I'm Back!

From Crusing! Myself & DH went on a 3-night coastal cruise last weekend with his work colleagues. They were celebrating the company's 20th Anniversary! They treated everyone to a cruise, it was so sweet of them to do!

It was a fun time, even though I woke up on the first morning of the cruise sick! :*( I tried to make the most of it though. I enjoyed a spa treatment (I highly recommend foot reflexology!) & finally had some quiet time with DH on the last night of the cruise! He had so much fun with his colleagues & spent most nights in the casino. :D It was a great get-away, but I worried about our DD who was at home sick with my SIL & BIL. They came over from Vancouver just to look after her! They seemed so comfortable in the roll as well!! She was in excellent hands and had a lot of fun!

Needless to say, I am quite sick myself now! :*( Not fun. Hope to feel better soon.

Here are a few snapshots on the Mercury (Celebrity Cruises)

On deck at the Bon Voyage Seattle party:

The Mercury in port at Victoria. We got off here and decided to take in the Titanic exhibit & IMAX show, it was wonderful!!

The dance performance on the cruise was amazing, here I am with two of the dancers:

Wow!

I am definitely feeling the pain today!! My quads feel like the muscles have been ripped open...which I'm sure they have! My classes are Mondays & Wednesdays, though the next two weeks I'll have to miss the Wednesday classes...that's too bad. Though it's probably a good thing not to overdo it at first! My neck is pretty sore, so I may avoid that particular exercise for a bit.

I was happy to walk by the junk foods and not be tempted!! It's interesting, but I find that since I've started aerobics I don't feel the need to indulge (well, as often!). I suppose it's a high and I'm sure there is a pride thing involved, too! LOL! I can't wait until next class!!

I find myself looking back at the "before" photos, which seem to give me a sense of accomplishment which I find I lose over time. It's funny how the brain will continue to see myself as overweight, when I know I'm not. I will have to read my blog entries as well. I know I never want to go there again, so if I read my entries and look at my pictures I feel I will be less likely to be in that state again.

:o)

First Aerobics Class

YAY! I made it through my first aerobics class since 2003!! I haven't been since I was pregnant, so I am quite proud of myself!! It is a very low impact class so that helped. I must be careful with my neck though as I have had recurring problems and would hate to agitate it.

I thought I'd weigh myself this morning even though I had a feeling I had gained a few pounds. Just 1.2lb, but it's still depressing. :( At least I am trying to do something about it though. But, boy, it sure is a life long thing, isn't it?

Anyway, I feel great! I'm sure I'll feel it in the morning, but, you know, it will be a great feeling! :D

I was at a scrapbooking retreat on the weekend in Parksville (check out www.ellabelladesignstudios.com for more info.) But thought I'd share a couple of pictures taken from my hotel room! What an awesome view that was!! It was a great rejuvenation for me and am so glad I went!

I finally did it!

I signed up for aerobics classes!! Finally! I've been wanting to get back into aerobics & weight lifting since I had to stop during my pregnancy four years ago!! I will start with one class a week and see how that goes. I really want to do weight lifting again (I hate to call it weight lifting as I do it more for muscle toning). But I have had recurring neck/head issues since an injury in December of 2004. It gets better, then I do something silly like saw my wire shelving unit without waiting for my DH! Can you believe it?! So once that has settled down again I will start with very light weights and work my way up again. I loved working out at the gym with DH, so can't wait to start that up, but must be patient.

It's been a very busy summer as I started selling my paperart at the Farmer's Market here in Nanaimo, and it's evolved into the Parksville Street Market, special cruise markets & two craft fairs in November!! Where am I going to get the time?! It's so fun though and I just love what I am doing! :D (Feel free to check out my other blogs at www.ellabelladesignstudios.com & www.annchapmandesigns.com)

I am super tired right now and am listening to my favorites on iTunes & drinking a margarita (hey, we're allowed a treat now and then, right!?). It's off to bed soon. DD is in daycare tomorrow so I have a full creative day ahead of me! So excited, I have too many things going around in my head that I want to create and just don't know where to start sometimes!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer! The weather has been hot & cold, I think I may just put the comforter back on the bed tonight & cozy up! :D

Maintaining...

