It's Here - I'm Here!

So I had originally decided last week that I was going to start fresh 1/1/10 with new changes, but decided this morning WHAT AM WAITING FOR, START NOW!!!! I'm not going to get anywhere unless I take that first step.

So here is my plan. Yes, I'm putting it in writing because I'm more likely to stick to it that way, and since I love blogging and it has helped me meet my goals in the past year, I'm sticking with it.

Okay. So today I'm going to start the exercise routine again, not so much for getting exercise to lose weight but I need to start moving again to gain the strength back in my foot, ankle, and leg (post-surgery) so that I can meet my next goal, to skate and run again. So I'll start with 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes elliptical and see how I do. I know I can do the 10 minutes bike because I've been doing it off and on, but haven't tried the elliptical yet.

Next, I'm going to pay more attention to trying to be more mindful of the $$$ I spend grocery shopping. I have real issues with mindlessly shopping for groceries and not really paying much attention to how much I'm spending. So I'm going to start tracking EVERYTHING I spend per month on groceries and see where we are. I started using coupons again, thanks to some great tips from a fellow blogger (Yes, Heather, that would be you!). As of today, I am going to try "The Grocery Game", again, another tip from.... yes, Heather, that would be you again.... and see how well I do with that. I'm new at this whole thing, but I'm sure if I stick with it, I'll learn the ropes.

And third, I'm going to start tracking the food I eat more carefully. Since my surgery on November 9th, that has gotten worse and worse, and since the holiday, I'm not tracking AT ALL. This behavior has got to stop right now. I will not (this I know for sure) be able to maintain my goal status if I don't track what I'm eating. So that starts right now, right this very minute.

Future goals, I want to run another 5K and hopefully also a 10K in 2010. I set up an emergency fund and a vacation fund in the bank so that in the future if something happens and I'm not able to work or I want to take a vacation, I have easy access to funds to cover us. Since I am self-employed, I don't get sick pay or vacation time.

Finally, a big one, is to find more time to spend with old friends and new friends. Over the past year, I have reunited with friends from the past and it has been great. We have gotten together several times and had such a good time. Must continue that. Getting together with friends and laughing are the best medicine when you're feeling down.

So there you are. Now, I'll need all the support I can get so please hang in there with me. Best wishes to everyone for a HAPPY AND HEALTH NEW YEAR! Watch out, 2010, here we come!!!

Oh, and P.S., Santa brought me a brand new sewing machine for Christmas! So I am looking forward to learning more about the sewing world than the basics I already know and playing and creating!

Moving...

I'm such a procrastinator!!! I keep checking in on my favorite blogs, seeing what everyone is up to and then saying, oh, I'll post later...but with the holidays, that's just not happening. So here I am first thing in the morning and figured better do it now before another day gets by.

I'm doing better. The past two days, I started my "therapy", if that's what you want to call it. Doc told me to start slow with exercise and build up, starting with the stationary bike. So Tuesday I got on and did 10 minutes, yesterday 15. It felt so great to move! I wanted to keep going but don't want to put myself further behind and good thing I didn't, because the muscles in my leg are achy this morning. I'm supposed to work myself up to 45 minutes on the bike and then I can start on the elliptical. Question is what am I going to do for 45 minutes while riding that bike in the basement? TV is broken and no cable down there now (moved it up to the kitchen for our new little flat screen in there). Hmmm., maybe there is a way to rig a little shelf or table over the bike that I could set my laptop on and I could at least do Internet surfing and blogging while I'm peddling away! Will work on that.

So I am feeling better, physically and emotionally. It's still rough getting out of bed in the morning, but once I'm moving, not bad at all.

I am so jealous of all you blog buddies out there sticking to your running routines. You are my heroes! Don't stop. Keep going. You're doing great! I'll catch up at some point...I HOPE!

On the Road Back

So I am officially walking on my own two feet again. No more boot! I am thrilled! Can't you tell?
I'm moving very slowly, but it's a start. It's going to be a little slow going though. Doctor still says I shouldn't try to skate for 1 to 2 months, and even then, start out very slow, 15 minutes, not the 3-4 hour sessions I usually do. What?!!! And he said I should look toward summer to run my 10K, not spring. Well, okay, I guess.

But hey, at least I won't be wearing that Frankenstein boot for Christmas! And I can start to move a little. My leg feels like a noodle right now. Amazing how quickly you lose muscle definition when you don't use the leg at all. Wow. My left leg was always bigger than my right, but not now.

So now I've made it through the hard part...right? I don't know. It's gonna be rough working back up to the level of activity I was at, but at least it's only been a little over a month. That should make it easier.

I've only gained 3 pounds through this (according to the scale last Saturday at my meeting), and I'm still under goal. So I'm good with that, as long as I can maintain through the holiday and be able to move will help that. They recommend I start out with the stationary bike, starting out slowly, and when I'm able to do 45 minutes on that, then I can move up to an elliptical, starting out slowly, and build my strength up that way. In the meantime, I can walk, a little at a time. Main thing is when it starts to ache, get off it.

So watch out. By summer, I'll be running that 10K (maybe with some of my blogging buddies out there)!

Help!

I've fallen and I can't get up! Okay, not that bad, but I have fallen a bit off the wagon of late. The surgery and recovery are more than I expected and I guess I've been having myself a little pity party, plus the fact that I have absolutely no activity. I was able to finally put enough weight on the foot (once I took off this Frankenstein boot they've got me in) to get on the scale and I've gained about 6 pounds! Ughh! Really? Really? Well, okay, it was after all my morning coffee and breakfast, and a few other factors would affect it as well, which we won't get into other than to refer to the calendar. :) But still, the scale is definitely up higher than I'd like it.

So what do I do? Well, I pull myself up, dust myself off, dust off my tracker, count points, weigh and measure, and start fresh. That's what I do.

Good news is the cast is off, the stitches are out. I just wish I didn't have to wear this awful boot 24/7, but I'll do what I have to do to get back to running and skating. So get over it. That's what I'm telling myself tonight.

Baby steps

So this is my first post since my surgery 10 days ago. It's the first time I've had enough energy to do much. Amazing how much this surgery sucked the life out of me. I have truly had absolutely no energy. The last few days, I have slowly seen little changes. Last night I had enough energy to go out to dinner. Just felt great to get out.

This morning I got up and felt I had enough in me to stand at the stove with my crutches and make my own omelet. Of course, I had the chair right there to sit down, but I'm just so excited to have been able to do that.

Good news was there was no tumor, just a large mass of scar tissue. 6 days until the cast comes off and stitches out. Then hopefully I'll be getting around a little better.

So far, I don't think I've done too bad with eating, although I sure enjoyed a nice piece of chocolate layer cake last night but that's not the norm for me. Other than that, I've really been pretty careful about what I'm eating. In fact, hoping that tonight, with Hubby's help, I'll maybe be able to make a big pan of swiss chard for dinner. Craving veggies big time!

Out of Commission

Well, it's over. Had the surgery yesterday and it seems to have gone well. Waiting for results of pathology but surgeon feels that what he removed was not a tumor at all but probably just a mass of scar tissue, possibly for my skates. If that's the case, I'll have some questions for him when I go back, but for now, that's good news.

As for how I'm feeling, well, not so hot. The pain is there but the meds are taking the edge off of that. The problem, believe it or not, is my back. They say that they want me to elevate the leg for most of the week to keep swelling down, and to do that, they told me I basically need to lay on my back with my leg elevated above my heart. Well, what I didn't remember was that I can't lay on my back. I have an issue with lower back, left hip (maybe sciatic) and it causes pain to lay that way. When I sleep at night, I normally sleep on my side with a body pillow.

So needless to say, had a difficult night and got about 3 hours total sleep. Don't know how we're going to work this out other than maybe take the full dose of pain meds to help the back pain. Nurse is supposed to call today so I'll ask about it then.

Other than that, I'm going to try to watch what I eat while I'm in this recovery phase and just focus on getting better so I can get back to my new life of being healthy and active. Positive thinking, right?

The Big Day!

Well, tomorrow is the big day. Finally getting this surgery over with on the foot. They say the best way to go into surgery is with a positive outlook. Well, I was thinking what's so positive about it? A splint or cast, crutches, a boot, no running or skating? Hmmm. How can I think positive?

