25 Pounds--woot woot!!

Weighed in today and hit my 25 pound goal today.  So excited.  17 weeks, 25 pounds--not too bad.  I am looking forward to the next 25 pounds but I am really hoping that it doesn't take 17 weeks to get there.  Now that I am completely mobile, I would like to get back on the exercise routine and burn more calories.

My first two days back at work went pretty well all things considered.  I was painful with walking but did better than I had anticipated.  My doctor said that I can probably resume my 3 mile walks by mid-June.  By the end of June I am hoping to start training to jog/walk a 5K.

My next goal is getting to 160 pounds--here's to a lot more hard work but in the end it will be worth it all.

Back to Work I Go

Tomorrow (May 25th) I will be heading back to work after a 10 week medical leave of absence.  I am glad to be getting back to work and hoping that the increased physical activity will help me to really start to lose weight.

My last weigh in at Weight Watchers on the 20th went well--182.4 pounds now--total loss of 24.8 pounds.

I would really like to be at 160 by the end of July.

I am planning on jogging/walking a 5K in November.  I can start training at the end of June.  This will be a first for me and I am alternately excited and apprehensive.

Looking forward and never behind :-)

16 Weeks Already

16 weeks down and making progress.  I am almost at the 25 pound mark.  People are noticing my weight loss and I am already needing to buy new pants again.  I am off crutches and out of my foot boot and starting to walk more on my foot.  Physical therapy is going well and I am gaining more strength in my foot every day.  It feel so good to see progress even if my weight hasn't changed much in the past few weeks.  I feel stronger and that is what is important.  My husband found a really cool website that takes a current picture of you and then allows you to input your goal weight and it actually changes your picture to show what you would look like at your goal weight.  The pictures I have posted in this weeks blog post is from that site.  My current weight is 185.  My goal weight is 130.  I printed the pictures and posted them by the computer so I can look every day and be reminded of where I am going.  I need to keep this in sight so I don't lose focus and get discouraged.  Plugging away at the weight and getting healthier.  My blood pressure is normal and I am only taking one blood pressure medication now.  Still working on always making healthy choices but doing better.  I am trying hard to get myself ready to return to work now.  I have to get my foot back in shape so I can return to work at the end of the month.  I am looking forward to being able to exercise again and start training to walk/jog a 5k in the fall.  I would love, love, love to be at goal weight for Christmas--7 months away--8 pounds a month--2 pounds a week--I can do this--I must do this--continuing the journey...........

Nearing the 16 Week Mark

Friday the 13th of May will mark the beginning of my 16th week on Weight Watchers.  I am almost to 25 pounds lost--hoping to reach that on Friday.  People are starting to notice my weight loss now and I have to say it feels good to have people notice.It's nice to put on something and have it fit better.  I took some measurements the other day--my waist is at 37 inches--I started out at 46 inches I think--that's a big loss.  I was feeling pretty discouraged about the slow-down in poundage loss but after measuring, I realize that I may have gained some muscle from the core work I have been doing.  YAY!!

Where Did Last Week Go??

In all of the hubbub of last week, I never made it over here to update things.  Holidays are always so busy.

Last Friday at Weight Watchers, I gained 0.6 pounds (PMS sucks) but all things considered, not too bad.

I started physical therapy last week--talk about hard work.  I have lost a lot of strength in my right foot and we are working on helping me to regain strength and mobility.  Lot's of exercises for not only my foot, but my legs and my core and my shoulders.  When you walk with crutches for almost 2 months, everything heads south.  This is gonna be hard work, but it's good hard work because it will help me get back to work at the hospital.

One of the exercises I  have to do involves picking up marbles with my toes and depositing them into a bowl.  Well, my cats think that these marbles are new toys for them and unless I hide the marbles, they are attempting to roll them everywhere.  Pretty funny.

It feels good to be able to do something more proactive in my recovery process.  I am looking forward to showing my physical therapist next week how well I have done on improving strength and  range of motion with the exercises she has given me.

