Losing It (Week Ten)

I had joined Mary at Giving Up On Perfect in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge.

My plan was basically to eat less and move more.

Mission Accomplished!

My goals were:
1) Get on the treadmill 6 days a week.
2) Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
3) Take-in less calories (and healthier ones at that).
4) Lose 20 10+ pounds at the end of 10 weeks.
5) Sit-ups and light weights (Weeks 5-10).

Here is the update for Week 10:

1) Treadmill 6 days this week, 20 25 minutes per day, 1.5% incline at 3 mph. I had started on the treadmill 15 minutes per day. Increased to 20 minutes per day. And this past week increased to 25 minutes per day.

2) 64 oz. of water per day. Check.

3) Food Choices. This week was a challenge since I had more meals out. I have learned to accept my food decisions and if I go "off course" for a meal, make a more healthy choice for my next meal. I am not perfect (shhhhh, don't tell my kids), yet I am responsible for what food I put in my mouth.

4) Lost 1 lb. this week. (Total loss in 10 weeks is 10 lbs.) Total percentage of body weight loss is 5.59%. I had changed my goal from losing 20 lbs. in 10 weeks, to losing 10+ pounds. I didn't hit 10+ but 10 lbs. even. I know that someone else in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge has lost a larger percentage of body weight so I did not win the fabulous prizes. Yet I am happy for the winner and "pleased as punch" with my results.

5) Sit-ups. 5 days this week. Light weights working on my arms every other day.

On Week 8 I wrote, "I am now on the cusp (a point that marks the beginning of a change) of firmly saying, "So long," to the 170s in the next week or two."

Week 10.

I stepped on the scale. 169 even.

Bye bye 170s...hello 160s!!! Booyah!

At the end of Week Ten (and the end of the "Losing It" challenge), I am thrilled!

Thank you Mary (Giving Up On Perfect), Jessie (Vanderbilt Wife), and Ashleigh (Heart & Home) for co-hosting this event. Because of you three ladies hosting the "Losing It" weight loss challenge, I have gone from inactive to active. From drinking no water to drinking 64 oz. per day. From making bad food choices to making healthy food choices (more often). I have lost 10 pounds. I have done sit-ups and light weights.

I should have been doing this all along, especially in the past (over) two years that I've been unemployed. I had the time. Just not the desire, focus, determination....

So what changed?

I needed this accountability group of encouraging women. I needed a specific period of time (in this case 10 weeks). I needed to set goals for myself and reevaluate/change them as I continued on this journey. I needed to get over my annoyance (with myself) when I "fell off the wagon." I learned how to forgive myself and not quit move forward.

Next Wednesday I will be joining Karen Ehman's Weight Loss Wednesday group. Because the main thing I've learned is that I need the positive peer pressure, ideas from others, and to keep my focus on God and His will for me during this lifestyle improvement.

Please stop by to encourage the other participants at Giving Up On Perfect.

And thank you for your encouraging words during these past 10 weeks. It has been a wonderful experience and a great beginning on my journey toward better health!

Update: Kathy at House of Hills has decided to continue hostessing "Losing It" as a weekly carnival. So if you're interested in continuing on, or want to join for the first time, check in with Kathy beginning May 7.

Losing It (Week Nine)

I have joined Mary at Giving Up On Perfect in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge.

My plan is basically to eat less and move more.

1) Get on the treadmill 6 days a week.
2) Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
3) Take-in less calories (and healthier ones at that).
4) Lose 20 10+ pounds at the end of 10 weeks.
5) Sit-ups and light weights (Weeks 5-10).

Here is the update for Week 9:

1) Treadmill 6 days this week, 20 minutes per day, 1.5% incline at 3 mph.

2) 64 oz. of water per day.

3) Food Choices. Mostly good ones. I have just discovered I love red grapes. Go figure. For years I only bought green grapes...live and learn!

4) Lost .5 lb. this week. (Total loss in 9 weeks is 9 lbs.) Total percentage of body weight loss is 5.03%. So I walk around and tell  my Wonderful Husband, "There is 5.03% less of me to love." But really. Who I am kidding? That 5.03% less? Was fat. And who loves fat?

