2 years and holding

December 21, 2010 was the random day that I decided that I had to do something about the weight with which I was highly unsatisfied.  I don't remember tons about it, but I do know that I had earlier in the month brought down my Christmas decorations from upstairs and I was totally defeated by the pain that was in my knees as I walked up and down those steps.  I remember being disgusted sitting on my couch and felt parts of my back touching itself.  I remember feeling pretty horrible about myself in general.

I had used the loseit app before and knew that it had some good potential and knew that I could use it with success if I put my mind to it and just did it.  I also do NOT believe in New Year's resolutions-- at all-- so I wanted to get going on this before the first of the year.  Right before Christmas was a good time to do it, also, to practice a little self control during a high calorie time of the year, which begins well before at Halloween and lasts through the Super Bowl weekend.  At least. I remember those first weeks being pretty hard.  And I cheated a lot.  I fooled myself into thinking that I was following the plan and not posting some of my food, maybe eating a little more than reported, etc (ha! times really don't change in a way) and in general not being real strict with the plan.  But I lost a little, I gained back a little, I did walk as much as I could for exercise, and had uneven success.  But I did have some success- a few pounds off.  I do remember feeling a LOT of success at the Kutz family Christmas get-together at my brother Ed's place, as I was able to really limit the food I had and it made me feel great. I wanted to lose a lot, but was going to be happy with 10 pounds....

Meanwhile, spin ahead to the beginning of January and the installation of wifi in my house- plus the purchase of a laptop!!  Merry Christmas to me!  Woo HOO!  I had completed and received my grad degree in August of 2010 (GIANT YEAH BABY) and had planned this as a gift to myself.  The poor MA never can quite believe the things that I do to our household at times, lol! The internet arrived and I was thrilled to get around to looking at the loseit website sometime in mid January.  This was the proverbial game changer.  I was fiddling around until this event.  I was not really accountable, I was always coming up a little short in my commitment.  The FRIENDS aspect of loseit is the key to my success (well the gym is the other key, but that has been discussed before!)  The concept of online friends helping you, encouraging you, cheering for you was really compelling for me.  Because as you know, I do enjoy chatting with my friends!  :)

I don't remember exactly who my very first friends were on loseit, except that the majority of them were people have since disappeared.  I do know that one of my early friends was Barbara in Cali and she has been a wonderful supporter and indeed a dear friend ever since.  I can name a few others that I accumulated in those early months: Allyce, Marie, Cathy H, Richard, MadDog, Gary, Bea, Theresa, Anne and many others. I hate to leave people out, as there were so many who I relied on for support and advice.  Since then I have become friends with so many people and have indeed met many of them.  My first actual new friend to meet was Marie, who lives in the Twin cities. It was AWESOME to be able to talk to her and have a coffee with her.  We have met a few times now and plan to continue our summer walks again this year.  I plan to continue getting to know them in person when I can!

The Loseit website offered me the right combination of encouragement and information and the ability to interact with others who are going through the same thing as me.  The people were in different stages of their journey, and all had things that were valuable.  The forums offered me a lot of information and a place that you could discuss aspects of eating, exercise and mind set with a variety of people who may or may not be on your friends list and who may or may not be of like mind to you.  All of this combined, along with a total redo of my goals, to kick start the whole program again.  This time it clicked, this time I would really stick to my plan, add in extra activity, know to take measurements to track your actual results, and all the little tricks that help.  Like brush your teeth A LOT to keep from eating at night, to chew gum in between meals to distract yourself from eating (hello dessert flavored gum!), to have a little protein if you are starving, to up your water intake a LOT to help with everything.

