8lb TO GO!

Whoo, hoo! Made it through the silly season without gaining!! However, I didn't lose much in the last little while. :o( Feel like I've hit a slump, but still feeling great about my new body!! I'm so ready to lose that last 8lb, and my goal date is approaching fast.

My birthday & Christmas went by fast. I got lots of goodies including a large MIMI rolling tote to take on my scrapbook retreats (have two booked for this Spring!), a subscription to Scrapbookers Etc., lots of books, some clothes, a sewing machine (for those scrapbook pages! Hee, hee. Guess I should learn how to sew! LOL!), and so many other great things!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas & have a safe and happy new year.

:o)

Down 30lb!

OMG! That seemed like the hardest time to get down to the 30lb mark!! Another 10lb to go, so that will probably be even harder! Must think positive though! I've been thinking that once I lose the final 10lb, I will maybe try to lose another 5-10lb more. That would be super!! I am still ahead of my goal date & there's nothing stopping me! :o)

It's unbelievable how much more confident I feel about myself. I used to be the quiet mouse hiding in the corner! What I've gone through in the last three months has forever changed me, and I can only hope that I am forever changed. I still have to get started on my mini scrapbook album about my whole journey I've been through with this. I think that when I have that done it will serve as a reminder of just how I felt and why I chose to start this life change and why I don't want to go back!!

I am totally noticing that it is easier to move & I am far more comfortable. I actually went out bra shopping the other day and am so happy that I can fit into a "regular size" bra! It is so exciting!

:o)

Slowly But Surely

I feel like I'm dragging my feet over the last 15lb! I'm going slow motion here and not sure what's going on. I think I'm just complacent to be where I am at right now, but am anxious to just lose the rest of the weight!!

I'm at exactly 26lb lost and almost 31" lost. Who wouldn't be happy about that?! I am ecstatic of course and I have seen & felt so many changes. I went dress shopping with my Mum and I went from a size 18 to 10 since last year!! :o) Then I went into Reitmans to just try stuff on and had a ball!!

I am hoping to lose 8lb before my birthday!

Brrrr...it's so cold out there tonight!

:o)

Been a While

I feel like it's been so long since I last posted! I am having a bit of a struggle as of late with watching what I eat. I am still doing good, still ahead of the game, but I feel that I could be doing much better. I am still tempted with some foods and worry I will break down and eat a lifetime of desserts all in one sitting!! I keep telling myself that once I am on maintenance, I can give myself the odd treat and not feel guilty. I love my fat-free treats of mango sorbet, popcorn, chocolate/vanilla pudding, & ice cream sandwiches; without those, I would be lost. LOL!

At present, I've lost 23.4lb and have 16.6lb left to lose!!! WHOO HOO! I am hoping that I can lose 10lb by my birthday, December 23rd. :o) That would be the best present!!

The silly season has started. I was looking at our calendar and we have something on every weekend from now until Christmas. We are also hoping to get our kitchen renovations started soon. The interior designer will bring in a kitchen designer to measure up our kitchen and draw us a few 3-D plans. Then it is just depends on how busy he is as to when we will start ripping things out. It's so exciting!

I have been feverishly de-cluttering our home. Including all of the closets! DH was at Ikea and bought a great storage system for DD's toys. So it will be so nice to get those all organized and out of the kitchen. It's hard to believe how much clutter we had!! And it feels so good to let it all go and organize the house. Anyone who knows me knows that I am an organizational nut, so it was killing me not having the place organized. DH has hundreds of vintage toys he's been buying and they were all over the place, mainly beside our bed! I finally had enough and boxed them up. Until we get a proper display unit there is no sense in having them sit in boxes all over the house. I still have a lot of de-cluttering left to do, but I was ill for a while. I'll be back at it soon enough. Once we have a designated space for everything (mainly DH's papers) then we should be able to keep it organized.

This is all thanks to Debby from SSS for posting on her blog the book "Too Much Stuff: De-Cluttering Your Heart And Home" by Katheryn Porter. I started de-cluttering even before I received the book, but loved reading it. She has some great perspectives on clutter and it was a great read.

:o)

HALF WAY MARK!! TOTAL 20.8lb LOST!!

