Loosing Streak

So, I haven't lost a lot of weight, but I have been loosing weight for the last 4 weeks or so! I haven't had a streak like this in a really really long time, and I must say, it feels amazing. I think I put on an earlier post that I am not on the Best Life Diet. I like it a lot. It's Bob Green's book.

He really doesn't make you count calories, but asks you to really pay attention to your "hunger scale" so that you aren't every really too hungry, and you stop as soon as you feel comfortable (even if you could eat a little more). This has made a big difference for me.

In addition, I have, for the most part, stopped eating 2 hours before bedtime, eliminated white bread and regular pasta (I had pretty much done this anyway), am in the process of giving up soda (I'm still hanging on to diet right now!), and have been trying to get more exercise in.

So, I'm pretty happy with my progress. I'm actually thinking about offering a class at my church on the best-life diet. It's something I'm praying about.

Prayer Request Blog

http://shareyourprayer.blogspot.com/

Take a look.

Kate, I can't see your posts

Kate,
I can't see your last 5-6 December posts! When the screen refreshes, there are no messages. I hate that because I wanted to know about your travel experiences....anyway you can repost in January so I can see them? I'm guessing I'm not the only one that is having trouble....

Happy New Year!
Sara

What is Weighing You Down?

I decided to start the Best Life Diet, by Bob Greene, and promoted by Oprah. I have been struggling to do Weight Watchers for years. I think it is a wonderful program and is a healthy, reasonable way to loose weight, but for whatever reason I just was not sticking to it. I had to try something different.

So, I asked for the Best book for Christmas, planning on just reading it for reference, but after looking at the scale and looking at myself, I knew I had to do something different.

I am in phase 1...I eat a healthy breakfast, I stop eating 2 hours before I go to bed, no alcohol, 3 meals a day with 1-2 healthy snacks, a multi vitamin, an omega 3 vitamin, and a calcium supplimient...finally I am to increase my energy level. You don't have to limit or monitor your food intake for the first phase (4 weeks). This I CAN do.

Also, and probably the most important, you start to really look at yourself and your life to figure out why the hell you keep putting on so much weight. What drives you to the fridge? Why do I put weight back on, quit on diets quickly, or look for just about any excuse I can to eat? These things I AM dealing with in Phase 1, and, probably, for the rest of my life.

I am doing really well so far, and I am praying that I can keep this up. In order to do that, I MUST figure out what is driving my eating desires, what is weight me down....

Think about it, you are worth it.

Oh yeah, and I can't weigh in for 4 weeks, that is going to be a huge struggle. I have asked my husband to hide the scales, because I normally weight myself atleast 1 a day, usually more.

Sickness Stinks, Until You See the Scale:)

So I have been very sick since Wednesday, barely able to eat anything until last night we went to the Cheesecake factory, and I was able to manage a little meal and piece of cheesecake :).

I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, I hate to be sick. It's especially hard with a little one when you feel dizzy and nauseated so you can't play with him like you want. But my husband and mom jumped in to help and we all survived.

I did feel a little better when I got on the scale yesterday morning and lost 1.8 for the week! Just need to keep this going now.

Mom is going healthy for thankgiving, sugar free, low-fat, that kind of thing. I was a little sad when she told me that, but appreciate her efforts. My mom has lost over 50 lbs and is less than 9 lbs from her goal weight! She is going to be 70 next June and now walks 4 miles 5 days a week and is very active and healthy! She is a good inspiration.

Alright, I'm going to rest, still not feeling the best. Stay strong over Thanksgiving.

I lost .6

I just wanted to report in that I lost .6 lbs this week...not the best but I was happy to have a loss. Hard weekend at home, lots of temptations. Today hasn't been great either but it's only Monday!

Serious about Being Serious

So, I hate to keep posting when I'm not making positive progress. I have continued to gain weight week after week lately, which has been very discouraging. I know I deserve it, but I just hope against all reality that I will be rewarded for WANTING to change vs actually CHANGING.

This week in my bible study I asked that people pray that I get serious. That I was so tired of asking for help and then not being serious.

I blame others for my lack or discipline, I blame the time of year (Halloween candy), job (sometimes stressful), being tired, being happy, being busy, being bored....pretty much I blame everyone but myself.

So, I am stripping away the things that I blame and rely on too much...right now I am not getting accountability calls, I'm not rewarding myself for working out, my goal is to just do it.

I need to get serious! My mini goal is to loose 10-15 lbs by Christmas. I will try to report my progress each week.

$500 Cookies

I went home this last weekend to see my neices compete in the county fair.

Fairs are the devil...

Or atleast the food is.

I didn't do bad I thought, but when I got home the scale told me different. Oh well...back on the wagon again!