Time to go make dinner.

See you Friday!

20 Pounds--Wahoo!!!!

I weighed in at 187 lbs at Weight Watchers yesterday!!!  I hit my 10% goal and my 20 pound goal on the same day.  I had a really terrible week food wise--had difficulty even wanting to track points and one day was a total bust point wise.  I completely expected a gain so a loss of a pound was pretty sweet and to meet those first two goals was great as well.

I figured out that part of my difficulty is boredom being home and part is feeling mildly depressed because of the wet, cold Oregon weather.  I eat when I'm bored and I eat when I'm depressed.  I am working on figuring out the solution.

So my next goal is 160 lbs.  I would love to be there by my 49th birthday on August 18th--4 months, 27 pounds--a little less than 7 pounds a month--might be a little ambitious but I am hoping that once I get off these crutches and can start exercising again I will lose closer to 2 pounds a week instead of the pound a week I am currently losing.

Please heal up foot!!

So Close

Weight Watchers Weigh-in day--lost 0.8 pounds.  I am now at 188 pounds--one pound away from my 10% loss goal.  I thought that I would be satisfied just maintaining while my foot is injured, but I find myself becoming more and more frustrated.  I want to be able to walk normally again.  I want to get back to being productive.  I want to get back to work.

I am having a lot of difficulty wanting to eat the right foods because boredom drives me to eat.  The things I would normally to do combat boredom--go for a walk, clean house, be active--I cannot do.  I have really struggled with having a bad attitude and have been pretty crabby lately.

I feel so useless and it is driving me crazy.

I need to figure out two things:

1--what can I do to combat boredom that doesn't involve food or physical activity?

2--what can I do to push my body into losing weight again?

We'll see if I figure those out this next week.

TTFN

It's Been a Tough Week

This past week has been tough.  I think it's because when I step on the scale every day I sem to be losing and gaining the same 2 to 3 pounds.  I have hit a plateau. 

The most frustrating part is that most people just increase activity to get out of a plateau.  I can't do that due to the restrictions placed on me because of the foot injury.

Aargh!!!!  It isn't easy not being able to exercise!  It's not easy to eat the right things when you are at home all day and bored out of your skull! 

I need to figure this out and I just don't know how to do it.

Almost there

Weight Watchers weigh-in day--188.8--just 1.5 pounds away from 20 pounds lost.

I went shopping last night for a new pair of pants--everything I own is super loose.  Went to JC Penney--I love the clearance rack there.  Found a pair of pants in a size 16 that fit nice in the butt and hips and thighs but then the waist is a little loose.  I am soooooo happy---I was a snug size 20 when I started and now Im probably about 8 or 9 pounds away from a 14!!!
It felt good to buy something that fit and that I was comfortable wearing--and I only paid 10 bucks for them.

I am going to work hard this next week to try to get to that 20 pound mark.  I have been losing steadily but only lost 0.6 pound this week--although I was in a PMS kinda way too.  That never helps.  Last month I actually gained 1.4 pounds with the PMS and this month I still managed to lose.
I would really like to be at 180 for Easter--that would be so incredible.

Time for another re-fill on my water bottle.

Still hobbling around

Went to the doctor today--3 more weeks of crutches for this girl.  I got the new orthotics for my shoes (well, shoe and boot) and I need to wear the orthotic in my boot to support my foot as it heals.  Since I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot, the orthotic will help that also.

Sooooo--still no walking or exercise.  Minimal weight bearing is now allowed for short periods of time but I must still keep the boot on at all times and use the crutches to get around.

I figured this would take a while--gotta figur out how to be more productive while not beling able to get wround much.  Hmmmm...........I need a clone.

Here's to the next three weeks.

