MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I have been doing well during the holidays, but just haven't taken the time to post many blogs. My WW group starts again on January 3, 2008 so I look forward to that. I have been going to exercise some, but I will admit that I haven't gone as much as before TG although I am trying to be creative in my physical activity and do more walking to get the shopping done, etc. I wish all of you a wonderful and blessed Christmas and I'll post again in January of next year.

Good news! I went to my WW meeting this morning and I have lost another 1.6 pounds for a total of 21.8 pounds!!!! I'm so proud of myself for sticking with my goal during this eating frenzy time at the TG/Christmas season. I've never done that before! No meeting next week on the 13th, but then we meet again the next week (the 20th) for one last time before January.

It's December already!!! Lots of things to do, but it's so much fun although tiring. I have neglected this site, but not my progress. I am still exercising 5 times a week and counting my points. My goal is to lose during this season, even just a little. We'll see on Thursday!

Here it is the day before Thanksgiving and I'm working on getting ready to have a large crowd of my very much loved family over tomorrow for the big day. As I ponder all the wonderful food that will be brought here, I think about what I can do to continue on this weight loss journey and not go overboard with the eating. The difference this time with losing weight has been the exercise and during this very busy season, that's the one thing that I can control for myself: making time for daily exercise. That's my goal: getting it in somehow no matter how crazy my schedule gets. I want to lose weight during the holidays, even if it's just one pound!! I pray that tomorrow will be a wonderful time of connecting with family, of counting our many blessings, of remembering our brave troops, and for praising our Holy God who is still in control of this mixed up world.

YES!! I reached a personal goal today at WW!! I hit the 20 pound mark and went beyond. My total weight loss is now 20.2 pounds. I am really motivated to continue my weight loss during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love the holiday season, but I am starting to get that feeling that all mom's get with all that we have to do at this time of year. Thanksgiving is next week and we get to have all our family over for the big meal except for a precious few that can't come in from out of town. I am learning to take some deep breaths and spend some time daily asking God to give me peace and joy instead of stress and exhaustion. After all, let's put things in perspective---why are we celebrating anyway? I have committed to continuing the working out exercise during the next few weeks when it would be easy to let that go, but my trainer has not let up!! I look forward to WW weigh-in tomorrow and am in hopes that I will reach or even exceed the 20 pound loss mark.

As I lose the weight toward my extreme makeover, I'm also starting to do some other things toward that goal. Yesterday, I got a new haircut, color, and hair thickening treatment and I love it! I had a trim a couple of weeks ago, but this was an all day "transform me" kind of thing. Just doing that made me feel really good and gives me motivation to continue the hard work I have to do to get to my weight loss goal. More improvements later.............

Weigh in day and I lost 1.4 pounds for a total of 19.2 pounds. I look forward to hitting 20, hopefully next week!!

Just came back from a wonderful workout and I feel great. I always put those workouts off, but then feel so good when I finally go. Why is that? Hmmmmm...something to think about. Tomorrow is weigh in and I look forward to checking my progress.

After a fun getaway weekend of celebrating my sister's birthday and a tiny bit of overindulgence, I am determined to be extra vigilant about staying within my WW points and working out daily. I have a special goal I want to get to by Thursday which is my next weigh-in! Weigh-ins aren't everything, but they do give me a good idea of how I'm doing with this makeover journey and they do measure my success somewhat. I haven't always liked weigh-in days, but I sure do now that I'm on a roll with working out and staying within my WW points most of the time!!

I've had a great week with WW points and food choices and also getting in my exercise. Today was weigh in at WW and I LOST 2 POUNDS FOR A TOTAL OF 17.8 POUNDS LOST!!!! I seem to be stuck on losing 2 per week---I'll take that! Maybe next week, I can break the 20 pound mark.

Back from another college visit weekend! This time, we looked at MTSU in Murfreesboro and TN Tech University in Cookeville. We had a great time! Our little girl is growing up and is very involved in this huge decision of choosing a college. She's an amazing and beautiful young woman. So how did it go with my "journey" on this trip? It's hard to find healthy foods while traveling, but not impossible. I had a fairly good weekend for food choices, but only minimal exercise. I plan to make up for that in the coming days! I look forward to the work ahead of me for the week!

