Weight Loss

I can't change my tracker because the site that I create it on won't let me log in. However, I just wanted to let everyone know that I lost 1.5 pounds this past week. So that puts me at 6 pounds down. And I would like to lose at least 10 pounds by New Years. But, if I don't that's ok. I really don't want to put any major time lines on my weight loss. It will take as long as it takes.

I ended up celebrating my weight loss this week with a migraine. So today isn't going wonderfully. It was a friend's birthday yesterday and he wanted to eat Japanese. I, unfortunately, get a migraine every time I do. And my husband has been after me to try Japanese again. He wants me to find something (through trial and error mind you) that doesn't make me sick. SOOO, I decided to order something at the restaurant. I was visibly ill before we left. And had to stay at home today. But, I don't think he is going to pester me anymore about going to eat Japanese. And since I see the same results with Chinese, that should stop too.

Luckily I do feel relatively better today, although my head is still hurting and I am still feeling sick. But I should be fully over it by the weekend.

Christmas Song Meme

Tigerlily tagged me!!! Thanks. That improved my mood a bit.

CHRISTMAS SONG MEME: This one is pretty easy. List (at least) five of your favorite Christmas songs and tag (at least) five of your favorite blog friends to keep your MEME going.

I sometimes have trouble picking Christmas songs. It's a long list that I have...

Carol of the Bells -- I just can't help but love this song. I actually sang it for the first time last year in a pagent.

Deck the Halls -- Fa la la, la la la, la la la. I don't know why, but that is my favorite part of the song.

Grandma got Run over by A Reindeer -- It's a song that just gets stuck in your head.

The Twelve Days of Christmas -- I never can remember all the lyrics of this song, but I truely love it. I find it funny that I managed to learn all the music for the Christmas program last year, yet CAN NOT remember the lyrics to this.

Crap! I can't remember the name of any other songs!!! Well, I'll go a head and post this, and I'll edit it later.

And I'll be tagging: Jackie, TC, Kelley, Brandi, and Arlene.

So, I'll get y'all tagged this afternoon, and you can let me know when you have your post up!


Edit: Thanks to TC for reminding me of that other song name. I also like Mary Did You Know. It's an awesome song. I feel stupid for forgetting the name. But, then again, I SUCK at remembering names and artists....

Ok, now that Thanksgiving is over I'm actually feeling pretty good about it. I don't think I really over-ate any day. Just ate more than I usually eat. And on Thursday I never got hungry after lunch, and since I had gotten all my veggies in I just didn't worry about it.

I will probably show a gain this week at weigh in, but I don't think it will be that bad. A little bit is to be expected. And I KNOW I can do better this week.

Like Jeannie I plan to do Christmas cards this year. And I am more than happy to send some to anyone interested in a piece of mail. And I don't promise anything grand; they will probably be cheap ones. So, if you want one, send me your address (jarlynn@gmail.com).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and is ready for the Christmas celebrations to begin. At least these will be spread out a little more!!!

Dark Dreamers

I just read this anthology this week. It is wonderful, and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys gothic and paranormal romances.

The first story is Dark Dream by Christine Feehan. This is a wonderful Carpathian story. It is the story of Sara Marten and Falcon. If you are up to date on her full length novels, this one happened before some of the latest ones. If not, it mentions things that are more prominent in other novels.

The other story is A Dream of Stone and Shadow by Marjorie M. Liu. I really don't want to give anything away, other than that it really fits in the with other. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to lay my hands on some of her other works. (Just what I need, another author to collect!)

I've also read Nora Roberts book Morrigan's Cross recently. Since I am supposed to be getting my hands on books 2 and 3 of that series this weekend I will wait to make a review. Let's just say that I almost bought book 2 instead of waiting. I really want to find out how the story ends.

Start of a Hard Week

I feel good going into this week. I lost a pound last week, so that gives me a good start. I'm not doing the wendie plan this week. It was good last week, but not practical this one. I'll be eating light all days EXCEPT the three with dinners. IF I can spread my 35 points across those days, and be active, I should be ok. I just won't be able to snack for the rest of the time. :)

I'm going to try to get McDonald's passed today so I can get a salad. It's not EXTREMELY point friendly, but it will work. That would have me some veggies. And then something decent tonight. I think I will be able to make it.