Inspiration

It sure is strange to find out that I have been an inspiration to other people.  In the past 2-3 weeks I have had about 3 people tell me that I am an inspiration to them and that they are joining or have joined Weight Watchers because they either read my blog or saw my posts on Facebook.  Go figure that.

On one hand I am surprised and on the other hand I am happy.  That's what I wanted to do--inspire other people to join me on my journey but I honestly didn't think anyone was even reading my blog.

So, here's to inspiration!  Let's toast it with a big glass of water!

Below 190!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so excited yesterday when I weighed-in at Weight Watchers.  I finally got below 190--189.4 pounds. Yesterday marked the beginning of week  8 for me.  6 of those 8 weeks I have lost weight.  Total weight loss is 17.8 pounds--nearly 3 pounds a week.  It's like a dream in a lot of ways.  Finally losing weight.  People noticing that I am losing weight.  Clothes that were too snug now starting to hang too lose.  Loosing inches and pounds. Resisting the urge to go buy new clothes for fear that I will just gain the weight back.

My husband tells me that I look thinner but I just don't "feel" it yet--emotionally, mentally I still think and act "fat". I am slowly learning to change that thinking but it is not easy.  I see differences--lost inches and pounds, clothes that hang loosely on my body, thinner face--but don't feel them yet.  I do physically feel better--I find that the mental and emotional hurdles are a lot bigger challenges than the physical ones are.

Sometimes I find myself wondering if I will ever be able to get rid of the negative stuff associated with being overweight--but I know that I must overcome it in order to reach my goal.

Unbelievable!!!

Weight Watchers weigh-in day Friday brought a very pleasant surprise--I lost 5.2 pounds for a total of 16 pounds since January 28th.  I was pretty giddy about that one.

It was not an easy week with being sick.  16 pounds puts me just 4 pounds away from losing 10% of my weight.
That is exciting.

I wish I could tell you why I lost 5 pounds in one week.  It wasn't that I was super good, that's for sure.  My hubby's birthday was the 16th and I splurged on cake for that day.  Tuesday I went out to lunch with a friend and while I didn't go crazy, I did eat more than I had planned on eating.

I am taking a couple of different supplements that I read about in Woman's World magazine--cinnamon,
L-carnitine and acai.  The cinnamon works to stabilize blood sugars and the l-carnitine and acai help curb hunger.Other than the supplements,  the only other thing I did consistently was to drink LOTS of water every day.  I have a water bottle that holds 3 cups of water--I fill it 4-5 times a day.  Water is great for flushing your system but it also helps to fill you up.  Drinking water before meals helps you to eat less.

I ate chinese food last night and still managed to lose a half a pound.  Go figure!

Now that I can see 190 pounds looming in the not too distant future, I am really motivated even more.  When I look back at December 2010 when I hit my all time high of 215 pounds, I can see that I am healthier now.  I feel better and am learning to like who I see in the mirror.  My clothes are much looser and my jeans barely stay up now.  I am putting off buying clothes until I get down to probably 170.  I hate the thought of buying new clothes only to shrink out of them.  What a waste of money.  I probably will buy jeans though because I live in my jeans and the ones I am wearing now practically fall off.

Here's to 190 coming up.

This is Not Fun

So, I have been down with a cold since Monday and today is the first day that I have felt semi-human.  My husband came home from work last Friday feeling cruddy and he obviously passed it on to me--gee thanks honey.  Sleeping on the couch is getting old.  I am hoping that both my hubby and I feel well enough to sleep in the same room tonight.

On the bright side though, is the fact that I have actually been losing weight this week.  I don't even know why.  It is encouraging.  I am hoping to see a 15 pound loss tomorrow at Weight Watchers.  I would be so happy.