Well...I have to admit I haven't lost any more weight. At least I've been maintaining though so I can't complain. I'm back to my low-fat treats as I've just had these incredible urges for chocolate and junk food!!!! LOL! Let's just say I searched the cupboards high and low for those chocolate chips but luckily we didn't have any!! ROFL!! I never stock my cupboards with junk foods, that's just asking for it. So I am sticking to my low-fat icecream, icecream sandwiches & popcorn (it's surprising how far 1tsp of melted margarine can go!! LOL!).


Thought I'd leave you with a photo of my DH & I at my SIL's wedding...didn't get a pic of all of us including our daughter, the flower girl. :* ( How upsetting was that for me!? *eyeroll*) The pic below of my DD is taken by a friend of the bride. The photographer did take some pics of the three of us as well as just DD, and I can't wait to see those!!

And, YES, DD walked down the aisle all by herself! I was so proud!! Daddy was at the end with a little monkey I bought especially for the wedding (because, well, she's just a little monkey!).

TFL!

Ugh!

That's how I've been feeling lately. A bit of everything going on here.


I am down only two pounds, but should I be surprised!? I definately haven't been avoiding certain foods (like dessert!). Naughty me! But, I am happy I haven't gained any! Whew! I think I'll be going back on the herb suplements (still have a bunch leftover), or at least the chromium. I find this really helps with my cravings and blood sugar levels. It's just a PITA to take them 30-60 minutes before meals! LOL!


DD is getting better at handling the camera and managed to take a couple of decent shots of me. LOL!






We've been crazy busy here, so no time to update my blogs as much as I'd like. Still trying to get my photo slideshows up & running on my other blog.


:o)

Been Busy...

Altered Notebook & Memory Box:

Altered Frames:


Altered Albums (matchbook & paper bag)

Fridge Magnets:

Greeting Cards:

Tonight is the adjudication for the Farmer's Market, so I have been busy making samples of things I will be selling. I'm a little nervous, but they won't actually judge my work, just give me a yay or nay. I am in it with a friend who I am guilty of getting her addicted to this hobby! LOL! Here are some of my samples I made. I am working on a website so people can view my items and place custom orders. The web address is www.annchapmandesigns.com but I don't have it up and running yet. Need to get myself a website design program. (Anyone...? LOL)

Wish me luck!

:o)

Busy Times!

It feels like it's never a quiet moment here! The only time I get to have time to myself is in the evenings and I end up staying up wayyyyy too late!

Myself and a friend are going to be selling at the Farmer's Market downtown on Fridays! We are going for our adjudication next Tuesday. We need to provide samples of the items we'll be selling, so I need to get busy!!

We're also trying to organize and prepare for my SIL's wedding coming up July 1st. We'll be hosting the open house the next day and our front/side yard has been all torn up - we're in the middle of re-landscaping!! Plus the backyard needs to have more beds dug up and flowers and shrubs planted.

I discovered Facebook and it really is quite fun! I found a few friends from Jr. High I haven't seen in years!!

So since it was my DD's birthday last weekend, that called for cake. Well we have quite a bit left that we froze. So it's hard not to have cake every night!! And I am procrastinating on starting my exercise! Ugh! I just don't have the energy it takes most days! Anyway, tomorrow is a new day...if I could only get to bed early!!

:o)

Had a Princess Party...

My daughter turned three on Sunday and we threw her a huge Princess Party! It was so much fun! 15 kids + adults!

Unfortunately, I lost my camera for most of the day and didn't get any pictures! I know!!! A scrapbooker *lost* her camera on one of the most special days of her daughter's life! There were a few people taking pictures and I've asked for them to share, I am so anxious to see them!!

We had crafts, food, cake, gifts, a bouncy castle set up in the backyard, a dragon pinata & goody bags fit for the little Princesses & Knights! It was so much fun! I may have overdone it, but she only turns three once! LOL!

