And Zumba starts back on Monday - so I'll be getting my cardio back!

Wish me luck peeps - and if you have any ideas for getting that motivation back - any suggestions are welcome!

Whoop, Whoop!!

You guys!!!! I went to WW tonight and not only did I lose 2lbs this week, but I hit my first 30 lbs gone!!!!   I can't tell you how excited I am right now.  I've done WW multiple times in the past, and this is the first time I've lost a whole 30lbs... I've come close in the past but never actually hit it! Whoop Whoop!!

And - for hitting my 10% (a few weeks ago) and my first 25lbs I got this:

WW is also doing a Lose for Good challenge and someone wins a little prize every week.  Well, this week, a lifetime member won this magnetic before and after frame, that also had inspirational words.  After the class she came up to me and asked me if I wanted it for doing so good thus far - and since she's already at goal and lifetime she didn't really need it.  She was soooo sweet.  I need to print out some before and current pictures, but I did put up some of the inspirational words...

 So excited for the next steps and goals... but that's for another post! :)

Calling it like I see it...

As I was gently reminded this weekend - I've been neglecting these parts recently.  First off - sorry for the silence the last few weeks... LOTS of stuff happened, to include being sick for a few days!  Work has been beyond hectic and I don't really feel like I'm keeping my head above water anymore.  I can't wait for Sept. 16th...  that's the day we turn in our current proposal that I'm working on, so hopefully after things will be more manageable! 

My weight loss has been kinda all over recently.  I missed a weigh in because of being sick, and then last week when I weighed in I gained 1.4lbs.  I wasn't happy to say the least, but I wasn't tooooo disappointed either because of the circumstances.  Before the weigh in I hadn't been working out because of being sick, and to be honest, I wasn't tracking.  I kinda lost focus of me and my health due to personal situations, but I can't give up.  And - this was only the second time since April that I've gained, so I can't beat myself up too badly!

But here I am....  keeping myself accountable.  I have to keep at it - and I've realize that if I'm not posting here, I'm not keeping myself accountable in tracking and eating either, so it's imperative that I keep writing here.  I can't let life take over to the point where I stop taking care of myself.  I have to take care of me....  I like me! :)

Stress and weight loss

Life has recently thrown me quite a bit of curve balls that has impacted routine and my mental state.  Before I thought that I was an emotional eater,  but have quickly realized that is not the case...  I do quite the opposite, not eat enough!
So,  on the scale it looks like I did great this past week by losing 4.6lbs, but in reality it wasn't done in the best manner, therefore I'm not too sure if it will stick. I'm hoping I can really stay on plan this week and move forward on a better note. I don't want to get too excited,  but as of right now, my total loss is at 28.8lbs... Kinda crazy to think about!

Another loss... but not necessarily the correct way.

I was very surprised when I stepped on the scale yesterday at WW.  I lost 2 pounds this week!  I totally didn't expect it since this weekend was a total bust as far as eating healthy.  Let's sum it up, shall we: Friday night was McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries; Saturday was IHOP for breakfast, two hot dogs and two bags of chips for linner, and then second dinner was a Zinger salad from Ale House; Sunday was Chinese for lunch, and pizza and bread sticks for dinner.  *sigh*  How in the heck did I lose any weight with those foods?!?!  Well, for one, everything I ate, I tried to get the "healthier" versions, i.e., only had a handful of fries from McD's, hot dogs were chicken dogs, Chinese was steamed chicken and broccoli with drizzled sauce on top, and pizza was thin crust.  Still not the best choices, but apparently it helped.

Also... on Monday, after Zumba, I spent 2 1/2 hours doing yard work, so I'm sure I sweated off any crazy food!  (yeah - I was exhausted after that!)

So, all that to say - I think this "lifestyle change" is really starting to click... meaning, even when I eat like crap, I'm still thinking enough to make the better choices of the crap! :)

Oh - and those two pounds brought me ooooh so close to 25lbs lost...  my total lost now is 24.2lbs so I'm hoping and praying that next week I can really celebrate!! :)

A lot of stuff... but not really.

It seems like there has been a lot going on, but if you ask me what, I couldn't tell you!  We finally finished the proposal that has been taking over my life.  Well, not really, I'm being dramatic, but I wasn't able to go to lunch for the past 2 months because we always had meetings at 11AM and 12PM, so no lunch for me! At least no lunch out...don't worry I still ate! :)

Ryan is out working in Winter Haven, so I've been trying to keep myself occupied.  It's amazing how big an 1100 sq ft house can feel when 1 person isn't there!  Thankfully the herd is keeping me company! 

I'm still having success at WW.  I weighed in on Monday at lost another 1.2lbs, so that make my total 22.2lbs!  I finally am seeing and feeling it, and it's making me really happy.  I put on an outfit yesterday that didn't quite fit back during Thanksgiving, but yesterday it was perfect!  Total non scale victory (NSV) for me!

I feel like there is so much more to say, but the words just aren't there... so on that note, til' next time!

Score!

I am not one to be shy and let everyone know when my birthday is, and as we all know, this past Sunday was the big day!  Needless to say, I celebrated all weekend!  Between lounging by the pool, shopping, and eating at great restaurants, it was a pretty darn good weekend!

