The Blog is on Facebook!

I had been contemplating a facebook page for the blog, and this morning I decided to do it! 

https://www.facebook.com/heathersjourneythroughlife

Go like it! Right now it is just my sisters, mom and one friend (hi Jordan!).

My older sister didn't know about the blog. My younger sister is a committed reader-usually she has read a post before I tell her there is a new one and my mom has read it occasionally.

The support I've gotten just from my oldest sister today has been overwhelming. Maybe I just need more real life support? My mom sent me a text after liking the page and it said "You can do this, Heather".  I have ton's of support from the WW boards, but maybe I need the people around me routinely to know that I'm on this journey? I can't decide if I want to share it on my personal facebook or not. I would say 75% of me does, but the other 25% is having self-esteem issues. I don't like failing and I don't like people seeing me fail. I think that is what is stopping me. But what if the support from "real life" people is what I need? I can't decide. I think I'm going to give it a few days to brew.

But for real, go like the page!

Back Into a Routine

I usually am never a fan of Mondays. This is intensified for Mondays after a long weekend. I'm struggling to be productive today!

I thoroughly enjoyed my long weekend. It was nice having nothing to worry about. I was lazy and gladly admit to it. I enjoyed spending time with family. It was very low key. Friday, my parents went out for the day (literally). They were gone from about 10 am until about 7 pm. I enjoyed my quiet time! I may have taken two naps on Friday while they were gone. And they were glorious! Saturday my sister and I went out for a mexican lunch and to see Breaking Dawn Part 2. Yes I am still very much a teenage girl when it comes to both the books and movies. I just love them! I have to say, I really liked this movie. I won't give away spoilers in case there are readers that haven't seen it yet (and are planning on it), but Oh.Em.Gee at the ending.

And on Saturday I switched cell providers (read: I joined my mom's family plan) and got an iPhone 5 (what apps do I need)? It will save me about $60 per month (I'll be paying her for my added line). I love that they can keep your original number when you switch now! And yesterday was spent playing catch up on laundry and doing homework for this week.

This is the last week of my current class. my next class is Marketing and it starts next Monday.


And now I need to get back OP. I don't have a relationship with water anymore so I'm reforming that today. Same goes for fruits and veggies. I did step on the scale (I totally failed at that not weighing until December 1st thing, but came close) and it was only up 0.4 on Friday, but my eating wasn't great over the weekend, so we will see what the scale says tomorrow..

Speaking of weigh in's, I did take about 4 weeks off from the scale and it definitely helped. When I stepped on the first time, I was exactly the same as I was in October when I took the break. So I'm ok with that. I didn't gain! I will go back to normal scale tales posts tomorrow with a fresh mind and WI tracker.

How was everyone else's Thanksgiving? Are you struggling as bad as I am at being motivated today?

New Way to Track

So late last week I ordered a paper diet and exercise tracker. It is the DietMinder Personal Food and Fitness Journal. It can be seen here.

I've never tracked my food and activity by hand. I have always done it on the WW online tracker. My WW subscription is due to expire the beginning of December, and I haven't decided if I will renew it right away. I think I'm going to see how I do actually writing things down the next few weeks while tracking pp's with WW before I decide on my WW subscription.

First page (starting tomorrow). It tracks calories, fat, carbs, fiber and protein, and has a couple spots if you want to track something else.

Page 2 of day one. Has a spot for activity, vitamins and water intake.

I'm Thankful day 13

Today, I'm thankful for my health. Am I where I want to be, no. I still have a long way to go, but I can feel a difference in my activity levels and fitness. I'm thankful that I have no major health problems at this time. And I'm thankful that I decided to make the change in my health before I got even older. I definitely have a ways to go, but I'm thankful that I can do the things I can, and I look forward to being able to do more as I get healthier.

Source

New Workouts

So I mentioned that I have my workouts all planned out for the week in my morning post. And I do! Here is my google calendar for this week! And notice that in addition to today, I'm aiming for 2 more morning workouts, tomorrow and Thursday, a mid-morning on Saturday (maybe be afternoon since I have plans with my sister for the morning) and one after work on Friday.

So what are these workouts I have planned? Last week, I decided to invest in a 4 week personal training plan. If you follow Courntey at Sweet Tooth Sweet Life, you know what I'm talking about. And if you don't follow her blog, you totally should. She is a healthy living blogger and personal trainer and recently started virtual personal training. I've been slacking majorly the last couple months, so I decided to give it a shot. I spent the money, so I'm really going to put effort into this. I'm actually super excited about it. I was definitely sweating this morning after the first workout.