I'll share the pictures I have from before and after the party! (insert eyeroll here!)

The cake sitting on my Mum's knee in the van! LOL! DD getting her face painted & opening her last gift.







TFL! :o)

Ugh! Swimsuit season...

I'm taking my DD swimming today! Thought it would be a nice change in activities for her. I was excited to try on my two brand new tankinis!!!! But, ugh!! You can really see my stomach! It looks like it's been enlarged!! LOL! Those extra 4lb I gained a few weeks back are really showing! This is ridiculous! I have to pull down my top constantly. :o( It's almost like my stomach has expanded!

I've been just terrible at keeping a food journal since I hit maintenance. Then when I decided to lose some more weight I haven't even opened my journal!! I do sometimes keep track on my white board on my fridge, but I need to keep at it - and CUT down on eating again!! *eyeroll* I just love food too much and am finding it extremely difficult. I am feeling quite down about it. (Ok, I should mention that I've lost 1lb so far! I haven't gained any, so I guess that's good. LOL!)

I'll be starting a homebased exercise program (if all goes well)! I really wanted to join a gym again but couldn't afford it. I also checked into Curves, but it was even more expensive and just not what I was looking for. I want to lift weights again. I used to do some weight lifting at home years ago and it worked wonders and I'm hoping it will work again for me. I have some great books that I have had for years and will devise a workout plan from that. I also have a great video (from Usana I think?) and LOVED it. I'll have to dig that out and see if it still works. The video was starting to blackout in spots, maybe I should see if they have it on DVD. (If anyone out there can help me out with that, I'd be forever grateful! ;o) I also need to open up my iPod and download some tunes to listen to when I go walking. (Which I STILL haven't started to do yet!) Such the procrastinator!

But on the homefront, we are getting tons done!! We are in the middle of landscaping and it's coming along nicely. Now I am trying to get the inside all organized and clean. It feels sooo good to do that! The walls are in terrible shape and need a paint job in a bad way, but we have so much going on right now that we just can't afford it. Soon I hope.

I've got a pretty good base tan going (ok, pretty good based on having fair skin and never tanning much)! I've been going to those stand up tanning booths and love it! I'll keep it up until summer hits.

I've been very busy preparing for my DD's third birthday party - it's a princess party and so many details to work out!! It's going to be so much fun. Bouncy castle (which we bought at Toys R Us), face painting (we've hired our babysitter to do that), royal feast, slaying the dragon pinata, and of course the castle cake that I designed & am having made! Our cake lady does a super job with cakes, we use her all of the time...actually we've been using her since our wedding 8 years ago!

:o)

I'm A Star!!

Ok, not really! LOL! But I think it's pretty neat! I voiced a radio commercial for Herbal Magic at the local radio station and it aired today at 9:50am and will air again at 6:40pm.

That's so cool that Herbal Magic called me to do this! I am apparently one of their "model" clients. I love how they use real people for their ads!!

:o)

What's For Dinner?

Mmmm, meatballs! Another favorite recipe! I'm waiting for it to cook as I type.

Cabbage Meatballs

3 slices Melba toast
8oz extra lean ground beef
2pkg artificial sweetener
2 cups shredded cabbage leaves
2 cups cubed tomato
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water

Crumble Melba toast extremely fine. Mix with ground beef. Roll into small meatballs.

Combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add meatballs and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serves two.
One serving equals 1 protein, 2 veggies, 1/2 starch

I use the pre-shredded bags of cabbage found at the grocery store. It just makes it so easy!

Enjoy!

:o)

So sad :o(

I am still so very sad about the abduction of little Madeleine McCann. My DD is almost three and it just breaks my heart to know there are people out there that want to hurt these little innocent children. It's been three weeks and she still has not been found. :*(

The McCann's have a website that I urge you to check out. Donate if you can and help spread the photos of Maddie to all of your contacts.

http://www.findmadeleine.com/




Thank you.