I think my biggest problem this week might be activity. I haven't be very active the past few weeks. But this week that has to change. I probably won't get a whole ton of activity points, but I WILL get in 28.

So, Goals for Thanksgiving week:
-Eat 5 Fruits and Veggies EVERY DAY!
-Don't overeat my points. I only have 231 for the week. That's 28 a day and an extra 11 for the meals.
-Get in at least 28 activity points. Something has to counteract those fancy meals!
-Don't worry about the scale. It's number on Monday night IS NOT IMPORTANT!

So, how has everyone else planned to handle the holiday?

Pre-Thanksgiving

Down 1 pound this week! I think that is pretty good.

In order to minimize the damage this week I am avoiding all unnecessary Thanksgiving meals. Which means the last minute one at work. One of the divisions decided today that they were going to do a Thanksgiving meal. And they sent out the e-mail. They are doing it tomorrow. I decided that I wasn't interested. I don't think anyone from my office is going to participate.

I have three meals I will have to participate in. Two with Josh's family and one with mine. At least I know that Momma will try to make things more friendly to my new eating plan. But I'll be severly limiting my food at the William's two dinners. The only safe dishes will be the ones I bring. But I can manage. I'll take my own water and salad mix.

Well, hope everyone else will do well with the holiday meals. We just all have to remember to eat free for the other meals each day!!! Yay for zero point foods!

OK. So I know I'm late blogging today. Who cares? Not me. Sorry....

I think I did fairly well over the weekend, but not great. I think I might still have managed a loss. Which would be wonderful. I'll be okay with whatever I get though. I've decided not to be to concerned with the weigh ins. I'm just glad I get to go to the meeting tonight. I was supposed to work until 8, but they cancelled that. YAY! I get to go. I was actual more upset about not getting those recipes for y'all than I was about not being at MY meeting.

So, I'll get on tonight or tomorrow and post those recipes for y'all! And let you know how I did. (Although I did pretty good with the Wendie plan eating, I didn't exercise. So don't expect any miracles!)

Super High Day

Today I have 43 points for food. Wow. What to do with those darn things. EAT FATTENING FOODS! You know, those that you like but generally stay away from. And drink some soft drinks. At least this feel on a Friday. I'll be staying up until midnight or so. So that should help me to get my points in. I do plan to be smart about most of them though. Like trying not to eat straight lard, stuff like that. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. And a good, weigh in safe one for those of us that weigh in the next two or three days!

Inconsiderate Prick

All of my friends know that I am trying to lose weight. They are proud of me for trying. But they are not exactly considerate of the situation.

I ate lunch at Raising Canes today (acceptable with a low point supper) and my husband was supposed to cook while I'm at work since I won't be home until 7:30 today. Well, our friends (ie, one or two of them) have decided to make plans. And they, I think, consist of hanging out. When my dear husband called to find out what was going on he was told fast food, and to show up at the Gamer Sanctuary, one of the gaming places in town.

Well, I certainly can't do fast food. And they won't tell him anything. Two of our friends now the what and everything. But all they are willing to share is that there is something. Now, you think that friends would understand. That friends would be willing to work with you. But NOOOOOO, mine have to be PRICKS!

In all honesty, I really can't hang out anyway. I HAVE to work on homework tonight, and need to work out. So, I'll get home around 7:30, or get to where the hell ever, and then have to fit something from Applebees into my points. Not so incredibly easy. I'm just lucky to have a Applebees Weight Watcher pamplet from my meeting this week. I'm thinking the grilled tilapia. I looks good anyway......

So, does anyone else have this kind of trouble? Or is it just me with the incredibly inconsiderate friends...

Clothing Selection

I don't know why, but I was just thinking of a red dress that my mother made me years ago. I absolutely LOVE that dress. It's a short red dress with a keyhole on the front.

No matter how much weight I lose, and how much boob I lose after I lose the weight and get a reduction, I don't think I'll ever be able to wear it again. I'm about three inches taller than I was when she made it. And it was above the knee back then. And for some reason this depresses me this morning. (And depresses looks like it's spelled wrong, but the speller checker thing says it's right!) Just thought I would share that.

