Plodding Along

So, yesterday I blogged and had nothing spectacular to report. I was even feeling a little "blah" because I had no great accomplishment to share. Then I got to thinking...

This is exactly what I've been wanting in my weight loss journey. I want to come to a place in my life where food is not taking over every thought, every aspect of my day. I want to reach the place where planning meals and grocery shopping are just a normal part of the week, but where my thoughts are not consumed with thinking about stopping in the kitchen for a snack every time I pass by it.

As unexciting as it may seem on a day-to-day basis it's exactly what I want and need.

Also, I looked over some posts from last July (2009) and I was encouraged. I may feel like I'm plodding along in my weight loss journey lately, but in reality I'm doing pretty good. A year ago I had lost some and then gained until I was down to a -6 lbs loss, and I was struggling with the idea of eating healthier. I seriously didn't want to cook healthy. I was dealing with emotional junk and taking baby steps, but I refused to really dive into a new lifestyle.

Now I'm down 30 pounds and I'm looking for new ideas on how to cook fresh veggies and meats to provide healthier meals for both me and my family.

I guess I'm plodding along rather nicely after all. :)

Helpful Hubby

We went out of town last Saturday and as we were driving we saw a sign for Dairy Queen coming up. I love Dairy Queen and a blizzard with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is my favorite treat.

I mentioned that we should stop and get some and hubby politely said, "hhmm.....". I didn't say another word about it.

As we drove by the kids asked to stop as well, but he did NOT stop. As he drove on past I was thinking to myself, "You don't really need that. [pause] It's probably a good thing he didn't stop, because you would've eaten more than you need and been vexed later that you ate when you weren't really hungry. Plus, if you had ice cream now you would not have been hungry by the time everyone else wanted dinner and then you'd feel like you were overeating some more."

I know this is rambling, but those were my thoughts.

When I got on the scale the next morning and saw 199 I was especially grateful my husband didn't stop for that treat. In fact, I was so grateful I thanked him verbally for helping me stay on track by not stopping for ice cream. He hugged me in return.

See my post below where I said I'm doing better than a year ago? Well, this is more proof of just how true that is. I didn't feel threatened (right word?) that he didn't stop for Dairy Queen. Instead I ended up being grateful for his help, whether he was trying to be helpful or not. :)

Simply Life

Well, it's been a regular few days. Nothing spectacular to report.

I feel the need to confesssay that I haven't worked out in over a week. I wasn't feeling up to it at all last week, for personal reasons, and I was completely okay with that. Then from Saturday until about Monday night we were busy with 4th celebrations. I may get a workout in this afternoon, but I'm not sure.

Honestly, I'm not too worried about it. I know I'll get back to it. I've been busy catching up on laundry after my machine was broken and then had to be replaced, but the mountain is slowly diminishing. :) We've also had visitors at our house and .... I started a good book. :)

I know those sound like excuses, but it is what it is.

Eating has been okay until the afternoons/evenings. Eating when hungry is good, unless you allow yourself to get so hungry you overeat and then realize afterwards it's only a few hours until dinnertime. I was able to "skip" dinner and serve it for everyone much later last night. However, I kept munching in the afternoon to the point that I still wasn't very hungry by the later dinner time. hhmm... That's something I'm working on.

I feel like we were on vacation and I'm just getting back to "normal" now. I know this is life, and it's all a part of the journey.

Have a nice afternoon!

Celebratory Thoughts

I have a few random thoughts to celebrate today.

First off, I showed my kids a picture of me from 4th of July last year and they said I should post a comparison photo on my blog.

July 2009 ...30 lbs and many workouts later... July 2010

Secondly, I received this in an email and just had to share it with everyone for a good laugh in weight loss blogland:

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous or anything,

but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

When all else fails, just tell someone this. It's bound to brighten any "bad" weight loss day. *GIGGLE*

And finally, I created and sent out a 4th of July digital scrapbooked card with photos of usto our friends and family in email and got these two compliments back:

"And might I mention that Leah is looking a little thinner in the face? "

"You look RADIANT and thin too!"

Now, you know that just helped to make my weekend even more special! Oh, and my average weight for the last seven days.... 199 lbs. :)

Have a great week everyone!

Let Freedom Ring! - Day 6 & Happy 4th!!

free·dom : 1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another

in·de·pen·dence : the quality or state of being independent.

in·de·pen·dent : 1 : not dependent: as a (1) : not subject to control by others : b (1) : not requiring or relying on something else : (2) : not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct

Looking on the definitions offered by Merriam-Webster for these words I am more and more inspired by how these terms can be related to our weight loss journeys. Some of you agree and have shared your thoughts with us.

Steve said:

Freedom from a life shortened through unhealthy living.

Independence from those self-imposed limits I have lived with most of my life - self-imposed because they were my fault, limits because they truly limited me.

I Said So... said:

Losing weight will mean I will have the freedom from these insecurities that plague me. My weight is constantly on my mind, I think of my fat and my diet all the time. I can not wait for that freedom.

