Sisters Getting Slim

I didn’t even check in on Christmas Eve to report that I had lost 1.6 pounds!  Probably because starting about 30 minutes after my weigh in and continuing for the next 3 days I went off track and probably gained the 1.6 pounds back plus some.  Why do I do this?!  I knew going into Christmas that nothing was going to be worth it.  Quite literally, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels, so why would I blow the great post-weigh in feeling by eating anything and everything in sight for three days straight?  ugh.  It’s frustrating, and I’m disappointed in myself to say the least.

I am in Colorado for a 4 day ski trip and I feel a lot better.  I love being active and I really want to get back in shape so that skiing (and everything else) becomes easier.  I feel like a cow on the slopes.  It’s amazing how much it affects my confidence, too.  It’s like I feel like I *can’t* be good because I’m fat.  

I have had spotty internet access for the past few days which is partly to blame for my lack of posting, but I’m disappointed that my sister hasn’t posted! She was/is on a roll with her weight loss and I don’t want my brief hiatus of being off track to de-rail her as well. Because as of NOW I’m back on track and in this to win it.

~Jenny

This week has not been picture perfect, to say the least, but I’m forcing myself to go to my weigh in tomorrow because it will give me a chance to “check in” on myself and then start fresh.  For anyone who reads this blog (if anyone does…), I feel like my half-heartedness towards my weight loss efforts makes reading this blog a waste of your time, and I feel so bad about that!  My resolution for the new year is to stop making excuses, give this my all, and once and for all make a change because I am worth it.  Nobody wants to read a blog full of excuses.  For me at least, reading about others’ success and motivation and steadfastness and commitment to getting healthy keeps me on the right path, and I want to provide that type of support to others.  So, as 2008 comes to a close, I’m saying goodbye to the excuses and laziness and welcoming in a commitment to myself unlike any I’ve ever made before.  I’ll check in tomorrow with my weigh in report, good or bad… goodnight!

I am not out of control by any means but I certainly am not going to see a big loss this week, like I wanted to.  Trying to cut myself a little slack since this is a tough time of year compounded by the fact that we are moving to Tokyo in 10 days.  But really, I’m not out of control by any means and feel like if I can just make it through these next 10-14 days, I can really settle down and focus on myself in the new year and get this weight off once and for all. In the meantime, it’s all about maintenance for me.  No gain, no loss, works for me!!  I’m going to weigh in Wednesday morning, so I have tomorrow and Tuesday to have great days, which I fully intend to have! 

Here was today:

half of a bagel, pretzels: 6 Pts
half of chicken salad sandwich, small side salad, chili: 11 Pts
homemade pizza, peppermint chocolate cake: 16 Pts

Total: 33 Pts

Goals for tomorrow — drink more water, eat more fruits and veggies

Goodnight!

~Jenny

So, knowing this week is probably not going to be the best…I was aiming to make tonight perfect…never happens on a friday no matter what im doing! I have to eat 6 pieces of peppermint taffy!!! WTF! So lets see how bad this really is…on a good note, I took the girls I was babysitting to McDonalds and had a salad (which always upsets my stomach by the way) but i also had a small cone…but it was SO good…anyway lets check the points:

yogurt, coffee-3
smart ones, pretzels, orange-9
mcdonalds-9
peppermint taffy-6
nibbles of french fries, pineapple, and bagel crisps-3
30 points…three over..not as bad as I thought, but darn, I would have been okay with 3 pieces of freaking taffy and I would have felt better that I stayed in my points….better luck tomorrow, but good luck since we are going to taste our wedding cake in the morning!!!! Jackie

I am beyond stressed these days.  I am wrapping up my final days at work, nervous about becoming a one-income family, getting ready to move 6000 miles away from home, and worried about layoffs, etc. for my husband.  Why do I think that my stress can be alleviated by mindlessly eating food I don’t need?  Case in point: yesterday was not awful, food-wise.  I got stuck at work until midnight though and had done well during the day, but when I got home I discovered that my mother in law had sent a stocking full of treats and chocolates to us for Christmas, and my husband had them all spread out in the kitchen.  I was NOT hungry at all, but I felt sorry for myself and was tired and stressed out so I broke off a piece of the dark chocolate bar.  Then I had two big chocolate covered pecans.  Why do I think that calories consumed standing up do not count??  Why did I eat that when they really weren’t that good, I was 5 minutes from going to bed, and they made me feel WORSE than before eating them? 

