OJ, Where you at, girl?

So, this is going to be a short post. I have had a very stressful, relationally challenging week! I know that it won't always be like this, but this has been a VERY hard week. However, I lost more weight, which is always good! Just 2 more pounds and I will be out of the 200's!!!! I've still been taking the stairs, and my diet has been seeing a lot more green in it. Hopefully, next week will be better. I'm going to take my dad's advice and "keep my mind on things above because we are just pilgrims passing through". Thanks, Dad! Until next time. OJ, you need to post an update!

Slightly discouraged, yet SUPER excited!!!! (LJ)

Okay, so I got on the scale today knowing that I did not too very well with food in the past two weeks. We have had guests in town and were out of town and all that comes with "being on vacation". I knew that this week would not be a good one for the weigh in AND for measuring myself. However, I weigh 2 pounds less than I did a month ago, I have only taken the elevator less than a dozen times in the past month, my measurements have changed a bit, and I have great news!!!!

So, other than being a mama at home with the kids, I am also a photographer. I do specialize in family and lifestyle photography. I'm always looking for more work and I came across a Craigslist ad the other day that got the little wheels of my brain spinning. I saw an ad for a fitness bootcamp. I thought I'd write the trainer with my idea and just see how things would go. Well, I'm super pleased to announce that I (and my husband, I might add) are starting boot camp in exchange for photography for the trainer's website!!!! I am so excited!!! I have NEVER done anything like this...bootcamp, that is. I can't wait. It's every Saturday from 8 to 9am.

Now, I will have someone who is trained in how to train others training me! Awesome. I just wish that you were here, too, OJ and we could do this part together. Anyway, I am continuing on my journey to health and will keep you posted.

Whoops!

Okay, so first of all I have to tell the truth. I haven't been doing as well either. I weighed in but forgot what it was. We had family in town last week and now my sister is here this week. We were out of town for the weekend, so I that meant eating out. I was really nervous about this part. I felt like I was doing well, and then the eating out thing was out of my control. I will say, however, that I didn't order fried foods. I stuck with salad every time and we did a lot of walking. So, we'll see how it goes this Wednesday.

Like I mentioned, my sister is in town. I haven't seen her in two years! I'm so excited! I've got to run and pick up my daughter from school, but I wanted to give a quick update. I'll post more in a bit. Still taking the stairs, though, and it's getting easier and easier everyday.

-LJ

SIGH

So, I am totally discouraged. I feel like I have been trying so hard and my clothes feel tighter!!! I even did not have Root Beer when my husband took the fam to A&W. I was so proud of myself for not ordering soda even though it felt totally un-American to not have their home-made Root Beer.
Then I went on a business trip and I did not do that well. We grabbed a lot of fast food on the go and I just did not make wise choices. I even drank some soda when one of the places did not have iced tea. Why did I not choose water???? No wonder my clothes are tighter.
Here is the deal, we weigh and measure next week for our one month, I think. I am going to work my tail off this week, because those numbers ARE going to be different. I am not giving up like I have so many times before. Even right now as I write this, I am feeling so much better and mor encouraged. Expect BIG things next week!!

Picture time! (LJ)

So, I (LJ) haven't blogged for a few days. I was super excited and nervous at the same time on Tuesday evening. I wanted to do at least as well as the week before, but I knew that the second week usually isn't the best. Anyway, I jumped on the scale on Wednesday morning and was disappointed with the .5 pound less than last weeks weigh in. Ugh!!! To be honest, I spent most of the day trying not to be discouraged. I keep telling myself that at least it IS a loss instead of a gain.

Anyway, I'm still going somewhat strong. I had pizza yesterday and wine the day before, but am back on track today. Posting a food journal is a good idea, OJ. I'll call you tonight and figure out where and how to go about doing it. Also, I decided to post a "before" pic of myself. Please disregard the messy house. Thanks! Here's to the long weekend! Oh, and my sister comes in town in one week. I haven't seen her in TWO YEARS. I'm very excited for that!!!! Yay!!!