If someone told me two years ago that I would be having just broccoli for dinner at night, I would have laughed at them.  If someone had told me two years ago that I would be literally sick from eating 4 pieces of chocolate and about 3 cookies at one time, I would have been incredulous.  I have changed my eating habits a little at a time -  drastically -  over the past few years.  It has been slow, but I have altered the way I eat.  I got to a point that my exercise didn't take off weight very fast after several months, so I had to adjust my plan for less food.  I figured out what I had to take out of my food list or what I had to reduce.  I found substitutions for my favorite tastes and used them instead of the full calorie version (I discovered the joy of hummus, Dijonaise, and Laughing Cow cheese on many things instead of Cheddar and mayo and things like that.)  I remember looking at my foods list several times- my typical day- and deciding what I indeed could do without or limit.  It was never terribly difficult, because it happened so gradually. As time went on I made some major decisions about my food intake that has helped tremendously and has given me and amazing amount of energy and I feel great! In April I quit eating meat.  This was not all that tough for me.  The thing I still sort of miss is tuna- it is quick and easy and I do like it, but it is easy enough to eat something else.  Becoming vegetarian is something I have toyed with for many years - at least 10- and so with the encouragement from a friend, I made that leap.  A few weeks later, I distinctly remember drinking my last Diet Pepsi. This was much more traumatic, as the Pepsi spoke to me frequently after that.  Meat made barely a peep, soda screamed, demanded, whispered enticingly, and WHINED a lot.  I am amazed to say I NEVER have had another sip since that day at school.  I did taste a sip of root beer in Minnesota, just because it was famous northern Minn brand that was hyped as being so good.... meh. It was ok.  Sometime in May, I had an unfortunate interlude with a bag of Doritos, so that is another item I have given up.... cold turkey.  Doritos and I are not on speaking terms any more.  And I am fine without it.

So much has changed in me in 2 years but still I am the same person.  That is a statement that sounds so obvious, but when you are looking at this kind of a change, which by the way I never anticipated, I it is sort of unexpected too.  One would expect to be deliriously happy and satisfied with life and the way you look.  Instead, life is the same series of challenges, and you are still not totally content with the way you look. Where people see thin, skinny, and tiny, you see a tummy that could shrink a little, chubby little knees that you wish would go away and heck, I just enjoy the word tiny.  Lol!  That was NEVER used to describe me before. Kinda gives me goosebumps.  Lol. You also have some things that happen that aren't all that great- like the lines that are more distinct on one's face or the weird little place under the eyes that make funny looking shadows in pictures. You panic over the food that you ate mindlessly and fight the need to soothe your troubles by indulging in a late night encounter with peanut butter. These all sound pretty silly when you write it out, but try telling that to the Debi that is worried every minute that the weight will come back. That I have to be vigilant, and know that I can't let my guard down, ever.  So don't expect me to binge on those cookies any more this season, as that just can't happen.  This is a struggle every single day.

The nice thing is that I weighed myself this morning and there is that awesome number still!  144.2.  It has been there for almost 2 weeks now and barely fluctuates, so maintenance is going pretty well!!  I am writing this with sore hands from picking up an 80 pound barbell and doing Romanian deadlifts yesterday.  I have a knee that is a little whiny this morning from running for 10 minutes on the treadmill, but will be fine later today, about the time that the rest of my leg muscles begin to complain from the weight training I did last night.  And it all feels right and good and I like having that soreness.  It makes me KNOW that I did a good job in the gym and that is the other key to my success. I will be using my workouts to be able to eat what I want and in a few weeks, I will resume (in limited fashion) my coffee habit, add a tiny bit of chocolate back into my day and perhaps on New Year's Eve resume my affair with Margaritas! ;)

I have a few friends who have given me such incredible support that I can't even begin to thank them enough.  I have my local buddies who are always there for me, including Connie who is a fellow kick-ass Honey Badger Babe and my cheerleading section at school who make my life so rich.  I have my family who tell other people how nice I look, and to hear that even second hand makes me feel really good.  And then I have my loseit friends who I talk to daily, through the internet, through the telephone,  and by me knowing that they are available for a whine session if I need them.  You already know that I am sentimental and corny and so I can say that they take my breath away every day. I smile when I get a text (- and I have a few new texting pals who make my morning sunny.)  They make me teary, they make me proud with all that they do and they are some really awesome friends.  NO ONE gets this journey like they do, they are my traveling companions and my confidantes. I seriously do not know what I would do with out them.