This morning I was in Starbucks (yes, apparently that addiction that I thought I had broken has come back) and I noticed an average sized man sitting in a chair drinking his coffee, reading the paper and eating a big muffin.  I kept thinking: I bet this guy doesn’t attach any emotions at all to that muffin.  He just eats it, enjoys it, then heads to work and the muffin doesn’t enter his mind again.  ME, on the other hand, if I had eaten that muffin, I would have been pissed at myself the rest of the day and gone on to eat other junk because I would feel like I had blown it already.  However, the muffin was probably 500 calories.  It’s definitely not a good choice for breakfast, but if you are a normal person and able to just eat it and then move on, or better yet, realize you indulged a bit at breakfast and eat a little lighter at lunch and dinner, all is not lost!  That’s what I’m working towards. 

When I met with the nutritionist a while back, I was telling her how there is this sandwich place in my building at work that I occasionally get lunch from.  The sandwiches they serve are delicious, but HUGE.  Half is easily enough for anyone, and the whole sandwich is a ton of food.  But, as I said, they are delicious.  I normally don’t have a lunch break but eat my lunch at my desk, and it’s really my only break of the day, so eating half the sandwich and saving the other half cuts my “me-time” in half.  I like to eat the full sandwich because it’s delicious and when half of it is done, I’m not ready to resume working.  I want to eat the whole thing!  Well, the nutritionist said to me: “You’re asking a lot of that sandwich!”  She is so right.  That second half of the sandwich isn’t going to make my work or responsibilities or stress go away, it’s just going to distract me from it for the 5 extra minutes it takes me to eat.  How stupid of me to think that stuffing myself with that sandwich is going to make anything else better.  In fact, it makes everything else worse, because I feel bad about myself the rest of the day for having overeaten.

So that’s where I want to get - to a place where I do not attach emotions to eating, and to a place where I recognize the fact that overindulgences are okay but too much of a good thing is only going to make me feel bad.

~Jenny

For losing weight Ialso lose a points worth of my daily..but I was still able to eat some fries while staying inside my points..which goes to show that weight watchers really allows you to eat whatever you want in moderation..

yogurt, starbucks-4
bread co-11
orange-1
buffalo wild wings-11
27 points for the day…I also am proud of myself because the drug reps have been bringing tons of awesome looking desserts and food for the past two weeks and I haven’t even gone into the kitchen to check it out…HUGE step for me!!!!! Jackie

I gained 0.8.  I was on a 3 week losing streak.  Ugh.  Well, nothing to do about it but have a better week!  I deserved this gain.  I ate half of a red velvet cake over the weekend, what the heck can I expect!  I am so excited going into this week though.  Through this blog I’ve *seen* my sister lose so much weight but now I get to *see* her in person and I know she looks great!  My goal for this week is to lose 1 pound.  I have to weigh in 6 days from today due to Christmas so it’s a little bit of a shorter week.  1 pound would get rid of the stupid 0.8 lb gain and inch me closer to my 162 goal.

 ~Jenny

I am SO excited. I lost 1.4 this week! That puts me in new numbers AND gets me half a pound away from my next goal of no longer having an obese BMI!!!! I definitely needed this boost this week. I do NOT want to swing back up into those numbers so hopefully I will not let Xmas get the best of me! I’m only .8 into new numbers though so things could go either way….Jackie

These weeks are going by so quickly! It seems like I just had my weigh in.  Hard to believe 7 days have gone by since then.  Well, all in all this week was pretty good, but I’m expecting either to stay the same or gain a little, all because of Saturday!  So annoying that I can get so off track on the weekends.  I cannot wait to be on the verge of new numbers like Jackie.  How exciting!! 