Too tired

Today is a down day for me. I am overtired and have had a long and stressful week. I am very excited about the one pound weight loss that I had this week, but right now I am just too tired to care a whole bunch. After an emotional morning, my daughter and I went and had french fries for a treat. She got a treat for doing so well at her doctors appointment and I got one...well, because it has been a crap week, stressful with my daughter sick and because I got a stupid ticket for talking on my cell phone. Right at the moment, I do not feel remorseful. However, I will check in tomorrow and let you know that I did not allow eating the fries to be a total diet set-back to dictate bad eating all weekend.
I think we should do a food journal LJ. Maybe we could have links to different blogs in our blog so this thing does not get super out of control. Let me know what you think.

Discipline

So, I see that LJ has not been on to blog all week either. Where you at girl?? Here is my confession of why I have not been on.
After last weeks weigh in, I was so excited about the weight loss. I had really strong days of working out and eating right and then the weekend hit. I am going to struggle so much with the weekends! They are a true test to my abilities of successfully reaching my goal. Here is the confession, I did not work out at all this weekend and I did not do so well with my eating either. I am dreading tomorrow and the potential gain. How could I possibly gain?! It is so early on. SIGH
However, I did better with my eating yesterday and I got up early and exercised this morning. I am not going to let this set back and potential gain cause me any type of issue. I AM going to be successful at this.
Last night, I watched a couple of episodes of Dance Your Ass Off on lifetime. As I watched all of these overweight people dancing, I realized that I am one of them. I have always watched shows like The Biggest Loser and what not and thought "At least I am not that heavy." But I am. I weighed the same as one of the girls on the show. I would have qualified for the show. I do not want to be in denial any longer about the weight that I have gained. It may have only been a few pounds here or there, but those few pounds have added up to a whole lot.
Recently, I had a conversation with a client who is working on changing old behaviors. He said to me, "if only I had the discipline that it takes, I would not be in the place that I am now. For example, I would like to lose weight and I know that if I discipline myself to eat right and exercise, I can lose that weight."
Dictionary.com defines discipline as: "activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training." I want this blog and this journey to be a regimen that helps me to develop the skill of eating healthy and exercising. I want to properly complete this training so that my son and my daughter learn at an early age that being active and eating right are just a natural part of life. I want it to be second nature for myself as well as them.
My Mom and I were discussing on Sunday her Weight Watchers group and how some of the participants have said they will attend this group and count points for the rest of their lives. I honestly felt so discouraged thinking about it. I kept thinking that I do not want to struggle and have to be so particular for the rest of my life. I want to get at my healthy weight and then be done with it. I felt intimidated by this whole process of disciplining myself. Right now, it is very hard work. It is not second nature. I want to reach for the chips and a can of soda, but I do not exercise self- control in those areas so they have to be a not at all for me. (Yes, that means I am giving up chips as well. ARGH!)
Anywho, no matter what the scales say tomorrow, I am not going to give up. This is a lifelong journey. There will be seasons in the journey that will be very easy and then there will be other times that are very hard. Right now, I am in a very hard season. But at least I am in and not just a bystander any longer.

Tuesday, but feels like Monday...Bleh!

So, I (LJ) did much better over the weekend compared to last weekend. I realize that one of the keys to not completely falling off the bandwagon is planning ahead. The time that I did not do so well was on Saturday. I do freelance work and I had a job in the morning and in the evening. It was kind of a hectic day, so I grabbed wings for my husband and I and pizza for the kids. Not the best thing, but I figured that I had been doing well for a while so a little bad wouldn't be the end for me.

Since I decided to take the stairs last week, I've been doing it everyday. I think I only took the elevator 3 times in the past 8 days! Let me tell you, I WANT to take that elevator every time, but I'm not going to. Having a 4 and 5 year old ask to take the stairs every time has really helped, too.

Also, starting today I will be parking a half mile away from my daughter's school and walking to pick her up. I wasted about a half tank of gas last week just waiting in line to pick her up in the car. I figure that this will be a good way to get more exercise in and save on gas. So, tomorrow is the big day! We'll talk more then.