5) Sit-ups. 5 days this week. Light weights working on my arms every other day.

On Week 8 I wrote, "I am now on the cusp (a point that marks the beginning of a change) of firmly saying, "So long," to the 170s in the next week or two."

Week 9.
I stepped on the scale.
I think I was holding my breath.
Because...
won't that help the scale read at a lower number?
LOL

Seriously, does anyone else do that?

170 even.

At the end of Week Nine, I am suspenseful. Can I say goodbye to the 170s next week? Stay tuned...

Please stop by to encourage the other participants at Giving Up On Perfect .
See you next week! (And by the way, next week is the last week of the "Losing It" weight loss challenge!) As I always tell my kids....Finish Strong!!!

Conspiracy Theory

One definition for conspiracy is: an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; plot.

Back in my younger days, I read a book called "Captains and the Kings," by Taylor Caldwell, published in 1983. It's the first time I remember being exposed and believing in a conspiracy theory. I think someone said it was "loosely based" on the Kennedy family, poor immigrant from Ireland, coming to the U.S., wants one of his sons to become the first Catholic president. Yup, I could see the similarities as I read it.

Anyway, part of the book had to do with a secret group of high-powered men who basically met together to plan what countries would have wars, strong economies, economic downturns, etc.

CONSPIRACY!!! (Da-du-dummmm)

I started watching the show "V" on ABC back in the fall or winter. (I can never get all these multiple TV seasons straight anymore.) For those of you not familiar with the show, "V" stands for Visitors. They arrive (actually hovering) over major cities in the world and basically tell everyone they want to be our friends. But They Lie! They want to take over my planet Earth and get this...some Visitors have been living among us all this time! YIKES!

It was driving me crazy (short drive :) because I kept trying to guess who were the Visitors who had been on Earth for years just waiting for the rest of their crew to arrive. (By the way, to add to my level of anxiety confusion some of the Visitors already in our communities, were Good People Visitors. And after a couple shows I began thinking everyone on the show was a Bad Visitor!!! I was wrong of course but everyone sure did look suspicious.

CONSPIRACY!!!

The show took a break. I did too. It came back on. I haven't watched it since. Too stressful for me.

Click to read what The Meanest Mom wrote in her post about No TV Week/School District on Strike. It's a must read! Then come back...I'll wait...

CONSPIRACY!!!

You know I don't believe in coincidences! I chalk it up to another Evil Plot which I'm adding to my List of Conspiracy Theories. Watch out World...I'm keeping my eye(s) on you!

Now I'm going to walk away from my computer very slowly...backwards....

Losing It (Week Eight)

I have joined Mary at Giving Up On Perfect in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge.

My plan is basically to eat less and move more.

1) Get on the treadmill 6 days a week.
2) Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
3) Take-in less calories (and healthier ones at that).
4) Lose 20 10+ pounds at the end of 10 weeks.
5) Sit-ups and light weights (Weeks 5-10).

Here is the update for Week 8:

1) Treadmill 5 days this week (instead of 6), 20 minutes per day, 1.5% incline at 3 mph. In the old days, I would have "beaten myself up mentally." Not anymore! I forgave myself and the next day hopped right back on Tready. :)

2) 64 oz. of water per day. Check.

3) Food Choices. Good ones. I have to say that it was easy because of the accountability factor of this group. I was fired up this week to make good choices through Week 10 (which is just around the corner). I also have decided to join "Weight Loss Wednesdays" at Karen Ehman's blog after this challenge has ended. The accountability factor works for me. I also like that Karen has been successful in weight loss and brings God into the process as well.

4) Lost 1 lb. this week. (Total loss in 8 weeks is 8.5 lbs.) Total percentage of body weight loss is 4.75%. I have re-adjusted my weight loss goal since I will not be hitting anywhere near my original goal of a 20 pound loss in 10 weeks. And I am ok with that.

5) Sit-ups. 3 days this week. Light weights working on my arms every other day.

I had mentioned before going out to lunch with a friend and we both discovered that every time we thought about losing weight...we would gain. I am 5'2" and was "flirting" with 180 pounds. Not pretty. More importantly not healthy. I would step on the scale one day at 179. Then the next time 180. The next time 179.5. The next time 181. So you see the pattern that I was living.