Oh the eating... Saturday my family went to Columbia Restaurant. Possibly one of my favorite Spanish restaurants, solely for their 1905 salad and bread!  Warm Cuban bread with butter = heaven on a plate!  And lets not forget the sangria - yummy sangria made table side! After the immense amounts of Spanish food - of course there was cake, Carvel Ice Cream cake to be exact!  Chocolate crunchies, you are my fav! Food coma ensued and we just sat around the condo and played Mexican Train for the rest of the night. 

Of course the next morning we went to IHOP for breakfast so I got one of their Simple & Fit meals.  Definitely nothing to be excited about, but I had to save my points for dinner because, of course, I was going out to eat again - this time with my friends, and we were going to Carrabba's!  I had the best time at dinner with my friends, and really tried to make the time about hanging out with my closest friends and not all about the food.  I totally got the small Pollo Rosa Maria, which I had planned for the whole time, with the Italian green beans instead of the mashed potatoes.  I still had a carafe of wine, and bread dipped in olive oil - so there was no denying myself, but just tried to be a little more conscious of what I was ordering!

I'm here to tell you - working out at Zumba, and just making a conscious effort of what you are eating totally helps!!  I weighed in last night at WW, and I lost 0.6lbs!  That's a total win in my book, especially considering the celebratory weekend I had!

The best part to this whole story...  today I had a co-worker tell me that she can tell I've been losing weight!!  There are only a few people here in my office that know I'm doing WW, and she isn't/wasn't one of them.  She said she can tell in my face and body that I've lost weight...  She totally made my day! Woohoo!!!!

Distractions

I've been trying to blog for about 3 days... I keep getting distracted, whether by work,or movies, or rambunctious little kittens!!  Nothing horribly exciting happened this weekend - I did finish my first week of my online prep course.  (I'm taking an online prep course to be able to take the Certified Federal Contract Manager certification exam by the end of the year)  This prep course is through the middle of September, and it's getting me into the habit of schoolwork since I want to start my MBA this fall, and it will also be online.

On happier news, I weighed in tonight and lost 1.4lbs this week.  That makes my total of 17.2lbs lost!  I'm pretty happy about that!!

Oh - and Sunday at Zumba, Annette (instructor) totally pulled me up to the front of the class.  I was embarrassed for a millisecond, before the class totally cheered me on and it was sooooo encouraging!!  Don't be fooled, I still look silly as hell doing all these Zumba/dance moves, but it's encouraging to have the support of my Zumba class and instructor!!

This post is kinda all over the place - so it's apparent that the distractions are still there...  Till later - and hopefully a more coherent post!

Body Change

I went to visit my parents this weekend and was looking at some pictures from two weeks ago where we celebrated my mom's birthday, and I immediately noticed a difference in how I look from the pictures that were taken earlier that day.  Although the pounds aren't dropping as quickly as I would hope, my body is changing and shrinking by the day!  That's a total win in my book!  So I decided to do a quick comparison to a picture of right before I started on this journey...

The picture on the left was taken on April 7th, at a car show with my parents and my in-laws.  The next day I weighed in at WW, got my ActiveLink, and started going to Zumba that week.  The picture on the right was taken yesterday (June 16th).  I'm not as puffy, and my face doesn't look as rounded.  Let's be frank - I've still got a lot to go, and I'll never get rid of the rounded face and big cheeks, but I'm slowly starting to see the person I want to be...  will be!

Exciting stuff, ya'll!!  Tonight's my weigh-in so good thoughts my way... I'm sure I'll keep you updated on the results!

Weigh In Blues

I went back to Weight Watchers last night and it happened....  I gained!  I gained 2.4lbs.  I was expecting a gain since I always pre-weigh Monday mornings, but I was secretly hoping my scale at home was wrong!  I wasn't totally surprised since I was on travel last week.  I tried making better choices, but I'm sure the drinking involved didn't help my cause!  I tried to make up for the food and drinking by going to Zumba 4 days in a row, but I think my body started to revolt and EVERYTHING hurt yesterday!  My WW leader says that because I worked out so much, my muscles might be retaining water to repair themselves.  That gave me a little bit of hope that its not all for not.

But on the up side... this is the first time I've gained anything the past two months of my journey.  And it helped me make even better choices when I went grocery shopping right after my meeting!

Plus I have an AMAZING support group of friends... they definitely keep me going!

Now - off to make this a good week!! :)

Total bust!!

Well - I was all gunho and ready to do Zumba this morning.  I looked it up on the Zumba website, found a place near my parents to go, called to verify that I could come without a membership and got all the details.  Woke up early, came and picked up my Aunt, gave her the downlow, let her know to not try to kill herself... and we get there - and NOTHING!  cricket.... cricket....   There are some guys there doing powerlifting so I ask them.  Apparently it was all over Facebook that there would not be a Zumba class this morning because the instructor was graduating today.  Hmm... that doesn't help me - an out of towner who just called to get the information.  Guess they could have said something when I called, but it sounded like I was interrupting his work out when he answered.

Oh well, I'm going to do Zumba on the Wii - which I totally don't feel like it's the same, but at least I'm still moving.  I now know for next time I'll try out the community center instead of this gym place.... it was really geared more for lifting and MMA fighting than Zumba... they just happened to have a spot cleared out in the back for the Zumba class.

I found an LA Fitness that has Zumba tomorrow morning, so I'm going to get a guest pass and try that.  Let's hope that one doesn't fizzle out!

Alright - off to have some Cafe con Leche y Pan... and then try my hardest to work off those calories - which are oh so worth it!! :)