Withdrawals...

Over the last three weeks, I have been going through horrible withdrawals from stopping my medication. I was just so scared (it's so scarey not knowing how long this will last and if you'll ever feel "normal" again). It was a very difficult time during the first week or so, but DH was extra supportive and I decided that the best way to deal with it was to get out of the house and be with my friends.

So I started calling and emailing all of my friends to have that contact I needed. It's been wonderful, I feel so much more social now than ever!

I went on the internet and found natural ways to ease my withdrawal symtoms. I also went to see my Naturopath and he had some more suggestions. I am still taking these supplements and will do so until I no longer feel the effects of the withdrawal. Terrible I tell you!! You have nothing if you don't have your health.

I'm still not 100% but I've definately come a long way indeed!! I still haven't unpacked from my scrapbooking retreat three weeks ago, I wanted nothing to do with scrapbooking...just way too ill!! Going through this has brought a renewal to my life, so I am very happy about that.

I have signed my DH & I up for ballroom & latin dance lessons starting tomorrow night! My SIL is getting married in 6 weeks and I thought it would be fun to actually learn how to dance!! It's something I've always wanted to do. I've also started doing stand-up tanning sessions to get some color before the big day, too! And it always makes me feel good! I am a redhead and have very fair skin - I've only tanned once and that was when I was living in Australia for a year!! LOL!

My DH & I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary on May 8th. :o) We hired our babysitter and had a marvelous night out including dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gina's Mexican Cafe. Luckily I felt a bit better by then, but was nauseated by the end of the night. :(

And finally...drum roll please...I have decided to lose the last 10-15lb. I figured why not? I've lost 40lb, why not keep going until I'm satisfied? If I don't do it now, when will I?? So I'll need all the help I can get! LOL! I'm giving myself 6 weeks (the wedding is July 1st), so hopefully I can lose at least 10lb.

I still have the jiggles & just not happy about it so I will be trying to tone up by lifting weights (something I enjoyed doing before DD) & boosting my metabolism by going for walks. Boy, was it ever a gorgeous day today here...so HOT! It's 23C right NOW and it's 8PM! Whoo hoo! Welcome to summer (ok, almost!). LOL!

I have tons of scrapbook layouts & little projects I've done over the past couple of months. I have added a slideshow (top right) of some of my most recent work. I hope you enjoy it!

I participated in & won (YAY!) an 8 week contest at Scrapable Moments (www.scrapablemoments.com). There was a challenge every week, plus a few bonus challenges thrown in. I admit that I was challenged on most of them, but that is when I feel I work my best. When the pressure is on and a deadline is looming! I am so glad I stuck with it, during the 8th week was when I felt my worst and was so close to quitting. But I love a challenge and couldn't pass this up!

So, that's what I've been up to! I hope to blog more often, especially now that I've outed myself and let you in on my further weighloss goals! Eekk!

All is good.

:o)

What's for dinner?

Another favorite recipe of mine! I'm making this tonight. :) Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

1 cup whole wheat spaghetti
16oz beef, slightly thawed
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1 cup mushrooms
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp mayonnaise
6 oz water
8 Tbsp fat-free sour cream

Cook and drain whole wheat spaghetti.

Cut beef in long, thin strips.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Saute onion, mushrooms, black pepper, coriander, parsley, nutmeg & garlic. Add beef & mayonnaise. Dilute with water. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until beef is tender. Add sour cream. Stir well. Pour over spaghetti.

Serves 4.
1 protein, 1/2 vegetable, 1 starch, 1 fat, 1/2 free exchange

*** NOTE: I use regular sour cream in this recipe and just don't put in as much, to me it makes a huge difference. ***


*** This is so delicious!! The herbs really make a huge difference, if you don't have these herbs consider making them a regular in your spice rack. ***

:o)

Subscribe to my blog!

I've just added a service from FeedBlitz to my blog (over there >>>>>>>) which will easily add your email address to my list for updates on my blog. FeedBlitz has sent those of you who already subscribe with a confirmation email, you just need to click on the link provided in your email to confirm your subscription.