So, yes, I am going to continue to "not eat", to "go to the gym all the time", to walk "constantly" because I don't know any other way.  This is my new normal, this is the way it will be.  And I am so grateful for all the people who have been instrumental in this two year journey, my life is truly blessed.

And I will find my joy today, I hope you find yours.  THANK you for your friendship, all of you. xoxoxo

Morning musings-

My random thoughts for the morning....  

Christmas trees really need to have presents under them. I have about 4 under there right now and I find myself relaxing a little bit.  MUST.  WRAP.  MORE.

YAY for the ability of those of us in remote areas to do our last minute shopping online.  Amazon is my best friend today.  And yesterday..... and free shipping RAWKS my world.  

Why oh why must I be getting a tickly, runny nose and a semi-sore throat today???  What germ laden little darling child of mine did this to me??  I'd like to give it back.  

I was sort of bummed that yesterday was the day for LOSEIT to release a whole bunch of exercise badges (I do work for virtual bling) on the first total rest day that I have taken in a MONTH!!!!!! ARGH!!! I realize of course that I will get them today, but still.  sigh.

I am really pleased this morning to have an awesome healthy lunch!!  

I did a little local shopping yesterday- I went to the post office for the first time in AGES (read:months) and was disgusted to find the small town rumor mill abuzz.  I refused to add anything to the process, even though I knew what was going on.  People please.  Anyway, I was then so happy to stop by and see my dear friend Luann at her favorite place to work, and a favorite place of mine to shop and I secured the last (Ihope) gift that I needed to pick up.  Except for the dice game prizes for the competitive and fast paced thrill (called creatively enough: The Dice Shaking Game) we have at the Kutz family Christmas festivities!!  That will be the subject of another post as I realize I say little about my own dear family.  

I love my hrrrrrrrrrrr!!  (which I got "kissed by the color sun" yesterday)  And I HAVE to laugh to say - people----- I have no gray!!! THANK YOU GRANDMA OBERLEY FOR THOSE ROCKING GREAT GENES!!!!

We need more snow.

I love my students.  All of them.  Even the pita ones.  Love.

I'm FINISHED with my mid-term grades.  whew.

I had a pic on tv this morning!!  woo hoo.

I have 49 followers!!!  and almost 13,000 page views......  anyone want to make it 50 followers???? I find this amazing and extraordinary.  Love having followers..... and other anonymous viewers, apparently.  ;) 

AND I'm going to have a GRANDDAUGHTER in April, which is pretty much a part of my hourly thought process these days.....

TONIGHT!!!  I am about to embark on something I usually would NOT do.  A fabulous friend of mine sent me a picture of this thing and I promptly pinned that image and made plans to execute the idea.  I will extensively photograph the process this evening and blog my little eyeballs out.  HAHAHA.  This will be epic- in a Pinterest sort of a way.  :)  That is after I hit the gym for about 2 hours and work off my holiday eating sins that keep cropping up at school...... someone has to stop me. An intervention is probably needed.  UGH.  I make a pledge to be cookie free today.  Oh wait.....   hmmmmmm,  well, yeah, I better.  If I want to maintain, I better have a cookie free day.

Yeah, now I should really get myself going, as I need to pack a lunch and get ready for the day.  Find yourself a little joy-- where ever you can!  

*****I apologize for any poor choices of word in my musings- I NEVER mean to be a joy stealer.  And even a joy giver makes mistakes that they regret

A weigh in of epic proportion!

A quick, undoubtedly way too wordy, update from me.

I had a GREAT thing happen over  the weekend. I weighed myself on Sunday and I found myself staring at the number 148.8!  I have been waiting for a 14- number for some time now.  I have been at 150.2 for ages!!  I mean, yes, the number wobbled up a little from time to time, but never more than a pound or two, but that wobble never went down!!  I was stuck there for about 6 weeks.  That is basically being in a maintenance mode, which is actually a good thing.  I am thrilled to know I can hold onto my weight at this lower level with little problem. I have found the balance of food and exercise that works for me.