Christine said:

To me freedom in my weight loss journey is knowing that the power of the addiction has been broken by the power of the Lord Jesus and the only strength it has on me now is the strength I give it.

Nancy said:

I've found the biggest freedom in losing weight is the freedom in my head. I'm free from many of the negative voices that plagued me before. I'm happy when I eat. If I mess up, I know I'll recover quickly. I'm even free from the tyranny of food. What tempted me before doesn't even appeal any more. I can pass up almost anything.

And I'd like to finish it up by saying:

Among the above mentioned ideas, which all can be applied to my life as well, I have begun to find freedom from feelings of failure. Losing 30 pounds so far has shown me that I can make changes for the better. I am capable. I am not a failure. I can believe in myself to become the healthier Leah I've always wished I could be.

I can also reach these goals independently of what others think I should or should not be doing. I can adopt certain aspects of different plans and it's okay. If they work together for the greater good of seeing my health improve, then that is alright.

Thank you everyone for coming with me on this patriotic journey this week. Even if you just came to humor me, I appreciate it. I've enjoyed every comment you've left. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! One more time....

LET FREEDOM RING!!!

Not only for our great United States of America, but for each one of us in our health as well.

Let Freedom Ring! - Day 5

Today I want to introduce you to the person who became my mentor, someone who gave me hope, even though she didn't know me yet. About a year ago I came across Diane's blog Fit to the Finish and when I read her story I was so encouraged that she had not only lost 150 pounds, but kept it off for 12 years. It gave me hope.

Soon after that we began to correspond and she has been there with me through many ups and downs of this past year of my weight loss journey. I know she has found a freedom in regards to her weight loss journey and so I've asked her to tell you about it.

I’m so honored to have Leah ask me to write for her today. I have admired Leah since I first “met” her in blogging world. We have become Internet friends and I hope maybe one day we can meet in person!

She asked me to write something about Freedom From . . .

I immediately thought about being free from bondage to food. But the more I thought about that topic the more I felt dissatisfied. Was I really in bondage to food? When I weighed 300+ pounds, did food hold such sway over me that I was unable to break the chains? No. In my opinion, if food had me in true bondage I never would have been able to lose 150 pounds.

So Instead of freedom from bondage, I wanted to talk about freedom to choose. When I began gaining all my weight after I got married, I was free to choose how to live my life. And I chose to live my life in an unhealthy manner. I sat on the couch and ate ice cream. I choose not to exercise, and I chose to gain weight.

I chose.

When I turned my life around, I made another choice. I made the choice to stop my unhealthy habits, quit eating junk food all day long, and get out of my comfort zone and exercise. I chose the right path for me.

Every time I stood in front of my pantry, I had the freedom to make the right choice or the wrong choice. Every time I made the right choice, I felt myself get stronger and felt more in control of my fascination with food.

Every morning when I got up, I made the choice to put on my ugly exercise clothes and walk slowly down the road. I chose not to worry about what my neighbors thought, and chose to focus on what I knew would help me reach my goals and objectives.

Now, 12 years later, freedom means that the choices I make everyday keep me free from obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle. Those choices keep me free from guilt and keep me free from worrying about certain obesity-related diseases.

If you are struggling with your weight and sometimes feel like you are getting bogged down in the overwhelming number of choices there are along the weight loss road, take heart. Instead of getting bogged down, try and think of your choices as a way to gain freedom in your life. Diane

Let Freedom Ring! - Day 4

Please join me today in celebrating freedom and independence once again by reading how Tricia's great success with weight loss brought freedom to her life.

July 4th is our country's Independence Day, but I will always see January 5, 2009 as my own personal "Independence Day". It's the day I declared war on my unhealthy lifestyle and liberated myself from a life of sorrow.

When Leah asked me to write about the "freedom" I've experienced through weight loss my mind started racing with ideas. So much change comes with 128 pound weight loss. I am now "free" to enjoy amusement park rides without the fear that I won't fit. I am now "free" to wear SHORTS and sleeveless tops and feel comfortable. I experience the "freedom" that comes with being able to comfortably walk down an airplane aisle without having to turn sides ways, and am further freed from every having to worry about the seat belt not fitting. I am liberated from the dread that comes when you sit down in a plastic lawn chair. I am now free to show my husband affection without fear of him being repulsed by what I had let myself become. And I now experience the independence that comes from being a runner.

While all of those things are important, they are simply small parts that make up a whole. Quite simply I am now free to be ME.

Of course I was the same person at 278 pounds as I am at 150 pounds, BUT now I'm FREE to show that person to the world. Its sad to say, but when I was obese I pretty much tried to hide from life. When we were in public, or at work events instead of engaging others I would try my hardest to blend into the background. I didn't volunteer my opinion on topics, didn't crack all those funny jokes going through my head, and didn't put myself out there to make new friends. I pretty much did everything I could to disappear.

I got tired of living in a self imposed prison. My morbidly obese body was the figurative bars that were holding me back from the world.

So I changed. I took small steps towards a healthy life.

And those small steps added up to great things....they added up to my own personal

liberation.

I now have the freedom to live my life. And love it.

Tricia - Endurance Isn't Only Physical