I had another good day yesterday and stayed on program. I think I'm running a little off this morning, but it will be ok in the end. I'm on my second soft drink. I just don't have the energy to stay awake this morning. I almost called to say I would be late, but I decided against it. I'm also tempted to back out of the over time tonight, but I'm not doing that either. I'm going to work, and make the husband cook dinner. I'll even give him a choice as to what he gets to make. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Good Day 1

I was a good girl yesterday, even if supper was PIZZA! I stayed on points, had my water and everything. However, I didn't get to exercise. But I worked 11.5 hours yesterday too. To be honest, exercise doesn't look incredibly likely tonight either. I have to work 8-6:45, AND Josh has really been wanting to eat at TGI Fridays. Which appears to be open now. So we may be doing that.

I would have exercised this morning, but I didn't get up unitl 10 til 7. Josh decided to wash the sheets last night, and they weren't finished and on the bed until after 11:30! Needless to say I didn't get to bed early enough to get up. But I will get up tomorrow because I will be in bed on time! 10 PM is bedtime now. Especially with me needing to get up by 5:15 in order to get in my morning routine and shower and stuff. No more late nights and mornings for me for a LONG time. It has the potential to be February before my best friend has a vehicle again and leaves my mornings free. But that's ok. I don't want him to get one before he can afford it.

OK! Enough with my whinning. I can't do that anymore! I have to be upbeat and positive now. SO, today I have 33 points and spent 10 on breakfast already. But I have my dairy in. 23 points and a lot of day left! I'm on a ball!!!!


Edit: That very last statement doesn't really make sense, but I'm leaving it. I think it shows my current state of mind really well!

The Wendie Plan

Ok, I've mentioned this plan several times, and have been asked about it each time. So I will make a post just about it.

This plan is Weight Watchers, nothing different. It just provides a little more structure than the regular plan, and it is based in the Flex plan, not Core.

Wendie, the designer, looked over months and months of her journals to discover why she had stopped losing weight. The gist of what she learned is that the body gets used to what is put in it if the same thing is put in each day. So, she basically discovered that you need to eat a different number of points each day. She also discovered that you shouldn't have two high or two low days in a row. They need to alternate.

For example, my points target is 28. Below is my points schedule for the week.

Day 1: 28
Day 2: 33
Day 3: 29
Day 4: 43
Day 5: 28
Day 6: 32
Day 7: 30

This plan incorporates your weekly allowance already, and you do not eat your activity points. So, if you tend to need more to eat on your big exercise days, don't do much on days 1 and 5. Instead, save your exercise for your high point days. You should also plan for your high point day to be as far as possible from your weigh in day.

You can view more info on the plan at The Wendie Plan and view the points ranges at the MSN group. The MSN page now requires that you join the group, and I am in the process of doing that now. It's free and all that.

I don't plan to do this particular plan all the time. I just want to use it when I seem to be stuck. Like right now. Hopefully that will jumpstart everything for me for the next few weeks. And if y'all need any more info on it or anything, just let me know!

Edit: I don't like the way the MSN page is done now, so I have created a page that has the table on it. Don't laugh TOO much at the page. I just created a freewebs account and put the table on it.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the comments this past week or so. They have helped so much, and will continue to help.

But my big thanks goes to Tigerlilly. I knew there was a reason yours was the last blog I went to today. I wasn't having a good morning because I had overslept. But I got to her blog and you were thanking us bloggers for our support. That just really made my morning. Sometimes it's amazing how little things like another's appreciation can pick up your day. I never know the right thing to say to anyone, and always feel inadequate in that area. But to have done right by somebody at least once just makes me feel good inside. So thank you Tigerlilly, for vastly improving my day!

As for the rest of life, as I've mentioned several times before I am starting the Wendie plan. I have written each days points on their respective pages and must remember that I do not have extra points. I also hope to not need my activity points this week to make me full. Even after lunch at McDonald's I still have 15 points left for the day. Since I don't have my dairy servings in yet I should be able to get through everything today. 28 points is the lowest day of the week. And Friday I have to figure out how to spend 43! I think I am going to eat a couple of big fattening meals in order to get it in. Even on my bad days I don't think I've managed to eat that much in one day. But I intend to persevre. Or however that is spelled. And we all know that spelling is not one of my strong suits.