I left my WW tracker at work so I’m just trying to recall what I had today.  This should be pretty accurate:

yogurt, fiber one and coffee: 4 Pts
Subway chicken sandwich and baked lays: 9 Pts
two small pieces of chocolate: 2 Pts
Jimmy John’s turkey sandwich and pickle: 16 Pts

Total: 31 Pts

Goodnight (and good luck, Jack!)

~Jenny 

Good for a diet but bad for my head!!! however, after I got Xrays done at the dentist, they determined that I actually have a severe sinus infection…so I work in an ENT office and I needed a dentist to diagnose my sinus infection…how annoying…anyway, I’ve been feeling terrible all day, so I didn’t eat all my points, but I think that’s okay day before weigh in…i REALLY REALLY want to see new numbers…it’s so weird, when I first started losing weight, people noticed all the time…it’s always nice to have someone acknowledge your hard work…well, no one has said anyhting is probably 3 months. Which makes me feel like my efforts are fruitless but they just can’t be..maybe a few more pounds and people will start noticing again…I always thought it would take about 25 pounds for anyone to notice on me, which is about 3 pounds away (since June) Even though I don’t feel like I look any different, I definitely feel better…I just feel more like I can keep up with the fast pace of life not carrying around so much baggage…anyway, here is my points breakdown!
yogurt, banana-4
smart ones-6
orange-1
healthy choice-7
oyster crackers-3

21 points…well at least I know I can survive off that when I get so skinny that that is all the points I’m allowed! Jackie

I wish I was having as good of a week as Jackie.  She is my inspiration right now.  She’s right on my heels now, almost in new numbers, and is well on her way to passing me up on the scale.  She’s doing so well.  Now, if we could just get her to post some before and progress pictures, WE could be the judge of how great she looks.  I find it VERY hard to believe that she doesn’t look amazing after losing 30 lbs!

Here’s how today went:

yogurt, fiber one and coffee: 4 Pts
turkey burger, potato salad, half cookie: 13 Pts
hot chocolate: 1 Pts
string cheese: 6 Pts
Subway sandwich and baked lays: 8 Pts

Total: 32 Pts

Goodnight! 

~Jenny

I am SO close to new numbers this week…It would be nice to get a little bit comfortably into the new numbers this week rather than just barely, however maybe just sneaking in will help me keep track of myself during the Christmas week because I don’t want to creep back up! As of last week, I am .7 away from new numbers, 1.9 away from my BMI goal of no longer being obese!, and 10.7 away from flying out of the ugly 200’s forever. Even though I honestly don’t see the difference in myself after almost 30 pounds from last year, I will not get up…I obviously have to be doing SOMETHING good for myself even if I look the same! Here is my food for the week:

yogurt,coffee-3
orange, smart ones-7
banana, nuts-4
bread co-13
yogurt-2

Whoops, one point over…That’s okay, I sill think I’m going to get into new numbers this week and I can’t wait! Jackie