Tomorrow is one week since the doctor put me on crutches.  I am acutely aware of what life with a physical challenge is like.  Everything is affected--grocery shopping, driving, parking lots, "walking".  I am learning how to use the electric carts at the store (boy do I get some looks too--looks like "why the heck are YOU using THAT").  It is interesting to say the least.  I must say that I have a better understanding of the difficulties faced everyday by people with long-term or lifetime challenges.  It sucks.  I am amazed at the lack of awareness in some stores.  Displays placed so close together that it is nearly impossible for a person in an electric cart to get close to displays to look at clothing or shoes or just about anything.  It's sad really.

Here's to hoping that I reach my 15 lb milestone.

Can It Get Any Tougher???

Boy have I had better days (and worse ones too)!

Friday brought quite an avalanche of emotions down on me.

Weight Watchers weigh-in day.  It has not been a good week--weight is up 1.8 pounds.  Okay--I can manage this.  After all, I am going to the doctor today to hopefully get this stupid boot off of my foot--right??  Then I can start walking again and burn more calories.  Right??

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!  Guess what???  Now, I am on crutches (turns out I should have been on crutches from the beginning and not using my foot at all--smile and don't say anything negative about the first doc who saw you).  What was thought to be a minor two week inconvenience is now an additional 3 week long major interruption.  I cannot work for three weeks and before I can go back to work, I have to see the doctor at the end of three weeks and see if he will release me to go back to work.  I am limited to two hours a day up on my feet.  Walking boot and crutches at all times (shower excepted).

Turns out that I would have been better off if I had simply broken the foot--breaks heal relatively quickly. Ligaments, on the other hand, do not heal so quickly.  YAY me (sarcasm intended).

So now what do I do??  I am injured, on crutches, unable to work out and not losing weight because I can't workout.  AARRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now home all day every day for the next 3 weeks with a lot of food and nothing to do.  This could be a recipe for disaster.  They say idle hands are the devil's workshop but I don't think that whomever coined that phrase was on Weight Watchers and restricted to crutches.  My hands aren't the problem, my head and mouth are the problem.

I have got to figure out how to "get my head in the game".  I am not in a good place mentally or emotionally right now and for me, that leads to eating problems.  I don't want to undo all of my hard work from the past 5 weeks but my head tells me I deserve a snack because I am in pain (you know what I'm talking about here).  Gotta stop listening to my head--easier said than done.

Hang on folks, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Where Did Last Week Go

Well--last week was a blur and I just realized that I never did any blogging.  I guess if I'd had a spare minute, I could have.  It started out withworking the weekend, cleaning house Monday and Tuesday, Kyle getting the call Tuesday that he got the job at Walmart so clothes shopping for him Tuesday night, working Wednesday and Thursday, the youth group having to meet here Wednesday night, worship team rehearsal on Thursday (again at our house), Friday and Saturday we had house guests, Sunday church, Sunday  night church leadership meeting at our house from 5pm to 9 pm, leadership meeting Monday all day, home group Tuesday, hubby doctor appointment Wednesday, kids youth group Wednesday night (at the school instead of our house, and now here I am Thursday morning.

Back to Weigh-in last week.  194.6 pounds.  Pretty good loss after gaining pre-menstrual weight.

Now if only I had been good all weekend and this week, I'd be in really good shape but.........I wasn't and I have gained a couple of pounds--ugh!

I am really battling discouragement because of this stupid foot injury.  I find that my foot hurts more now and I a heading off to the doctor tomorrow to get it re-evaluated.  We will see what he says.

I need to learn how to cope with stress in a better way.  Walking was a stress reliever for me but since I can't do that right now, I find myself making poor food choices to cope with the stress.  Gotta figure this out so I can get back to losing weight instead of treading water.

All Things Considered

Whew!  Friday is weigh in at Weight Watchers.  I was dreading today.  After everything that has happened this week (falling and injuring my foot and a major case of PMS), I was expecting to have a huge weight gain.

I stepped on the scale with much trepidation and waited for the number to register--then realized it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected--I only gained 1.4 pounds!!  I was expecting 4 or 5 pounds.

So I'm not as far behind the eight ball I I thought I would be--yay!