It's a loss!

I'm down another half pound! I was so happy.

My leader asked me how I was doing as I stepped up to the scale and I said I was doing pretty good. With a big grin I just said 'I'm ready to see this gain so I can turn it into a loss next week.' I think I surprised her. She told me to stand up real straight and not move. Then she wrote down 233.5. I was estatic.

I think I did alright on my Thanksgiving meal too. I wrote down foods totally 18 points. But, then again, one of the items I knew before hand that I would make with less points than they would say. I think they had all their points values defined as nearly as bad as the food could get. But that's ok. I know I will eat a lot over Thanksgiving. But I will make it through ok. Ms. Lois, my leader, is supposed to bring us a couple of recipes next week too.

Hope everyone has a good week. I'm starting the Wendie plan tomorrow. Turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch and chicken for dinner. With an apple snack and whatever veggies the husband chooses.

Okay, if you visit my regular blog, then you may have read my weekend post. Well, I know this morning I was talking about how discouraged I am. Several of my weight loss friends are feeling that way now. Kinda makes you wonder you started spreading the contagion. But that doesn't matter. What matters is one of us starting a contagion of good feelings and success.

Anyway, I wanted to share her my NSV from this weekend. I hadn't really even thought about it until I started writing my post on The Dragon's Lair.

A girl asked me to go dancing with her! Not asked our group, but asked me in particular. It was kinda cool. I even got her phone number. Now, I wasn't really feeling the dancing this time, so I stayed home with the hubby and the guys we had over, but I have a rain check. I've never had anyone ask me to go dancing before, so I think that is kinda cool. I haven't lost much weight, but apparently something is showing somewhere.

Anyway, I weigh in tonight, and hope the gain is small. And if not, oh well. This week starts the war anyway!

Apathy and Discouragement

The past few days I have really felt apathetic, and occasionally discouraged, about this weight loss journey. It's so weird to feel that way when not to long ago I was chatting about how upbeat I was and how I actually had goals in mind. I was reading my friend Arlene's blog this morning and she is feeling similar to me.
Looking back on it, I can't help but wonder when the feeling started creeping up on me. Was it while I was spouting inspiration to myself? Have I been lying to myself about how I'm doing and feeling? Quite probably. I have a history of lying to myself about a problem for a while before acknowledging it and doing something.
I had said last night that I would be going to Weight Watchers today. I will go after work and I will be staying for the meeting. I know I need to go, and I know I need the support the meeting will give me. Even if I do need to actually do things like go grocery shopping. That will just have to wait. I don't like the idea of going to the meeting though. I don't want to step on that scale and see the numbers have gone up. I deserve to see them go up though. I just haven't been doing the program. I've just been pretending to do so. But today I just have to look it square in the face and say I will do better next week. I have decided to start the Wendie program next week. I think I need a little more self control and a little more structure to get going than what I have been allowing myself. I'll just follow it strictly for a week or two and see how things go from there.

I CAN do this. I have DONE this before. I just have to look at the previous success, and not the following failure, and keep on going. I REFUSE to fail on this important journey. I don't consider giving up on getting my degree, so I have no excuse to even consider giving up on this.

Tonight's Plans Crashed

Tonight's plans have gotten sunk. Aunt Margaret is at Wesley, so we'll be at the hospital tonight. That means no pork chop dinner, and possibly no Tae Bo. I'm somewhat disappointed. Life just keeps throwing these curveballs at me. Damn it!

Oh well. I'll just do the best I can.

I also have a funeral Friday that is going to tear me in half. The l5 year old girl of a family friend died last Friday night in a car accident. It's going to be VERY difficult to make it through the after funeral festivities without eating very much. And, of course, it will all be not good for me food.