Well, I've decided to set a new goal. Yep, I did. I recently ran my first 5K EVER and I absolutely loved it. It was such a blast and I was on a high for about a week afterwards, and so proud. My next goal had been to get back on skis after about 20 years (yeah, it's actually been that long, wow). Anyway, looks like that probably won't be happening with this surgery and recovery.

So I've decided to set my sights on maybe running a 10K in the spring. Now, I don't know what I'm looking at recoverywise and when I'll actually get to run again so maybe 10K in the spring is getting ahead of myself a little but I figure if I've got something to shoot for, even if I don't quite get there, I'll get further than if I don't have a goal at all. So that's what I'm shooting for!

In the meantime, it's about trying to stick to my points, maybe be able to do some upper body strength training or something and try to stay at goal!

Feelin' Groovy

First of all let me just say that I wish, I wish, I wish we could go back to the 60's! I had such a blast putting together this costume this year. Well, it's the first time in many years that I wore a costume for Halloween, but I seriously loved dressing up as a hippie! What fun! And the 60's music too, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!

So what have I been up to? Well, just getting by, to be very honest. I'm feeling very anxious about the upcoming surgery (a week from today). I actually had a day last weekend when I did not track one bit of food that I put into my mouth (which was A LOT). I was out of control completely. Luckily, I got up the next morning, realized where I had gone and realized I needed to pull myself away from that old habit before it grabbed hold for good! But I am definitely struggling.

Since reaching my Weight Watchers goal, I have wanted to just take off another ten pounds to get to my personal goal, but those ten pounds have really become a challenge for me. I lose, I gain, I lose, I gain. I know, I know, I've been there before, the ups and downs, and eventually, I was able to break through, but this is so frustrating. And I am nervous that after surgery, not being able to run or skate for 3 to 4 months, I am afraid I'm going to see the number on the scale go up.

To top everything off, I have a terrible rash on my belly caused by.... BandAids. Yep. It's totally true. I remember having allergic reactions to adhesive from BandAids when I was younger but haven't had this type of reaction in so many years. I thought I had outgrown it, but obviously not. I tried treating it on my own, but nothing helped. So finally today I was able to get the doctor to call me in a prescription for a steroid cream that hopefully will do the job in a few days. Because of the location of the rash, I have not been able to run in a few days because the sports bras just irritate the area even more. Since running is my one big way of dealing with anxiety and stress, I've really got myself wound up. Not a happy camper.

Oh, and the Halloween candy....well, as much as I swore I wasn't going to touch the candy bowl, I did and then did again and then did again, it was BAD! But the leftovers are well out of reach now and I'm back in control.

So moving on and moving forward. Wish me luck next week with the surgery. I'm sure I'll be stuck in bed or on the sofa for at least a few days after surgery so I'll be doing lots of blogging next week. Until then, I'm hanging in and FEELIN' GROOVY!

Apples, Apples, Apples!

I was wondering what I would blog about this morning, and then looked at my dining room table. Oh, my gosh, we have so many apples, thanks to dear sister-in-law. It's my favorite time of year. We go up to her house every year, pick apples from her two great big old trees, and then sit peeling and chopping apples all day, with big pots on the stove of apples cooking. Yummm! Had to miss out on that this year because it was scheduled for the same day I had appointment with surgeon.

But, sweetheart that she is, she did not forget about me and showed up at my house on Sunday, number one, with a bunch of yellow roses and a beautiful card to congratulate me for my success in finishing my first 5K, as well as a HUGE box of apples. And they smell so sweet! Who needs air fresheners when you've got fresh ripe sweet apples in the house.

Husband sat at the table yesterday, peeling, chopping, and cooking down a pot for me, but there are still lots left. Warmed up a small bowl of them this morning with a little fat-free cool whip on top. Oh, my goodness, so sweet with no need to add Splenda! Just pure sweet goodness!!!

My First 5K

Oh, my gosh, that was so cool. I did it! It was a miserable morning, cold, rainy. I was very cranky before the race, but still very excited. At one point, it started pouring so hard before the race and I was already getting wet. I turned to hubbie and said, you know, I don't even know if I want to do this now, maybe I should just go home. He said to me, wait a minute, you think this is going to be hard? How hard can it be? How much weight have you lost? That was hard. This will be a piece of cake.

Well, about 10 minutes later, the race started and I was off. Once I got moving, I was okay, except that sweatshirt I threw on at the last minute got heavier and heavier from the rain the further I went. I passed a few people along the way, which made me feel great.

The result...I shaved about 4 minutes off my total run time for that distance...and I got the bronze metal for women in my age group. Now, granted, I don't know how many women were in my age group, but that doesn't matter to me. I DID IT!

So for those of you out there second guessing yourselves, not trying something new for fear you can't do it, JUST DO IT! You can do so more than you think you can!

THE BIG DAY - 5K

Well, here we are, the big day, the day I've been working for since the spring, my very first ever 5K run...and, of course, Mother Nature decides to send us a Nor'easter storm. That's okay. I can take it. What's a little rain. What's a little cool weather. Could be worse, and I KNOW I CAN DO THIS!

You know, it's not only the last 6 months that I've been working for this. Actually, I think I've been working for this my entire life, all those times when I really wanted to run but didn't have the confidence and desire to do it. Now I can and I will. Dad, I know you're up there watching me today and I know you're proud. Look what I'm doing!

So today's plan was supposed to be 5K in the morning and out to dinner for hubbie's birthday tonight, but a friend has talked me into skating this afternoon (I know, I'm crazy). So we went to dinner last night and celebrated. It was sooo good, our favorite Italian restaurant. Well, you know, I've heard that a good pasta dinner is good the night before a race. :) :) Pasta, maybe not so good, but at least it was with shrimp, scallops and mussels instead of big giant meatballs or sausage, right? Ate some major calories last night, but you know, maybe that's what the system needed, a good shake up, and now with all the activity I'm getting today, I'm sure I'll be fine. You have to indulge once in a while, right?

So here we go, a great day for me, one I hope I will never, ever forget. Took me a very, very long time to get to this point in my life, and I plan on staying here now!

Big Day Approaches

Less than a week to go before the big 5K, my first ever for those who don't know me. I'm excited...and nervous, but mostly excited. Went for a short run today, plan on a little further tomorrow. I was going to run Thursday, but looks like rain here Thursday and Friday. Wednesday night I skate so I don't want to run and skate on the same.

Well, last week not so good on the scale, but, you know, that's okay. Had a talk with a "good friend" at my meeting and we talked it over. I've got a lot going on right now and under a little stress. Heading to see a surgeon on Wednesday and might have surgery in my future on my foot/ankle, which upsets me because I know there will be a recovery period where I probably will get no exercise at alland that scares me. But like she said, what's the worst that can happen. Well, the worst that can happen is that I gain a little bit of weight while in recovery and that once I'm able, I have all the tools necessary to take it back off. I've lost it, know how to do it, have all the support I need, and I'll do it. So it's okay.

It's that kind of weather that makes me want to ....yes, that's right, cook, cook, cook. Made a double batch of stuffed cabbage yesterday. Not the greatest pointswise, but it's all about the plan. Today I looked in the fridge at a container of leftover butternut squash from the other night that I had roasted in the oven. Had a big can of chicken broth and a big can of white beans, and decided I had the fixins to put together a soup. Sauteed shallots and garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil, added some fresh thyme and sage from the garden, threw in the broth, squash and beans, and cooked it up. Now I'm waiting for it to cool a little so I can throw it all in the blender and we'll have lunch for tomorrow.

It's that cool crispy air that makes me want to to cook. I pulled out all the Weight Watchers cookbooks and plan on sifting through tonight to find some new recipes and maybe some old ones I've forgotten. Like pumpkin mousse!

On the Road Again

Well, fellow bloggers, last week seems to have been a better week for me. Got on the scale yesterday and lost 1.4. COOL! I call that a great success. I made better choices during the week, got my activity in and tried to use less of those activity points.

I've taken two days off from running to give the foot/ankle a rest and I am about to hit the pavement now for a nice Sunday morning run. After that, I'll deal with the rest of the day. Have a lot of different things in my head that I could do today, either stuff around the house that needs to get done (cleaning out the garage, switching summer/winter clothes, blah, blah, blah) or stuff for me, going out for the day and wandering around some stores. I'll make that decision after the run.