The cool news is my neice baked cookies for a junior competition and got grand champion. The cookies were then auctioned off and the buyers paid $500! She was so excited I wanted to cry for her. I once sold a cake at the same fair for $400. It seems crazy I know, but just the fact that the community supports the youth in such an amazing way is really heart warming. Made me miss the small town America I grew up in.

Not too much else to report, oh, go to http://www.sparkpeople.com/, it's a site a friend told me about. I haven't done a ton on it yet, but it's free and let's you track calories, fat, etc. It also has recipees and things like that, looks like a good one!

Turning a Page?

I have felt myself change in the last few weeks. A change of heart, a change of mind...a change. I am truely tired of being overweight. And I can remember that I'm tired of this feeling every moment of every day, and rather than being tired and depressed I am determined and hopeful.

I had a good week this week, lost over 2 lbs, which is slow going but a healthy rate to loose at.

I am turning a page; I'm done with not controlling myself. It's a long journey but it's going to be a good one.

The Biggest Loser

Isn't it funny how a television show can change the meaning of a label? Suddenly everyone wants to be the Biggest Loser, suddenly people are chearing others on to be the Biggest Loser. All over the world people are having contests to see who the Biggest Loser is...amazing.

I watched the season premier of The Biggest Loser last night. It was amazing. Those people were just working their little tails off, and what a humbling experience to see your weight on a scale in front of hundreds/thousands/millions of people.

I don't like that when someone "only" lost 7 lbs her first week she was considered a slacker. I realize that these people are working out full-time, surrounded with fitness help and healthy eating advice, so their losses are going to be...amazing, but also a bit unrealistic for the rest of us.

So, I encourage your to be encouraged by these loosers. But also realize that you won't be able to, nor should you be expected to, loose that much weight in a weeks time...that is unless you have time to work out 8 hours a day!

Cheer for these big loosers, and become a looser yourself, that is what I've decided to do.

By the way, I set my alarm an hour earlier this morning, bound and determined to work out before work. I actually got up, but a quick illness kept me from doing it (big bummer). I'm proud of getting out of bed atleast!

I went to the doctor, hopefully I'll get this health stuff cleared up so I can work out and become a big not-fat looser!

Diet Coke and Cinnamelts Please....

I packed up my son and headed into town; I was going to get drive-thru. The whole time I was battling in my head what I should get and what I shouldn't get and how it was silly for me to be paying for food when I didn't really want something.

So, I did what every reasonable person would that is trying to loose weight, I drove through the golden arches, got a diet coke, and a chicken sandwich (fried), fries, and oh, yeah, cinnamelts.

Ridiculous.

I am going to give up fast food. No kidding.

You have probably wondered where I am, how my weight loss is going. I must say that I am still in the same place I have been for years, frustrated and with little faith in myself. I have gained weight, yeah, gained, and have been half-heartedly battling the bulge ever since I last posted.

I kept thinking, I need to post again. Then I thought, what would I post about? That I have a ton of people holding me accoutable, cheering for me, praying for me, yet I still fail? That, I got a new scale, started rewarding myself for working out, and started meeting with two wonderful women every Saturday morning, yet I still fail? Cried to myself, cried to my husband, cried with my husband, cried to God, yet I still fail?

I am so so very sick of this battle. It is a long long road, but I'm sick of loosing.

more to come, hopefully about success.

Embarassed to be in Indiana

I went to Indiana this weekend to visit with my husband's family. It was a fun weekend. We stayed at a beautiful park (www.springmillin.com), went swimming, had a reunion, and caught up with everyone. But, at times I found myself dreading the trip, and then, once we were there, dreading seeing everyone.

I realized on Saturday it was because of my weight. I am just so heavy now that I hate the way I look. I feel like everyone is judging me. When I walk away, I fear that they all whisper, "wow, Sara has put on a lot of weight since we saw her last." I fear that because that is exactly what I would think/say.

Oh the irony.

I told my wonderful husband that I was sometimes uncomfortable around his family. At first I said it was because I still didn't know all of them that well. But as I sat in our dark hotel room, flipping through the TV channels I faced my own reality. I am embarassed of me. I am uncomfortable because of me.

So, on the drive home I told him by this time next year I want to be thinner...a lot thinner (there were some other goals too but they are private).

Skinny Sara has fun in Indiana

my 2008 blog title:)

The Beck Diet Solution

Hello all~
I started reading a new book last night called the Beck Diet Solution. Other people that I know (virtually) have been reading and commenting on it so I decided to give it a try. It's a really interesting book so far.

The book will work with any healthy diet, which is nice. The premise is that people are not successful dieters because they never learned how to think as a thin person. The writer is open and honest about what you will have to do in order to loose weight and keep it off.

I like honesty.

For example, she said you will always have to eat a restricted diet. Bummer....

But, she also states that through the exercises in her book you will learn to want to eat a restricted diet vs. feeling deprived. You will enjoy not feeling overly full or knowing you are making the right choices.

