Second Week Update...

I think I'm becoming a recluse. It was all I could do yesterday to talk myself into going off the mountain to run my errands. I don't know why, because I really don't mind it after I'm out and about, actually I enjoy it. I just hate leaving the house. Boy if I could get my groceries delivered through the Internet I'd sure do it. It was pouring down the rain but it was the only window I had without snow in the forcast and just in case the snow gets high I wanted to have provisions in the house. Snow is predicted every day next week. 'Course I think the National Weather Service does that so they won't look so bad if it doesn't and they didn't tell people about it, because so far they've been wrong about the ice storms they have predicted the past couple of weeks.

I was so proud of myself yesterday. I had breakfast before I went and didn't even contemplate stopping for a goodie in town. Just fixed myself a bowl of Taco Soup as soon as I got home. Calories were 1361 yesterday and I burned 585 calories in my exercise. That's another 6 days in a row! (Today is my planned day of rest.) Those of you that have been with me from this summer can pick yourselves up off the floor now. Me, the person that was so excited about starting exercising and quiting after 2 days. Remember, that happened quite a few times this summer? But here I was last evening wishing I had a treadmill so I could get on it and get some walking in! So, how often should I measure the body parts? I've never worried about it before because I've known that it takes a long time to shed inches not exercising but now...

Since I started this 6 Week Challenge I've dropped 5.5 pounds (as of last Wednesday). I've eaten an average of 1467 calories per day and burned an average of 291 calories per day. I've worked myself up from 10 minutes of exercise to 33 minutes in these past 2 weeks. And I've set my HRM to beep when I'm out of my calorie burn range and try to stay in it as long as possible. So far I've stayed in that range for 20 minutes the past couple of days. The DVD I'm doing has a warm up and a cool off song so that accounts for about 5 minutes of that time not in the calorie burn range. My plans are to continue this DVD for another week or maybe two (haven't decided yet) and then switch to the second one, which is supposed to be a little tougher.

Off to read your blogs. I didn't do that yesterday so it will probably take me a while. Have a great Sunday.

PS: I got a comment from Mother Hubbard and have gone to her blog. It is great! You'll want to check it out. But...for some reason it won't let me comment. So this is to Mother Hubbard, check your settings because I really want to comment and become a friend in this blogland.

20/20 Vision NOT...

Boy you guys need to get your eyes examined. I think you should pick up the phone immediately and call for an appointment. That was not a good picture of me! It was a horrible picture of me! And it's all Karen's fault! I even contemplated taking a picture of myself in a smaller shirt that I'm trying to get down to so that it will fit well (like she did), but I haven't yet and even if I do I surely WON'T publish it. Or at least not until it fits well and then maybe I'd do a before and after. Maybe.

Went a little over on my calories yesterday but it "all came out in the wash" with the calories I burned. So do I decide to count that as a good calorie day or a bad one? Guess I'll have to think on that one awhile. Okay I just looked at the reports and with the exercise and going a little over I still had calories left over that I could have eaten. So I'll count that as a good calorie day. YAY!

I can't figure out why I'm still on a high about losing this last 30+ pounds but I am. I'm trying to remember back to when I started and how long it took me to get fed up with it. Just looked back at a chart I've been keeping of my weekly losses (and gains) and my first zero was at the end of 6 weeks then my first gain was 10 weeks from then. Well, I'm determined to not let all that get to me again. Oh, I'll have some weeks without a loss and I'll have some weeks with a gain (heaven forbid but it will happen), but I WON'T let it get me down again. Sure hope I can stick to that promise.

Finished reading the book "Duma Key" by Stephen King last night. It was a really good one. It didn't get weird until about half way through and got really weird about 3/4 way through it. It was the old SK in good form. So if you like that genre, I'd recommend it for sure. Right now I'm trying to decide if I want to read a Nicholas Sparks or a mystery. Will let you know.

Hope you all have a great weekend! TGIF!

Exercise YAY...

Another good day yesterday with exercise. I really didn't want to exercise at all but I made myself and burned 545 calories. I've been doing 4 songs on the DVD and added another one last night. And this time I was sweating. I don't like to sweat! I'm allergic to sweat! But it felt good. Eating was phenomenal, only 1180 calories. Now before you all go ballistic on me I know that was low especially with the calorie burn during the exercises but I was satisfied and my body told me that it didn't want any thing more. I'll try to do better in the future, and think about adding some peanut butter or something when it is that low.