So here's to another good week. Last night I went to a benefit which consisted of all the wrong foods, hot wings (oh, my gosh, are you serious!), potato salad, coleslaw, beer...but there was also hot roast beef and big bowl of salad. So I dealt with it in my head before I got there, and I had one bloody mary, two light beers, a big bowl of salad (brought my own dressing) and a small plate of roast beef. That was definitely a success for me. I DID NOT TOUCH the hot wings. That's what I call a good start to the week.

Not the Best News

Well, got the results of my MRI yesterday and the news is not as good as I would have liked. We were hoping and pretty sure that it was going to come back saying I had a ganglion cyst that could just be drained. Turns out that's not the case and I'm being sent to a foot and ankle reconstruction surgeon. I'm not thrilled about that, but you know, if I want to continue being active, I need to take care of this issue.

My main concern is the 5K. I couldn't get an appointment to see this doctor until 10/14, and my 5K is 10/17. Should I still plan on running the 5K? Should I still be training? Am I going to make it worse by doing so? I called both the podiatrist and my family doctor back and got the same answer, if you want to run and you can do it, go for it. The podiatrist said I'm not going to do any damage by running. It's just going to hurt. Yeah, well, I know that.

So I've decided I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing and plan on doing the run. I'm already doing the distance. I've just been trying to pick up the speed a little. Yesterday at the end of my run, I actually sprinted down the block. That was a totally new experience for me...and it felt great!

As for the scale, well, it's not moving. Last week I earned a lot of activity points but it was a hungry week for me and I ate a lot of those points, although I didn't touch my weekly 35. But the scale was not happy and it went up ever so slightly. This week, I've earned about half of the activity points that I did last week, but I'm still eating most of them, still not touching my weekly 35. I have one more day to go before official weigh-in. My scale at home is pretty accurate and it's not showing a change yet. I have one more run to get in today, will drink lots of water and stay below my points and see what happens. If I don't lose this week, I may have to drop my points.

Even though I'm at my WW goal, I'm not where I want to be. To get to my personal goal, I need to take off another 8 pounds. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, what I've been doing, and eventually, I'll get there. Just need to find that sweet spot between daily points and activity points.

Wish Me Luck

Well, today is a big day. Finally getting that MRI on my ankle/foot done. We're hoping it's just a ganglion cyst that can be drained, but doctor wants to be sure before he tries to drain it. It's right on the tendon that goes from my big toe and then up the front of my leg. It's been getting larger and causing some pain and tenderness while skating and running. So you know there is no question, it MUST BE RESOLVED. If surgery is the answer, it's going to have to wait until the end of the month, because I AM running that 5K in the middle of October, my first, and NOTHING is going to stop me from reaching that goal!

But first, I have to get through this MRI. Never had one before. I'm told that it should be no big deal since it's my foot. So we'll see.

Frustrating though because it's taking time out of my schedule and I may not have time to run today. Funny how your life changes. Me talking about exercise, almost obsessed by it. All I want to do is MOVE! This is the same girl (yes, I do feel like a girl) who said at the beginning of this whole journey that "I don't have a lot of time to exercise", and would struggle to find 30 minutes in the day to get out and walk. Yeah, right. Now I know it was all a matter of getting my priorities straight. Yes, it may mean getting up a half hour or 45 minutes earlier in the day to get started with work so I can squeeze in a run or walk or elliptical workout during the day. It may mean getting dinner started and then having my husband "keep an eye" on dinner while I work out, but you know, it works.

So speaking of time, I better wrap this post up so I can do some real work before my appointment.

Still Figure it Out

Well, thought I had a GREAT week last week, and you know, I did have a great week, but the scale didn't show it. I had SO much activity last week, earned lots and lots of AP's, but I also had a hungry week and so I ate a lot of those AP's, although I didn't touch any of my weekly 35. So I thought I would do good on the scale. The scale didn't agree, up .8. I know, not a big deal and could have nothing to do with the AP's and weekly 35, but could just be water or something.

This week, my goal was to try not to use all my AP's. So far, that's not working out well for me. Had a party to go to yesterday so I already used quite a few extras and have had basically no AP's yet this week. So now I have to really curb it and try to get the exercise in. Manageable though.

I want to get to my final destination weight by Thanksgiving and it's totally doable. I know that. It's just about finding that "sweet spot" between points and activity and all that. By my goodness, I have been hungry lately. What's up with that?

Busy, busy

I've just been so crazy busy lately, and I have had no time to blog. I really, really miss it so I'm going to try in the next couple of days to catch up. In the meantime, here's what I've been up to.

Last week, I lost 2.5 pounds. Woo hoo! Finally got those "Florida" pounds off and on my way to taking off that last 8 or so to be where I want. This week, I've had a lot of activity. Skated Saturday and Sunday, 4 hour session both days, ran Monday and Tuesday, and skated Wednesday night. Whew, that's a lot of activity points, but I've also been eating a lot of those points, but haven't touched my 35. Will be interesting to see what happens on the scale this week. Hoping to get one more run in tomorrow.

I have officially registered for my first 5K run in October so I'm trying to hit the pavement a little more often to make sure I can actually complete it. That's my goal. Since this is my very first, I just want to complete it.

Made a huge pan of roasted veggies the other day and have been using them almost every day for lunch and/or dinner. Really helps to make the plate look fuller, and I've had to resort on a few occasions in the past couple of weeks to Frozen Smart Ones entrees. Not a big fan of frozen dinners, but they are convenient when you're on the go.

So that's what I'm up to. Toodles for now!


P.S. Getting lots and lots of water in?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I had a GREAT WEEK last week. I'm finally below my lowest weight and moving on toward my ultimate goal.

And I made a move toward another goal I set. When I started running this past spring, my goal in running was that "some day" I wanted to run a 5K. Well......I am mailing the application with the entrance fee today. The run is October 17th! I am so excited AND so nervous. I'm having a problem with my foot/ankle (probably a ganglion cyst) but talked to the doctor about the 5K, and he said I should go for it. So that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm going for it! I even have a friend who is also losing weight that would like to do it with me.

In the meantime, one day at a time. I had a lot of activity this weekend but it was also a hungry weekend for me and I'm sure I ate every single one of those activity points I earned. Oh, well, that's what they're for, right? The more activity you get, the better.

So I'm going to try to get out and run today. I want to get myself back to 4 miles by the end of next week. I'd like to say I'll do the 4 miles today, but I think that's pushing it, especially with all the stress I put on my foot/ankle over the weekend. But I'll get there!

Keep on Going

I'm still here. It's been a while. I have been meaning to post for the past week, but it's just been so....well, rotten. Just haven't been able to focus on me. Haven't been able to focus on work, haven't been able to focus on finances, haven't been able to focus on tracking what I eat, haven't been able to focus on getting exercise (except skating, of course!). It's just been a rough couple of weeks.

So here I am, ready to go for another shot at it this week. I don't want to give up on taking off those last 10 pounds. They really mean a lot for me. It's that last little hurdle I need to get beyond.

So I could use any motivation and encouragement you've got out there, blogger friends. Maybe if I start focusing on one little thing at a time, it will have a chain reaction and before I know it, it will all come together for me again. But in the meantime, I'm hanging on.

Pop's Shrimp & Lobster Marinara Sauce

Oh, my gosh, the house smelled "like Pops was cooking"! It tasted just like his sauce. I am so glad I took the time to make this today. I got a little heavy-handed putting the sauce over the pasta, but it was still so good!

Still in the Game

Well, finally got back on the scale this morning after my trip down to Florida. I actually think I did okay. All I wanted to do was "maintain". I did gain 2 pounds, but that's down from what I had gained when I first came back on Monday so I call that a success. Now it's back on the program for me.

I've managed to get quite a bit of skating in since I got back. I skated Wednesday, Friday and today. I am so, so tired though. Hoping the weather will hold out for tomorrow and maybe I can get a run in. I haven't gotten any running in for almost a month and I truly miss it.