HOWEVER, I wanted to     a. drop below 150- just because I wanted to do that and    2. be in the "normal" BMI range, and then there is the last thing- it involves those last frontiers of soft and squishy that need to disappear.......  So at least the first two things have been accomplished!  I was thrilled to throw my stats onto a BMI calculator and find my number FINALLY in the freaking normal range.  I intellectually knew that with my muscle mass, that I probably had been in normal for a while, but I wanted to see it on the chart!!  HA!  I rarely want to really be normal, but this is one of those number games that you sort of play in your head.  I play lots of games in my head, but that is beside the point.... and you just don't want to know about that!  :)

 I HAVE NEVER WEIGHED IN THE 140"S IN MY LIFETIME!  Maybe for a week or so when I was a freshman in High School or something.....

I am sure the little fist-pumping, bunny hopping, hands raised in victory dance that did in the bathroom, then the kitchen, then in the living room would have been an interesting sight to see!  I was very happy to say the least.  I did not utter a sound though, the MA had put in a long day cutting white pine boughs or something evergreen on Saturday and I didn't want to wake him up. I RESISTED the urge to run into the bedroom and jump up and down on the bed  saying.....GUESS WHAT!  GUESS WHAT! GUESS WHAT!  HAHAHAHA.  It was close though!  I had gotten up a little late as I had perhaps had too much caffeine or something on Saturday, as I did not fall asleep until way after 1 am.  So, I was able to share via text with a good friend or two!

I am only about 3 pounds away from my random goal weight. I don't know how I am going to react when I am "done" losing weight.  I have been doing this my whole life practically.  Working seriously at it on loseit.com for almost 2 years.  I have not been the weight I want or at least can live with ever in my adult life.....  weird idea.  Every day really is a struggle!  It will not be easy, but I am used to it now.

I "secretly" want to maybe go down another 10 pounds, but I am going to let that just happen.  If my body wants it to.  Thank heaven for my friends, especially my loseit friends, who will hold my hand as I enter this next phase.  Their support is unbelievable, and has been my life line.

I have discovered something interesting- even though I know that I am way way smaller than I used to be, I still see heavy in the mirror.  I still see parts that aren't 25 years old anymore.  I see sections that aren't looking like I think they should.  I find that if I am feeling sorry for myself I look way worse than when I am happy.  Are we so used to seeing images of people who are unrealistically thin that we can't be happy in our own, much lighter, much more healthy skin?  It is something I certainly need to work on- changing my lens of looking at myself.  It is getting slightly easier to see myself as a thinner person: I actually saw rib bones in the mirror yesterday- but when someone says I am skinny or when the hubs says my back is kind of boney it makes me furrow my brow.  40 some years of never having someone use those adjectives to describe me makes it hard to accept.  But it is something I will be working on.

I am pretty sure I mentioned that this post would be way wordy!  You were warned!

Make sure you find your joy today- and do a little fist pumping, bunny hop dance when you do!

Driver's License weight!!!!- and Happy Birthday to me!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!

After many many MANY YEARS of attempting and trying and failing and trying again, today on my 54th birthday, I have finally reached my driver's license weight!  

I remember filling out my probationary driver's license form as clearly as if it was yesterday- I remember being at school, I remember where I was sitting, who was sitting near me.  Apparently I was excited by this whole event.  I remember thinking to myself, even at the age of 16 that I wanted to be 150- and I thought that was a little much, but that was fine.  I was NOT 150.  I was more like 157 or 158- something to that effect.  And I remember planning to lose weight to get there.  Who would ever have thought that it would take this many years to get to this place.  