What an exciting day! I hit the half way mark today and am just thrilled!! My emotions just took over when I realized that I'm half way through the road to weight-loss :o)

I've felt so different lately, and it's wonderful changes. I've been going through my closet putting away my clothes that I bought after I'd gained all of my weight (I'm going to keep them until I've reached my goal weight and do some after photos with them!), and trying to find something I can still fit into. I gave away all of my clothes that were too small a while back save one pair of pants, so let's hope they see me through the next 20lb loss. I don't want to buy anything until I've lost the rest of my weight, 19.2lb to go. But not sure how long I'll be able to hold out buying new clothes!

I've also noticed changes with my body. First off, I hardly ever wake up to numb fingers & hands, there must have been lots of pressure on my nerves before. Secondly, I can SEE a huge difference when I look in the mirror. And now I do not shy away from the camera like I used to and rather enjoy posing again and seeing myself in photos :o) I'm actually asking DH to take my photo!! LOL! It feels so great and I can't imagine how I will feel in two more months.

I have taken a photo at 0lb lost, 10lb lost &18lb lost and love to look at them often and see the differences and how far I've come! [But those won't get posted until I have reached my goal weight ;o) ]

Here I am 20.8lb lighter with DD on Hallowe'en:




As for my "treat" when I've reached my goal weight...I think I will arrange a professional photo shoot! That would be so much fun :o) But something only for me & DH's eyes! LOL! ;o

Hope you all had a Happy Hallowe'en!

:o)

Back from Retreat

Well, I am back from the scrapbooking retreat at Harrison Hot Springs. Managed to spend a small fortune, but it was so much fun!! Didn't get a lot of scrapping done, but fun nonetheless.

I was such a good girl with my diet (I thought so anyways). (Even though I didn't bring enough of my supplement pills with me. Grrr!). I brought a few things myself like sandwiches for the drive, fruit, yogurt, snack bars, etc. That said, I didn't lose much weight over the 4 days - .4lb - but I didn't gain either!! :o)

The lady I saw at the diet centre (the "strict" one) made it clear that she was disappointed with my food diary, but I am trying not to take anything she says to heart. But that was the first time I left not feeling happy :o( I am supposed to lose 2lb a week, but I am a full two weeks ahead of my "schedule" yet she seems to still want to chastize me. I think I probably read into it all wrong, but I felt I tried so hard with my food this weekend!!!!!!!!!

I hope that once I get back on schedule I will drop lots this week. I kind of want to do it as an "I'll show you" type of thing, but I am doing it for myself. I just want to lose all of the weight and be done with it!! Argh! I guess I'm just feeling a bit frustrated. But I have to look at the whole picture (in my case my weight-loss chart, LOL!) and see that things are progressing just nicely.

:o)

Over the 15lb mark!!

I finally made it to the 15lb mark!! YAY! Total lost to date is 15.6lb and a whopping 18 inches!! I must say, I am getting so excited about losing all of this weight!! I feel so much better about myself and really feel different physically. I can't imagine what losing 24.4 more pounds will feel like!!!!!!!!! WOW!

I literally can't wear most of my pants anymore, they just fall right off. I don't want to buy any new clothes yet though. I'm wearing my "skinny pants" right now that I salvaged from my closet a while back when I was throwing most of my smaller clothes away! ROFL!

Some days I can't believe I've lost over 15lb already. I can't wait until I am half way there at 20lb! YAY, ME!

:o)

14.2lb lost 25.8lb to go!!

WOO HOO! Slowly but surely this fat is melting off! LOL! I am so close to the half way mark and am sooo excited :o)

I leave for my scrapbook retreat one week from today! Spending the night in Vancouver with a friend, then we're driving up to Harrison Hot Springs together on Friday. There is a scavenger hunt at a few of the scrapbook stores along the way, so that will be fun for sure!! Not looking forward to driving in all of the traffic, but once I'm there it'll be so great! I am so hoping to lose a little more weight before the retreat :o) I'm not looking forward to eating out :( I'll just be chanting "everything in moderation." LOL!

:o)

So Happy!!!!!!!

Wow! Today I am exactly what I weighed before I put on all of my weight in those 6 months. I still have a long way to go, but this was a sort of benchmark so to speek. The weight I lose from now on will be those extra pounds I've been carrying for all these years!! I'm so excited :o)

I am down 13.8 lb now! Tonight is a huge challenge for me...dessert will be served at the midnight crop. I am bringing my own snack and drink, and hope I don't fall for temptation! I am so better than that!! :o)

Thanksgiving is this weekend as well, so that is going to be my other great challenge. Though, strangely, I think I'll do alright. A little bit of everything in moderation sure doesn't hurt.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your long weekend! I'll check-in again on Tuesday.