My favorite song on the DVD (Sweatin' to the Oldies) is "Wipe Out." It really gets me moving and I love the dance steps he puts with it. I would have given almost anything to have had someone here with a camera on the cool down song. I have to get on the floor and do stretches and my dogs think that I'm getting in the floor to be with them. They were all over and around me. I just kept kissing them and telling them that they needed to stretch too, but they wouldn't do it.

It's snowing again. Took a little nap yesterday and when I woke up there was snow! I haven't' been looking at the weather reports so it was a surprise to me. It has continued off and on since then and we have about 2 inches with another 2 predicted for today. That's cool, just so it doesn't get to a foot, I'm good. And if it does I'm good to go anyway. I might not have all the things in the house that I really like to have but I won't starve either.

I had recorded DietTribe from Sunday and watched it yesterday. I like it a lot more than Biggest Loser. It is much more realistic and you go away with the same feelings of wanting to exercise and realizing that everyone out there has the same problems as I do. Of course, I already knew that because of YOU.

I'm still giving some thought into buying myself a treadmill. The more I watch these diet shows the more I want one. Do you have any suggestions as to the best brands? I'd want one that would record all the stats, in other words one that has all the bells and whistles. Before I decide to definitely get one I'd have to rearrange my living room to see if I'd have a place to put it. Don't want it setting in the middle of the floor. I just don't have another room to put it in since all I have is one bedroom. And I'd want it where I could watch TV while doing it so I wouldn't get bored.

I can't believe it's Thursday already. Gee, how time flies.

Update and Some Ramblings...

One more pound down and only 30.5 to go!!! YAY!! I burned over 400 calories in my workout yesterday too. YAY! I'm so anxious to see if next week I will be into new numbers! I haven't seen the 170's in over 20 years. That will be so kewl.

Now, I won't be stepping on the scales again until Wednesday. Well I may sneak a peak on Saturday since that is the day I started with this new web site and they have me down as that being my weigh-in day but none other than that. Maybe.

I watched Biggest Loser last night for the first time. I haven't watched it before because two of my favorite evening shows came on at the same time and my tivo wouldn't let me tape 2 and watch another one. I can tape 2 but have to be watching one of them. Anyway, I digress. I'm a tad confused with the show. It was interesting and it made me want to get up right in the middle of it and get more exercise into my day but... Aren't we all about losing this weight slowly so that it won't come back on? Aren't we all about changing our lifestyles? How is the way these people are being put through hell and encouraged to lose mega pounds per week going to really help them in the long run? How are they going to LEARN to be healthy? I just don't understand. I WILL probably watch it again next week and maybe I'll find out the answers to my questions if I continue to watch it.

No ice storm today like predicted, just rain. Thank goodness! I still don't think I will be running errands today because I didn't have it planted in my mind to do it and when it comes to running errands I almost have to talk myself into it. But I will have to do it before the week is over because I'm running out of Brussels sprouts. :o) I just love them and they are one of my favorite snacks in the evenings. :o)

Happy Hump Day y'all.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire...

Okay, so I lied. Well, I didn't exactly lie but I couldn't stick to the plan I had for yesterday. But I didn't do too badly either. I added another vegetable, another piece of toast (one just wasn't enough for breakfast), a cup of Taco soup for lunch and a light Quaker Granola bar and some peanuts (just need something salty in the evening). All in all it came out to be 1526 calories and I burned 355 calories with my exercise. So I feel pretty good about the day. In other words I took your advice and ate what I needed to not be hungry and give my body the fuel it needed.

Today is another day, and I won't be posting what my eating plans are here but I will let you know tomorrow how it went. After finishing up here I will be looking over my eating for the past week and a half and see what I had on the days I did well, that helped with the loss and try to do that again.

I didn't get the Taco soup made Sunday as I had mentioned 'cause I just got lazy. I have the stuff out on the counter right now to make a pot of Chili since I noticed that there isn't any left in the freezer. Just don't like to run out of my "staples." Living alone makes me lazy about cooking for just me so it helps to have the "staples" in the freezer when I just don't feel like cooking. When I began this journey I would buy the WW and Lean Cuisine dinners but I didn't really like them. My cooking is much better so I started making my own goodies for the freezer.