Just got back from my WW meeting where my weight stayed EXACTLY THE SAME this week! I was so surprised and disappointed because I had exercised and stayed within my points range daily, yet no loss!! However, not to make an excuse, but because I have to find out why the scales didn't show my progress, I KNOW I can blame this plateau on hormones and water retention. That will work itself out over the next week and my efforts to lose should show back up next week on the scale. In the meantime, I will continue what I've been doing knowing that it will make a difference! This is just a little hurdle that can be overcome with diligence and staying the course. I have to keep telling myself that or I will plunge off the deep end!!

Just got back from the Y and had a great workout with my trainer Kim. She is wonderful and just right for me. She pushes me just enough. She is very encouraging and friendly and really cares how I'm doing. She gets excited about my weight progress every week! She is taking into account my beginner status, but she is upping things as we go along. I may be sore tomorrow, but I love the workouts! I am doing well with staying in my WW points range, too. We go out of town again this weekend for college visits to two campuses for Maleah and I'm encouraged by how I've been able to make good food choices while on the road.

It's Fall Break for my girls and we had a rainy, laid back kind of day. We got to play with sweet grand-daughter Reagan who is in town for a visit. I got in the floor and played and we had such a good time. I stayed within my points and even tried some new healthy recipes. Great day!

We have just gotten back from our first college visit for our baby girl Maleah. My goodness, could she really be that old? Yes! The years have flown. It was a beautiful day in upper east TN at ETSU. The mountains were pretty, the tree colors were gorgeous. I walked quite a bit on campus (that was my exercise for today) and my WW points were within range although it was a lunch buffet on campus, but because it was a school cafeteria, I wasn't all that tempted by the selections. I ate a salad full of veggies and low fat dressing. On the ride back, I enjoyed a 100 calorie package of M&Ms. Hmmmm, I love those things and I love that I can fit those into my eating program!!

Today was another weigh-in day at Weight Watchers (my 3rd). I lost another 2 pounds for a total now of 15.8 pounds. I have already been to the Y to do my cardio and I'm glad about that. Two pounds per week doesn't sound like much, but it's healthy and it adds up!

We're back from a very special autumn weekend in the mountains of western North Carolina spent with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. We had such a wonderful time, visiting and sitting in the rocking chairs and taking in the mountain sunsets. Except for one buffet experience, I was pretty much in control and did a good job with food choices. We did a lot of walking at the resort also so we got some exercise every day. It was mostly a relaxing time and I felt very spoiled and pampered. I did not gain weight over the weekend and I was pleased with that. Now back to reality!! More good news!! Last night, we were surprised with an ichat announcement from our kids in Virginia. Reagan had a shirt on that read "I'm going to be a big sister!" We are very surprised and delighted with the thoughts of a new grandbaby!!! Could life get any better than that?

Had my WW weigh-in this morning and I am down another two pounds for a total of 13.8 pounds. We plan to be out of town for a few days so I won't be able to post daily results, but I plan to do my cardio exercise every day and eat sensibly. We'll see how that works out while on a trip!

Another good food choice day and another weigh in tomorrow. Looking forward to that!

I am amazed at how good I feel when I exercise! Why do we put exercise off sometimes when it makes you feel energized? Hmmm.......I had a great workout today along with a good day for WW points.

Over the years, I've lost many pounds, but I don't know how. I mean, I have wondered many times where the fat goes when it's lost from the body? Really. You can actually see it when it's stuck to your hips, but then you cut out some calories and take a walk and it shows less on the scale. What's with that? How does that fat leave the body? I know that some scientist out there knows the answer to this and I guess I'll have to look it up to find the answer. Just thinking out loud on another good day toward my weight loss......

It's been a slow and easy day around here. Church this morning and then a laid back autumn afternoon. I took a break from the exercise today, but stayed within my points allowance.

Good food choices today, fitness walking with one of my sons, and a beautiful autumn day.

Back to earth and back to the grind today after the high from that big loss yesterday! I got my cardio workout in and felt great. My food choices probably could have been better, so tomorrow, I'm going to make sure I add lots of fruits and veggies to balance the higher points from today.

Yea!! Woohoo!! I just got back from my WW meeting. I'm very excited!!! I LOST 11.8 POUNDS!!!!! (That's 2 week's loss because we didn't have a meeting last week.) My WW leader recognized me and gave me 2 stars for my bookmark (one star for each 5 pounds lost). When I went back by the Y to do my cardio workout, I saw my trainer and she was very proud of such a great start. I know I won't have that much loss every week, but now I know what it takes to continue to lose. I'm proud of myself, not only for losing that much, but for making healthy food choices and exercising even on days when I didn't feel like it!!

