Walking Works

I just read Diane's blog post "Is Walking Alone Enough To Lose Weight?" today and was encouraged that walking does work as exercise and in being successful in weight loss. It's not that I didn't know this before. My friend Chris and I both walked when we lost the weight before, but I have heard comments that insinuate walking alone is not challenging enough, or is too easy.

Ha! Well, tell that to my friend Diane!

Just kidding. (kind of...)

Actually, I know of quite a few ladies who have kept their weight down over the years simply by walking daily, so that's why I know it works. It was just encouraging to read a post by someone who not only controls her weight with walking, but has lost a significant amount with walking as her main exercise.

I agree with her that we have to make sure and push ourselves to walk more intensely as our bodies are able, and that's why I especially love Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home DVDs. Leslie pushes me sometimes when I just want to take it easy.

Walking is the exercise that just clicks with me and I'm so happy to once again hear someone say that it works.

p.s. I love step aerobics also...but I love being to workout at/near my home more - and it fits my budget better! :)

Month Two Pics

I've taken and uploaded my month two pictures. Sorry, they aren't open to the public, but for those who can check them out here's the link: Month Two Pics

I'll post a photo on this blog when I lose my first 20 pounds. Deal? Deal. :)

Back-To-School Challenge

I see weight loss challenges all over the place, but I never do them because..well, I haven't really been serious enough, or brave enough, to think I could do it.

Well, my best friend Chris and I are working on getting healthier together and we decided to start our own little challenge. Our kids go back to school in just over 3 weeks and we have both lost 12 pounds so far. So, our challenge is to lose 8 pounds by August 8th, so we will have lost 20 pounds total before our kids go back to school.

Here goes!

Stats as of July 18th:

Chris' loss so far: -12.3

Leah's loss so far: -12.0

I'll update this next week. As Chris always says, "Power on Sister!"

Knowledge & Planning Work

(I was waiting to see if I had a loss this week before posting this.)

I just have to say that planning does work and so does working the plan.  I say this because it was my birthday on Thursday and my husband invited friends over to celebrate with a bar-b-q dinner.  That included my daughters helping a friend of ours make the cake.  This was probably the best cake that's been made for me since my mom used to make my cakes.  

I knew that I wanted to have a piece of cake (even before I saw it), so I planned for it.  I ate lighter throughout the day, I did a 65-minute walking DVD and I was careful during the dinner to make sure I had room for the cake.  

And I still lost weight!  

After the party I journaled everything I ate - down to the piece of chocolate cake that had a cream filling made of peanut butter and chocolate frosting mixed together with milk.   

Knowing where I was before the party and where I stood afterwards made it easier to fit this celebration into my week.  If I can make it through this week, then I know I can make it through this weight loss journey. 

Weigh In ... Payoff

Today's Weight: 219.0

Loss/Gain this week:  -6.0

Total Loss So Far:  - 12.0

Last Monday I finally decided that I needed to adjust my eating habits if I'm going to lose the weight.  I've gotten myself into a pretty good exercise regimen and, though I was fighting it with most everything in me, I knew I had to change how I was eating in order to see steady weight loss.  

I decided I would journal what I was eating and stop eating late at night (unless it was a small light snack).

Diane suggested utilizing sparkpeople.com, so I joined them this week to use their food tracking tools. It really helped me to track everything and I found myself being more careful about my choices.  It keeps a running total of your calories, fats, carbs and proteins for the day.  Their calorie "limit" for me seemed low, so I usually went over it by just a bit, but I think that was a quick start thing or something.  Like I said, I'm only really using the site for a quick, easy FREE way to track my food. 

Back to the subject....

Well, it paid off!  I know this is a large loss, but I feel like it was the first real week of working on my weight loss.  It was the first week that I watched what I was eating with the serious attitude of reaching a healthier weight.   

I don't expect this large of a loss in the weeks to come, but I tell you that it is a thrill to know I've finally loss my first 10 pounds, and I'm out of the 220's.  :)  

It Came To Pass

When I go through a trial or struggle my mom always reminds me that her mother always used to say, "The Bible says "it came to pass", so it didn't come to stay...."  [grin] I was remembering that thought again today as I realized that yesterday and today have been very good post-PMS days.  

Some months the hormones aren't so bad and some months are horrid.  This was a horrid month and I had almost a week solid where I was about to give up on thinking I could ever lose the weight.  I hate those kinds of days.  It's like my thinking is all clouded up and even though I know deep inside I will do it, I can't get my emotions to cooperate.

Well, as is true in every month, those days didn't come to stay - they "came to pass" and I'm so grateful for that.  I am once again in my sane mind and can picture myself making it to goal.  :)  Glory!!!!  

Not easy, but possible

I admire people who have lost weight and kept it off for any length of time.  I also admire a good friend of mine who has worked hard to keep her weight down, when she also has overweight women in her family history (Steph!!).  

Diane, at fittothefinish.com, said in a recent guest post about her story that "It wasn't always easy."  My aforementioned friend has also said before that she just knows it's going to be something she has to be careful about for the rest of her life.   Notice neither said it was so easy and the weight just dropped off!!  

When I hit those rough days or moments where I just want to eat too much I have to remind myself that no one said it was going to be easy; but they did say that it is possible and can be done.