I've had several new people visiting and commenting on my posts recently and am thrilled that others are finding me and helping out with the support that I so direly need. Thanks so much for your support and comments. I will be adding them to my blog roll sometime today if I haven't already done so. So a message to my "old" friends, check them out, they are neat people!

Hang in there blog-buds, we can make this a stellar year if we want too.

Crash & Burn...

Yesterday was a pretty good day. Ate well. Didn't get exercise in but it was Sunday so I decided that'd be my day of rest. Then came the evening. ARGH!!! I wasn't hungry and I had NO will power. I started and couldn't stop. I started with peanuts and then graduated to the chips that I hated and had hidden on the back of the fridge. Well, those old friends are in the trash now. Couldn't do that last night but did this morning. Friends like that I don't need, for sure.

Looking back, I'm thinkin' it was the scale yesterday morning that did it. That pound that showed back up must have been in the back of my mind. I had done so well all week and up it popped. That's why I vowed to stay off the scales and here I went and back slid. Well, that's behind me in more ways than one. What's done is done. The only thing I can do is follow my own advice (that I have so freely handed out in comments here and there), just put it behind me and quit thinking about it. I won't beat myself up about it because it will only make me miserable and not get me back in the swing of things. As a matter of fact, I've learned over the past year and a half + that dwelling on it only makes me want to continue on a destructive path and once on that path it is terribly hard to get off it.

So here's what I will be eating today: (and only this)

Breakfast: (268 calories)
2 soft boiled eggs
1 slice Light Wheat toast
1 teaspoon light butter
1 cup coffee with milk and splenda

Lunch: (255 calories)
1 ounce cheese
1 slice pumpernickel bread
1 tablespoon light mayo

Dinner: (315 calories)
1 grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast
2 cups Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon honey/mustard dip (homemade)

Dessert: (106 calories)
1 cup fat/free sugar/free Watergate salad

Snack: (80 calories)
1 cup Brussels sprouts

Water: (throughout the day)
64 ounces

That gives me a total of 1040 calories for the planned eating. I know there isn't enough fruits and veggies (or calories since I should have 1200) in there so I will probably add celery and craisins if I need something else to eat in between meals or late at night. I really need to do this today. Say a little prayer for me. I need all the help I can get right now.

Plans, What Plans?...

The best laid plans of mice and men...

Was planning out my week when I stopped in at NOAA (the National Weather Service) and saw that Wednesday is bringing freezing rain/snow. Oh, well, I guess I won't make it to the dump on an open day this week. (They are only opened on Wed and Sat.) I guess I'll shoot for Saturday then. I guess the old adage is true: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

Did "okay" yesterday with my eating. Went a little over what I wanted too, but still within my calorie range for the day. Got my exercise in as well. Then hopped on the scales this morning and found that I'm up 1 pound from weigh-in on Wednesday. Piffle-snot-boogers-crap! Guess it's back to baked or grilled "chicken" for a few days :o( And I only have 2 cups of Taco Soup left in the freezer. So today I'll probably make a pot. That has become a staple in my house. I feel like my cupboards are bare if I don't have some in reserve. It's so easy to pop a frozen container of it in the microwave when I can't think of anything else I want to eat (cause I always want that).

Did you see the comment from Cammy yesterday? She said I exercised more that her last week! Tee-hee. (And you thought I'd let it slide and not rub it in, Cammy.) But actually she was being kind and encouraging. I'm sure she still exercised more than me, maybe just not as many days as I did, since I tend to get too winded after only 20 minutes or so to continue. But for me 20 minutes is a great accomplishment. Actually yesterday was only 18 minutes but I was dripping wet with sweat when I finished. I've been experimenting a little with my HRM and find that I burn more calories if I keep the exercise in the moderate range instead of going gang-busters. So moderate it shall be. It's been so long since I exercised consistently that I've forgotten some of the bells and whistles on my HRM, so I'm getting the little book out today to reread it. And this time I'll be making notes (since the print is so small and the eyes so old) on how to turn certain functions off and on.

Have a great Sunday out there in blogland.

A Good Week and a Recipe...

Yesterday was the end of the first week of the 6 Week Challenge I started with some others over at Katschi's blog. I started a little late but Karen said I could, so there. As you can see by the report on my side bar I did pretty good. Can you believe it? I actually exercised 6 out of 7 days! That's a first for me!