OK. Now, on to good thoughts until I get off work. Thanksgiving is almost here! I love being off work. :)

Dreams

I visited my friend TC's blog this morning and she had up a picture and said that she wanted to look like that girl. It got me thinking about a lady I know at work. I was in a meeting with her yesterday and just thought that I would like to lose my weight, tone up and look like her.
I can honestly say that I do know she works out, although I don't know how much of it is that she has to keep of weight, or that she just enjoys it that much. I have absolutely no clue how she eats. But, I do know that she works with the wellness programs on campus and that teaches classes at the gym. My mother-in-law has even done yoga under her.
I won't post a picture of her because a. I don't have one, and b. I don't know how she would feel about that. I'm not even listing her name because I don't know how she would feel about having it splattered across the net.

I don't know if I can look like her, I don't know that my bone structure would let me. But, I also know that while keeping the goal of looking like her one day, I have to keep my physical limitations in mind. If I am just not able to do it because of my body, that's ok. The overall goal is just to be as healthy as I can possibly be. But I think that it could be helpful to always have a real person in mind to try and model myself after. I mean, everyone has a role model. Much better that I have a healthy, honest role model than one of those runway models you see where you can count all their ribs!

Morning Changes

I just found out that I will be losing my morning work out time. I normally leave my apartment between 7:20 and 7:25 to head to work. A carless friend of mine has gotten a new job and will have to be on campus by 7:00 at the latest each morning. I will have to leave my apartment by 6:40 at the latest now. And that will be pushing it to pick him up and get him where he has to be on time.
The only good thing about this is that he will be making enough to have a decent downpayment on a car within 2 months. Of course, this is assuming that he doesn't waste all his money as soon as he gets it.

Is it bad that the only feeling I really have on it is that I will miss my morning workouts? Because there is NO WAY I will ever manage to get in bed in time to get up before 5. I have trouble doing just that.

News

Well, I weighed in at lunch. Stayed the same. But that's ok. I deserved it. I actually deserved worse. But it will be much better this week. The DH and I are BROKE. So we can't eat out. I'll just have to cook everyday. I think that is pretty cool. Forced to cook. Although I don't have a clue what I'll be cooking. I know tonight is tenderloin and tomorrow is pork chops. I just don't know about after that.

I scored today on something else though. A lady in one of the capmus organizations gave me the textbook for one of the classes I'm taking in the spring. That saves me $50 on the spring semester. All I will have to purchase is an online course code that I can get cheap from the publisher. That perked up my mood a bit. Save the Money!!! Save the Money!!!

This Past Week

I didn't do so well this past week. Things have been getting away from me. But I was better yesterday. And I worked out, which makes me feel better today. I'm going to weigh in at lunch today because I have to grocery shopping tonight. And I haven't even made a list. but I did clean out the fridge yesterday, so it will be really easy to see what I need to get!

WATER!!! NO!!!

Well, I am determined to be good on water today. So determined, in fact, that I brought 2 new quart bottles of water to work this morning. Well The first bottle I had out on the counter seemed to be weating a lot because I kept having water around it. So I put down a paper towel to catch the water.

Turns out it has a hole in the bottom. So I wiped out a glass I've had up here as best I can and poured most of the bottle into it. Unfortunately, I have lint and stuf floating around in my water. But I doubt it will kill me. No worse than what I end up breathing in from the the air around here.

It just upsets me though. I was planning on swaping the bottles out as they got warm. Guess I won't be doing that today!

Challenges

I see challenge posting on the Weight Watchers boards all the time. While I was prowling today I decided to jump on board with a few of them. I'm not interested in participating in the ones that focus on x pounds lost in x period of time. As my friend Deondra told me, there are so many things that can make you not meet that goal.

So I have joined two challenges that focus on activity. I have added them to the sidebar so everyone can hold me accountable for actually doing it. If anyone else is interested, just hope on board!!!

Teethies!!!

Well, I went to the dentist this morning. He said all was good with my teeth and to come see him in 6 months. He also mentioned that my wisdom teeth will eventually have to come out. :( But he said not to worry about that until they start to bother me again. And they haven't bothered me in over a year.

I was happy to find out that all is ok in my mouth. Problems there can affect weight loss, and general health.

Another good thing, I'm picky about eating for the first few days after I get my teeth cleaned. So, I should stay good on my eating for the next few days.