Sorry for the crappy phone pics...

Color Me Rad 5K!

Yes, I signed up for this. For the end of this month. Am I crazy? Probably. I'm not a runner. I don't like running, but I'm doing this with a wonderful friend and we are doing it just for fun. Not worried about times or the fact that most of it will be walked probably. I'm actually super excited!!



September Goals

I didn't make any formal goals for August. But I'm back for September.  August wasn't a great month. It was ok, but nothing great. I want to make September great!

1. 15 Workouts.  I'm at 2 after my dog show over the weekend.
2. Track everything. I took the last two weeks of August off from tracking. Mentally, I just needed the break. But I'm going to start tracking again.
3. Lose 5 lbs. I'm at -1.4 after today (starting with my WI from August 27th). I want to get out of the 250's this month, once and for all.

I'll check in with my goals weekly with my WI post on Mondays!

What's Your Motivation?

I've been asked a few times what my motivation is for my weight loss journey.  It is a topic of discussion quite often on the WW boards.

I have a list of reasons. Some are vain, most aren't. Vain for me is how I look. Non-vain for me comes from inward-how I feel. So I'm going to share my list with you.

• To walk into any store and know I can fit into their clothes.
• To look good naked.
• To be able to wear a bikini.
• To feel good about myself.
• To be confident in new and exciting situations.
• To not be afraid to try new activities.
• To be healthy. Diabetes and heart problems are prevelant in my family.
• To be comfortable in my own skin.
• To be more energetic
• To be happier and less stressed. 
• To be healthy for a future family I may have.

The list could go on, but those are the ones that pop into my head immediately. The main ones being about my health. I want to be healthy. For myself and for whatever the future holds in store for me. I want to have more energy. I want to be fearless. Right now my lack of confidence stops me from doing many things.

So, what's holding me back? Honestly, myself. The lowest weight I remember being was around 175, and that was 8th or 9th grade. The lowest I've been in my adult life is around 225. I have no idea what I'll look like at a healthy weight. No idea. I've never been there. I'm pretty sure I bypassed my healthy weight range in elementary school. I'm scared of the unknown. But I'm tired of letting my fear guide me through life. I want to be a success story, with a side-by-side comparison picture floating around pinterest (yes, I admitted that). I want to be a WW success story. I want to get to my goal weight and maintain it. Believe me, I know it's a long journey and full of ups and downs, but I know how much I want this now.

I'm slowly finding myself again. I'm 120% dedicated to doing this for me. I'm not doing this for a wedding, for a guy, for anyone else. I'm doing this for me. I'm tired of letting fear guide the way I live my life.

From this moment on, I'm putting everything I have into this journey.


What is your motivation? What, if anything, is holding you back from achieving goals?

Focusing on Me

The last couple of weeks, I've not been the greatest at focusing on me. I've not been horrible, just sort of meh.

This week, I decided that I'm damn tired of putting everyone else's needs in front of my own. Thanks to a WW boardie friend, I was introduced to heathlywage. I joined the 10% challenge. The rules state that I pay $100. If I lose 10% of my body weight, approximately 25 lbs, in 6 months, they pay me $200! I'm fairly cheap, so I don't want to lose my $100. I want it, plus some back! I just have to have my WW leader fax in a weight verification form to get my true starting weight.

My Zumba DVDs are supposed to be delivered Tuesday. I can't wait to get them! I will lose the 10%. I will.

I'm excited to really start focusing on me. I can honestly say that I've never done that. I am working on a plan for basically every aspect of my life. I'm going to really amp up the job search, I'm hoping in the Roanoke area, since it is near school, and it will have so many more opportunities. Depending on where I am next fall, I want to buy a house. That probably won't happen if I'm working in Roanoke, because that would include moving. But as long as I'm living at home, I'm keeping the house goal. And I will start making real progress towards getting to my goal weight. I've juggled the same five pounds for over a year, and I've reached my breaking point. I will do this.

June Wrap-Up

Personally, June was a great month for me!  Let's re-cap

The Goals:
1. WO 4-5 times a week. -I hit this one all but the 3rd week in June.
2. Lose 5-10 lbs. -I didn't hit this one, but I did lose 2.2 last month. Doesn't seem like much, but to me, it is success.
3. Track Everything. -Huge success. I have tracked 100% since June 4th!