So tonight we had barbecued chicken thighs for dinner, we split a baked potato, and I cooked some yummy home grown lima beans and also some sauteed peppers from our garden with onion and zucchini. A very healthy dinner. I had Subway sandwich for lunch.

Hoping to make "Pops' lobster/shrimp marinara sauce" tomorrow (with homegrown basil, of course) with some Smart Taste pasta for dinner and salad. I've had a craving for pasta so might as well go for the good stuff, right?
Hope it's close to as good as Pops'

Then again....

....maybe not. Maybe being out of my environment for the past few weeks has caused me to put on a few pounds after all. It's hard to tell since mom's scale gives me a different number every time I get on it. We have a doctor's appointment this morning so I'll see if I can get on their scale and get a better idea, but I just feel heavier this morning. I did have a treat last night, a bowl of fat free vanilla ice cream with a tiny bit of chocolate syrup and a half a handful of peanut M&M's. That is soooo not like me, but I just had a craving for something "sinful". That's it, out of my system.

My plan is to really knuckle down when I get home and reverse any little bit of damage. I can't wait for the weather to cool down so I can really hit the pavement running. In the meantime, it's back to the elliptical.

But you know, this is what's going to happen for the rest of my life, maintain. If I go up a little, I do what's necessary to repair the damage before it gets out of hand. A few more days and life will get back to normal.

Florida Sunrise

Wow, what a sunrise this morning. Dark clouds followed by an orange and pink sky. How beautiful. Weather isn't going to be so great this morning. Rainy and possible storms but so far, no hurricane. Thank goodness for that.

So far, seems like I'm successful with maintaining while I'm away from home. I'm trying to stick to on-program foods, fat-free ice cream, lots of fruits and veggies, water, salad. Went out to lunch one day. Had a salmon BLT. Was so wonderful (okay, so I'm referring to the bacon, of course), and then hate a light dinner.

I will continue to maintain while I'm down here and then back to the program when I get home to drop a few more pounds and get to that sweet spot. I miss my exercise routine down here. Just too hot to run. I did get out for a bit of a walk last night and it felt great. Hoping to continue that routine for the remainder of my stay.

Well, it's still early here. I couldn't sleep so I decided to just get the heck up and start my day. So LET'S GET STARTED!

It still all adds up

I weighed in yesterday and lost .4 pounds. A little discouraging since I worked really hard this week, running and skating and tracking every single thing. But that's okay. This journey has proved to me that it all adds up in the end. So I'll take the .4.

Making a sort of unplanned trip back to Florida this week. Mom has some "medical" issues to deal with and I want to be there. So discussed with my leader how I should handle this. Should I continue to try to stay on my program trying to lose a few more pounds or should I go into maintenance mode for now (adding 4 points a day). Due to possibility of stressful situations and being out of my element, I've decided to go back into maintenance mode until I return.

A little frustrating but that's going to be the rest of my life, assessing situations and dealing with them. So here we go, right? No time like the present. It was so nice and cool here last night, I figured I'd be able to get up this morning and get a run in before the hot temperatures, but when I woke up, it was raining and raining and raining. So much for that run. Now I'll be stuck in this computer chair all day working and it's going to be HOT. Don't think it will cool down enough to run tonight but who knows.

Beautiful Morning

Woke up this morning to temperatures under 70 degrees. No excuses, get out there and run. I've missed running lately but it's just been too darned hot and/or humid, and when it wasn't too hot and/or humid, it was dark and I don't run in the dark.

So this morning I got up, had one cup of coffee, a sandwich thin with a little almond butter (don't know if it's my favorite), and off I went. I don't think the sandwich thin with almond butter will hold me until lunch. I'll have to go in and cook up some egg beaters. Anyway, I got a great run in and I'm ready to get to work for the day.

I've been on program, sticking to my points and trying to use only one of my WPA's a day. So far, so good. Hope I see results on the scale on Saturday. I'm still in losing mode, not where I want to be yet. I'm going to give it until November and if I can't get there, I'll reassess.

Went out in the garden last night and picked cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and baby lima beans. Well, started to pick the lima beans until I got started get bit by mosquitoes. Garden is doing great, although I think I'm losing one tomato plant. Have some weeding to do tonight and then plant another crop of green beans and beets for the fall.

Still here

So last week I achieved Lifetime with Weight Watchers. It was truly a terrific day. After my meeting, I went to lunch with a super lady and then shopping. We had such a great day and she understands every bit of what I've been through on this journey.

So that ended my six weeks of maintenance and began my quest to take off a little more, maybe 10 or so pounds. I stayed on program this week (could have got in a bit more water), but due to the heat, I had a hard time getting moving. I skated on Wednesday night and got one workout on the elliptical in. I WANT TO RUN. I WANT TO RUN...but it's been so darned hot and sticky.

So today I went back and got on that scale....and stayed the same. That's okay though. I'm going have to do some tweaking here and there apparently to find the level where I'll lose and the level where I'll maintain. I'm thinking that if I have a week where I'm not able to get in a lot of exercise, I won't be using my extra points.

So that's the scoop with me this week. Tonight we had a nice grilled pork tenderloin for dinner. I made salad with veggies from the garden including home grown fennel, red onion, and, of course, cherry tomatoes. We also had some delicious Jersey corn!

Today is the Day!

Well, this morning I'll hit my regular weekly meeting, step on that scale, and if all goes well (still at goal) I'll have completed six weeks of maintenance and get my Lifetime status! Wow, that's so huge for me. Since being overweight my entire life...and a repeat offender, reaching this goal is one of biggest things ever for me! Dad, I know you'd be proud. Of course, my dad always kept on me to lose the weight, "lose it when you're young, because it will be so much harder years from now", but I guess I never had it in me.

Now, I don't know what the change was, but something clicked, something told me you can do this, do it for yourself and no one else, AND I had all the tools available to me and when I felt I needed more, I reached for it. I challenged myself and never gave up. At the beginning, I felt I needed MORE than one meeting a week, so I went to two. Then I realized I needed the RIGHT meeting and the RIGHT leader....so I found them (Carol, I LOVE YOU!). I love my friends at my Saturday morning meeting and I don't think I'll ever stop going.

After a month or so, I joined the Weight Watchers online community and also tried my hand at creating my own blog for this journey, and I WAS HOOKED on both. They have truly been a crucial part of my success.

I have lost a lot of weight, but gained so much more than that! I have found so many new friends, and I have gained a confidence in myself that I have never had. Continue to push yourself, challenge yourself. You can do so much more than you realize! I mean, come on, I'm running now. That's something I would have never thought I'd do, but I am doing it, loving it, and so proud of that! I am up to 4 miles now. My goal is to enter a 5K run in the fall...and complete it, just to cross the finish line. After all, for me, it's not about the speed of the journey but just the fact that I can do it!

So today I CELEBRATE! I know that I must continue every single day to manage this for the rest of my life and I will continue to rely on all of the tools that have gotten me here.

One more Week to Lifetime!

I'm still here. Wow, just realized yesterday that I hadn't posted since reaching goal in June. It's been so busy since with vacation and work and running, skating, etc. As of tomorrow, I'll be in my last week of maintenance with Weight Watchers to reach lifetime status. Woo hoo! After that, I will be going back on program to drop another 10 to 15 pounds.

I've been trying to run but the weather has been a little warm. I did run a couple nights after dinner, and I've gone out early in the morning, but today, too muggy. Supposed to cool down for the weekend though so maybe tomorrow evening I can run. Maybe heading to the beach on Sunday.

So I can't say that maintenance is easy. It's no different for me than doing the program. I'm still basically tracking everything I eat. Okay, so there were a few days where I did not track but got right back to it the following day.

The vegetable garden is doing wonderful! Pulled up a bunch of onions this morning, picked our first big Jersey tomato yesterday, and have been picking cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green been and yellow wax beans for about a week. Also had a couple black/purple peppers. I keep trying to figure out ways to make the veggie patch EVEN BIGGER, and I might branch out and create another blog just for my garden.

So that's what's happening. I'm still enjoying the exercise tremendous and already thinking ahead to the winter months and what I'm going to do. Do I want to commit myself to just using the equipment I have down in that dark basement (that's what I did last year) or treat myself to starting up my YMCA membership again. Hmmm. The Y might be the way to go. We'll see how that all works out.