No the real test for me is staying on track and finding some sort of exercise to do that doesn't involve standing on my feet.

The other issue is that I am pretty painful all over from the fall on Wednesday and I'm supposed to spend lot's of time with my foot iced and elevated.  My butt is sore from sitting/lying around with my foot up.

Tomorrow and Sunday will be a test as well--12 hours on my feet with the boot on and feeling like a sloth with every step.  I weighed the boot--2 1/2 pounds!!  No wonder it feels like a workout every time I take a step.

Here's to hoping I can post a 2-3 pound weight loss by next Friday.

A Big Setback

Well--today I slipped and fell at home and managed to sprain my right foot pretty badly.  I cannot walk on it and must wear a walking boot for at least the next two weeks.  It needs to be iced and elevated for the next two days. 

This is such a huge bummer for me.  I had just started walking consistently 3 times a week and now this will set me back for probably three weeks, maybe more.  UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

It's hard at this point to not be very discouraged.  I have been trying really hard all week and yet I am gaining weight because of PMS and I know that weigh in on Friday will not go well.  I need to figure out how to not let this overwhelm me and cause me to just give up.

Week 4 Already??!!

Four weeks ago I set up this blog (although I don't think anyone reads it).  I am now 10.8 pounds thinner and have 66.2 pounds to go.  I now am beginning to feel that I can really do this.  The first couple of weeks were HARD but it is getting better.  I still crave sweets and am learning to not listen to those cravings.  The Weight Watchers meetings have been great.  I finally settled on the Friday morning group that meets at 10 am.  That way I can get up, work out and go to my meeting.

I have begun exercising more consistently and boy does my butt hurt.  Three days this week I went walking.  I logged almost 6 miles so far--quite an accomplishment for this mom.

I am looking at possibly training to jog a 5K in the fall.  I should have about 50 pounds off by then.  Just gotta find the right race.

I don't think I look all that different yet.  People probably won't notice until I have lost 25 pounds--that's a while off, but I'm not doing this for them, I'm doing it for me and for my family.

My hubby and I are going out for dinner tonight--part of me wants to just go crazy, but then I would feel terrible.  I will be good and tomorrow I will go on a longer walk.

So far, so good.  Thanks Kim Komando for the jump start!!

Catching Up

Was busy all weekend working so no blog postings.  Today was Valentine's Day and I was busy making a good, healthy dinner for my family--well, the cupcakes weren't healthy, but everything else was.

I have signed up for Johathan Roche's NEWO (No Excuses Work-out).  I used a Plum District deal to get half-off a 1 year subscription.  He encourages you to move every day--even if it's just 15 minutes.  I can do that!!

I walked my daughter to school this morning and then kept walking--logged 1.14 miles.  It felt so good to be outside in the crisp air.

After my walk, I was busy all day cooking and cleaning.  I felt that I had more energy after the walk and it really seemed to help me throughout the day.

I am also remembering to drink my water and take my medications.

Busy day tomorrow and Wednesday.  Thursday I have to get crown build-up work done at the dentist.  Hope things go well with that.

I should get myself to bed soon.

Weigh-In

Week 2 Weight Watchers weigh in--5.8 pounds lost for a total of 10 pounds.

I am really excited.  This was my second goal and I have met it.  It feels so good to be setting goals and achieving them.  I think that I will go out a buy the next size down jeans to keep hung up in my bedroom as a motivator for the next 10 pounds.

The hardest part for me now is consistent work outs.  I am working to find something that I will do regularly and not get tired of.

I'm looking into something to use on our Wii or PS3.  In a perfect world, we would have an X-Box 360 with Kinect and Your Shape Fitness.  But this world isn't perfect and I need to figure out something else.

10 pounds--I can't believe I hit that goal already--pinch me I must be dreaming.

Finally!!

I finally went under 200 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Surprisingly I lost weight from morning to evening--that is unusual.