Great Day Today! Tomorrow is my WW weigh in and I can't wait to see the results for two weeks!

I had a great workout today with Kim, my trainer. She did a little changeup to sort of "spice things up" as she put it. Between each machine, she had me doing a few minutes of cardio on the treadmill or the ellyptical machine. That caused my heart rate to stay up for the hour which burned more calories and ultimately more FAT. Then after the strength training with the mini cardio workouts, I did a cardio workout. So it was a different kind of workout and I felt so good when I finished. I have so much more energy after exercising and I didn't feel hungry for a while. Sweat was pouring off me and I was so proud that I had made it through for over an hour of exercise! Having a personal trainer has been great for me to stay focused on what I need to do and Kim is sooooooo encouraging when I get to that last rep every time. I continue to make good food choices and I'm actually having fun with this food plan. I don't feel deprived and I can have just about any food I want. Great day! Hopefully, I'm getting into a better habit after all these "good" days.

I'm having fun with this makeover thing! I seem to have more energy than before and I think that's just from the exercise because I probably haven't lost that much weight yet. (I look forward to checking the loss on Thursday just to see what kind of progress I'm making.) I got my walking in this evening and tomorrow I look forward to another workout with my trainer. My food choices were really healthy today and my points were on the low side to make up for a few extras yesterday at the reunion. So far, I'm really enjoying this.

We went to a family reunion up in the Smokies today and it was gorgeous autumn weather. We had a great time with the Reagan clan for lunch and also with both of my sisters' families as we took a hayride around Cades Cove later in the afternoon. My food choices were a little off today due to potluck and then a late supper tonight, but I stayed within the high WW points range. I didn't overeat at lunch and that was a great victory because there was a lot of good home cooking there! I didn't get any cardio in today, but I plan on that being a priority tomorrow!

Today was a lovely fall day, one of those perfect blue sky, cooler temp days we have in the autumn in East TN. We spent the day planning our remodeling project and going to the home show. What does that have to do with my extreme makeover? I walked for hours!! Even though it wasn't exactly a cardio workout, it was still burning calories. Great food choice day also. I really enjoy this getting in shape thing!

Great WW points day. Great weights workout. Great cardio workout. I'm really tired and going to bed now!

Still doing well! For some reason, I was hungrier today and I ate a bit more, but I was well within the points allowance for me. And I got my cardio walk in. I have a workout early tomorrow because my day will be so full. I continue to do things daily that will get me closer to my goal on this "journey." That's the mindset that I have to keep or I will get REALLY discouraged with the long road ahead for me.

I really felt bad with a migraine today, but I still got my walking done because I was determined! Tomorrow is supposed to be my weigh-in day and I was sooooooo looking forward to see how the scales had moved because of all my work this week. BUT I just got an email that my leader won't be there tomorrow because she had to go out of town. Since I go to a meeting away from the WW center, I have to wait until next week now!!! OK, I have to remember that the scale is just a tool and I'm having a great deal of success every day now. Perspective is an interesting thing. We were watching the Biggest Loser Show last night and most of the participants were losing 2, 3, and 5 pounds and they were so disappointed with that. At WW, we would be thrilled with that kind of loss! Then again, we don't work out for 8 hours a day like they do either. They are in sort of a concentration camp at the moment and they're looking for some big weight loss numbers. Although I DO NOT want to do that kind of thing, I can appreciate the people who do. I was thinking about it today: I really like what I'm doing and the freedom that I have to still be with my family and friends. I like the food choices I'm making and the activity level I'm at even though things will be tough sometimes. Enough of this rambling...........except for a headache, I had another good day!

Many of my friends have told me that they check daily to see how I'm doing. Didn't want to disappoint anybody so I'll get this blog in while it's still Tuesday. I'm still doing well, feeling great, not sore. Tomorrow is another work out day for me. Thanks to everybody I've heard from who are so supportive! The encouragement really does mean so much, especially during the times when I start to doubt that I can do this for the long term.

It sounds boring, but I had another great day! My food choices were good and I met with my trainer for my second real workout (strength training) this morning and it felt great. I wonder if I will get sore like last week because for this workout, Kim pushed me a little more and I had more to do than last week. I have so far to go and sometimes, that's REALLY discouraging! I can't think about that---I just have to stay the course and continue with the program. Eventually, I'll get there. Maybe years from now, but I'll get there............