I was by far more active this month than I have been in a long time. I found Zumba, and love it.  I feel so much better since I'm moving more!  I can tell a difference in how my clothes (some of them) are fitting. I saw a number on the scale this morning (an unofficial weigh in) and it made me super excited and motivated! 

I want to feel like this at the end of every.single.month. That is my goal. To start feeling good about myself!

I'll be back later today, hopefully, with some goals for July!

Goals Update

As promised, I'm tracking my June goals on a weekly basis.  So here's an update for June 4-10!

1. WO 4-5 times a week.  Check!  I got in some early in the week, then got sick and took a break. Thankfully this past weekend was a dog show weekend, and that gets me moving! 
2. Lose 5-10 lbs.  I'll update this one after my meeting tonight. So far, I'm up 1.2 for the month.
3. Track Everything. Check! I tracked everything last week, and have through lunch pre-tracked for today. 

I'm starting to get my mojo back. I had a couple of very lax weeks in May, but I feel motivated again!

And speaking of dog shows, my friend Jenny, who is a grandmom to the whippet puppies, won her first Best in Show yesterday!  I'm so thrilled for her!

June Already?

Seriously, where has the time gone?  Time for a May wrap-up and time to set some goals for June.

I didn't really set any goals for May, just to stay mostly on plan and make some progress. 
May Starting: 258.8
May Ending: 255.8
Difference: -3 lbs. 

I'll take it. I had 2 weeks of maintaining in there, so I'm ok with that.  I did count this week as a maintain, because I didn't have my meeting on Monday, due to the holiday.

I finally managed to take my measurements this morning.  I took them when I recommitted on April 16th, so about 6 weeks had passed. I had a few pair of pants that seemed to be fitting slightly better in places, so I was curious where my measurements stood.

Measurements on 4/16		Measurements on 6/1		Change
Arm: 17 inches		Arm: 16.25 inches		-0.25
Hips: 54 inches		Hips: 54 inches		0
Bust: 46 inches		Bust: 45 inches		-1
Waist: 39 inches		Waist: 38 inches		-1
Thigh: 33 inches		Thigh: 30.25 inches		-2.75

Total inches lost: -5.5

I'm thrilled with that number, and it gives me the motivation to make June a great month.  Speaking of June, lets get to some goals

1. Workout 4-5 times a week.
2. Lose 5-10 pounds
3. Track everyday

Anyone else have a good May?  What are your goals for June?

Learning Lessons

So, Tuesday after work I had to stop and grab a few things from the grocery store. But I went when I was feeling snacky and hungry.  Bad idea.  I ended up buying a bag of doritos (which I love and could eat a bag at once probably). I ate probably 3 servings while watching a little tv that night.  Which isn't the end of the world.  The problem being, I've been snacky ever since. Yesterday I couldn't get enough salty goodness in my mouth.

So today, I have healthy snacks, some fruits and veggies and a nice filling lunch with me.  Today won't be like yesterday was!  I'll turn this week around and end it on a good note!

A couple weeks ago my leader handed out some little slips of paper that said: "Remember, It's not how hard I fall....It's how high I bounce." I took a couple of them.  I just remembered this morning they were in my purse. One is now taped to my work computer screen, and I'm going to put the other one either in my car or somewhere at home.  This is a lifelong journey that I am tackling, not a month or even a year long one.  I'll have my ups and downs, I just have to remember that the downs don't define me, the ups do!

Activity!

So, I'm staying at Clayton's tonight, and he works 5p-2a, so I'm here alone.  I figured that I have absolutely no excuse not to get in some activity, so this morning I packed my tennis shoes, some workout attire and a DVD (BL Power Walk).  And I did it!  Only 20 minutes, but I burned a little over 200 calories.  This was the first activity points I'd gotten since February (I know, I know).  But I'm starting May off right!

Clayton also got some brownie points today.  He had flowers delivered to work for our anniversary.  So, I have him some brownies baking in the oven, and yes, I'll have one, and maybe take one for a desert tomorrow, but the rest is staying here!  Hopefully he'll have them gone by Saturday when I'm back down! 

Now off to watch the Biggest Loser Finale!

March Goals

How is it March already?  This year is flying by! 

Goals for March:
1. Lose 5 lbs
2. Workout 3-4 times a week
3. Start tracking better/consistently
4. Try 5 new recipes
5. Eat out 1 time per week

When I post the Scale Tales Monday, I'll post an update on the goals weekly, mainly the workouts, new recipes and eating out parts. 

Doctor Appointment Update

So I went this morning, of course it wasn't much fun, it is the Gyno afterall.  But a must every year. 