Yes, people, my driver's license STILL says 150!  I have never had to or did ever change it to a more realistic number, and I am so glad I never did.  That number- a stupid number- has driven me to this day.  So as I sit here bawling over it on the couch, I am very happy and very proud.  This journey has taken me since December 21 of 2010.  The day I decided I couldn't go through my life with my knees hurting any more.  With the rolls on my back touching each other when I sit on the couch.  That even if I could lose 10 FREAKING pounds, it would be better than nothing.  I knew I had to get going before the first of January, as we all know that New Year's resolutions do not work!  I don't do them, I start my adventures well before that!  

I HAVE to take the time to THANK my friends over on the loseit web site.  If it hadn't been for that community of people, people who really get it, who are uniquely familiar with this kind of journey, who are there to support you, to cheer you up, to laugh with, to MEET!, to give you advice and you get to do the same for them- I know I could not have done this.  Of course my family and local friends have been fabulous, too, I count my blessings daily,, but without that loseit support, I would not weigh 150.2 pounds today!  It is only a number but baby this is a wonderful one!

So here is to you- Allyce, Barbara, Marie, Samara, Gary, Richie, Leanne, Billy, Cheri, Connie, Jenny, Molly, Jenni, Phyllis, and the rest of my Mean Honey Badgers, Jamie, Bean, Petunia, Mark, Pif, Rudy, Kendra, Randy and a whole lot of others who I feel bad that I can't name all of you individually, but like I said, I'm sort of crying here. THANK YOU!  For putting up with my whining, for dealing with my perpetual good outlook on life, for letting me share small parts of your life.  

The other big factor in this is my dearest friends at Triple B Health and Fitness!  Brian, Lori and the kids have been so supportive, so helpful and so inspiring.  Triple B has indeed helped make me what I am today- way lighter than I was a year ago when I joined!!  Thanks to them, especially Lori and Brian for telling me what a great job I am doing, how I am making such fast progress, how they have seen changes starting way back when I only had a month under my belt!  Those little kind words motivated me hugely!  THANK you!!!!!  I'll be there in a while to give you hugs!  :) :) :)

Time for more coffee, to write another canoe blog post, to wait for the sun to come up so I can walk and to see if I have a picture on the Channel 9 weather!  Lol.  Then time for the gym, for lunch with my friends, for texts and emails, for a happy birthday to me massage!  Hopefully time will find the children calling their mother, and the MA taking me out for dinner!  Then tomorrow I will get up in a new month and with this new number and start things all over again.  145 here I come!  

Accidental discovery...

I am so missing this blogging thing.  I have been woefully amiss in my posting and I need to remedy this!  So I was taking a little stroll down memory lane today.  One of the kids made a statement of some sort at school today and it reminded me of something I did last summer.  Totally immaterial what it was. (um, no, I don't remember, so just leave me alone!  :) )

ANYWHO, I was looking at my blogging history and I noticed how few I have done as of late and how I peaked out during BIRTHDAY MONTH!!  It is only a short time, really, to birthday month, so I am thinking about what I might want to do for myself.  I have a few things in mind, both before, during and after the fine month of July..... but I digress.

During my musings, and teaching art, and answering questions and cursing the darkness- oh wait -  not that.  It did become sunny today!  Anyway, during that time, I came across my actual Birfday post and scrolled through the pix.  I was somewhat surprised by the pictures from that day.  Intellectually I know I have lost about 45 pounds, but .....

July 31, 2011

At Triple B! (post workout hair!)

For those of you who have been following this blog for a while, you have seen the change happening I imagine!  If you are a new blogstalker, maybe you, like me, are amazed by this change.  I'm shocked virtually everyday when I look in the mirror.
Every.  Single.  Day.

It is a challenge to eat well every day, and it is important for me that I get some activity in as well.  I always feel like I am one Wheat Thins binge away from 65 pounds again.

Thank heaven for my Loseit friends who do their best to help make every day a green arrow day!  And thank heaven for Triple B!

This morning I found I had lost a little over a pound again, so I am only 10 pounds away from my final goal!  Not sure I will know what to do with myself then, maintenance scares the hell out of me.  I have a few new things going on right now, one of which is running.  I have a few 5K's planned for the summer, and might be able to swing a 10 K in the fall....  that will help when I hit that "rest of my life" time that will be coming.