This was my first goal and now that I have reached it I need to set a new one.I know my goals can't be too huge or else I will get discouraged..  I am thinking that just aiming for 5 pounds at a time will be good.

I am looking forward to my weigh- in on Friday.  My official WW loss won't be as much, but if I can get to under 200 at the WW weigh-in, I will be overjoyed!

Let's see what happens between now and Friday!!

Monday, Monday

Today was......difficult.  I felt like crap all day long--migraine headache, upset stomach, generally didn't want to be out of bed but what do you do when you have to be at work?  And that Curves workout??  Didn't happen--when you wake up nauseated with a headache, you don't work out--at least I don't.

As I type this, my headache is finally subsiding (thank God)!

I didn't feel much like eating today, so I finished the day way under on my calories.

One thing I am forcing myself to do is drink water like a camel.  I have always found that drinking plenty of water is crucial in weight loss.  It's a difficult thing to do when I'm at work, but I am taking two water bottles to work with me so that I have it at my fingertips all the time.

I am hoping that this water weight will come off by tomorrow morning--I finally got my blood pressure medication going again--silly me for leaving it at work,

The other thing I am going to TRY to do is to get to bed before 11:00 pm each night.  It is fairly well documented that people who get less sleep gain more weight so it makes sense to get some more shut eye.

That being said--goodnight!

What a Weekend

Well--I love entertaining and we had a great Super Bowl party here, but getting ready for the big game was exhausting.  Cleaned house all day Saturday and prepped food Saturday evening.

I was disappointed that even though I was pretty careful about what I ate I posted a 3 lb weight GAIN Sunday morning.  UGH!!!  I drank lots of water Sunday and then realized that I hadn't taken my blood pressure medication for 3 days--it is a diuretic--DUH!!!  I will remember to take the medication Monday morning (I left it at work) when I get to work.

All in all though, I ate pretty well this weekend.  Saturday was good, especially dinner--roasted chicken, broccoli and rice--I measured all my portions to make sure that I wasn't over-estimating.

Today we had a mexican buffet for the Super Bowl party and I was careful about what I ate--more protein--but I did allow myself to have 4 Red Vines and 3 cookies.

Back at it hard tomorrow morning--going to Curves again before work to try out the circuit again.  I really like the circuit training but wonder if it will become boring.  I have until the end of the week and then I will go try out Gold's Gym and see what they are like.

I want to do better at eating more veggies--wasn't that good about that last week but was hindered by having to eat soft foods for 5 days.  Even today I didn't have anything really difficult to chew and I still have pain on the left side where I got the root canal.

Let's see where this week takes me.

Week 2 Begins

Well--official weigh in at Weight Watchers was 4.2 pounds--I am pretty happy with that.  I will be super happy when I get below the 200 pound mark.  That is currently my goal.

I went to Curves today and tried them out.  I found a pass on-line for a free week.  The workout was good and it got my heart rate up.  I think I'm going to try out some other places that have free week passes and try to find something that fits with my work schedule.

I know I could just walk or try to work out at home (I will do some of that) but I am so out of shape and flabby that I need something more structured and sort of regimented.

On the upside--I felt pretty good after the workout which surprised me.  I thought I would be more tired.

My biggest worry now is Super Bowl Sunday.  We will have a house full of people and LOTS of food.  This will be a big test for me--all that food and temptation to eat what I shouldn't.

Day 7--End of Week 1

Tomorrow I weigh in at Weight Watchers.  I will get up early and go to the 7:00 am meeting. The director of the WW here suggested that I try out the early morning meeting because I might like the leader better.

I will also be going to Curves for a free workout to see what it is like.  I don't know what to expect.  We'll see.

Today was better pain wise but I still can't chew on the left side of my mouth so I am still on super soft foods and liquids--scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, applesauce--getting kinda old but this too will pass.

More tomorrow after I weigh in and workout.

