I'm sitting here in a REALLY emotional state. I was just wasting time on my computer and I found myself running through options of food in the kitchen. Options of food that I could go make or get that would fill this void within me. I thought about the 1/2 cup servings of ice cream and I knocked that out of the running. Why? Certainly not because ice cream isn't yummy and woudln't fill that void. It was soley knocked out of the running because 1/2 cup wasn't enough. I knew in my head that the small 1/2 cup serving size would just be too small. It would not satisfy my emotional needs right now. No, I needed a big bowl....no, I needed the whole carton of ice cream! For a split second I thought about the 2 half gallons of ice cream that are out in the storage freezers. The ones that I haven't divied up into the 1/2 cup containers yet. Luckily sanity overtook me before I went out and dived into one of them head first. I thought about popcorn. Popcorn.....soaked in butter....laden down with cheese. Ohhh ohhh, somehow popcorn took a wrong turn into the realm of unhealthy. PRETZELS!!! I could have some pretzels. Ohh yeah, and I could melt some chocolate and have chocolate covered pretzels! Oh, that's not healthy either is it. And that's when I realized that I was looking to self medicate with food. So I turned here...to my blog to put it down for posterities sake. I'm hoping that I can resist the urge for those ultimate comfort (and lots of it) foods. I am going to do my best to indulge in a HEALTHY (healthier?) snack tonight if I feel I really must. But I want to put it down here so if I do cave...I can look back and learn! (hopefully having it written out will curb the desire...so far no luck...but I'm ever hopeful)

Monday morning....restart

Welcome Monday morning and the beginning of the work week. I'm ready to get back to the routine. It seems as if I ran constantly all weekend. Just lots going on....lots completed, lots of running. Ohh yeah, and in case you just didn't see it coming...lots of eating! Saturday wasn't all that bad when I look at in in reflection. Friday was on the cusp of being bad. Not entirely bad....but just not good! Yesterday...Sunday. WHEW. It wasn't that it was all that bad. I just was missing some veggies and fruits. And well...I just ate more than I should have. SOoOOOO I'm looking forward to getting back to the routine of eating healthy....drinking my water. Just getting back to what my body actually NEEDS and not what it wants.

Why was yesterday all screwed up. We worked and did a few yard thinsg in the morning. We had lunch. I planned a big lunch as I knew we would be working and may not get to dinner until closer to 8PM. Why? We were running sound at Evensong Farm all afternoon and early evening. Julie (owner of Evensong) had soup for us for a mid afternoon snack. And when we got home at 8 or so....I was just plain hungry. (lugging around sound equipment works up an appetite!)



This morning I started off by making caramel sticky buns. Ha! Found a recipe where I can have one for 4 points. And it was GOOD! I've got my fruit and veggies for lunch...and I've got a low points dinner planned. SO we'll see how it goes!

Stats for Sunday October 4, 2009

I'm actually not proud to write this...

toast-
pizza burger (using turkey...and on an arnolds sandwich thin bun thingy)
Mixed veggies
applesauce
cup of split pea soup
dinner roll
individual bag of pretzels
tacos
rice
ice cream (2 scoops...two large scoops)

BLEGHHHH

Don't have too much to say right now. I'm not happy with my weight. I'm not happy at all. I'm hoping that it's the monthly water retention coupled with no water drinking yesterday....but I'm 2 pounds up! And I'm worried because I'm going to a potluck dinner tonight for a meeting that I'm attending. Ohhh ohhh!

Stats for October 2, 2009

No formal exercise

Water: less than 20 ounces

food:
homemade egg sandwich
applesauce
two slices pizza
1 serving wheat pretzels
1/4 cup baked beans
1/4 cup potato salad
Burning Bridge Sub (Gandolfo's)
Cinnamon cookies....3 Yeah, I shouldn't have had these

So yes, you can see where I didn't drink. I was sorely lacking in fruits and veggies. And itw as a bit (just slightly...haa haa haa) carb laden!

Have your cake and eat it too!

Yesterday I was at work and they brought in gingerbread men cookie. They looked sooo good. So I looked at my eating for the day and adjusted one or two little things for the evening and indulged in a cookie. My points were just fine for the day so I wasn't worried. AND this morning my weight was lower yet! Wooo hoooo!!

Stats for Octover 1

Gym-50 minutes cardio

Food-
toast
corn
carrots
mandarin oranges
gr beans
jello pudding cup
grapes
toast
pizza casserole
applesauce
gingerbread cookie
ww candy

Yesterday I was talking to a gal at work about her efforts to lose weight. She talked about how she makes Fridays her free day. And it made me start to think about how I used to do free days. I didn't worry about what I ate those days. I still tracked though and low and behold I started to realize that my splurges, while still splurges were actually not that bad. Most importantly, I had really good success with it. I started weight watchers and I took away the free day. However, I would have a free meal after my weigh in. I ate the comfort foods that night. I didn't worry about it. And I had really good success. Somewhere along the way my splurge days and or meals disappeared. So I decided to restart it. I'm basically not going to set a day to have a splurge...I'm just going to say taht it has to be at least a week since my last splurge. Sooo, my last real splurge was for heritage days...on Sept. 19th....so that was a week and a half! So last night for dinner when we went to Durangos, I didn't go hog wild, but I did allow myself to enjoy the hot, thin salty chips with salsa! And we split an appetizer (papusas) and I enjoyed my chicken meal. I came home and I journalled it. And I've moved on. This morning, weighed myself and I was at 211.6. I'll take it. And now I can't have another splurge until at the EARLIEST next wednesday!