Thanks!

:o)

Went for a visit...

Well, today I thought it was high time I dropped in to the weight-loss centre! I was so nervous to step on that scale! It's been almost one month since I stopped recording in my food journal and going for regular visits...I have gained 2lb. Ok, 2lb...not soooo bad I suppose. I was so nervous that it would be 5 or 10lb!! LOL!

So I'm ok with it, but I have started keeping record of my daily food intake again and am trying to remember to take my chromium again. I have a feeling I will have to do this for the rest of my life...I can just smell food and gain weight!! Ugh! But I must admit, I didn't keep up my food journal for a reason...but it would have been interesting if I had to see where I went wrong. But I know where I went wrong, I had a major craving for sweets and caved a few times...my starch intake needs to be cut back again...and I need to eat all of my fruits & veggies.

I am so proud of myself that I have definately kept up mostly on the veggie intake!! There were days before this that would go by when I'd have no veggies at all!! I wouldn't even plan them with my meals. I'm on a big raw veggie kick right now, actually raw veggies dipped in cucumber salad dressing (mind you I have to watch I don't eat too much of the dressing! LOL!). I just find I love the crunchiness of the veggies (especially carrots) & love the taste better than steaming (I NEVER boil my veggies now). We invested in a large steamer pot when our DD was born so we could make our own baby food...LOVE it!! We use it all of the time.

Just thought I'd check in here "quick." It is definately a life change and seems that it will always be a struggle for me. However, I do feel that I am in a much better mind set - even though I still feel like the overweight girl! :*( I wonder if that will EVER change?? I'd love to ideally lose another 20lb, but just not sure if I'm up to it. That was a difficult 4 months and quite a feat to lose 40lb in that time frame (for me anyways). I know I should be happy with that but I can't. Definately something I have to work on. Because I have a feeling that if/when I lose that next 20lb, I'll feel the same.

I thought this was interesting. My friend recently emailed me this:

"you know I have heard people on Oprah say that about themselves after they have lost weight... strange... I guess you just get so used to seeing and feeling a certain way about yourself that it's hard to change that mind set... Dr. Robin (from Oprah) says that when people are heavier, that when they lose the weight they say that they don't know themselves anymore... that they feel kind of lost or like they are impersonating a thinner person... she said that actually they didn't know themselves when they were bigger that they have to learn about who they are right now from scratch... "

Not sure how much truth is in that, but interesting nonetheless.

*SIX more days until my scrapbooking retreat! Sooooooo excited. I NEED a break.* Can't wait to share my creations with you!

:o)

I've Been Selected!

The weight-loss centre has chosen ME to do their radio commercials for a promotion they are doing soon! I am so thrilled that they thought of me. The managers and herself met and thought I would be suitable for doing this. What a cool experience! Not only to lose 40lb & 40 inches, but I get to be on radio commercials! How awesome is that?! YAY!

Sorry I have been so slack at my blog, I will have to try harder to do this more often. I find that since I've been on maintenance it's been a little boring and I bring nothing new to report! LOL!

However, saying that, things have changed a bit for me over the last couple of weeks. I've stopped going to the weight-loss centre due to the high product fees I pay weekly. And I wasn't all that great at taking the pills to tell you the truth! I have quite a stash of the product I was taking during my weight-loss.

One of the two products I was taking daily during the weight-loss program was a blend of herbs to combat appetite, maximize metabolism, etc. The other (mostly chromium) helps the blood sugar levels and for me I've found it helps with sweet cravings. I took Chromium long before joining this weight program and definately vouch that it helps my cravings! This is one thing I will definately take regularly (1 capsule/3x/day 30-60 minutes prior to meals).

I also took supplements on every visit 3x/week. Detox, energy & B6+B12 vitamin. I think I will look into continuing taking the energy and B vitamins.

