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There is a line in the movie Jaws where the guy says, "You're gunna need a bigger boat."  I feel like that right now.  I feel like we are on the edge of something very bad for the Four Rivers region.  It worries me for friends and family.   I think Spicer and I are pretty safe where we are.  I was talking to a nieghbor and she said she had never seen our creek get up to the houses and the many years she has lived here so that made me feel better.  I have been checking it and although it is full it is no where near the top.  But I will keep checking.  I dont want to be one of these people on the news standing in 3 feet of water saying, "We never saw it coming."  I worry about the flood wall and my parents and where I work.  I hope it is all for nothing but I can't help but be worried when I hear words from NOAA like "catastrophic".  It worries me.   I hope we can make it through this with little loss of property and no loss of life.  

BEFORE.........

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AFTER............

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Last night I was so sore.  I still hurt from the stairs on Saturday.  I did I little bike ride on Sunday.  Monday I rested.  But today I woke up and I just had to walk.  It was like my body needed it.   Tommy and I walked and made our trip at over four miles an hour even with me in pain and sore.  It felt so good.  Something else felt good this morning.  I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction and had to find something else to wear.  I looked through my closet.  I surveyed my clothes... too big, too big, too big...  hmmm.  Then I saw a dress I had not worn in a few years.   A size 16.... I was a little worried.  Would it fit?  Would it be too small?   I pulled the dress over my head and took a deep breath and looked in the mirror.   IT FIT!!!!  I was so excited.  I was proud to have on my new-old dress :) 

 
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Today Tommy and I were talking.    He had a neat thought, "You know Spicer will never remember you being overweight."  He is right!  Since Spicer is 5 years old now and I was very good at taking "slim-looking" pictures he won't ever recall me being overweight or Tommy either.   I am glad for that.  I have really made this a life style change as has Tommy.   I have not only changed the way Tommy and I eat but also the way Spicer eats.  He asks for fruit and veggies.  He eats his apple before his mac and cheese.  He asks me how many calories something has.  I have him outside more because I am more active.   My son is much more likley to NEVER be overweight since I will not be overweight.   That is a wonderful thought!

 
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Get ready for the Happy Dance...........
 

I lost 2 more pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
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This weekend Tommy and I decided we would NOT count calories for Saturday night and Sunday durring the day.   It was very hard for me..... I found myself wanting to.  We didn't even really eat that bad.  Saturday we had a very very low calorie lunch and worked out.  Saturday night I had a salad and we split a meal the I had 2 pieces of pizza for a lat night snack (thin crust).   Sunday we were also good.  I had a salad and we split at meal.  Then we were back to our low calorie meal for dinner.   Plus we walked all over Nashville.  It wasn't bad but I was stressed when I weighed and I was a little heavier than Friday.  Uggggg I was frustrated and a little angry with myself.  WHY?????? I didn't do anything wrong.  I wasn't super bad even.  Why do I beat myself up?   I find myself doing it though.  Today I was mad at myself and ended up getting a little snippy with Tommy because we walked 3.75 miles per hour instead of 4 miles per hour.  Really??? Really???   GEEZE..... I just need to tell myself CHILL!!!!!   The weight will come back off an I will likely loose at least another pound this week.  And so what?  A pound is a pound and I will be happy for it.  :)  

 
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I have had 2 weeks of only one pound losses.  It has been frustrating.  I have tried to be proud of my weight loss over these last two weeks even though it has been very modest.   But uggg it has really had me down.   So this week I have been ultra good making sure I stay as close to my traget calorie goals as I can and exercising.   Well it appears to have paid off.  I lost three pounds this week.  I have lost a grand total of 25lbs.  It feels so gdod.  I felt like I would never get here.  It feels good to look at the scale.  I feel better! I feel ready to run and jump in the air!   It is hard for me to even imagine being at my heaviest just a few months ago.  