But I am going to revel in the joy of the morning, and watch the first big thunderstorm of the spring that is going on right now!

Until next time, be a joy giver y'all!

New Route, new pix!

If you have been following my blog at ALL you know that I enjoy walking for exercise.  I find it relaxing and calming, plus it has helped me get rid of a lot of weight.  I am still holding at -48 pounds which drives me absolutely crazy that I can't get to 50- and believe it or not, all for a ridiculous, on-line, virtual 50 lb badge on Lose it.  (The weight loss website and app that I use).  I work well for shiny, sparkly things apparently!  And though I tend to not be real symmetrical, logical or organized, I want that BADGE and it's nice round number!!  My 2nd goal (of three) will be achieved right after that, when I get to 51.6 pounds and my kind of arbitrary chosen weight.  But that somehow to me is not as enticing as the 50.  I don't know about me sometimes.  

I have been lifting weights and walking and am experiencing some great results from each.  I am seeing muscles that have been hidden for years, and I will gladly flex for you if you want to see them too!  LOL!!  I LOVE the lifting, I leave all of my troubles on the gym floor when I am really into it.  It does the same sort of thing that walking has always done.  And it has made my walking improve as far as distance and pace.

Walking the loops

I use the app, "Runkeeper" to keep track of my distance cardio activities, mostly walking.  I have been running intervals once or twice a week- as often as my knee will allow me.  I want to run, but am not sure if my body will let me right now.  My fitness level is now to the point that I have to find ways to raise my heart rate to a training zone.  If I can't run intervals I need to do fast walking and hills, so I am always looking for routes to walk for a change and additional challenges.  The most recent one is an extra loop off a well worn route I use- I add in a turn on Trout Road, off of County B, which adds a bunch of hills and about a mile and a  half to my west loop.  With new roads to walk there comes new photos to take!!  It is a win/win!!!

 I recently increased my allotment of calories, as I was sliding down really close to having barely enough food to eat!  It seems counter intuitive to eat more to continue losing weight, but it sort of makes sense when people explain it.  Especially if you are working out HARD, you want to refeed yourself so you can recover and get out there for that next walk, or weight-lifting session.  I am going to give it a month and see if the numbers go down.  Let's hope!  In the meantime, I am adding in an aerobic dance class on Mondays along with my ballet class on Thursdays to balance out the rest of my activities.  I hope that some variety will keep the scale moving as well.

ON TO THE PICTURES!!!  These pix are from this weekend, the less than sunny ones are from the new route.  It was cloudy and windy and nasty this morning, but with proper attire, it was a good morning for a walk.  And a wonderful way to spend some of that glorious extra hour today.

Birch grove

Almost gone

Grown over

Inside decay

New route pix:

Mr. Personality

Butternut Creek

Land of Milk and Honey

Butternut Creek, v.2

Butternut creek. v. 3

Butternut creek v. 4

Signs to no where

Land of Milk and honey, v.2

Land of Milk and Honey,  v.3

Until next time, be a joy giver!!

Plateaus and milestones and pictures!

I have been stuck in my weight loss a little bit lately.  I have awesome friends who tell me that I am building muscle, and that my body is needing to readjust, and that I need to be patient.....  Well, that is probably all true, but it does not help when I obsessively get on the scale every morning for the last 8 days and the scale says virtually the same thing.  Ugh.  So I have reevaluated my day and have decided I probably am getting less than vigilant about my portion size, and I NEVER log in my coffee creamer in my food list on Loseit.  Baaaaaaaaad madartteacher.  Lol.