I haven't dropped by the weight loss centre yet since I stopped the program, but I did buy a scale and I think I'm doing good at maintaining my weight. That said, I do worry sometimes as I stopped keeping my food journal and have the odd chocolate or cookie (and the odd binge *blush*)! I don't know what it is, but every time I eat something that is "bad" for me I feel soooooo guilty & feel like I should hide it! This has been going on my whole adult life and just not sure what that's about. Even when I was allowed to eat my little treats during the weight-loss program I always felt guilty! So weird! I would even hide it from my DH sometimes, though it was something that I was "allowed." ??? The psychology of food, hey?!

Next post I'll share my special treats I liked during my weight-loss program.

:o)

Favorite Recipe #1

I found that planning my meals weekly helped so much! I knew what I was having when; and I didn't need to dig deep into that freezer for a quick and dirty high-calorie meal!

I'd love to share my favorite recipes with you.

Enjoy!

Asian Pork Chops

4 centre-cut, boneless pork chops (4oz each)
1 orange
2tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp No salt added seasoning or similar
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 pkg artificial sweetener
2/3 cup low-sodium, condensed chicken broth
2 small apples, peeled, cored & sliced
2 Tbsp chopped ginger
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 Tbsp water

Trim port chops of all visible fat.

Squeeze all the juice from the orange and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Cook port chops over medium heat for five minutes on each side. Add seasoning and black pepper. Set pork chops aside.

Add cider vinegar and artificial sweetener to the skillet. Let the artificial sweetener dissolve. Pour in chicken broth and orange juice. Bring to a boil. Add apple and ginger. Cook for two minutes. Add water chestnuts and cook for an additional two minutes. Add water and stir until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Return pork chops to skillet and simmer for one minute or until heated through. Serve pork chops topped with apple and water chestnuts.

Serves four.

One serving equals 1 protein, 1/2 veggie, 3/4 fruit, 1/2 fat, 1/3 free exchange

[I serve this with rice.]

Tips & Tricks - Part 2 - Food Guide

Daily food allotment:
(2) Proteins
(2) Starches
(2) Fruits
(3) Veggies
(1) Dairy
(2) Fats
(1) Free Food

(Serving sizes are similar to Canadian Food Guide available here http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html )

FREE FOOD (My favorite! LOL!)

Samples:
1/2 cup broth
1 creamsicle/fudgsicle (fat-free)
1/2 cup frozen low-fat dairy dessert (must be less than 140 caleries and 2g of fat or 25g of carbohydrates per 1/2 cup serving)
1/2 cup pasta sauce (must be less than 100 calories & 400mg or sodium per 1/2 cup serving)
2 Tbsp jam (sugar-free)
1 bottle light beer
1oz liquor
3 cups, popped popcorn (must be less than 100 calories & 2g fat per 3 cup serving)
1 pudding cup (low-fat)
2 Tbsp salad dressing (fat-free)
4 Tbsp salsa
4 Tbsp sour cream (fat-free)
4 oz wine

UNRESTRICTED FOOD
Flovouring aids may be used in unrestricted amounts.

i.e. Spices, Herbs, Lemon/Lime juice, sesame seed, vinegar (white, red wine, apple cider)

RESTRICTED FOODS
Salt, gravies, juices, condiments or preserves (ketchup, mustard, relish).

*********************************************
All portion sizes are raw weights. Trim all meat of skin, fat & bone, and weigh or measure food before cooking.

Limit use of canned foods.

Artificial sweeteners or Stevia up to two or three packets daily.

You must allow yourself the full amounts required daily. Do not save any food for the next day.
*********************************************

Next entry I will go over my food issues (& cheating! Yes, I cheated! LOL!) & what my favorites were. :o)

Tips & Tricks Part 1 - General Information

Alright ladies, here we go! Hee, hee. No idea how many parts this will be, but what the heck I'll start with Part 1 and see where that takes us! LOL!