Oh, and tried some new fish this week too. I went to the store to by some fresh fish and I bought halibut, rockfish, corvina, and tuna. Now, we've had tuna before and haven't cooked that yet, but the other three I loved! DH's favorite is the rockfish and I think I might agree.

A New Year, A New Me

Well, it's July 4th again. It comes every year, but yet this year is so different. Today is my 45th birthday. Yes, I am a 4th of July baby. Anyway, in the past, waking up on July 4th was all about what am I going to cook today, what am I bringing to the picnic, what else will there be there to eat, so on and so on. Today the concept is the same, but it's more about what I am going to cook today that's healthy, what other healthy options will I have at the picnic, what kind of games and activities will I do with the kids, so on and so on.

I am such a completely different person today than I was a year ago. Yes, a year ago I had already started this journey toward goal but I've accomplished so much since then. For instance, this morning when I woke up it was such a gorgeous morning, nice cool breezy, sunny morning. I had a cup of coffee, a light breakfast. Then I grabbed my running shoes (thanks Mom for the new shoes) and headed out the door. I had a run in mind for the past two weeks that I wanted to do but wasn't sure I could do it. Well, 45 minutes later, I was home, having finished my run. What better to do on my 45th birthday than to run 45 minutes! Wow!

So yes, I turned 45 today, but I don't feel 45. I really don't. I feel better now than I have in years and years. I won't put an age on how I feel for fear I'll jinx it, but here's hoping I feel EVEN BETTER at 46!

So my plan for the day, heading out an annual family picnic today. I'll be armed with a huge bowl of chunky fruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, grapes and mangoes. I'm also bringing my lite hot dogs and lite rolls and diet soda. Might stop and pick up a six-pack of Michelob Ultra Light beer. Not so sure about that one.

Hope you all have a GREAT 4th of July! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Vacation Pictures

Just posting a few pics from our vacation.

Had a GREAT time, very relaxing, although a bit hot. Tried to stay on program as much as possible. It's difficult though. I think I did okay. We'll see at my next weigh-in.

Getting back in the swing of things when I got home is not so easy either, but I must get used to this if I want to maintain. I got out for a run the last two days. Hope to skate tonight. I did miss that. I wasn't able to run on vacation. It was too darned hot.

Back to the Real World

Well, back from vacation, a week in sunny, HOT, Florida. It was a great week, very relaxing, and lots of quality time spent with Mom. I did really good (I thought) maintaining my goal weight while on vacation. Did not get the running in because it was so darned hot. The drive back was grueling, traffic was horrendous. Made it home by Sunday around 5:00.

Got on the scale yesterday and had only gained a pound. I call that success. Got back to my running yesterday morning, which felt great. Only ran 3 miles though when I was up to 4 before vacation but that's understandable, right? Well, got on the scale this morning and it's UP another pound. Guess I better scale back a bit and maybe cut out those afternoon glasses of wine with Mom. Really? Hmmm, maybe I can cut something else out instead!

Well, maintenance is going to be part of the rest of my life so I better figure it out. Hit the grocery store yesterday morning (fridge was empty when we got home). Loaded up on TONS of fruits and veggies. So there is really no excuse to not eat right.

Here's to getting back on program. One day at a time, one meal at a time, one moment at a time.

WORD FOR THE DAY...starts with a "G"

GOAL! GOAL! GOAL! I did it. I hit it. I needed 1.8 to get to goal. Between Saturday (last weigh-in) and today (Wednesday), I lost 2.2 and have finally got to goal!

Nothing like suspense, holding out until the very last weigh-in before vacation to hit the goal mark. I am so excited.

Now it's on to six weeks of maintenance and then I want to take off "a little" more.

Thanks to everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- who has supported me, from my INCREDIBLE W.W. leader, every single person who attends my Saturday morning meeting, all my friends on my Weight Watchers thread, all my blogging buddies, and especially all my friends and family, thanks for putting up with me. I love you all and you've all been a part of this journey and will continue to be FOREVER! This not the end for me. This is just the beginning.

So Frustrated

Okay. I admit it, it's a down day for me. I'm so frustrated. I'm doing everything right and struggling to get the scale to move in the right direction. First time in a long time that I've felt this discouraged.

Wanted so badly to run yesterday but it rained ALL day and looks like another day of continuous rain today. I think if I had been able to run yesterday and today, I might have seen better results....but then again, maybe not.

I had three points left last night after dinner so we decided to go out for a treat and I had some sugar-free, fat-free frozen yogurt for two points with a tiny, tiny bit of sugar-free caramel sauce on top. I kept thinking I should go for the working out on the elliptical, but my mind really wanted that treat. I figured I'd go for the treat last night and get the run in today....and now, I wake up to rain again. Ughh!

Meeting and weigh-in tomorrow. I don't know that there is anything more I can do today that's going to make the scale move by tomorrow other than what I've already been doing, stay on program, drink lots of water, and get the exercise in (maybe I can squeeze an elliptical workout in later). Have lots and lots and lots of errands to run later but don't suppose that counts as exercise.

Oh, well, again, I know I'm doing the right thing so I'll just keep doing it and eventually, my body will let go of it's grip on these few pounds to get me to lifetime!

Another day....

...and I'll just keep at it. I'm eating healthy, getting my exercise, and still, the scale isn't budging. Frustrated, but again, I know I'm doing the right thing, so I'll just keep doing it!

Went for my run yesterday, did the 4 miles and went a little farther. I always try to "go a little farther". I ended up going for 42 minutes! I know I ran the usual 4.0 miles plus. When I calculate it out (I was running about 8.5 min./9.0 min. mile), it works out to 4.5 miles! Raining here today. Doesn't look like I'll be running so guess I'm headed or the elliptical later.

Goal for today, WATER, WATER, WATER! And then when I've gotten that all in, I'm going to drink some Water!

Jeepers Creepers

Yep, that's what I'm doing, creeping ever closer and closer to that goal line. Ugh. I've been bouncing a little, the scale bounces down, bounces up, bounces down. I would really love one BIG BOUNCE to get it under that number!

Don't know whether I should drop a point and eat less since I'm so close to having to do that anyway...or eat more because I'm getting so much activity. So as Mom always says, when you don't know what to do, don't do anything. That's what I'm doing this week, keeping the same program...except that I'm going to try to drink more, more, more water and cut the sodium down. Lunch meat has been in my diet lately so I'll try to avoid that. No gourmet lite hot dogs this week either!

Went roller skating yesterday. Still trying to break in the new skates but LOVE them! Hope to skate again on Wednesday. I would like to get out for a run today but wondering if I should wait until tomorrow since the legs are a little achy from skating. I WANT TO RUN! If I do run, I'm going to try running the trail instead of the asphalt and see how it is. I'm going to stick to the 4 miles if I can. If I don't like the trail, I'll just loop around and get back on the pavement, but I'm told the trails would be a little easier on the joints.

I looked in the mirror this morning and thought, geez, are those really my legs? I guess the running and skating is really starting to help tone the legs. I see a difference. Now, if only there was some miracle exercise that would help these "wings" I have under my arms. The extra skin is just hanging. I've been using my little hand weights but they're only 3 pounds. Maybe I need heavier ones? I'm told that no matter what I do, I won't get rid of this under my arms unless I opted to have surgery...and that's not happening! So guess it's just going to be a reminder for me of how far I've come.

Nothing New

Well, not much to report on today. Down a half a pound, up a half a pound. Haven't made any progress with the number on the scale in two weeks, although I've definitely made progress with the activity. I know it will happen though. It's just a matter of when. I'm tweaking here and there to try to made adjustments that will get that number on the scale moving. Starting using little hand weights here and there also to try to tone up these arms.

Got a workout on the elliptical and stationary bike yesterday, 4-mile run on Memorial Day. Not sure about today. Was going to run but hopefully will go skating tonight so if I don't run, I'm still okay. It's cloudy, cold and dreary here. If the sun would come out, I know I'd go for a run.

So hopefully will have bigger news to report after Saturday's weigh-in, but for now, holding steady.

Is it possible?

So I just got back from my mid-afternoon break, run and then salad at Subway. Of course, the salad was wonderful, as usual, but must talk about my run.

