Week 5

I am happy to report that I weigh 1.2 pounds less than last week--242.2. On January 1 I was 247.6 so I am down 5.4 pounds. This week I exercised 2 hours and 30 minutes. I stayed within my calorie limit every day although I had a very scary day on Tuesday. We wanted to have the free Grand Slam at Denny's but the place was packed so we went to another restaurant. The breakfast I chose was to also be my lunch so that did help. Thank goodness I didn't eat the entire amount at breakfast.

When I got home I looked up the calories for that particular meal I discovered it was ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FOUR. Yikes! My limit for the day is 1600, before exercising cause then I get to eat back the calories I've burned so I knew I was definitely going to have to exercise that day.

One year ago today I weighed 268.2. Today I weigh 26 pounds less. Happy, happy moment here.

Please leave me an encouraging comment.

February Weight Loss Report

These pictures were taken this morning, February 1, 2009. It has been one month since I undertook this journey. The weight loss journey is never easy! Do not be fooled by ads on Facebook or TV or other places on the internet. There is no pill (except Alli which has been approved by the US Government and causes things you don't want to talk about in public if you eat too much fat), no tea (green or otherwise), no berry (acai), etc. that will make it easier for you to lose weight. It must be done the old fashioned way--eat less, move more.

In the 31 day month of January I went from 247.6 to 244.4 this morning. That is a loss of 3.2 pounds for the month. I was within my calorie limit every day and I exercised at least 150 minutes per week-sometimes more. Why didn't I lose 8 pounds like in November? I don't know. I do know that sometimes the pounds go quickly and sometimes they don't, even if you are doing the right thing.

This month I had french fries one time and I had ice cream maybe twice. Recently Aaron went through the drive through at Dairy Queen and I had NOTHING.

For February these are my goals:
1. weigh 239 by March 1.
2. drink absolutely no soda--diet or otherwise--the entire month
3. eat no french fries even what I'd eat would be allowable in my calorie limit--too much fat.
4. eat more vegetables
5. be more vigilant about weighing and measuring.

When you eat cereal do you just fill up the bowl and start eating? If you do you are probably getting way more calories then you think you are. You glance at the box and it says a serving is 110 calories, but if you don't see (and measure) that a serving is 3/4 cup, or 1/2 cup, or 1 cup, the calories counted will NOT be correct. When I have cold cereal I almost always have 2 servings. I measure out 1.5 cups, or 2 cups depending upon the cereal. I measure the milk I put on it.

I weigh the meat I'll be eating for dinner. I am constantly checking how many calories something is to make sure it will fit into my day. I've tried the guessing games and they don't work for me.

The dress I'm wearing in the picture on the right I had made for me in Botswana in 2006. I was not able to wear it for quite some time. I wore it to church last Sunday and it fit much more nicely. The material is this wonderful stretchy stuff, but 30 pounds heavier it looked AWFUL even with the stretch. Something can only be stretched so much.

Week 4

For the week I lost .6 of a pound, (heaving sigh of relief) and from January 1 I am down 4.2 pounds.

I exercised 3 hours 5 min. CalorieKing recommends I do 150 min. per week. One reason I have more this week is because on Monday I knew we were going out to dinner with our pastor and his wife to celebrate his 57th birthday and I wanted to be able to eat what I wanted. So I was very frugal at breakfast and lunch and exercised for 60 minutes.

One year ago today I weighed 268.2 and today I weigh 22.8 pounds less.

Time for breakfast.

Week 3 January 22, 2009

January 1, 2009: 247.6
January 8, 2009: 249.4
January 15, 2009: 247
January 22, 2009: 244

January 22, 2008: 266 Down TWENTY TWO pounds from last year.

Three pound loss for this week, 2.6 pound loss for the month of January so far.

At Curves I am weighed and measured periodically and also my body fat percentage. For just about a year my body fat percentage would not even show on the machine because it was over 50%. Yesterday I commented to Sandy that I would have to lose a lot more weight for it to show a change. Much to my surprise it registered 48.9% body fat. Now that is still very, very high but at least it is down a bit.

I have not had one french fry. I have eaten 14 tortilla chips--7 at a time, and I counted the calories. I am avoiding sugar like it is poison and I have not had a diet soda. I did have a sip of Aaron's Coca Cola last Sunday.

My exercise for the week was two and a half hours.

Week 2

Whew!  This was a much better week for me.  I exercised 2 hrs. 15 min. (not quite as much as last week) and my weight this morning is 247.  Yippee ya hoo!  Last Thursday I was 249.4 so in this week I lost 2.4 pounds.

On  January 1 I was 247.6 so I'm only down .6 of a pound from the first but considering that I went up as high as 250.6 I have reason to feel very good.

This week I tried very hard to stay away from artificial sweeteners, although I did have one sugar-free latte.  Just about any diet book you read or article you read says that diet sodas are as bad for you as regular sodas.  So my goal would be to drink more water and way less soda--diet or regular.

My friend Deb in Minnesota where it is extremely cold reported to me she had lost 2.5 pounds.  Great work, Deb.  Keep it up!

Week One--Not good news

January 1:  247.6; 2nd: 247.6; 3rd: 249.2; 4th: 249.8; 5th: 249.2; 6th: 250.6;  7th: 248.8

January 8: 249.4  I gained 1.8 pounds

I had high intensity in my desire to lose weight this week.  I stayed within my calorie limit and I did a total of 3.5 hours of exercise.  So why did I gain?  I'm not sure but I can see a couple of changes I could have made.  The lower weight on the 1st may have been one of those days when you are down, but it isn't real, if you know what I mean.  Looking at the week you'll see I was all over the map.  My goal for January is be down to a solid 244.

Mistakes I made:  too many french fries.  I need to take my food scale and actually measure the amount that is safe to eat OR (and here's a novel idea) have NO french fries at all.

Mistake number 2:  I drove through Jack in the Box after having had a manicure and pedicure and I was on my way to work.  I chose the Jumbo Jack which had 600 calories.  No fries.

Mistake number 3:  Last night we had pizza after TOPS.  The personal pan pizza I had chosen from my calorieking list was 600.  I had calories for that plus the salad.  But they brought us a regular pizza since they were out of the little crusts.  And I ate 3 pieces.  I'm thinking that was probably more than 600 calories.  Plus way too high in carbs and fats.

So I am learning continually what choices are good and not so good.

This week:  Keep exercising, no artificial sweeteners, no french fries.

January 1, 2009 Day 1--364 days left

In case you can't read the sign, it says 247.6  1/1/09.  I was amazed when I stepped on the scale this morning to discover it was down from yesterday.  That is what happens when you keep close track of your calories, exercise and don't cheat.

As a child I was very thin, and very active.  As a teenager I was very thin.  I walked to school 1 mile each way so I'm sure that helped.  My first driver's license weight was 128.  I don't think I really appreciated being thin--I just took it for granted.  I was always able to eat whatever I wanted and stay that way.  In 1970 when I got married I was in the low 140s.  I think my weight problem really started after having two children.  I grew lazy and eating was my joy and pleasure.  I used to hide sandwiches under the chair when my husband came in so that he wouldn't see I was eating.  How foolish was that??

The shorts I am wearing are size 20.  I intend to continue wearing these clothes for my pictures.

See you on January 8 with my next update.