Staying within my calorie range was a tough one this past week. I went to bed several nights hungry. Mostly because I stayed up too late. I was really wanting something sweet so I'd have a cookie and fixed myself a cup of hot tea with sugar free syrup in it on those nights and guess the caffeine in the tea kept me up. I figured that one out last night and had a cup of hot chocolate made with soy milk instead. It was almost as good and didn't keep me up 'til all hours. Actually it was a little too sweet. Next time I try it I'll only use a half envelope of the chocolate mix and see how that goes.

I still used my weigh-in day (Wednesday) to have a little splurge for lunch but counted the splurge into my calories and ate more sensibly the rest of the day and that worked out fine. I used to use Wednesdays as my splurge meal and not pay any attention to the rest of the day and would go over what I was supposed to. And some Wednesdays I just may slip back into that too but I will try not to.

I started keeping a folder with my print-outs in it. I've been printing out detailed reports on what I'm eating daily and the final reports of how I did. It makes for about 4-6 pages a day. I'm only doing this for the 6 weeks challenge then I'll stop. I may still print out the final report to keep track and that is only 2 pages. But I figured this would be another way for me to keep track of what and how I'm doing. This way if I start feeling a little complacent I can grab the folder and look back at what I was doing and what worked well and get myself back on track.

I tried a new recipe this week that I just kinda made up and it was so delicious. I made enough for 4 meals and spread them out over the week (a couple for lunch and a couple for supper). I boiled 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, then boiled a half a package of 12 oz. noodles in the broth. I poured all the broth down the drain and then added a package of frozen fordhook green Lima beans and 2 tablespoons of light butter. Yummmmm. Course I love Lima beans but you could use any veggies that you adore. Mine came out to be:

473 calories
12.9g total fat
46.8g carbs
5.8g fiber
1.5g sugar
37.5g protein
134g cholesterol

I know that is a little high in fat but with my other eating it worked out just fine. And I figure the Lima beans were a little on the high side too, so that probably accounted for most of it. But I do LOVE Lima's.

Hope your week was as productive as mine. If not, get your rear in gear, friends. If this old gal can do it (living alone without any support) so can you.

Reflections on 2008...

I've been reading all your blogs reflecting on 2008 and thought to myself that I should do that too, not for you, for me. Cara's the one that really got me to thinking about my ups and downs and I need to voice them to get them out of my system.

I left 2007 behind weighing 209. It took me 6 months to shed 40 pounds to get to that point. I didn't look at the stats then or even give them much thought. And I think that was the wrong way of looking at the life of becoming slimmer and healthier. So that mistake won't be made again this year.

I got complacent in 2008. I guess I figured that first 40 pounds came off so easily that the rest would be easy too. Boy did I ever get a rude awakening. "The proof is in the pudding," so they say because I just looked back on my stats and found that in a whole year of 2008 I only lost 27.5 pounds. What? Why only 27.5 pounds? Because I got too sure of myself. I got too proud. I got too bored. I got sick of skinless/boneless chicken.

By March I'd only lost ~10 pounds. Then I discovered YOU! Cara kept telling me that it was awesome to blog and find out that there are others out there that have the same struggles I have. I balked at first and told her I had nothing to say and finally gave in and found out that there are people out there in this wide, wide world that struggle just like me (well, not JUST like me but struggle just the same). Without YOU I probably would have given up and quit this journey to one-derland (to borrow a word from Charlie). YOU have given me strength! Without YOU I would be a lonely, lonely old lady (and I use that word loosely). YOU have gotten me through these last 9 months!

Oh, I still stumbled and I even fell on my rump a time or two, but because of YOU I got back up and dusted off my rear and got back on the horse. Because of YOU I have discovered that I can do it! Mostly because I've watched some of you stumble and fall as well. Your inspirations and lives that you have shared with me have given me strength to start the new year with a positive attitude and a new outlook on life.

So, that's my New Years Resolution. I won't get complacent with this journey. Oh, I'm sure I'll stumble a time or three and probably fall some along the year, but.......I won't give up.

The highlights of my 2008 are YOU! Thank all of YOU for sticking by me. Thank all of YOU for reading the ramblings of an old chick! Thank all of YOU for commenting and trying to encourage me! Thank all of YOU for sharing your piece of this world! Thank all of YOU for being YOU!!!

Did you know that YOU are awesome?