I’m doing okay this week but not great.  Coming off such a decent and surprising weight loss at last week’s meeting I was SO pumped for the week ahead, but man this past weekend really got the best of me and it just still annoys me so much that I have such little willpower and resolve to stick with this. I see pictures of myself and I’m disgusted.  I’m still fitting in size 12s and some 14s, when two years ago I was comfortably wearing size 6’s.  Why am I not going at this with more effort and consistency?!  I certainly do not want to be fat the rest of my life, but I seem to be acting like it!  I was reading a magazine article last week about Jenny McCarthy.  I don’t by any means think she is the average person so I take what I read about her weight issues with a grain of salt, but I think she really has struggled and is now at a weight she is happy about and she understands the choices that comes along with maintaining that weight.  In other words, she said that after she delivered her son, she weighed 211 pounds (or something like that) and she felt terrible about herself and knew she had completely given up to get to that weight.  Now, she weighs something like 120, looks fabulous, and has made a personal decision to never let go of herself again because she knows that she is a much better person when she looks and feels better about herself.  She talked about how annoying it is to get comments from other people about how as she is ageing “she better watch it” because she’s not going to be able to be thin and fit forever, and her response is “watch me.”  I wish I could have that kind of confidence.  She knows how important it is to her (especially haven’t experienced the alternative - being fat) and she’s never going back to her old ways.  I find that so inspiring, and I’m trying to ignore the fact that she is a celebrity and has a whole other set of motivations with the paparazzi, etc. following her around, but I have read her book and I know that she has been well over 200 pounds and has come back to look fabulous and it makes me want to do the same!

Yesterday:
coffee - 2 Pts
tasty turkey sandwich and veggie soup: 13 Pts
tall nonfat latte: 2 Pts
Qdoba: 15 Pts

Total: 32 Pts

~Jenny

P.S. Biggest Loser finale tonight!!!!

SORRY! Jackie

I felt SO confident going into this weekend.  I outlined my plan of action on Friday and went to bed feeling sure that I could get through Saturday and Sunday without going off track.  Ugh!!!  I screwed up.  Honestly, I think I can identify what started the downward spiral and it was the fact that the bride I was hosting the bridal shower for left the red velvet cake at my house after the shower instead of taking it home like she was supposed to!  No, I’m not blaming her for my eating 3 (large) pieces of the cake over the course of the weekend, but I know that had she taken it I wouldn’t have been tempted and then after having the cake, of course my all or nothing thinking comes out, and I decided to just not count all weekend.  I didn’t go off on a binge or anything crazy like that, but I didn’t count my points and had the cake, 2 chocolate chip cookies that my husband brought into the house (why?!!!!), and about a pound of caprese salad.  I’m back on track 110% at the moment, but I’m just so disappointed in myself that I let cake have that kind of control over me.  Not worth it!!

~Jenny

Honestly, I didn’t have a bad weekend, I at least know that..but points wise, no clue…I didnt count…I need to start! Anyway, I’m hoping for a couple pound loss this week which means I need to be 100% on my game this week! Jackie

But blogging first!  I’m not going to let this weekend get away from me.  I’m hosting a shower at my house tomorrow and stressed about it because we’re in the midst of packing.  Once the shower is over, we’ll be able to get the boxes out of the house, but until then, I’m trying to make things look as normal and lived in as possible:)

Here’s my game plan for this weekend to ensure I don’t go off track.  Tomorrow morning, I’m getting up at 7:00 so I can spend some time with my baby before I need to start cleaning and getting ready for the shower.  Then I’m heading to the store to pick up a salad and some mini desserts to serve, as well as orange juice for mimosas and cream and sugar for coffee.  I will be sure to have my usual breakfast of yogurt mixed with fiber one and some coffee, and that will keep me satisfied all morning.  The shower starts at 2:00 so I’m going to be sure to eat something between 12 and 2 so that I’m not hungry and grazing on junk at the shower. I think I will be worried about serving everyone and making sure everything runs smoothly and not focused on the food — that’s one benefit of hosting!

After the shower ends, I’m going to clean up and spend some more time with my son, maybe run some errands with him.  We have a Christmas party tomorrow night and I’m not worried about that.  We’re only going to stay for an hour or so.  So for tomorrow, I am having NO desserts (they’re just not worth it in my opinion) and am limited to 4 alcoholic beverages for the entire day.   I can split them up how I like between the shower and the Xmas party.  Plus, I’ll make sure to get all 8 waters in before we go to the party (and ideally 4 in before the shower).