He is switching my pill, and hopefully that will fix the issues I've been having the last few months.  If it doesn't in 2-3 months, he'll have to run tests and do ultrasounds.  The new pill will work.

My blood pressure was really good 118/78, which is the best it's been the last few years.  +1 for me!  Even if the scale isn't moving much, my overall health is improving, so that is a huge victory.

And when he was feeling my stomach, he randomly asks if I've been working out.  I'm so taking that as he felt some muscle somewhere under there!  +1 for me, again! haha

Now to get some work done....I'm so glad it's Friday!

I'm not going to give up.

I've had a couple off days this week.  I've been a complete chocoholic this week, and can't tell you how many mini candies I've eaten.

When I leave work in 15 mins, I'm stopping by the dumpster in our parking lot and throwing them away. I don't need them and I'm not sure why I bought them. 

I haven't been active this week thus far either. I'm going to change that tonight and at least do a DVD.  I also called the YMCA in town to see if my parents membership was still active (I'm still on it, and my dad's company pays the membership fees), and it is. So I'm going to start utilizing it again. 

I refuse to let a few bad days get in my way this time.

Accountability

I've been doing some really hard thinking today (scary, I know).  I need new accountability.  I'm attempting this weight loss thing on my own at the moment.  On Mondays, I'm going to start posting my weights, not just loses, but my actual weight.  I'm actually going to start now by posting Mondays WI...

256.6

The highest I've been on a WI day was last weeks 258.2. I don't want to see 260. Hell, I don't want to see anything above were I'm at this week, ever again.  I need to get a handle on this. I have my gyn appt in early Feb, and I really don't want him saying anything about my weight this year, like he did last year (I was 248 at that appointment last year). I'd like to be back down to at least that when I go, so he doesn't see that I gained over the last year.

I'm unhappy with where I've been in the journey the last few months.  I must start working out again. I need to start planning activity and at least breakfast/lunches on the weekends for the following week.  Planning helps me (especially when it comes to lunches).  I'm still not rejoining WW yet, maybe in a few months if I feel like I need it. But after being on WW for a year, I know what I need to do. I still don't want to have to count points and all that.  I just want to be able to put forth the effort that I need to, to get it done.

Earlier this week, I caught myself thinking "New Years is in a few weeks, I'll just start over then."  Luckily I caught myself. Because if I kept going, I would have been 260-something by then, and that would have been worse.  Yes it's only a few lbs, but it's all about perception...260 is a decade more than 250.

I will have a loss this week, and the weeks after.  I will NOT gain through Christmas. I will enjoy the time with my family and friends, but I will stay active and be mindful. By New Years (I'll WI on Jan 2nd) I will be at 250, or damn close to it.  I WILL. 

I'm going to quite letting stress get the best of me, and I will start paying attention to real hunger signals. I will stop binging. I will (and am as I type this) throw out the candy in my desk drawer, and it won't be replaced.

I'm sick of making excuses for myself. They are just holding me back. And it really has taken awhile to come to this point.

I will tackle this, and I will start today.

Woo! for the second day!

So the weekend after Thanksgiving I bought real clothes from victorias secret.  Not just the regular undies and bras.  It's a cardi sweater, and I got it to just *see* if I could wear it (helped that it was on sale)! 

I put it on this morning and it fit!!  Yes it is a lose cardi sweater, but my arms had to fit into it, and they did.  Yes it is a xl, but it still fit.  I've always been afraid to try VS clothes, and still am to a point, but it fit!

I'm super excited!  Now I want to be able to fit into all of their cute clothes.  Total motivation right there!

11/11/11

Happy Veteran's Day to all the past and present people that have and will serve our country!


So, today is 11/11/11, something about that makes me happy.

And for the record, I will have one bad-ass wish today at 11:11 am.  :)



I have been such a bad weight loser lately.  I have lost my mojo, and need to find it.  I mean, I haven't been horrible, as in I haven't gained much.  But considering I have so much to lose, I should be losing.  I did end up canceling my WW membership, for now. I'm tired of counting points and all of that. So I've decided for a couple of weeks, I'm just going to go off of how I feel. I mean, I know what I should and shouldn't eat (thanks to WW the last year), but I really need to learn how to not mindlessly eat or eat my emotions <---totally guilty on that one.  So, for the next 2 weeks, I'm going to really pay attention to hunger signals and how I'm feeling.  I'll still WI on Monday's like usual, but no more counting points or calories (not that I did that anyway).  We'll see how this goes.