Not so fine print:
*Please note that I am not a health counselor and am only providing this for your information as there are quite a few of you that were interested. These tips & tricks will only pertain to the diet I followed & I will also offer personal tips & tricks I learned along the way that worked for me. Please also keep in mind that a visit to your Doctor before starting any dieting is highly recommended.*

1. For the weight-loss to start coming off you need to follow a rigid food plan (details coming soon). For the first few weeks your body will be adjusting to significant changes in calorie, carbohydrate & fat intake. You will be going from an eat-what-you-want-when-you-want type of attitude to a well-balanced, controlled approach to meal planning.

2. Support - You will require an extreme amount of support, especially the first week if not longer! I would highly suggest having a weight-loss buddy, or a close friend as your support person.

3. Water, water, water! Drink eight 8oz glasses of water daily. Start with a couple of glasses a day if you're not used to drinking water. I fill up a bottle and squeeze a fresh lemon in my water to take along with me during my daily activities. You will be able to drink diet pop, crystal light, mineral water, coffee & tea (or herbal teas), but these cannot replace your required water intake.

4. Special herbal supplements are taken daily as recommended by the weight-loss centre.(Details coming soon)

5. Food Diary - this is very important! It's what keeps you on track. I was so surprised that I kept up my food diary for so long. But, I had every detail of that food diary looked at on my visits to the centre. This is where a buddy will come in handy; this makes you become accountable if you have someone to keep track of your food diary.

6. Weight Loss Chart - I made a graph with the weight going up the left side and the week numbers along the bottom. Each week I would mark the chart and connect the dots. It is important for me to have a visual aid when I can't always see it in the mirror. This really helps on those days when you gain...you can just look at the overall line and it is heading down! :o)

7. It's important to find out the weight range ideal for your body type. Look here for information http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm

8. It's always fun to take a "before" photo. Be sure to note your starting weight & measurements. I was measured across the shoulders, neck, bust, under bust (bra line), bicep, waist (where it bends), hips, thighs, calves & ankles (amazing how much comes off the ankles!! LOL!).

I think that's it for now. Look for Part 2 in the next few weeks!

Thanks!

:o)

No More Huffing & Puffing!!

Wow! Monday night DH & I decided to bundle DD up and go for a walk! It was the first time we've been for a walk in a very, very, very long time!! It felt soooo good and the best part...I wasn't huffing & puffing like I used to! I felt like I was walking on the moon, I'm sure my heart loves me! LOL!

I then realized that I actually no longer huff & puff when doing normal activities (cleaning up, going up & down the stairs, etc.). My heart used to race so fast and I'd be out of breath so easy!! It's nice to be reminded once in a while of how far I've come in such a short period of time. I remember when I was in the walking group last year I'd be huffing & puffing trying to get my breath and wondering if anyone else noticed?! I kind of felt embarrassed as it seemed that no one else was having that problem.

I can't wait to get outside again for a walk! Eventually I would love to start toning up with weights like DH & I used to. We had such a good thing going then I got pregnant and things were just never the same. Well, I hope to change that and I hope that I will be able to continue an exercise program during my next pregnancy. (Whenever that may be!)

Along with sharing my Tips & Tricks, I have decided to include delicious recipes that are tried & true, so look for that soon! I can't wait to share all of this with you!

:o)

My Tips & Tricks for Losing Weight!

After hearing from many of you (thank you!), I decided to share my tips & tricks (if there are any! LOL!) on my blog that I used to help me lose my weight. I am so honored to have inspired many of you and I sincerely hope that you will find it within yourself to start the journey on the road to health. :o)

Look for my Tips & Tricks I will be posting over the next few weeks.

Thank you all for your kind support!

:o)

40LB WHOO, HOO!!

Wow! Today I finally hit my 40lb mark!! Though I am really supposed to be maintaining my weight, but sometimes this happens when food is added over a period of time. Sounds good to me!! :o) I am about half way through the "stabilization" period, then on to pure maintenance! I have been given more and more food to eat over the last few weeks. Some days I have a hard time trying to get it all in!! Shock!! I remember when I first started, it felt like I was eating nothing!!! LOL! I can't imagine eating MORE than this! It's great (as long as I don't start gaining!).

