Week Five - Down Hill Slide

Well..I knew I was not going to be a loser this week. I ended up gaining two (2) pounds but am right back to working on losing. Why did I gain this week? Simple...here are my reasons as I see it:

• I ate out a lot as we had company
• I was not careful when I ate out
• I did not write down what I ate and calculate points this week. (biggest reason)
• Less exercise

This morning my daughter Debi, husband Eddy, grandson Alex and friends Barbara and Jim and me went for a bike ride near the Deering Estate off of Old Cutler Road. It was good. I need to get back with it this week and will definitley do so.

Company from Pennsylvania

Last Saturday my brother Robert, his daughter Colette, her husband Charlie and their son Cade came to visit for a few days. Colette and Charlie have never been to visit and I think they enjoyed it.....I know I did.

On Sunday, our son Danny and his girlfriend, Amanda came down as well as our daughter Debi, husband Eddy and their son, Alex. We had a cook out and swam in the afternoon. I took Monday off of work and played tourist and took them to the Keys. Charlie tried everything from alligator to blood sausage! Cade got a little too sunburnt but those people are SO WHITE!! LOL!

We also made a few trips to Robert Is Here which is a fruit stand near our home in Florida City. They have the best shakes and exotic fruits and a lot of animals also. Mango shakes, mamey, tamarind, strawberry banana and papaya are just a few of the flavors.

I will say those northerners are full of it as we did have a bathroom flood from a blocked toilet! Ha! Colette and I were in the pool by moonlight as Elias and Charlie mopped out the bathroom! LOL!

Go to the link below to see pictures of the visit.

http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/jolylady/Visitors%205-08/?albumview=slideshow

Week 4 - 1st Short Term Goal

Today's weigh in brought good news. I only lost 1/2 a pound but that takes me to my first short term goal which was to lose 10 pounds by the time my neice and her family came to visit. I have now met that goal and Colette is her visiting now.

The other good news is that I continue to walk up to 4 miles 5 times a week and I actually look forward to doing it. If my boss walks with me, we talk about a lot of things and actually...we decided our walks are good brain exercises as we will be talking and trying to think of someones name because neither one of us remember much. Usually....one of us will come up with a first name and the other a last name. It's hysterical. If my boss doesn't walk with me, I put my IPOD on, my ear phones in and walk to music.

Now I have to think as to what I want for my next short term goal......

I'll post later this week.............

Week Three - Close to first short term goal deadline

This week was a busy one. For Mother's Day, my husband and I drove to Tampa on Friday to spend time with our daughter, Jessie, who just moved back to Tampa from Philly. We also met her boyfriend, Jackson, who turns out to be a very nice guy but I would expect nothing less as the people from church set them up together.

Although I went on a trip and we ate out all meals, I surprised myself with my determination! On Saturday morning, I got up and went to an hour long aerobics class with Jessie at LA Fitness.

On Sunday morning, Mother's Day, I got up and went to the gym at the hotel. They had two treadmills, a bicycle and a step machine. When I looked in, there was a skinny blond and two guys in there...jock types...and I turned around and headed back to the room. I was too fat and too embarassed to go in there with them but then.....for some reason.....I told myself that I DESERVE to be in there just like them and I turned around and marched in! Well...the one treadmill wouldn't work but the guy told me he'd be done in 3 minutes. Do I leave or stay? I decided to stay and in doing so, I walked my 3 miles on the treadmill in a little less than one hour. The one guy who was still there when I finished told me he couldn't believe that I walked that far and that fast. It felt good to start my Mother's Day out that way.

I will say my only downfall this past weekend were onion rings at Smokey Bones. Yes....I had some...more than I should have but I got right back on track!

RESULTS..................................I LOST 3.5 POUNDS THIS WEEK!
TOTAL......................................9.5 POUNDS LOST
REMAINING TO SHORT TERM GOAL...................1/2 POUND BY NEXT SATURDAY WHEN
MY NIECE COMES TO VISIT...........I CAN DO THIS!!!

Second Week Weigh In

Just a short note to add in today's weigh in. This is the second week I have been on this journey and it is a little disappointing however, I am not discouraged.

This week I GAINED 1/2 of a pound.

I was kind of shocked as I have exercised 6 out of 7 days which included walking at the very least....2 miles.

As I think about it, I know that they say when you execise you gain muscle, etc. and I don't know if that is it or the fact that I probably am not eating enough...yes...that's right.... I am following the Weight Watcher plan and I believe there was only one day where I used up all my points. I know if you don't eat enough, your body thinks you are starving it and it slows down. Other than that, the other thing is I have not drank enough water.

Bottom line......this week I will work on the following:

1. Continuing to exercise faithfully
2. Eating all my points
3. Drinking more water.

I do hope to have more to report next week.

On the good side.................I do feel like I am losing inches. I do not feel like my upper body is like a round ball.

It's Saturday!!

Wow...the second week is almost at an end. Today, my friend Karen had a water aerobics class for me at her house at 7 a.m. I was really surprised that I could do everything she asked me to do. We exercised for one hour in the pool and my arms, legs and abdomen felt it. We then had a nice light breakfast on the patio.

I came home and took care of all my plants, cut grass on the lawn mower, cleaned out one freezer and am now defrosting the other. I am going to do laundry and sew for the rest of the day.

I have walked every day this week with the exception of yesterday. I don't seem to be losing any weight but I do not feel as bloated as I have in the past. I feel like I have a lot more energy.

Weigh in is on Monday but even if I don't lose any weight, I know I am changing my lifestyle for the better and am actually starting to look forward to exercising.

A friend just e-mailed me to tell me that I inspired his wife to join a gym and start exercising. Me......me? I inspired someone?

This journey from obesity is really helping me to see that I AM a pretty nice person. For years, I guess my obesity stood in the way of my self worth and I never truly took a good look at myself. What is nice is that other people are helping me to see that....I am worth it! I am worth the time of day! I am worth giving myself time. I don't have to be everything to everyone else before taking care of myself.

Just another baby step on the path from obesity.