:o)

WOO, HOO! 13 1/4 inches lost so far!

Got measured today and I've lost 13.25 inches!! Wow! Goodbye double chin! LOL! I'm also proudly wearing my black cords that I dug out of my "small clothes" box.

I've cut down on my free exchanges since my slow second week. I may actually have "legal" popcorn tonight while I watch my favorite TV show, Lost! :o)

I'm going to a midnight Crop for the Cure this Friday at the new local scrapbook store in Parksville to support breast cancer. I'm really looking forward to it, yet not!! Let me explain...she's serving dessert!!! Oh my! This is my big test prior to Thanksgiving dinner...will have to bring my own snack. I have tons of photos printed and ready to get cropping! I'll hopefully get two two-page layouts done plus start those mini books I've been meaning to get done! LOL!

:o)

Recovering from Weekend...

I ended up getting a mild case of my vertigo back again yesterday. :*( I was in the middle of an on-line crop and just couldn't scrapbook for another second! I had been looking forward to this for quite some time, too. So I have been slightly nausiated, but feeling a bit better today. Ella is in daycare for the day, so that gives me some recouperating time, hopefully naptime as well!! LOL!

I'm down another .4 lb, which brings me to an even 11 lb loss. I'm just so thrilled!! Though I won't really be celebrating until I'm under what I was in March. I've managed the same weight for years, even after Ella was born. Then in six months I gained close to 15lb!! So, until I get under the weight I was in March I'll be ecstatic!!! :o)

YIPPEE! I've hit the 10lb mark :o)

This is a major milestone for me! I'm now down 10.4 lb!! I am just thrilled and to celebrate I am spending the whole weekend doing an on-line scrapbooking crop! :o) It's so much fun! Tim will take Ella out and about so I can get some scrapbooking done.

I feel just great, my pants are so loose now I will have to dig out my old pants. Though I think I gave up a while back and threw all but one pair out. I'll have to check. I do have pants that I've been squeezing into, so I can now wear those comfortably.

Life is good :o)

Down a size!

I am now officially down a size! My pants are falling from my waist - I can pull them down without unzipping them!! And I can fit into an old pair of black cords, which were my favorite! My tops are looking like tents and I can fit into some that were too snug before. It is such a good feeling.

I am down 8.8 lb overall and 6.5 inches lost. Friday will be my third week mark and I am still ahead of my projected weight loss. Yippee! This is so exciting!

I'm still finding yummy meals in the diet centre's cookbook and DH is loving all these home cooked meals with veggies! LOL!

I'm back to seeing my craniosacral therapist, I'm still dealing with my head injury and this seems to relieve it for a little while anyways . I am waiting to see a specialist, but not until the end of October. I definately find that the more sleep I get the better my head feels, but nighttime is the only time to myself. DD does not nap anymore, much to my dismay!! She's just 2, but full of energy. I know she is tired, but she just won't go down for a nap. Grrr! She also doesn't sleep well during the night, we never know when she's going to sleep through the night. It's tough to recover with that disruption. But I do my best. I'm sure that losing all my weight will help with my energy levels so I can make it through the day (and nighttime disruptions!).

:o)

Made it to the Two Week Mark!

However, I am up .6 lb!! Geesh, I'm at a standstill already???? I know, I know, I've lost 7 lb so far so that is good - but not losing any MORE weight - not good. My optional "free exchange" has been taken away for a few days - what do you mean I don't really NEED those fat-free chocolate puddings and mango sorbet?! LOL! I did kind of slack off there when I was sick, but I hope to jump back on now that I'm feeling a little better :o) They've also given me a Glycemic Index, huh?! Guess some "good" foods aren't necessarily "good." (i.e. watermelon - who knew it had a high glycemic index rating?!). So I need to avoid those foods for the time being until I get back on track. I think I slacked off on measuring, too. You think you have it down pat, then you measure just to see and you're way off! LOL!