She also stated that most thin people restrict their diet. They might not think about it because it happens very naturally for them, but they do it. I started thinking of all my "thin" friends and I would agree with that.

So, I'm hoping to Think Like A Thin Person. I'll let you know how it goes.

This week on the diet has been going pretty well, though I may be fooling myself because the scale is not agreeing with me.

RESISTANT To Change

All~
I got my blood work results back. I had high cholesterol...including high bad cholesterol, and high insulin levels. The doctor is putting me on some medicine for the insulin. I'm not diabetic...not yet anyway.

It is time to bet my butt in gear and change...no joking around anymore and thinking I'm young and I can do anything and that I carry my weight well and that I am heavy but healthy.

I am pretty sure I am insulin resistant...what does that mean? Well, from what I've read it means you have high insulin, but you are not diabetic. If left alone it can turn into type 2 diabetes. Symptoms include-weight gain, fatigue, weight gain around your abdomen, hard time loosing weight, craving sugar and high-carb items, and some other things. I have all of that.

I go on medicine for 1 month to try and get my weight down and insulin and chloresterol under control.

I am 27

I am too young for this.

Going to Get some blood work

Hi all,
So sorry I haven't been on for a while. Things are going ok. Last weeks weigh in I lost 1 lb, which is great because I did not expect to loose anything.

I saw my doctor about my weight troubles and she ordered some blood work. I'm going to get my insulin tested (diabetes runs in the family), glucose tolerance, and thyroid (also runs in the family). I'll let you know how it goes.

On one hand I'm hoping something shows up so that I'll know why I'm having such a hard time loosing weight. On the other hand I do not want anything to show up because it may mean a lifetime commitment to taking medicine. So, I am torn.

My friend the other day suggested that I come up with things to keep me motivated...like how my back hurts and I don't want it to anymore...or I want to run around with my son and not be tired....I'm trying to come up with a good, honest list for that.

Week is going better

hi all,
Just wanted to let you know that this week is a little better. I have tracked my points all but yesterday...and didn't eat very well yesterday or today, but I have done some activity every day and been eating better in general, so that is good.

WW ice cream- bought some mint chocolate chip today, it's expensive but good.

I won't be able to weigh in on Saturday; I'm still debating on whether to weight in tomorrow or not.

Gained 1.8

Weighed in...gained 1.8. I was sad but not shocked. I'm writing every bite down so far, which is good for me.

Fake It Until You Make It

I was going to title this blog, I don't want to weigh in. My weigh ins are Saturday morning. I picked this so that my husband and I could still go on a date Saturday evening without me freaking out about my weight.

But, today my parents came into town and I used that as my excuse to be bad. I ate out for 2 of my meals, drank a regular soda, and snacked (though on low-point food) WAYYYYYY to much.

So, I don't want to weigh in.

But, as I was typing it I remembered something a friend told me several months ago. She is part of a Yahoo support group that is on WW and one of the lady's was saying, Fake it until you make it.

From my understanding she was saying, focus on the good of the week. Talk about what you have learned, what you have done well, what you know is right, rather than focusing too much on what you have done wrong.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't face up to your week and your mistakes, but I think too often we concentrate on those things.

So, what I did well:
I worked out 3 days...once on my elliptical, once on my new bike, and once taking a long walk with my son. I tracked my points 6 days. I tried new, low-point snacks that I was afraid I wouldn't like.

What have you done well?

Ahhh Yes

Ahh Yes, prayer.

You were right on Krissie.

I used to pray all the time. Driving, walking in the halls at school, sitting at my computer at work. But, as I've gotten married and had a child, and have gotten busy, I have forgotten what my anchor should be.

I have faced a lot of hard questions about prayer. And I must say I do not know all the answers, but I can say I need prayer.

Thank you for the reminder.

Two Things Need to Happen

My husband and I have discussed trying for our 2nd child a lot. I would like to start trying soon. A while ago we had decided that when our first was a year we would try again. Our son is almost 10 months old.

When he was 6 months old I said, I want to loose 30 lbs before I get pregnant again. I have 6 months to do that, no problem.

I still weigh the same and I have 2 months left.

I didn't really have a difficult pregnancy, but I did have gestational diabetes and a lot of back pain that I had to go to a physical therapist for. I'm hoping that loosing weight will relieve some of that pain.

The other thing...I would like to be able to stay at home with our kids. I'm not sure I can find a babysitter for 2 little ones that we can afford. Jason is hoping to be full-time at the end of the year, but that is not certain.

So, two things needs to happen, Jas needs to be able to work full-time (most likely), but, the one thing I have control over, my weight, needs to go down before we have another little one.

I love my son and would love to have another...I've been writing down names:). I hope those names will keep me anchored in my journey.

What are your anchors?