Day 6--After the Root Canal

Today was hard--I had to work 12 hours and it was difficult eat because of the pain from the root canal.  This will probably help me lose a little more weight this week.

I am also cold all the time--I've read that is because I have cut back on my calories and my body is burning fat.

I hope that the pain from the root canal is better on Friday.

On the bright side, I am losing weight--probably water weight but still it is a loss.

Looking forward to Friday's weigh-in at Weight Watchers.

Day 5--What to eat when nothing sounds good

I woke up this morning and was hungry but nothing sounded good.  I know I SHOULD eat something but I really don't feel like eating anything I have in the house.  That's a problem, especially today because in 1 hour I will be having a root canal and will be unable to eat anything for hours afterwards.

I did have a glass of instant breakfast just to get something into my stomach so I could take my morning pills and vitamins.

Today may just have to be an "OFF" day for me--I won't go crazy but I think it will be mostly liquids for me today.

Wish me luck on the root canal.

Day 4--How Nice it Will Be

The past couple of days I have been thinking how nice it will be when I can post those after pictures of myself--you know the ones with the person at their goal weight holding the size HUGE pants that they wore when they started.  I am looking forward to being able to post those pictures.

It's going to take some time, but in the end, it will be worth it all.

To those of you who read this--say a prayer for my success.

Thanks--Vanessa

Day 3--I want CHOCOLATE!!!

I must say that knowing that I can't eat whatever I want whenever I want is a difficult thing--well I suppose I could eat that Snickers bar or the Oreo's but as much as I want it, I must keep the bigger goal in mind.  I am learning portion control and making myself choose wisely when I eat.  It's not easy--pancakes and bacon scream to me at breakfast time but ultimately they won't be nearly as satisfying as weighing 130 pounds and finally feeling good and living a healthy lifestyle.

I hope that the cravings for the sweets decreases.  This has been my biggest downfall.

I have to believe that it will get easier--my heart tells me it will.

I found a site that creates a virtual model of me at my current weight and my goal weight--pics included below.  I think I will use these as motivation.

Current weight of 207

Goal weight of 130

Day 2--Can You Say "HUNGRY"

My hunger level was off the charts today--almost as soon as I was done eating breakfast, I was hungry again.

My body is adjusting to eating a healthy amount of calories and is not all that happy about it.

I made good choices today and feel pretty good overall.  I was on my feet a lot today at work so I think I burned a few calories there.

I am hoping that it doesn't take more than a couple of days to get through the constant hunger though--otherwise it's gonna be a rough week

Day 1--Here We Go

First WW meeting went well--official starting weight 207.2 pounds--wow, how did I get here??

The meeting went well--lots of people there--I had no idea there were so many people on WW out there.  About 4 men at the meeting too.

They are all nice and very upbeat and supportive.  I received a couple of free items from the director of the WW facility.  She was so excited to meet me and hear the story of how I won the contest on the Kim Komando Show.

So the journey begins...one day at a time, one baby step at a time, one positive thought at a time.

Tomorrow It Begins

Welcome to my blog.  I am going to blog my weight loss journey.  A week ago I won a contest on Kim Komando's website.  I entered, thinking I didn't have a chance to win.  The contest, sponsored by Carbonite,   involved New Year's resolutions and getting help achieving that resolution.  My resolution is to lose weight--80 pounds of weight--before my daughter's wedding next year.

For years, I have struggled with my weight--up and down--up and down.  My health is starting to suffer and I must make changes.

Tomorrow I will attend my first Weight Watcher's meeting.  That is part of the prize package I got from Kim--a one year WW membership.

I weighed myself this morning--207.6 pounds.  I am, frankly, appalled and ashamed.  How could I do this to myself?  How could I allow myself to get to this place?

It's been a long journey to where I am right now and it will not be easy getting back to a healthy place.  But I know I need to do this--for myself and for my family and for the grandchildren that I will one day hold.

So...come along with me on this journey back to health.