Had a declicious crab salad for lunch today and made an awesome taco salad for dinner. I baked a few tortillas in the oven and they are just like chips, yummy. I crushed them up and put them in the taco salad. It gets the nod from DH :o)

I have an option of going in to the weight-loss centre tomorrow, as she thought I may be worrying about my .6 lb increase. Me, worry? No...ok maybe...yeah I suppose it's a bit frustrating. But I won't be in to weigh myself. I'm giving myself the whole weekend. As I mentioned previously, I hate being weighed every day, yuck! Next week I start going 3x/week instead of daily. Wednesday I have the option of being measured yet again. I prefer to do that monthly, but we'll see if they let me hold out for that long! LOL!

I used to weigh myself every few months or so and record it on the calendar. So I thought I'd just check back to see when I weighed myself last. It was March 2006, and holy smokes, I had gained almost 15 lb in 6 (SIX) months!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it! I was just so disgusted, where was I headed???? I am so glad I took that step through the HM doors when I did!

Well, DD has finally chosen to sleep and DH has gone out sooooo - it's time for some scrappin' fun. Maybe I can start on my mini album about my journey to health :o) Make sure you check my scrapbook gallery over there ----------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>> to see my wonderful creations! LOL!

Have a great weekend!

:o)

Feeling Better

Well I'm finally feeling a bit better today. My tummy is still a bit iffy, but I'm not as dizzy. Whew!

I need to get back on track with meal planning, etc. Because I was sick for a few days I didn't worry so much about that and admittedly have not been watching my portions as well as I should. Gained about .2 lb today, but not a big gain at all. I don't like the fact that they weigh you every visit (and daily for the first two weeks, 3x/week thereafter). I like being weighed weekly and am keeping a graph chart to show my weekly progress. I love doing this, as even when I gain a little, overall the chart is pointing downwards and that's all that matters.

Many thanks to all of the emails of support! They are greatly appreciated :o) (Also doesn't make me feel that I'm just blabbing to myself here!! ROFL!!)

:o)

Fighting a Bug :(

I seem to be fighting some kind of bug. I haven't been feeling well since Sunday actually. I am very dizzy and nauseous :( I don't feel like eating or have the energy to plan my meals. But I'm doing the best I can.

Monday's weigh-in went very well, I lost 1.4 lb. Which brought me to exactly 7 lb lost. WHOO HOO! Today was pretty good too, losing .6 lb.

Trying to decide what I want to do to celebrate my first 10 lb. Movie or crop maybe? Hmmm, a bit of both perhaps! :)

Oh, I found a new best friend...Haagen Das Fat Free Frozen Mango Sorbet! Absolutely delish!!! Who knew something fat free could taste so good! LOL! :o)

Weekend Is Over

Well, time to start checking in at HM again tomorrow. I have the big weigh-in after two days on my own!! I almost slacked off from my menu planning since I didn't have to check-in at HM for two days, but I realized that it was so important to help me reach my goal.

Friday's weigh-in went very well, down 1.2 lb, so my total lost so far is 5.6 lb. That's half a dress size!! WOO HOO. Ok, I know my goal weight is a long way off, but I must celebrate the small stuff! LOL!

This HM cook book I have is really terrific! The meals are awesome & so flavorful. Tim just loves them, too!! Bet you his weight will be down in no time! LOL! But this cook book has saved my bacon many times. It's so hard to know what to eat when you are limiting your food intake, so this has really helped.

I wasn't feeling so great earlier on today, my bowels were going nuts (sorry if TMI!) and I felt I was getting flushed then I would get cool. Ugh! I hope I'm not coming down with anything. Is Chicken Noodle Soup allowed?? ROFL!! Guess I won't be laughing if I come down with anything. :o(

Wish me luck with my weigh-in tomorrow! :o)

Down 4.4 lb Total :o)

Just checking in quick before I go to bed. I'm up so late!! Had a great weigh-in yesterday but not so great today :( (It's those darned heavy jeans I tell ya! LOL!) Overall I'm down 4.4 lb so I can't complain about that. Tomorrow is my one week anniversary! I am already over my weekly targeted weight loss and I hope to keep it up :o)

I'm feeling a lot better about things. Though it's hard to not think about food, especially if it's "rationed." But I love this program and it is just what I needed. The ladies at the weight-loss centre are great and very helpful. I'm slowly getting used to the taste of the sugar substitues and have made good friends with Fresca! LOL!