Could it be? I ran 4 miles. At least according to the track map, I did. Each lap that I do according to the track map at the park is 1 mile around. I did my 3 that I've been doing the last two runs, and after 3, I had great music playing on my iPod, my new running shoes felt great, and I was still breathing without gasping, so I pushed for 3.5, and then went on and did 4! Oh, my gosh, am I totally losing my mind? I'll try it again next time I run and maybe put my pedometer on to check the distance, but in any event, I am now running 4 times the distance that I started! I just went to the calendar and checked. It's been exactly 7 weeks since I went for my first run.

Yes, I'm proud of myself and not afraid to say it. I keep thinking of Jillian Michaels in one of her radio podcasts saying that running equals skinny, and that's what got me started. I figured I'd give it a try and see if it would speed up the process of getting me to goal. I never figured enjoying it would be part of the deal though.

Monday, Monday

So I'm having a lot of trouble this morning facing the music. Took the weekend off, which was great, and now that it's Monday, I DON'T WANT TO WORK! I WANT ANOTHER DAY OFF!

2 pounds to goal now. Hoping if I get enough activity in this week, running, elliptical, skating, that maybe I could get there by the end of the week, but I'm really thinking two weeks. I'm dying to wear my "goal" ring. I bought myself a ring months ago and put it right in my jewelry box, swearing not to wear it again until the day I reach goal. It's an amethyst stone, marcasite right, very pretty. Think I might have to get it sized though because all my other rings are too loose now.

Went roller skating for four hours yesterday. Noticed a problem with the new skates though. The boot is pulling away from the plate, which shouldn't be happening since I've only had the skates for three months. So now I have to take a trip this week back to the rink to talk to the guy in charge of the sales and see what can be done. The guy I talked to yesterday said I really need a better skate for the amount of skating I'm doing. (Yeah, of course, he wants a sale!) So we'll see what happens.

A New Addiction

Could it be that my new found interest in running has become my new addiction? Hmmmm. I don't know. Hard to believe, but it just might.

Last week, I had ran two days at 2.0 miles each. My running goal this week to run three days instead of two. So Monday I headed to the park, ran a few steps over 2.0 miles. Day one accomplished.

On Tuesday I had not planned to run but got up and just felt I wanted to run. So out I went to the park, and I ran 2.5 miles. I left the park quite surprised and proud of myself. Day two accomplished.

Well, today, Wednesday, I was anxious to get to the park and see if I could do 2.5 miles again. As I started the run, I thought, ugh, I probably should have taken a break today, I don't want to do this, I'm tired, my legs are tight, I don't know if I'll even make it a mile. But I pushed on and made it around the first mile. As I headed around the second mile, I thought okay, if you can just make it to 2.0 miles, that will be fine because you're going to run three times this week. Again, I pushed through and at 2.5, started feeling a little better about finishing the 2.0. As I got around the second time, I thought okay, I can make the 2.5. Just keep running, don't give up, and I made it to 2.5. Then it was like I had Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser on my tail screaming really, really, you're just going to quit at 2.5? You're still moving, you haven't passed out and you're puking, so KEEP GOING! So I kept going and going and going, and I made it to 3.0 miles!

I RAN 3 MILES TODAY! I RAN 3 MILES TODAY! I am so excited. I really love the feeling of accomplishment that I get after a run. I'm still where this is coming from, whether it's the sense of accomplishment, of doing something that I've never ever been able to do, but I do love the feeling I get after doing it.

And talk about a stress reliever, wow. Now I think that whenever I'm feeling stressed....or anxious or feel a panic attack coming, I'll just go for a run and try to handle it that way.

So seems like maybe I will get to do that 5K this summer, maybe sooner than later.

Beautiful Day for a Wedding

Yesterday was such a glorious day for a wedding! The weather was PERFECT and the bride was absolutely gorgeous. She had on a white gown that had a sash around the waste, like a royal blue tapestry. The sash wrapped around to the back and then flared down into the train. I have never seen anything like it. Of course, it's been a while since I've been to a wedding. The church was beautiful, the bridal party, the reception hall, the FOOD, everything was wonderful!

I had my weigh-in in the morning before the wedding and I'm thrilled to report that it was a VERY successful week. I am now 2.5 pounds from goal! I guess all that running and skating paid off this week.

I really tried to watch what I ate yesterday at the wedding. I had lunch before I went. The wedding was at 2:30, reception at 6:00 which started with champagne, and then cocktails and horderves I tried to stick to the veggies, tasted a bit of caviar (first time), had a piece of bruchetta, and two glasses of champagne, which I had planned on. Dinner was a small dish of penne in like a vodka sauce, then salad with a raspberry vinagrette, and then filet mignon, with roasted potatoes, carrots, and green beans. I did have all my dinner but I'm proud to say I skipped dessert, had with tiny taste of wedding cake and one tiny taste of chocolate mousse.


Now it's back to reality. Another beautiful morning here. I'll be working this morning and then I'd like to get a run in and work in the garden. So with that, I'm out of here!

Time for New Pics?

Well, I just realized it's been a while since I posted progress pics. Have a weigh-in tomorrow morning and a wedding in the afternoon so maybe Sunday I'll post pics of me in my "new dress".

I feel good, feel like I've lost more weight. We'll see tomorrow. I'm getting ready as I type to go out and hit the pavement for another 2 mile run. I'm shooting for 2 runs a week. That, combined with my new found love, roller skating, and a few cardio workouts on the elliptical during the week, and I think I'm getting plenty of exercise.

I have a set a new "mini" goal for myself. I'd like to get to the top of my goal range (a little over 5 pounds) by the second week in June! Keep fingers crossed for me. The key for me is to continue going to my meetings, eating right (obviously), exercising (obviously) and also staying connected with all my message board and blogging friends. You all keep me so motivated!

Another Challenge

So I decided to challenge myself again. The very first time I ran, I had challenged myself to run a mile, and I did do it....okay, I stopped halfway so I could breath, but I did complete the mile.

Since then, I've continued to run at least twice a week and have tried to add a little distance every week. Well, this morning I decided it was time for a new challenge. Let's shoot for TWO and....I DID IT! Wow. I'm so surprised that I'm doing this. And I know could have gone a little further, but I figure I'm going to keep the same program, add a little distance each week. And when tracking my activity for the run, I was figuring I was probably going only about a 10 minute mile, but husband clocked it for me today and it was 16 minutes 7 seconds, so basically, an 8 minute mile.

I don't think that's too shabby for a 40-some year old woman who's never ever been a runner! And it's something I'll continue to build on.

You know, it's amazing the decisions you make in life. Five years ago, I could have said oh, it's going to take me five years to get this weight off; well, forget it. But my Weight Watchers leader said something at a meeting one time that has just stuck with me. Time (five years in my case) is going to pass. We can't control that. We are going to get older. So do you want to get there being right where you are right now or maybe even heavier, or do you want to get there and be a different person, a healthier person, a more energetic person, a physically fit person. No matter how long it takes, just take the steps, one at a time, to go where you want to go. Even if you don't make it as far as you want or as fast as you want, you've started the journey and are that much further than you would have been had you not taken that first step.

This has always stuck with me, and I am so glad that I made the decision that I did. My entire world is changing around me. I am truly a new person with new interests and new attitudes and even if I am 40-something, I have the whole rest of my life ahead of me and can't wait to see what's next!

Trim The Fat: Rover Gets A Giveaway!

Here is a link to one of my favorite blogs these days. Trim The Fat: Rover Gets A Giveaway!

The post is about exercising with your dog. What a great way to get exercise! I would love to take Bailey running with me, but I don't know that he would keep up with his tiny little legs. Well, maybe he would, because, you know, I'm not the quickest runner, but at least I can run! But he sure does like to run in the yard and play "getcha", hide and seek, and fetch (well, not so much the bringing it back part).

Anyway, here's a link to a post from one of my favorite blogs.

It Clicked!

Still moving in the right direction. Had a good loss last week. I have to say that the biggest change I see in myself now is that I BELIEVE...no...I KNOW that I am going to get to goal this time, for the first time in my life and unlike my many attempts in the past to get the weight off, I KNOW that I am going to do it this time.