Sunday I am going to brave the cold and take my son on a walk outside.  We’ll be packing a lot of the day but I want to be able to spend some quality time with him doing something enjoyable.  We’re also going to take him to visit with Santa downtown.  I can’t wait to see his reaction:)

Overall the focus of this weekend will NOT be on food, but on spending time with family and friends, and getting organized for our move.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Today’s points:

yogurt, fiber one and coffee: 4
lentil soup and corn bread muffin: 15 (I cannot tell you how mad I was when I looked up the points value of the muffin AFTER eating it.  it was good but NOT worth 10 points!)
8 M&Ms, tall nonfat latte: 4
brussel sprouts, salad, small cookie: 14

Total: 37 Pts

I have 3 Weekly Points remaining.  I can tell you now that they will be used tomorrow:) 

~Jenny

I definitely agree with my sister and everyone that diet is the main part of the battle..however, I think it’s more of a 70-30 ratio diet to exercise. And heres why…when I exercise, I feel SO good about myself..it motivates me to eat well…I dont exercise and think now I can eat more, I exercise and think about how I want to continue my healthy feeling…so my goal is to exercise a bit more just as a check to keep my eating on point…just a thought! Heres my food for the day:
yogurt, starbucks-5
clementine, smart ones-7
carrots, 100 calorie pack-3
smart ones, yogurt, 100 calorie pack-9
beer-6
30 points…I mean to have 2 beers and ended up staying for three..but thats okay…2 points over..i didnt blow it! Jackie

Just got back from my WW meeting about the new Momentum plan.  I think my very favorite part of the new program, and something I should have tried long ago, is the hunger/satisfaction scale you use before and after each time you eat.  They have it right in your tracker so instead of just being a vague concept, it’s right there in front of you, on paper, to consider each and every time you put something in your mouth.  Here are my goals from last week…I was off by a pound this week but I’m not going to revise for the next two weeks…I still think I can make 162 by Christmas!

December 4: 168.8 (actual)
December 11: 166 (goal) 167.0 (actual)
December 18: 164 (goal)
December 25: 162 (goal)

This is a total aside, but for Biggest Loser fans, did you call in and vote for Heba or Ed (I almost wrote Eba or Hed, lol!).  I can’t stand them so I went against their *wishes* and called in and voted for Ed.  That sounds like something evil Vicki would do, lol!!

~Jenny

Phew, I can breathe, I think I’m finally out of the 170s for good!!!  I lost 1.6 pounds today.  I overslept and missed the WW meeting so I only got there in time to weigh in and then go to work.  There’s another meeting at 12:30 and I am going to go back to that so I can hear about the new plan.  They gave me the materials at the weigh in but I think a synopsis from the leader would be helpful to get me started.  I think it is just the change I need!

I went into Lululemon the other weekend just to look around. Not sure if anyone shops there regularly, but I would have to win the lottery to be able to buy anything more than the running hat I bought:) Anyway, with your purchase they give you a cute little tote bag that has some awesome quotes on it.  So many great things to think about.  Here are a few of my favorites:

A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offset stress.

The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.

The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time.  Choose a positive thought.

I’ll include a few more tomorrow.  I love them!

~Jenny

Very excited….a loss is a loss…I feel like I’m finally back in the game with sticking to my diet. My goal was to lose 5.6 pounds more by Christmas…probabaly not going to happen so to keep myself from a letdown, I would be okay with three…which means I’m going to have to work my butt off the next two weeks….

Jackie

And I’m not ready…anyway, I’m proud of myself because my mom and I took a petit fours making class tonight and I was not tempted at all to eat any of it!!! Okay, maybe it wasn’t so much my willpower as my gag reflex watching people sneeze and cough all over everything…but still, didnt even try a piece of the chocolate….eating wise things have been going well..I’m still sick so that makes working out hard..not to mention I have had something going on every night this week..I really wanted to drop into my boot camp tomorrow night but if I’m not feeling better I seriously may die! Although a good workout would feel awesome…hopefully I don;t talk myself out of it during the day. Anyway, here was my food for the day:

yogurt, coffee, banana-6 (too many points for breakfast)
smart ones, 2 clementines-7
cheezits, carrots-3
pretzels-2
bread co-10

