Stuck

After a long week of being good on the diet, tracking the weight watchers points, and doing exercise 3 days this week, I felt sure that I would see a difference on the scale.  Not only did the scale not go down, it went the wrong way and went back up.  I seem to have found my hovering point, and the scale just refuses to move past 138-139. 

Needless to say I'm a bit frustrated at this point.  Not so frustrated that I want to throw in the towel and just tell myself to be happy at 139, but frustrated none the less.  With pretty much everything in my life in flux right now, I was hoping for a little more positive news to report on the weight loss front.

Okay - enough complaining.  I just need to suck it up, and keep staying on point.  Hopefully the scale will move eventually.

Hope everyone else is seeing good results.

Back to Business...

After a much needed, week long vacation down on the NC coast, I am back and back to business.  I have to admit - I was terrible on vacation. I consumed anything and everything that would make a nutritionist cringe at the very thought of consumption.  I guess I fell in to the mentality of "It's my vacation, I can eat what I want".  Of course, now I'm suffering the consequences having gained 2 pounds while I was away.

Tonight I'm headed for my long run/walk with my friend.  Last time we decided to do this we ended up doing 8 miles, so we'll see how it goes.  The training for the marathon really needs to kick back up considering it's going to take place in January - and I'd rather be prepared.  I know I'm already crazy for thinking I could do another marathon, but I'm not so crazy that I won't train for it first.

I think the beach really helped me put my head back in the right place.  Everything with work, personal life, etc had been so hectic and confusing I was too far in the mess to see a clear path out.   Now that I'm more relaxed and rested - I can move forward as planned and get this weight off. 

More updates to come.....

Back on Track

Thank you to everyone for all of your good thoughts last week! It must have paid off because I ended up staying pretty much on point, and doing well.  I haven't weighed myself yet to find out how well, but Thursday is the big day, so we'll see. 

The weekend was a lot of fun.  I went and got my makeover on Friday afternoon, which was quite a treat.  I like what they did, now if only I could do it on my own. If only I could just stop by the makeup counter each morning and let them do it before I head in to work!!  Saturday Kelly and I went for our long walk - putting me back on my training calendar for the Disney Marathon in January! It felt good to be able to do 6.5 miles and not be too terribly sore.  There is hope for me yet!

Two more weeks until I head on my beach vacation.  I am looking forward to getting out of town, and hopefully I will stay on point when I get down there as well.  Luckily there is plenty of fresh fish to eat at the beach and I plan on taking full advantage.

Time to get back to work, just wanted to update everyone that I was back at the top of the slope, and re-motivated to get this weight off!!!

Slippery Slope

It began with one work dinner that wasn't exactly "on point", and that was all it took to send me spiraling out of control.  For three nights last week I had working dinners which involved going to restaurants, and with every intention of being "good", I found myself slipping and going WAY over my daily WW allowance.  

It seems as though every time I take two steps forward and make some progress I get sent 5 steps backward.   However, with renewed motivation this week, I went to the store and went back to basics.  I bought all the things I know will keep me within my point range and on track.  No "cheater" foods, not even anything that is low in point unless you eat the whole thing! :-)

So, keep me in your thoughts this week, and if you see me - remind me that I've worked too hard to keep slipping up.  Luckily, I have a great reward set up for myself this Friday - thanks to Kelly.  We are going to get makeovers with the Bobbi Brown professional - and I want that to be my "I did good this week" reward.

Wish me luck.

Willpower Struggle

For some reason this week has been especially tough trying to stay on track. I don't feel like anything has changed - as I'm still wanting to lose more weight - but the temptations have definitely been more prevalent.  At work this week a co-worker brought in lemon bars, brownies and cookies for everyone to enjoy, today is our office birthday party so we are having cake, and someone brought in cinnamon rolls this morning for everyone.  It's just sooo hard for me to say no for some reason. 

Not only is the eating taking a turn torwards the "not so great," but the exercise is dwindling as well.  We have people coming in for work this week which we have to entertain during the evenings. With the weather topping out at 100 degrees this week, it's hard to do anything during the day for exercise .

I know this is just one of those weeks, but I dont' want to lose all of the good habits I've established so far.  I just need to figure out how to get it all balanced - work, eating healthy, and exercise! easier said than done I think.

Slowly But Surely

I had great ambitions for this week to work out and eat right - and then I got a cold.  Luckily I am on the mend, but it threw me off enough to keep me from doing what I wanted to (not being able to see out of one eye made it a bit difficult to do too much!)  But the good news is - I lost another pound!!!

I know that the weight isn't just going to magically fall off simply because I've made the decision to lose weight, but I'd like to lose more than a pound a week.  I know this could probably happen, if I could dedicate more time to working out, more consistently.  I go through little spurts of energy where I'll go for 3 days, and then not at all.  Maybe the trick is to spread it out a little more (and to stay healthy!)

