July Weigh-In

It's the last day of July and here are my stats:

Today's weight: 201.0

Loss/Gain: + 0.5 from last month and +2.0 from a few weeks ago.

Total Loss So Far: -30 lbs.

This has been a weird month for me. It started off great and then I got into a funk, or got busy or I'm not sure what. I've learned some more about myself and why I fight this eating healthy thing. While I'm a bit sad I didn't lose five pounds this month I can be grateful that I'm seeing emotions for what they are and learning how to deal with them.

I think I can sum up some of what I'm learning in a scripture that I've really taken to heart lately. I've memorized it and am learning to apply it to my weight loss journey.

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." 1 Cor.6:12 KJV

The NIV translation makes it a little more understandable:

"Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything."

Also, I saw this t-shirt at the Christian bookstore a couple of days ago and thought it fits me perfectly in regards to my weight loss journey. Thank you so much for your patience everyone! I will win this battle. :)

Changes in Progress

I told you some changes were coming and here they are. As I said before I've been talking to my husband lately about eating better and I finally got the courage to ask him the other day if he would mind if I made some serious changes to the way our family eats. I gave him examples of using whole wheat pastas and bread, trying to get rid of chips except on occasion, etc. He told me that was fine with him as long as I didn't go extreme.

This is the first time my husband has ever been really open to eating healthier in the almost 15 years we've been married. Funny thing is I expected more of a conversation on the matter and then a discussion of how we'd talk to the kids about it.

All he replied was the above about not becoming extreme, and "They [the kids] can just eat it. If they don't like it..oh well." And that was that. :)

So, to start some of the changes when I went grocery shopping this week I purchased some out-of-our-old-normal foods:

Then yesterday and today I did a complete clean up of the pantry. I tossed white pastas and threw out old boxed stuff that no one ever finished. There is still popcorn in there for him and the kids, and maybe occasionally for me, and there are some cereals and baking items, but I cleaned it up and got things back in order. I am going to try and keep less boxed snacks and canned items in the house and instead keep on hand more fresh foods for everyone.

Everything I cleaned out of the pantry went into that bag hanging on the door, and then directly to the trash. This is one of those little changes that really is a BIG change in my eating life. I'm even having to learn how to recook some items. If you're wondering why I didn't do this sooner I'll be posting about that later. :)

Honest Ponderings

Good morning, Folks.

I'm going to get it out in the open. I'm not motivated at all right now to lose the weight and some of the feelings of "I'll never be at goal weight." were creeping into my mind yesterday.

The weird thing is that I am in the process of making some rather big changes to my eating that includes changes for my family. My husband and I have been talking more lately on eating better and he is open to me trying some new healthier meals for our family and cutting out some junk.

This is a first for us and I know it's going to help. So, I do have moments that I'm so happy and excited about what's to come, but lately I am not in the mood so to speak.

One thing I do know is that there are some major changes cemented in my life. I have eaten out a lot this week with my family and I have maintained. I no longer pig out at restaurants and that is a BIG step for me. It's only recently that I am seeing this becoming the norm for me. I don't even desire to overeat at a restaurant anymore. This thrills me, but I know I can't stop here.

So, I'm still going. Today I am finishing up a project that I'll share with you later. I know these changes are coming from deep inside and I will see the weight come off....eventually. Right now I'm just not feeling it, so I'm having to make myself do things even if I don't feel like it.

Thanks for listening.

Out and About

It seems like forever since I posted, but really it's only been two days. My husband is home this week and next and has been needing the computer for a project he's working on. We've also been doing some fun stuff with the kids, so it's meant little time for me on the computer.

The scale isn't moving down, but it's not going up too much either. I'm maintaining, and honestly I'm okay with that for now. I've been changing little things and after a trip to help my brother next week I know I'll be able to get more on top of the eating.

In the meantime, I have been getting up and walking in the mornings and though the eating hasn't been "stellar" I'm hanging in there. I'm really enjoying this time with my family and just doing my best not to let any of those 31 pounds creep back on this week before TOM. I was hoping to see 195 by July 31st, but these past 10 days have been busy and weird. *sigh* and oh well...

I'll try to catch up on blogs and will check back with everyone tomorrow morning if I have time and hubby is too busy to use the computer. LOL

Another Victory

Last evening our family time included a trip to the mall where I stopped in Christopher and Banks to look at some t-shirts on clearance. I needed a tan one and so I tried on one in a XL and .....

It fit!

Yes, for the third time this year I was able to buy a shirt in a regular area of a ladies' store in the XL. I'm finding more and more that a plus size 1x doesn't fit me correctly and a regular size XL is better.

It's these little victories that make me keep working towards my weight loss goals.

I'll Start Monday Tomorrow

On Saturday I was having a moment. I was slightly vexed with the gain, and dealing with some nagging feelings about things that need to change to help me. They weren't anything new, just things I've avoided doing for whatever reason we avoid doing what's best for us sometimes.

One of those changes is that I think it really is best for me to get up early to walk in the mornings. Yes, there will be times that it will be too cold, or it will rain, etc. etc. But for right now, in the middle of summer break, getting up to walk before starting my day is the best idea.

I actually had this idea back in May, but decided I wanted to be able to sleep in. Funny, how workouts just haven't been the same, even though I've enjoyed mornings sleeping until 7:30/8:00. Not so funny is how bummed it has had me to not get regular exercise in.

So, I called my faithful weight loss friend, Stephanie, and told her I was going to start getting up early to walk. I told her I am going to be accountable to it here on my blog, but I also needed to be accountable to a person as well. As always she spoke some wonderful words of insight and encouragement to me, and after I got off the phone I thought to myself, "I'll start tomorrow."

The thought went through my head that I could just wait and start on Monday, since 'tomorrow' was Sunday and we have busy Sunday mornings getting ready for church, but nope. I needed to start right away and I knew I could fit in a 30-minute walk if I got going by 6:30. No putting off until Monday what could start the next day. :)

Just to prove that I did indeed get up I took a picture of myself after my morning walk (yep, no makeup for this early bird...scary...). I actually did walk/jog intervals for at least 15 minutes, so the heart and lungs got a good workout as well. :) I had already wiped my face here...though it is cooler in the mornings it's still HUMID. whew.

I got up again this morning to walk, even though I stayed up late last night. It felt good when I showered later in the morning to know that my exercise was done for the day. In fact, my husband is home and we just made some spur of the moment plans to do something with the kids this evening and it's nice to know I don't have to worry about getting home to workout, or squeezing one in between now and then.

Oh, and my commitment is to do this at least five days a week for the month of August. I've already decided that if it's raining out I'll do a workout DVD in the house, but I will still get up and exercise. My hope is by the end of August I will be closer to having this set as a good habit in my life. :)

Have a great week everyone!

Weigh-In ... Not Much To Say

Average over last seven days is: 200.0

I have lots I feel like saying. I know why I am up. I didn't care many times this week about whether or not I needed a sweet treat, or a soda, or the hamburger. Could be TOM on it's way, so I'm trying not to get too vexed and work past the disconnected-from-weight-loss-journey emotions.

I've had lots of fun with some friends visiting and such, not worked out much at all, and the munchies and not caring about food proved to bring a two-pound gain.

As always, I'm not giving up. I just know that after a year of reading about weight loss, losing 30 pounds, etc. etc. I have no excuses that are valid - just excuses. I want to be an example and not an excuse for others, so I know what I need to do to be that.

Have a nice weekend and I will be back with better news next week. :)