Exactly 28 points….I’m starting to think maybe I should make sure I eat all of my points everyday, I hear it really keeps your metabolism going and that eating less points really doesn;t help you at all..so my goal is to make sure I eat them all..maybe not all the time because I’m sure I miscalculate things here and there and I would rather eat less than go over!
Jackie

It was a really long day but here I am…trying to get back on track…so really short today..just a food breakdown!

yogurt, banana-4
smart ones, clementine-6.5
peanuts, clemntine-4.5
smart ones-5
yogurt-2
100 calorie pack-2
carrots-1
25 points…not too bad…I still am sick so working out is off my agenda for now..lets just get this eating thing back in check…
Jackie

I love focusing on my diet. I have never done this, ever!  I am usually so focused on getting my workout in, and then once I’ve worked out feeling like I have *earned* more food, or I *deserve* it, or I feel like I should be hungrier since I expended so much effort in my workout.  These are all things that made me FAT.  Working out has kept me FIT, but my eating habits have kept me FAT.  It’s time for me to focus on those eating habits, and I’ve been doing that and feeling great about it.  Here’s what I had today:

yogurt, fiber one, coffee: 3 Pts
salad, pretzel roll, 3 pieces of chocolate: 13 Pts 
Cliff bar: 4 Pts
sushi, miso soup, string cheese, brussel sprouts: 10 Pts

Total: 30 Pts 

~Jenny

I posted early yesterday evening. Usually I post right before bed.  By posting early, I had already tallied my points yet I still had several waking hours (in which to eat, if I so chose).  Around 10pm I was getting ready to grab a box of cereal out of the cabinet and plop down on the couch with it and *relax*, but then I saw my sister’s comment congratulating me on sticking to my points for the day, so I put the cereal away, realized I was tired and not hungry, and went to bed.  Wow, I think that’s exactly what this blog is supposed to do, and it works!  Not to mention all of the other wonderful comments and support we have received from those out there that take precious time out of their days to check in on our progress.  Thank you for taking the time to comment — we read them all and you have no idea how helpful they are!  Just a message to anyone posting a comment, please post the name of your blog, if you are keeping one, so that we can follow along on your journey too:)

~Jenny

I felt like I was starving all day…so I kept eating..I havent figured out my points at all..so lets see where I am
yogurt, coffee-3
pretzels, clementine-2.5
smart ones-6
clementine, pretzels-2.5
100 calorie pack-2
smart ones-5
green beans-2
yogurt-2
carrots-1

24 points…not bad…i was thinking i was going to have eaten like 40 points!! I was literally eating all day long..I had to! But now why in the hell was I so hungry? Going to attempt to post some before and during pictures…if I can figure it out

Jackie

ugh, I’m so tired from the weekend and just feel so overwhelmed and stressed out about our impending move.  On the one hand I just want to fast forward a month and be all settled in to our new place, but on the other hand I don’t want to wish away Christmas and spending time with our family and friends.  I haven’t worked out in almost a week which I KNOW is contributing to my crabbiness.  Especially because my husband just did MY workout video and when he finished I was jealous of him that he got that time to himself to workout and now is on his post-workout “high.”  oh well, I’m just going to have to start claiming an hour to myself everyday and hopefully he’ll realize that if stuff is going to get done around our place, like PACKING, he’s going to have to do some of it.  okay, vent over! I feel better:)

Here’s what I had today:

fiber one cereal, yogurt and coffee — 4 Pts
Subway turkey wrap and baked lays — 8 Pts
candy and string cheese — 4 Pts
South Beach pizza and brussel sprouts — 10 Pts

Total: 26 Pts 

~Jenny

Another busy weekend.  We are getting ready to move to Tokyo on December 31st and it’s just been one thing after another.  I am so glad that I am writing this blog, following Weight Watchers, etc. because otherwise I know exactly what would have happened — I would have put off my weight loss efforts until after the new year when we are settled in our apartment in Tokyo and I would have gained 10 lbs by the end of the year.  So, although my weight loss is slower than I would like, it’s much much much better than gaining!!! 