:o)

"Stabilization"

So I'm on stabilization and lost 1 pound! LOL! Always a good thing though. Went out shopping, ready to drop big bucks...and came home with one top!! I'm getting a good collection of tops, but I really need some pants and soon!! I bought a pair of jeans (finally) when I went out on Monday and I actually exchanged them today for a smaller size as I felt that they would stretch too much. But other than that, I can't find any pants that I like in any store!!! I may just get another couple pairs of jeans?! Well, I suppose this is a nice dilema to have! ;o)

Before & After

Ok, I am getting brave here! Tonight I tried on many different outfits to test out my "after" photo that I will be getting taken at the weight-loss centre tomorrow. So I thought I'd share my before & after photos here for you. Thank you so much to everyone who has contacted me and commented, I am so thankful that I am able to provide inspiration to you all! :o)

Goal Date Is Here!!

Wow! I can't believe that my goal date was yesterday! I am 2lb shy of my goal weight, but I'm trying not to fret over it. It all happened so fast when I checked in with the weight-loss centre yesterday, I am officially on the "Stabilization" program. Which means that I am slowly given more food to eat over a period of 6 weeks. So now I get an extra serving of starch & fruit! YAY!

However, I still have a problem seeing the overweight girl I once was. :( I'm not sure whether to try to continue losing more weight or just try to be happy where I am at now. It's funny, but I've never been happy with my body. So even if I lose an extra 5-10lb, I may still feel this way?! Ugh! Why can't I just be happy with the way I am?! Must go on a shopping spree so I feel better! LOL! Really...when I try on all those size 9/10 clothes, I do feel MUCH better and it's then that I can tell my body has changed!! :o) I have my eye on a few nice things I saw at the mall yesterday. BTW, what's with DD being obsessed with spiders?! We go to the pet store and she just loves to look at the spiders! YUCK!

Will keep you posted on my stabilization progress. :o)

Just 2.2lb to go!!!

WOW! Some days it feels so unbelievable that I am so close to my goal weight! Just over 2lb to go. What a journey it has been and I sure learned a lot, about myself & food. I must admit the last couple of weeks have been frustrating and slow moving. Sometimes I worry that I am too complacent and worry what that will do over time. But one step at a time, I suppose.

:o)

Officially 5.4lb to go!!!

Wow! I'm almost down to the last 5lb!! This is extremely exciting and I am just thrilled with the way things have gone. In fact, I'm so thrilled that I am probably going to try and lose another 5-10lb once I reach my goal, but I don't want to push it. The last 10lb have been so hard to lose. Though the holidays/birthdays/colds haven't helped! But I seem to be back on track finally! I actually can't wait to get into more of a routine next week when DD's classes & such start up again.

I've been alternating between two jeans (both purchased at the thrift store for $4.99), nothing else fits me now. Even they are starting to get a bit baggy now! I filled up two huge garbage bags full of clothes that I will take to the local consignment store in hopes they can sell them for me. I, of course, kept two pants for my "after" photos! :o) It felt great to fill those bags up, however, sad about all of the money I spent getting new clothes last summer because I gained so much weight. Some of the clothes I never even wore!!!

I got some money for clothes for my birthday and Christmas, so once I'm at my goal weight a shopping I will go! WHOO, HOO! It's a hoot trying things on now. I can actually walk into almost any store now to buy clothes and they usually have my size stocked! I finally went bra shopping and was pleased to find a very comfortable, flattering bra! So I bought two! :o)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We've all been battling the cold in this house, as well as my family! It's been going on for weeks now. I think me & DD are finally feeling a bit better, but DH seems to be fighting it still. :o(

I have totally cleaned up my craft room, so I was actually able to sit down and work on a layout. The first one I used my sewing machine on! Looks awesome! Though I couldn't finish it as I am waiting for some buttons & ribbon in the mail and will go to the LSS to cut out a title. I have soooo many different ideas for layouts and albums, sometimes it's a little overwhelming. Can't wait to get more scrapping time!

:o)