I began this "Losing It" journey at 179 lbs. The only thing worse for me would have been 179.5 or more. I wanted to be able to firmly say, "So long," to the 180s. I am now on the cusp (a point that marks the beginning of a change) of firmly saying, "So long," to the 170s in the next week or two.

At the end of Week Eight, I am happy.

Please stop by to encourage the other participants at Giving Up On Perfect .
See you next week!

A Mission Devotional

Mission Committee meeting on April 12, 2010.

I've always been opposed to change...or so I thought.

As a child I learned I was Taurus the Bull. Let's set aside the stubbornish factor. Taurus' are not known for embracing change.

My Thursday morning Bible Study group just finished a Beth Moore study called, "Believing God." One of the assignments was to create a timeline of my life from birth to present. The timeline was to represent my life experiences and unique faith journey. I did the timeline and saw: geographical changes, relationship changes, health changes, and where God was during my life.

I discovered that in my 48 years of life (so far)...I've been surrounded by constant change.

The other constant in my life has been God.

I read a quote attributed to Dalai Lama who believed "of living in the moment and understanding that life is nothing but transition."

Which led me to think of the transition in my own life. Next month will be my last meeting on the Mission Committee. My three year commitment is coming to an end. And I've noticed that changes are coming here.

I've always believed that there is room for improvement upon circumstances, situations, and committees. People with new ideas, new energy, making something better.

I've heard for years that, "Change is good," and I am becoming a believer.

One thing that should be remembered is that God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are our foundation.

Which brought me to Scripture that I will read about Mission Committee/Christian Responsibility:
Matthew 25:37-40, where Jesus said, "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (NIV)

I passed out a Christianity Today article (December 2009) where three people answered the question, "What's the biggest change needed in how charities and federal agencies deliver aid to developing nations?" I hope that we can read it and apply some new knowledge to our local, national, and international organizations that we support.

I opened the meeting with prayer beginning with praying Psalm 51:10-12:
Create in us a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within us.
Do not cast us from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation and grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. (NIV)
Lord, we ask for your wisdom to guide us during this meeting. To do Your will.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you Lord for preparing me and guiding me through this Mission devotional.

Losing It (Week Seven)

I have joined Mary at Giving Up On Perfect in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge.

My plan is basically to eat less and move more.

1) Get on the treadmill 6 days a week.
2) Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
3) Take-in less calories (and healthier ones at that).
4) Lose 20 10+ pounds at the end of 10 weeks.
5) Sit-ups and light weights (Weeks 5-10).

Here is the update for Week 7:

1) Treadmill 6 days this week, 20 minutes per day, 1.5% incline at 3 mph. Check.

2) 64 oz. of water per day. Check.

3) I had a better week with my food choices. I had lunch out once and had a BIG salad. (Do you remember that Seinfeld episode with Elaine's BIG salad?) Mine was delicious with mixed greens, dried cranberries, bleu cheese crumbles, hazelnuts, grilled chicken breast and an herb dressing (served on the side). Also had 1/2 of a small corn muffin and 1/2 of some kind of wonderfully textured bread. Should I be concerned that I eat bread that I have no idea what it is? Anyway. Since I was not hungry for dinner, I fed my Wonderful Husband and Son, hopped on the treadmill for my usual 20 minute walk...then started feeling a bit hungry. I ate a small bowl of lowfat vanilla yogurt with Bear Naked granola. (OK, I started this thought with Elaine's BIG salad and couldn't wait to end with Bear Naked granola. Sometimes I just have to laugh at my food life!)

4) Lost 1 lb. this week. (Total loss in 7 weeks is 7.5 lbs.) Total percentage of body weight loss will be posted on Week 10. I have re-adjusted my weight loss goal since I will not be hitting anywhere near my original goal of 20 pound lost in 10 weeks.