Along with exercise, water is another component of the program that, by itself, it’s not going to get you there, but man it makes you feel so much better!  Over the weekend I drank about 10 diet cokes each day, and very little water.  I felt it by last night!  I drink so much water during the week because I have a water delivery service come to my office, so I easily drink 100 ounces a day. 

I am going to switch soon to the Weight Watchers online program, since there are no meetings to go to in Tokyo.  I’m scared to rely on the online program but I’ve been reading all of the success stories and I know many many people have done it and done it well! 

~Jenny

Sorry! The reality post was from me!!!

Food and what I do with it is affecting my entire life. Honestly, I’m not eating terribly right now, but I could eat better. I got on the scale on Thursday and through some act of God, I had lost…that makes 22 pounds since I started tring in June…AWESOME! However, I took it for granted…and thought, well obviously I lose when I don’t deserve it…maybe it will happen again. then today, it hit me…Fat chance (no pun intended). When I don’t eat healthy, I don’t work out, because I figure if I’m blowing it, let’s blow it all the way…when I don’t work out I feel like a lazy a$$ and when I feel like a lazy a$$, I get depressed. when I get depressed about myself, I am a miserable person to be around…I don’t want that anymore..I can’t wait till I am in control of my life…I feel like this is the time to start…no more woe is me stories…I am here because of my own actions and I can change by my own actions…now all I need is some tips about things I can do when I feel like saying screw it…because looking at the skinny pictures of me from years ago obviously isnt working…and Im really good at saying “Just this once wont hurt” or “Its Christmas, you deserve it” Since when did Christmas excuses last for 2 months!!! Only in a fat persons world! Anyway…here I go, I will be blogging everyday, without fail…I’m getting sick so I;m going to let myself sleep in tomorrow but after that, I’m getting up before work to workout…5:30 is totally doable for a lot of people, why can;t it be for me?

I’ve been a lifelong dieter.  I think my mom put me on my first diet before I was in the double-digits.  Yep, at the age of 9 I was in a hospital-based weight loss program for kids.  I remember weighing 101 pounds at my first weigh in, and losing 10 lbs over the course of the program.  Man, looking back on that, that’s impressive! I haven’t even been able to lose 10 lbs now and I’m 40 lbs overweight! Anyway, I do think jumping (or being put on) the diet bandwagon at the age of 9 set me up for a lifetime of obsession about my weight.  Here I am, 20 years later, and still struggling!  I know that I want nothing more for my own kids than to never have to struggle in this way, and that is why I want to provide the best example possible through heathy habits of my own.

The big debate that I have always grappled with is whether exercise or diet will get me to my goals.  Of course, I know that a combination of both is the real answer, but I have always wondered if a real emphasis or focus on one or the other could get me going in the right direction.  After 20 years of dieting, and a lot of trial and error, here’s what I think: diet is 90% of it.  Don’t get me wrong, there is SO much benefit in exercise.  I love the way I feel when I’m exercising, the energy, the stamina, the almost immediate increase in my self-esteem, it’s wonderful.  BUT, I could exercise until my legs fall off and I’m not going to lose the weight unless I’m changing the way I eat too.  That brings me to my current thinking… I’ve done some review of the past few months and realized that I have made significant progress in getting back into consistent exercise patterns, but I have not lost the weight.  And it is because I am not making the diet changes that need to be made!  So, I’ve decided to do a little experiment through the end of the year to see if I can jump start my weight loss a bit.  I would give anything to weigh 162 on Christmas Day!