What I can't figure out is what's different. What changed. That I haven't been able to pinpoint. Something clicked this time. I just know that after several losses of very close family members, I went back to Weight Watchers with a determination I haven't had before, and it became very clear to me when I went back that I was going to do it this time.

What else changed? EVERYTHING. I learned that exercise HAS to be a part of my life and that the key for me was challenge and to have fun with it. That's where the running comes in, and that's where the roller skating comes in. I also try to challenge myself when doing the elliptical workouts. It doesn't have to be as drastic or even the elliptical.

At first, it was trying to get some type of exericise in. Walking was a good fit for me when I first joined. Sometimes it was learning that I could get exericse in on those busy days simply by exercising during commercials while watching tv at night or using a body ball (not so gracefully).

It was also about finding other things to fill my life other than food. That's my new way of thinking. Food should fill my belly, not necessarily my life, right? In other words, my life should not revolve around food and I don't have to make a big extravagant meal every night. Sometimes maybe sandwich and a salad is fine and made with the right ingredients, can still be fabulous. I'm not saying that I don't love food or that cooking is no longer a love of mine, but now I love to try to create healthier versions of my favorites and enjoy the REALLY good stuff (pasta) occasionally instead of all the time.

I started spending more time with family and especially the kids, doing things that are fun, whether it's chasing the kids around the yard, taking them for walks, going roller skating, dancing at birthday parties, just having fun. I found that going for long walks in the park was an easy way to get exercise in and enjoy my surroundings and destress.

Little by little, the weight has continued to go and my days are all about getting my work done and finding time to MOVE, finding time to enjoy the garden, finding time to enjoy life.

I'm only sorry that I didn't figure this all out years ago while I was younger. Dad tried to tell me but it NEVER CLICKED. It frustrates me that I went through my childhood, teenage years, dating years, married life, up until now dealing with the weight issues, the things I couldn't or wouldn't do because of the weight, being so self conscious all the time. I wish I had known what THIS feels like. You know, I can't change the past, BUT I AM CHANGING THE FUTURE!

Creeping Along

It's still coming off, but geez, so slow. Lost .5 this week, yes, that's right, a half a pound, but I'LL TAKE IT! That half a pounds brings me a little closer to goal. Would I like to take off 2 or 3 pounds a week? Of course I would, but you know, it's coming off little by little so as long as it's going in the right direction, I'll take it. I plan on keeping this weight off for the rest of my life.

In the meantime, I've learned how much being active has changed my life. I still have a hard time sometimes realizing how much I have come to enjoy EXERCISE! Who would have thought that I'd be complaining about the rain because I couldn't get out and run. Things is a changing!

Are We There Yet

That was one of my favorite things to ask when I was a kid, are we there yet, as I'm sure it is with a lot of kids. I was never big on patience. I always wanted to be at our destination as soon we got on the road.

Really no different now, I suppose, although I've been patient so far. But now I just WANT TO GET THERE! I know, I know, keep doing what your doing and you'll get there. No shortcuts to take on this trip.

I'm still roller skating, although I did take a heck of a spill yesterday. Luckily, I landed on my hip instead of my hands. Must protect the hands, because if I can't type, I can't work.

I'm also still running. I'm up to 1.5 miles now. I'm going to stay at that level for a few weeks before I increase, I think. Of course, don't think I'll be running tomorrow thanks to my skating fall but hopefully by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Seafood Medley over Rice

So I experimented again in the kitchen tonight. Came across a version of this dish, changed it around and added other ingredients and came up with my own version. It was actually really, really good and I plan on adding this to my list of regulars.

Ingredients:
1 pound bag of Seafood Medley (shrimp, scallops, calamari), thawed
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1 small broccoli crown (cut into 3/4 cup smaller pieces)
4 spears of asparagus, cut into 1 inch or 2 inch pieces
5 or 6 large cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large shallot, chopped
3 gloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chicken broth
two wedges of Laughing Cow cheese
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tablespoon (or more)fresh basil
salt and black pepper

Here's how I did it. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and shallot and a bit of salt and saute until shallot starts to become clear. Next add asparagus. At this point, add about a tablespoon of chicken broth and cover with lid for a few minutes until asparagus just starts to cook. Remove lid.

Next, add seafood. Sautee for about 3 minutes or until shrimp starts to pink up. Add salt, thyme and basil and saute for another few minutes.
Next add the broccoli. Cook until broccoli begins to get tender. Add red bell pepper and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Toss in the cherry tomatoes.

It's almost done now. So add the remainder of the chicken broth and Laughing Cow cheese. Stir until cheese is blended with broth to make a little bit of a sauce in the pan. Add pepper to taste.

I served this over rice but it would be good over angel hair pasta also.

I haven't put this into the recipe builder yet. Now, we split this between the two of us and I'm betting it's probably around 6 points and then the points for the rice added to that.

P.S. A sprinkling of grated cheese over the top works too!

It's A New Day...

...and a new life. Just a quick post this morning before I get to work. I did something yesterday that I'm surprised about and very proud of. I ran. Not very fast and definitely not very far, but I RAN! It's something I've wanted to do since starting phase 2 of my weightloss journey, and I did it.

I listen to a lot of podcasts, especially Jillian Michaels from Biggest Loser. She talks about challenging yourself, doing something different, give yourself a chance, get out of the same routine. She also says running equals skinny.

So yesterday morning I got out of bed and decided to challenge myself to run one mile. I went to the park, walked a half mile, and then ran a mile. Now, I'll be honest when I say I did have to stop halfway around and walk for about one minute to catch my breath, but oh, my gosh, I did it. I actually ran a mile.

So now the goal is to build on that. I won't do it every day, but I definitely am going to try to run a couple days a week and just go a little further each time. Some say running is not good for your joints but I've seen people much older than I who run all the time. So I'll try it and see. Hoping that it will be one more tool in my bag that I can use to get the last pounds off to goal and to maintain for the rest of my life.

Rolling Right Along

Wow, I can't believe I'm getting there! 7 pounds to go to get to the top of my goal range. I'm just so excited. I'm still roller skating and still loving it, and the skating has definitely helped the weight come off, not to mention it has helped my mood tremendously. I'm just so happy skating. Why did it take me so long to remember how much I loved skating?

Another new love of mine... Subway salads. Now, we've been going to Subway for several months now about once a week for a sub and I do love them but decided to try the salad. Oh, my Gosh, you get a huge salad, all the veggies, some turkey, ham, roast beef, whatever you want. So that's what I had for dinner tonight after skating (actually, okay, had one for lunch yesterday too).

Tomorrow is a birthday party. That's a challenge for me. The cake has become a difficult thing for me to avoid, but I must try. I'll try to save something at home for my reward after the party as long as I stay away from the cake. Taking a big salad platter as my contribution to the meal and that usually is my savior at family parties.

What's New?

Well, today was a good day. First, I made something new in my little crockpot, what's called Pearl Barley Casserole. It was basically pearl barley, onion, pepper, garlic, tomatoes and some seasonings cooked in the crockpot for like six hours. I'll post recipe separately.

I am on my way to taking off the last ten pounds to get to goal, 8.2 to go. I can't believe it's actually happening.

Went on a "coffee date" this afternoon with hubbie which turned into taking the whole afternoon off from work. I decided to get out in the garden and start doing a little weeding. Ended up puttering out there all afternoon. It felt soooo good to just get out there and breath the fresh air and start getting stuff done in the yard. We opened the fish pond up for the season. Fish are all swimming around and only lost one over the winter. Now I finally feel like spring is here. I still have plenty of work to do in the yard, but got a good jump on it. I'm already dreaming of my veggie garden. Might even have to make the veggie patch larger again.

So nothing really exciting to report here except the fact that I am so happy, loving life, so energized, and totally enjoying ever minute I'm spending in my new way of life.

Roasted Pork Loin and Root Veggies

I've been wanting to post this weekend but was just not sure what to write about. But after dinner was done, I knew just was I wanted to post about.

This was tonight's dinner, and it came out so pretty and tasted so yummy that I had to share.