So, slowly but surely the weight continues to peel away.  Despite the fact that I have a cold, I do feel really great - or at least still motivated to keep this up until I hit my goal. 

At Last....

The scale moved in the right direction!! I am down 1.5 pounds this week and hopefully that is just the beginning.  Even though it's early, it's already been a day of great news. 

For starters - we hit our fundraising goal at work.  This is a huge relief and a great sense of accomplishment, as it's the most money the school has ever raised in it's history (btw, for those who I don't know, i raise money for a local university).  So there are a couple of days of relaxation and celebration in my future for making the goal.

And not to be diminished by the first - I lost weight this week.  And, I lost weight after being on the road, at a wedding, and 4th of July food.  This is absolutely a great feeling!!

So begins another week - and hopefully another successful week.  I'm off to Body Pump tonight, tomorrow is cardio, Saturday is Body Pump again and Sunday is looking like a yoga class.  The exercise routines are starting to fall in to place...which I'm hoping will shrink me even faster!

Size 6

Robert Eliot said, “Rule number 1 is don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number 2 – it’s all small stuff.”   Last Friday afternoon I was consumed by the “small stuff”.  Unfortunately, the quote came a day late to keep me from the worry.

In college I had a very close group of friends and we did everything together for 4 years.  They have become my family, and in the 10 years that I have known them, there isn’t anyone else I can think of (outside of my actual family) who knows me better than they do.  One by one, I have attended weddings for almost everyone in this group, except for 2 and then of course my own.  This past weekend one of the two got married (and in two weeks the other one will get married leaving me…the token single friend).

As a single girl, I know full well that marriage is nothing to rush and that it’ll happen when it happens.   It’s just tough to constantly go to these weddings and not even have any news to report about a dating life that has promise.  So, this past weekend I wanted to go to this wedding looking fabulous in hopes that if I couldn’t talk about my great relationship, they would all focus on how great I looked. Of course, this is totally ridiculous because these are the friends that I know will love me no matter what – married or not married, dating or not, skinny or not so skinny.  But Friday afternoon, I felt I needed something fabulous to help me feel fabulous and single at this wedding.

The adventure began.  My mom and I covered every dress shop in Raleigh and finally, in the last store right before they were closing – we found it.  It was a lovely, very simple black dress and the best part – it was a size 6!!! I have never worn a size 6 ever in my life.  It provided that extra bit of courage I needed to show up to this wedding on my own, and be okay with it.  In the next store we found the fabulous shoes and the outfit was complete.  

The wedding was beautiful, and my friends ranted and raved about how good I was looking.  I felt great in my size 6 dress, although when it came down to it, it didn’t even matter.  It was just nice to be surrounded by people who support me and love me no matter how I look, what I’m doing, or who I’m with.   I ended up “sweating” for no reason. 

Tomorrow is the big weigh in day.  I’m hoping the half of a tiny piece of wedding cake won’t hurt me too much.  J It was delicious!!!!

Nothing Lost. Nothing Gained

I woke up this morning to my very annoying alarm, and stumbled towards the bathroom.  After my eyes adjusted to the bathroom lights, I pulled the scale from under the sink and prepared to find out how my first week of dedicated/motivated weight loss went.  I step on.....wait.....wait.....wait.....and then there it is.  The same number as last week.  Just in case there was a mistake, I step off, and step back on, but again - same number.  Well, after I get out of the shower I decide I need to make something about this day positive so I try on my size 8 dress I haven't worn since last summer...and it fits!  So even though the scale says I didn't lose anything, the dress fits.

So, what can I change for this coming week, so that there will be a change on the scale. I think for starters, I need to eat more points throughout the day, rather than eating all of them at night.  Hopefully that will help some.  Secondly, I need to get my self to a gym.  The more I move, the more the scale will move...or at least theoretically.  And finally, keep up the willpower over this weekend since I am headed to my friends wedding in Greenville. Lots of reception food, wedding cake, and things I probably shouldn't eat right now.   I'm sure I'll be okay.

Well, I better get back to work.  Thank you all again for your kind notes and emails of support.  So far...so good.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

I promise, no philosophical diatribes today - sometimes I just have those moments :-)  Tomorrow is my first official weigh in day, and I have to admit I'm a little nervous.  I've been good eating on my points, although with the work schedule this week - it's been hard to get over to the gym and work out.  Actually, I haven't been at all.  I'm a little disappointed in myself for not going, but next week is always a new week - so I will go then.  No excuses.  Not to mention, I still have a few days left in this one to work up a sweat.

I think the other reason why I'm worried about the big weigh in is that I've noticed an unsettling pattern in my eating habits.  I have a tendency to be really great all day, and then I get home and eat the remainder of my points.  I just need to be more conscious and plan meals better, so I'm not eating 10 - 12 points between the hours of 6:00 - 10:30 when I go to bed.  Hopefully with that little shift and a better work out schedule I'll see some results.  Of course I could just be getting all worked up over nothing, and I could lose this week.  

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good news! I'll keep you posted.