Another good day today!! I'm trying to get into a pattern of a new lifestyle here and each day adds to that achievement. That's really important right now as I build good habits, but I have to remember that eating extra points or not getting exercise does not make for a "bad" day. I'm in this for the long haul and I plan to have lots of good days in this journey, but I know there will be days when I don't do well with both the exercise and the eating. Don't get me wrong! I've done well these last few days, but I'm trying to approach this weight loss attempt differently than before so that I get long term success this time. I plan to forgive myself and get back up and move on if I stumble, (when I stumble). My new thought process has to be that more "good" days than "bad" days for the longterm equals success. For right now, these last few days are great beginning days!!

I've made it through another day staying within my WW points range and doing my exercise. I'm also drinking more water. I went to the store today and it was actually fun to read labels and plan healthy meals and look at all the stuff that's available now. I really look forward to weighing in on Thursday morning to see what the scales say about my progress, but even if they don't budge, I have made some good choices and I believe I'm headed in the right direction.

Today was a beautiful fall day and I had lots of energy! I was able to stay within my points allowance for the WW plan and journaled all the food I ate. My trainer called early this morning and said she was sick with a sinus infection and couldn't come in the the Y workout center today. Since she wanted to work along with me on the strength training the first few times so that I don't hurt myself, I wasn't able to do that today (we rescheduled for Monday), BUT I did get in my cardio workout. It was a great day all the way around and I felt good about making progress toward my goal!!

Today was my official Weight Watchers start day! I have been a member for a while (several times!), but after missing several weeks, I needed to start over. I have joined with a group of really nice ladies (and a couple of guys) that meet early on Thursday mornings at my church. Our leader is really energetic and encouraging. After careful research on what would work for me and on advice from my doctor friend Janet Purkey, I decided to join again with WW because it is a healthy program and lifestyle change, not a fad diet that you can't continue after the weight is lost. The way it works is that all food is given a "point" value based on calories, fiber, and fat content. It's very easy to count these points and stay within the points amount set for me. No food is off limits which is great because I can still have dessert and more importantly, chocolate! The program advocates fruits, vegetables, whole grains, "good" fats, lean protein, etc. It is a plan that I believe I can follow for the rest of my life. My family can benefit with this way of eating also. Sometimes it can take just the right combination to work for a person and I pray that the food plan I am using and the exercise that I am doing will work together to make this project a success.

A funny thing happened to me last night. As bedtime drew near, I started to feel kinda weird, sort of like I was getting the flu. I felt achy all over and got under the electric blanket on high. David laughed at me and said, "You don't have the flu. You worked out today, remember?" That was it! I was starting to feel sore from all the exercise yesterday. It was a funny moment because the exercise had not occurred to me as the reason for my weird aches. I feel fine today, a little sore in spots, but not terrible and I don't hurt ALL over. But I sure can tell that I had some activity yesterday! Today I plan to do at least 10 minutes of cardio and my other goal is to drink 4 cups of water. That's a good goal for me because I usually don't drink much water. I will increase that amount as time goes on. I read that water is supposed to be good for losing weight and washing toxins from your body. Baby steps...........

Today was my first real workout day with my new personal trainer, Kim. She is so encouraging and pushes me just enough. I told her that we would not get along if she were a "Jillian" on the Biggest Loser Show! She is a good fit for me. I am not sore yet, but she said I might be. She had me do both cardio and strength training this morning. I go back on Friday for more of the same. She told me that cardio is my friend and to do it daily for 10 minutes for right now during this early stage. I am not posting my starting weight right now (I will later when I am much closer to my goal). Let me just say for right now, I am losing 10 pounds at a time and it will be a total of several of those 10 pound goals! I will also be posting the horrible "before" pictures soon. I can't wait to get to the "after" pictures!

I'm ready! Finally, I've made some choices to make this extreme makeover journey work. For years, I have lost weight (hundreds of pounds!) and then gained it right back. I have found that I had to do several things at once to really make this thing happen. I always concentrated on the food plan of weight loss before, but not on the exercise that it takes to get really fit. I have now made that commitment to do everything it takes to get healthy. I want to share this journey in a blog to help make me accountable and because so many friends have prayed for me to get to this point and I want to share this journey with all of them. I know that I will not be perfect in this journey---life is not meant to be lived "perfectly." But I do promise that I will do my best and that I will get back up if I fall down and keep going. I've prayed about this for a long time and I realize that blogging about this extreme makeover journey really lays everything out there for all to see. That's a major step for me! I can only do this through God's help. I want to give Him the glory for any success I achieve. I pray that He will use me and my story later in some way to help other people.