The experiment: focus will be 100% on my diet.  I’m not going to avoid exercise, I’m just not going to focus on it.  I know I will feel better if I do it, but it’s not going to impact my diet at ALL (in other words, no APs will be earned!).  Here are my weight goals for the next couple of weigh in’s:

December 4: 168.8 (actual)
December 11: 166 (goal)
December 18: 164 (goal)
December 25: 162 (goal)

~Jenny

P.S. We’ve got to get Jackie blogging more! She’s doing so well and keeps me motivated!!

If the sight of these pictures isn’t enough to get me motivated, I don’t know what is!!  These were taken in the 6 weeks of my baby boy’s life.  I wouldn’t dare post any pictures from right after his birth.  Sad that I can’t look at any pictures from what was otherwise the happiest time of my life.  I am 5′6″ and was roughly 185 pounds in these pictures!! In the second picture, that green dress is a maternity dress and it is TIGHT!  Progress pics to come…

~ Jenny

I weighed in this morning (gained 0.2) and then looked back at my membership book and realized I re-joined on September 2, and it’s been three months!  I should have been down about 15-20 lbs in that time frame and I have only lost 6.6!  It’s (way past) time to step it up a notch.  I see that Weight Watchers has a new “momentum” program.  I’m going to spend some time reading up on it today.  I saw on the website that it combines the best parts of the Core and Flex programs. 

I’m also trying to get up the nerve to post a “before” picture of myself, so that I can start posting some “progress” pictures along the way.  I think I’ll post a picture of myself from right after I had my son.  Obviously, I was at my highest weight EVER on the day he was born, but I consider my highest non-pregnant weight to be what I weighed right after having him.  After I get up the nerve to post the before picture, I’ll post progress pictures from along the way… maybe tomorrow:)

~ Jenny

That I can’t give up!!! I do NOT deserve it but I lost 1.4 pounds this week. I think it;s a sign from somehwere telling me I can do it and not to lose motivation. I have a work christmas party tonight s that is going to be bad..my goal is to not eat dessert there however this place is known to have the best desserts in St. Louis…so…we will see…I need to start tracking my food…even if Im off points..it helps…thats the plan for today…good luck everyone!

I still can’t get over the fact that it is December.  I say it every year but this year really did FLY by.  Kind of sad how fast time moves now.  Wow.  I always thought I wanted to be in better shape at 30 than I was at 20. Unfortunately I only have about 60 days to get there… it’s really now or never.  Getting in shape, getting healthy, losing weight — none of this is stuff I still want to be trying to get started on months or years from now. I want to do it NOW so that I can enjoy the benefits for the rest of my life.  Well, a few big events in May are going to force me to get this done…my sister’s wedding and a good friend’s wedding, which are 6 days apart, and which I just ordered my bridesmaid dresses for in a size that would most likely not fit me at my current size. I don’t want to be a fat bridesmaid again!  Been there, done that.  

Today:

mini bagel, butter, coffee: 4 Pts
veggie sandwich, carrots, snack bar: 14 Pts
mini Reese’s pb cups: 4 Pts
sushi, miso soup, edamame: 14 Pts

Total: 36 Pts

Come ON.  Enough with the going over on points.  Let’s do this! 

It’s so hard to go back to work after a week off!  Although, it is nice to be back to a predictable routine with control over my meal times and food options.  Here’s how my day back went:

mini bagel, butter and coffee: 4 Pts
french onion soup, roll w/ butter, salad: 12 Pts
popcorn: 4 Pts
salad: 12 Pts

Total: 32 Pts

Gotta get back on that workout train!  It’s so darn cold here now! 

Well, I’ve started to get so furstrated with this weight loss thing, but I think I’m back now…I;m trying to follow south beach while remaining within my weight watchers points. So here is what I ate today…

egg, 2 turkey sausage patties-5
salad-9
peanuts-3
yogurt-2
chicken-4
peas-3
peanut butter-4

So that is 30 points…still not at 28 like i need to be…oh how am i ever going to do this…and im hungry right now!!! Thats the worst part!