I found the recipe online and just tweaked it a bit for my liking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. I started with a half pork loin, seasoned (use whatever you like). Put a little olive oil in a pan and then sear the pork on all sides. Meanwhile, I cut up the following veggies: rutabaga, beets, onion, parsnip, and a fennel bulb (stems removed). Toss that in a roasting pan, add about a teaspoon of crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and about two tablespoons of minced fresh rosemary. I added about a tablespoon of olive oil and tossed that all together. Then pushed all the veggies to the outside of of the pan to make room for the pork roast. Place the pork roast in the middle. Now, the pan that I had browned the pork in had some nice browned "goodies" of meat and juice in the bottom of the pan so I deglazed the pan with about a half cup of red wine let it bubble for a few minutes, scraping all the "goodies" off the bottom of the pan, and then poured that juice right over the top of the pork and veggies. Put the whole thing in the oven. Mine cooked for a good 2 hours.

After two hours, I removed the pork and veggies to a platter and covered it with foil. In the meantime, I put the roasting pan on the top of the stove, added a few cups of water and a package of fat-free gravy mix and made a nice gravy from the "goodies" in the roasting pan.

It turned out really beautiful and so yummy. Far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to cook root vegetables than roasting them. I counted the veggies as 1 point per cup (WW) and the pork came out to be 4 ounces for 3 points after looking at the nutritional information that was on outside of pork roast).

Move that Scale

Nothing new to report here. No real gain, no real loss lately. Just the same. Trying to find that sweet spot right now between what Im' eating and and exercise to take the remaining weight off. I don't know what's happening, but I'm not quitting. I'm more determined than ever.

And the roller skating...well, that's becoming my new hobby. Did it as a kid three times a week at one time, and now it's all I can think about. It just feels so good to do stuff like that again.

Didn't get any workout in yesterday because work is so busy, but I'm so thankful for the work. I'll do what I have to today to get the workout in. Maybe that's why I'm dragging so this morning. Just feel a lot more tired. I know this time change has screwed me up a little too. I hate getting up and it's still so dark outside.

Well, anyway, that's it for today. Nothing very exciting, just checking in to keep it real.

Reached Another Goal

Well, I did it. I reached another mini goal this week. Now less than 10 pounds to go to get to the top of my goal range, then we'll go from there, at least another 10, maybe 15. I have been fighting so hard to get this point and I thought I would be so excited when I got here, but the weight loss has been slow coming off the last few weeks when I've been working so hard for it that it was a little disappointing. Hopefully I can break this pattern of the tiny little losses and have a big loss this week to really get things moving again. But I know that it all adds up and that's what has gotten me to this point.

Maybe the activity points I'm going to earn tomorrow shoveling all this snow we're expecting will help to move it in the right direction. Hopefully I'll have enough in me to shovel snow AND do my usual one-hour workout. We'll see.

It's amazing to me how many people lately have commented on my weight loss. It's like all of a sudden they're noticing. It really does feel so great when someone acknowledges your success, whether it's family, friends, or neighbors, it really is a great feeling when someone tells you they've noticed.

So that's it for now. Not much else to say other than JUST DO IT! SUCK IT UP. YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! KEEP THE FAITH, AND DON'T GIVE UP! Remember Nemo, "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Feeling So ALIVE!

Today I did something I've been wanting to do for so, so long, to go back to the old rink and get back on WHEELS! I did it, and let me tell you, I am on such a high. Every time I try new (or old) activity these days, I'm amazed at how great I feel when I'm active. This was the topper. Went with our 5-year-old nephew and 3-year-old niece, and not kidding when I say I could not wipe the smile off my face. I had such a blast and felt so great, so alive.

The one thing that I truly, truly always enjoyed was roller skating. From an early age I started. I went on weekends, afternoon sessions with the kids in the neighborhood, and then as I got older, I was allowed to go at night. It got to the point when I was going three times a week and double session on the weekends.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, whether I just lost interest or became self-conscious at the rink as my weight increased, I don't know, but eventually I didn't go anymore. I think that I remember going one time while my husband and I were first dating. But going today made me feel like I could do ANYTHING.

Someone asked me last weekend, hey, was wondering where you got all that energy, that second wind. Well, my answer is the closer I get to my weightloss goals, the better I feel and the more energy I have. The roller skating is definitely something I'd like to do again... and again and again and again. I just wish that my dearest could skate with me, but his back is so bad, there is no way he's putting wheels under his feet.

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Portobello

Spinach &Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Weight Watcherized)

I found this recipe and decided to change it up to be more Weight Watcher friendly. Not bad at all. Of course, we made it into 4 servings instead of 8 so it was a meal in itself, but the regular version would be 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
8 portobello mushroom caps
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing mushrooms
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
1 1/2 cups fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup egg beaters
1 clove garlic, grated with microplane or small side box grater
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon
4 oz. Fat Free Feta Cheese, crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS:
Using a damp towel, brush mushroom caps to clean. Using a pastry brush or your hand, coat the caps with extra-virgin olive oil and grill with lid down or roast about 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until tender but still firm at center. Wring the spinach out in a clean kitchen towel. Separate the spinach with your fingers and combine with artichokes, ricotta cheese, egg beaters, grated garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and nutmeg. Remove mushroom caps from grill. To portion-control the filling, divided the stuffing into 4 parts then just split each of those evenly between 2 caps. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more in the preheated oven to set filling and lightly brown tops.

Chili Salad

So what do I talk about today? Well, what about food? There is always something to say about food. Made a pot of turkey chili yesterday. Today for lunch, I had a huge salad with a cup of chili (4), a slice of slender cheese (1), and a half a container of Greek yogurt (didn't have any sour cream in the fridge). What a great and filling lunch that turned out to be! Note to self, make sure you freeze some of that chili in one-cup portions.



Well, lost just short of two pounds last week. So I'm a tiny bit above 10 pounds to go to top of my Weight Watchers goal! I cannot wait to be able to say I'm at goal and don't have to pay. But first I have to meet my Valentine's Day goal, and for that, I only need to lose a little over a pound this week.



Beautiful day here. Hoping to get a walk at the park in this afternoon and a workout before dinner too. Squeeze those activity points in wherever I can.

The "E" Word

So it has taken me a really, really long time (years) to discover that I've been kidding myself and everyone else. How many times did I let the words, "I don't have time for exercise" come out of my mouth? I can tell you that through my entire "Phase 1" of this weight loss journey, that was always my way of getting out of exercise. This time around, "Phase 2", the light has finally gone on in the past few months, and I have learned that not only do I actually have time for exercise, but I have managed to work it into my day 5 days a week!

My excuses ranged from I'm just juggling way too much, I'm too tired after working all day, I don't have time, blah, blah, blah. For a period of time during Phase 1, I actually was going to the YMCA on a regular basis, but used the excuse that "it takes to much time out of my day". I quit, bought an elliptical machine saying I could get a workout at home in half the time it takes me to leave the house, go to the Y, workout, shower, and come back home. Only problem was once that beautiful piece of equipment was delivered to the house, I used it a few times and lost interest almost immediately.

So what's the change? Well, first, it's about time management. I've learned that if I actually focus on all the other things I have to do and get them done without too many distractions, I do have time. My schedule lately is to work all day until 4:00. I work out from 4:00 to 5:00, then put dinner on and take a shower while dinner is cooking. Sometimes I even sneak a little 15 minutes of exercise in after dinner. Of course, this takes planning. I have to know exactly what I'm cooking early in the day.

The proof of my change is the fact that I'm talking about exercise and I am so excited about it. I'm getting bored with the routine of using indoor machines and have now been out a few times in the last few weeks walking/hiking in local parks with trails that take you along the water and in the woods, through old peach orchards, etc. And (now, anyone who knows me, hold onto your hats) I'm actually thinking of trying to start running. Yes, that's right. That's what I said.

Another thing that came to me today was something my Weight Watchers leader said a long time ago, and that if nothing else, you can fit exercise in at night and still watch your tv shows. Did you know that during the course of a one-hour tv show, there are 15 to 20 minutes worth of commercials? So instead of getting up and looking in the fridge and cabinets for a snack, do some exercise during those commercials, use a stepper, lift weights, situps, pushups, jumping jacks, running in place, etc. So tonight, I'm going to try that.

Bottom line, I've become a new person and continue to surprise myself with every turn. I CAN do it. I CAN become a healthy active person. Yes, it's taken me 40-some years to get here, but HERE I AM, WORLD. So watch out!