Yesterday we were are lunch talking about health and weight loss.  One of my co-wokers is also loosing weight and began her weight loss Journey about six months ahead of me.  We were talking about our joys and frustrations with our weight loss journeys.   This made me think about the old me.  The old me would have sat there listening to people talk about weight loss and think gee I really want to but I can't which really ment I wouldn't.  If I could talk to the me from just a few months ago.  The me in those pictures from October.... I would say.  You can do it!  I know it seems really hard and it is... but it's worth it.  Do it for yourself, for your health, for your son, do it to save your life!!    I was headed for a life of obesity, back problems, high blood pressure, diebties, and maybe even a premature death.   Anyone can do this.  People choose not to.  They choose to have that Big Mac and Fries instead of the grilled chicken and a salad, they choose to have the extra hot fudge sunday instead of the sugar free jello, they choose to ahve the big tub of popcorn instead of a half of a small.  Find the will power!! You know you can!!! Save your life!! You are sooooooo worth it!   


 
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Weekends are so important.  I think people really take them for granted.  You have to find time to unwind and enjoy!  This weekend is going to be full of fun for me. Tonight we went to the Star and enjoyed a great line up of music and a yummy blt on wheat !!! Then we attended the Facebook Update Update Party.  If you haven't already please check them out.  They have a lot of talent and are very funny!!!  Here is a link to thier season ender.   Enjoy! (Please note this is PG 13 but very funny)



http://www.facebook.com/pages/FB-Update-Update/189560971072164?ref=ts#!/pages/FB-Update-Update/189560971072164





 
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I weighed in today and I wasn't shocked.  I lost one pound.  It sounds so small, it sounds so tiny.  But it is one pound less than I weighed before.  I am working out and walking so I am going to see things slow down a little.  Not to worry since the real change is what I see.  I see the changes in my body, in my face, my tummy, my legs,my arms, and my clothes!!! So it's ok.  I was kind of bummy last night and Tommy said something so simple but so helpful.  "Honey you aren't eating what you were before.  You can't stay at your current size.  You are going to get smaller you have to it's just science."  Tommy's right....SHHHHHHHHH dont tell him that.  But he is.  It is just the way it is.  I am eating so much less I am just going to keep getting smaller.  I have a lot less calories going in and a lot more calories being burned.   Weight is out the window and what I see is much more important.  So I am going to jump for joy about my one pound because I am proud of loosing my one pound for a grand total of 22lbs!!!

 
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Spicer and I were at the Circus yesterday and there were a few magic acts durring the slower times to keep the kids smiling.  Spicer oooooooooed and ahhhhhhhhhed at the tricks.  Today I started lifting weights with Tommy in addition to my walking and calorie counting.  I am sore and a little ouchie.  This made me think, I wish there was some magic pill or trick to loosing my weight.  I wish I there was a magic bean, or fairy godmother, or lamp to rub for wishes but there isn't any of those things.   The other issue is that if it wasn't this hard and I could just snap my fingers I would likely resort back to my bad eating habbits.  Kind of like people who become rich by winning money.  They are often just as poor as they started out or worse just a few years later.  So no more wishing for a fairygodmother or a magic bean.  I will just have to do this the hard way but the right way. Cheryl Crow has a great song called No One Said It Would Be Easy.  This is the chorus. 

No one said it would be easy
No one said it'd be this hard
No one said it would be easy
No one thought we'd come this far
Oh, and look we've come this far


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fast   (fst) intr.v. fast·ed, fast·ing, fasts 1. To abstain from food. 2. To eat very little or abstain from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline. n. 1. The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food. 2. A period of such abstention or self-denial.




As a person of faith I find myself most in line with Methodist teachings, ideas, and doctrine.  One thing that Methodists do is observe Lent.  I have always had trouble giving up things for Lent.  So instead of giving one thing up for 40 days I have decided to fast for 24 hours.  Although I do not consider myself a religious person I do consider myself a spiritual person.   I am nervous, excited, and hopeful about my fasting.  I have been reading up on fasting and it is healthy if only done for a 24 hour period.  From what I have read some spas and diet fads say it is ok to drink juice while you fast but there are limited health benifits other than some initial weight loss if you drink juice durring a fast.  I have decided to fast and drink water only.  If this is something I feel I can manage I plan to fast one day a month.  I think in a time of over indulgance in so many things fasting makes a statment.  I think self denial is not only an important part of my wieght-loss journey but also an important part of my journey of Faith.   Here is a story done on NPR about 24 hour fasting. 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16513299

On another note... I lost one more pound this week.  Am I frustrated?  A little....but...I lost three pounds last week so I expected I might just loose one pound this week.   I am still excited.  This puts me at 21 pounds total.  :)