:o)

Feeling good!

Well, four days into it and I've lost just over 3 lb (not including my shoes! LOL!)! Was at my check-in today and decided that I'd weigh without my shoes from now on, as they added an extra 1.7lb! I'm already thinking of the winter months when I'll be all bundled up, I'm sure those thick knitted sweaters weigh a lot! LOL!

Was talking to the ladies at the weight-loss centre today and admitted that the first few days it felt like I was going through withdrawal!!! Seriously! Now it feels so good though. Knowing that I'm eating to keep my body going rather than keeping my emotions in check. I'll be using my creative outlet to help deal with my emotions, rather than food.

I figure I probably had a lot of 3,000+ calorie days before!! Sometimes I'd have TWO ice creams a day! And I'd go to Costco just for an ice cream cone (the best by the way)! Eekk! Now, I'm not saying that I'll never have an ice cream cone or treat again, anything is ok in moderation - but that's the key word for me - mod-er-ation. LOL!

Must go and plan my meals for tomorrow.

:o)

I'm looking over a four leaf clover...

Yes, I found a four leaf clover today in our backyard! We happen to have tons of clovers in our backyard! LOL! So this means good luck will come my way!! YAY!

My check-in went great today, lost 1 lb. So that's a total of 1.6 lb lost so far :o) I got measured today as well...wow! Couldn't help looking at that hip measurement!! Eekk!! Ella made me measure her, too, while we were there! Oh & she stepped on the scale, too (she's 30lb). LOL!

Today I felt much better, I am learning to spread my food over the course of the day so I don't get those hunger pangs. I just have to make sure I plan my meals, otherwise I find myself in a bit of a rut.

Ella was a bit of a handful today, so my neck is a little sore tonight :( Must get to bed soon so I can rest my weary head.

:o)

Ahhhh!

Here I am at the end of the day and I am indulging with chocolate & vanilla pudding...fat-free, of course. Mmmm, so good! Had a bit of a rough day as I am still getting used to planning my menus in advance. I think I have it all worked out now and am getting used to it. DH has been so supportive of this, it's just unbelievable!!

A little something funny to share...today while folding my teeny tiny shirts I realized that it wasn't my shirts that kept on shrinking, but it was my body that was expanding!! LOL!! I was always complaining to DH how my shirts seemed to shrink & shrink (even though they are always hung up to dry!). And dear DH never said a word. So when I laughed out loud today at my realization and shared it with DH, he told me that he didn't have the heart to tell me it was me. So here I am, finally doing something about it, and I am super excited. I sure hope my shirts will fit me again & soon! LOL!

Tomorrow is another check-in & weigh-in. Not sure if I get measured, too. Wish me luck! :o)

Survived the first 24 or so hours...barely!!

Ok, it's now into the second day and, boy, the food allotment they give you sure gets used up quick!! Except for those darned veggies, still can't seem to eat enough of those!!

Today I wasn't feeling so good as I had a massage yesterday and she was a little rough with my neck (felt ok at the time). So I am trying to recover but feeling a little dizzy. Then I'm wondering if it has to do with the lack of food.... Argh!

Went for my very first check-in today. Got weighed again and had my "before" photo taken. Funny how it's just so natural to want to suck it in! LOL! I lost .5 lb already...WOO HOO. LOL! Every bit helps, I suppose.

A quote I'd like to share from a weight-loss story a magazine... "Before the weight loss I was just a person existing and not really living." That really struck me as that's how I feel I've been living. I am so excited I've chosen to start living!! :o)

Day One!

Well I took the big step today and joined a weight-loss program. I am so thrilled, excited and scared all at the same time. I can totally feel that this is the first day of the rest of my life!! I must say that I am a little lost with my meal planning at the moment. I'm sure I'll get used to it. I have already found that I have a weakness for starches (cereal especially!), I must eat more veggies & cut down on my dairy :*( The ladies all seem very nice and I look forward to my visits. I need to check-in 5x/week for the first week, then 3x/week thereafter until I am done.

My goal is to lose 40lb and my goal date is January 26, 2007. I am thrilled!! I can just see the fat melting off.

The final straw was seeing camping photos of myself and I swore I had to do something and soon! I was eating everything in sight knowing full well what I was doing and just not caring. Well...I'm so worth it & I want to take care of myself. It's all about ME! :o)