 So, I will be watching out for that kind of thing and I looked to conquer a new challenge for myself- a 1000 calorie exercise session.  Some of my heros- my loseit friends who are absolute exercise machines- do that with astonishing regularity.  Most of them manage that by biking or using the elliptical or arc trainer- but I wanted to do it with my walking.  I, after all, have gotten most of this weight loss by walking and walking and walking.....  So I figured out a long loop that is 8.3 miles, according to the map on runkeeper, but the GPS figured it out as closer to 8.6!!! (you can see the map by following the link)  And indeed, I got a 1007 calorie burn from that little trek.  And I sort of wish I hadn't walked for an hour the night before, as this one definitely kicked my rear!  Wow, I would have gotten into a car with ANyONE if they would have stopped during my last mile!!!  :)  But I did it and I am so pleased.  Now that did not translate into a weight loss this morning, but I am going to continue to be patient and give it time.

Oh!  And I got some great pictures, plus there are some other ones from my SLR camera that I had forgotten I took!  BONUS!!

Hidden

Tamarack tree in the sun

Fallen

Dead but gorgeous

Fall beauty in miniature

Abstract stream

Perfect fall day

Poisonous beauty

Did a little experimenting with the photo editing- not sure about these two

Sepia version

Black and white version

And here are our bonus pictures!!!

Sunset

Leaves of gold and green

Sunshine and spiderweb

Sunshine through the leaves

Portrait of Lola with pink sunset

Pink sunset

Fall sunset

So until next time, be persistent, have a goal and look around you for your joy!

What a weigh to end September

I am occasionally throwing in a post here about my journey to health and fitness.  It isn't as fun as my photos and all, but I feel the need to update.  I have just recently lost enough weight to be traveling into territory not seen by my scale since college!  This is an amazing thing to me- I can't believe that I have lost 43.6 pounds so far.

I have done most of it by adjusting the amount and to a smaller degree the type of food that I eat and my activity level has gone way way up.  I exercise a minimum of 1 hour on most days.  I have a record of lots of it on my Runkeeper account- which is an app on my iPhone that measures the distance and route that I take for my walks, and also the cardio machines at the gym.  I have recently added weight lifting to my routine, to prepare for the inevitable winter slowdown.

You may or may not know that I am using a website and app called loseit- located at loseit.com as well as on android and iPhone platforms.  It is an awesome site, I recommend it highly.  And make sure you get friends there, because they are the best!!!  I could NEVER have done this without my friends.

Here I am in a plain old "L" cool pink Packer jersey and a size 12 jeans!!!!!  SCORE!!!!!

I've come a long way, baby!

I will say that I have not completely given up on foods that used to be a problem for me- cake and cookies are my weakness- and yesterday I had not only cake, but an apple pie bar, too.  It was delicious.  And I felt sort of guilty about it for a few minutes- but I have learned that guilt does you no good whatsoever.  I really wanted that cake and for that matter the apple thing, so I ate it, enjoyed it and went for a walk to help counteract the effects of it.  I was under my calorie limit for the day, so it's all good.  Guilt is my biggest enemy, as it leads to comfort eating.  And we all know that is a slippery slope!

So, get joy out of little things- eat your cake and then burn it off with a great walk, or bike ride, or whatever you enjoy doing.  It will all be worth it in the end.

At loose ends and losin'it

Wow, it is July already and I don't feel like I have accomplished much.  Could be for reasons like this:

I have sort of been goofing off, because I can.  But my list of things that I want to accomplish this summer doesn't have many things crossed off of it.  I need to get going!

The other thing I have to get going on is the last pound I want to lose in order to hit my first goal of 30 pounds.  One lousy pound!  So, I am going to get going on that, too.  In spite of fairly healthy holiday foods, I now have 1.5 pounds to lose. Annoying as all get out!  This is officially on the way out, I have pledged to get rid of it this week!

I will do this in two ways, first I have to throw out the left over pasta salad and freeze those last few brats until Flambeaurama or some other time.  Next I will undereat my calories for the next few days.  I detest being hungry, but I won't die from it!  Next I am ramping up the exercise:  I have already increased the length and intensity of my morning walk and now I am in the process of doing a major project!  But that will be the topic of the next blog post!  I think I am having a two-fer today!!

It is good to have a plan and goals, even during birthday month!

Until next time, be a  joy giver!