In the "old days" I would be mentally beating myself up at this point and eating more to try and stuff that disappointed feeling. Yet since I'm approaching this as a lifestyle change and not a diet, I am staying focused on my health benefits. I went for my annual exam yesterday and one of the questions asked was, "Do you exercise?" I replied, "Yes, I do." I laughed and said that I was really proud to be able to say that. The nurse looked at my chart and said, "Last year you said occasionally." I laughed again and said, "Wow, I was an optimist last year!" This year is my year of actually exercising instead of  "occasionally" which meant "just thinking about it."

5) Sit-ups. Probably 3 days this week. Wow! Are you picturing me doing sit-ups for 3 days straight? Stop it! That would be so very wrong! Light weights working on my arms every other day.

At the end of Week Seven, I am fired up!

Please stop by to encourage the other participants at http://www.givinguponperfect.com/. See you next week!

Struggling with Technology

Every once in a while I think I have some small part of technology figured out. Then WHAM!

I've lost my techno-mojo again.

I sit at the dinner table and tell my family that I am considered a techno-guru by my Bible Study buddies. After all, I type up the prayer requests in a Word document and attach it to a weekly email distribution list. I also learned how to work the DVD player and the TV at the church for our class.

My family and I laugh about my being a techno-guru because they know my techno-struggles!

I've learned how to post an online job application and attach a resume, cover letter, and college transcript. I would say I look great "on paper" but since now everything is online, I guess I look great "on monitor"....Hmmmm.

My latest challenge has been with leaving comments on other people's blogs. Sometimes it's very easy for me and I get a bit proud. I even figured out how to link a particular post on my blog to their blog. So it makes it super easy for someone to click on my link and voila...it takes them to my post on my blog. Thank you MckLinky and the easy to follow instructions. (If I can do it....anyone can!)

Then comes today when Mary from Giving Up On Perfect asked the question about something funny that was read online lately. I type up my comment, link it to the person's funny post and hit publish. After it's published I hit the link to make sure it works flawlessly....and then....you guessed it....it doesn't work!

Since I don't have an edit option, I typed up another comment with an "easier link," apologized for the first link, hit publish....and then....wait for it....IT DOESN'T WORK EITHER!

Picture my annoyance at this point. Should I write another comment apologizing again? Should I start banging my head on my keyboard? Should I stop talking out loud to myself at this point?

I gave up. I sent an email to Mary apologizing and said that I must have been hit with an idiot stick this morning.

I don't think I have a problem with pride because once I start feeling a wee bit proud of myself and my techno-skills, I once again realize that I have none. Arrrrrrgggggggg!

Do you struggle with technology?

Losing It (Week Six)

I have joined Mary at Giving Up On Perfect in the "Losing It" weight loss challenge.

My plan is basically to eat less and move more.

1) Get on the treadmill 6 days a week.
2) Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
3) Take-in less calories (and healthier ones at that).
4) Lose 20 pounds at the end of 10 weeks.
5) Sit-ups and light weights (Weeks 5-10).

Here is the update for Week 6:

1) Treadmill 6 days this week, 20 minutes per day, 1.5% incline at 3 mph. This has actually been one of the easiest of my goals to do on a weekly basis. I am surprised when I re-read that last sentence.

2) 64 oz. of water per day. Check.

3) I was having a pretty good week until yesterday. I went crazy with lunch (a turkey hoagie, Hot Tamales candy, a Rice Krispie treat....then another one.) To offset my feeding frenzy (somewhat) I had tilapia for dinner with broccoli and wild rice. Tilapia couldn't "save me" this time though....see below.

4) Lost 0 lbs. this week. (Total loss in 6 weeks is 6.5 lbs.) Total percentage of body weight loss will be posted on Week 10. I definitely will not hit my 20 pound goal in 10 weeks, yet I am trying to keep a positive attitude. After all, 6.5 lbs. less is better than I was 6 weeks ago.

5) Sit-ups for 2 days. Yuck. If there is any muscle there...it's well hidden so far. Darn sit-ups. Now the treadmill is looking more and more like my best friend. lol. Light weights working on my arm flubber is not a problem though. Easy to do in front of the TV. Watch out world, soon I'll be practicing my "Mrs. America Wave" and not be scaring animals and small children!

At the end of Week Six, I am going to layout in my backyard and get a tan.

Please stop by to cheer on the other participants at http://www.givinguponperfect.com/. Happy Easter and see you next week!