Yesterday I got home from work at noon and made lunch. We had Zucchini and Corn casserole. I know a few weeks ago I said that the garden was done. I meant that I was done with the canning. We have been pulling out some fresh things here and there. Yesterday may have been the last of the zucchini (time will tell). So we had that for lunch....VERY low cal/points! While I was making the zucchini dish, I took the time and threw together a casserole for dinner tonight. Pizza Casserole is on the menu for tonight. Yup, it's a casserole week. But it's perfect for nights like tonight when I get home at 6:10 and Todd has to leave at 6:45. This way we can still have a nice dinner!

After making and eating lunch, we headed up to town. I got a nice cardio workout in AND a great strength training workout in! I also mowed at my parents house for a while until Todd took over. We did a few other things in town and then went to dinner. We went to Durangos...a Spanish restaurant in downtown Hagerstown. I ordered Pollo Asado. (chicken, steamed veggies, fried onions, and a bit of rice). Todd and I split a papusa and we did ok UNTIL I remember that we also ate not one...but TWO baskets of chips and dip. Todd ordered off the tex-mex menu last night and as he ordered something beef, I wasn't tempted. (thank goodness for small miracles).

I didn't feel sick after my eating, I did however feel bloated!

Stats for September 30, 2009

toast
zucchini and corn casserole
pears
weight watcher candy
polla asado
chips and salsa
papusa
All fruit frozen bar

Gym visit.....30 minutes cardio 30 minutes weights AND 20 minutes mowing.

Goals

Good morning! Today is my half day at work, thus I am here bright and early. BUT, I get off at noon! WOOOOO Hoooo! The afternoon is jammed packed with things to do. A gym visit is first and foremost on the plans. Among other things we have to mow at mom and dad's house, take care of their cat while they are away, pick up pain meds for Ethel, attend travelogue tonight, and of course go to dinner. I am determined to keep my eating under control. Before we leave I'll be making lunch....a zucchini casserole that we like...VERY low point! Yes, I know that I declared the garden done...but I picked about 10 pounds of green peppers yesterday, Todd dug up a huge slew of carrots, and I picked a few more zucchini. It's never ending!

My weight is flucuating this week between 211.6 and 212.6. It's frustrating because today is a 212.6 day. I'm just holding on...knowing that the weight will drop. I know that there are extenuating circumstances that are causing my weight to stay up even in the face of my proper eating. (water retention...I had some high sodium foods yesterday added to the oncoming monthly ick. AND I have started working out. That sometimes causes a little spike of weight...so I'm just determined to wait out the weight!

Today is a strength training day at the gym. I have decided that I'm going to do strength training 2-3 times a week. (yeah, I'm famous for making these edicts.....but I really do want to do it). As I lose this weight again, I want to be toned. I read somewhere that the flabby skin is best hidden by putting muscles where the fat used to be. Soooo I'm going to try it. As I lose this last 30 pounds I'm going to work on toning up also!

Speaking of the last 30. Todd doesn't read my blog (at least that I know of...lol). I don't care if he does...but I just don't think he does. So I don't think he is aware of my thoughts about turning 180 into my final goal. Well yesterday we were running a few errends and as we pulled into the parking lot at Best Buy we were talking about our one doctor that is HUGE and about a year ago told me that at my age that he thought I should be between 160 and 180 (basically going against the BMI recommended weight). He said that even the low end of 160 may be a push for me. The Doctor's exact words were 'it's not impossible, but you would have to be in professional athletic shape." Soooo Todd and I were talking about that and Tood told me that he really thinks that 180 was the perfect weight for me. He went on to site reasons why...but he cemented in the 180 as my goal. We were talking and Todd was like, make it your goal to be 180 and work on toning up (woah...that's what I've been doing.....is he a mind reader??) and see what happens at that point...but he is in agreement with my parents that my face was looking very gaunt when i was making forays into the 170's. Soooooo there you have it.....my goal...approved and recommended by my doctor and my husband.

Stats for September 29, 2009

Gym visit...all cardio

Food:
egg/cheese sandwich (homemade)
sauerkraut
green beans
carrots
pudding cup
2 fat free turkey hot dogs
2 hot dog buns
baked beans
banana split pie...ok ok ok...two servings. BUT, that would count for two servings of fruit! And I put in extra fruit in my banana split pie...double the banana...double the strawberries and I added pineapple!

I was so planned out with my eating yesterday. I knew that dinner was a bit higher, but I accounted for that the rest of the day and I was set. Well, I got home from work and Todd was just getting home from some errends. He was carrying a bag from the ice cream shop. Uggghhhh??? I was like, "we have banana split pie for dessert". He calmly answered...'No we don't...I ate some for lunch, there is still a bit in there". So he stopped at the ice cream shop and picked us up frozen yogurt. (fat free at least). Ok, that wasn't all that bad, I just looked up the numbers...maybe only 1 or 2 points more than the banana split pie. BUT, I fell into the "this yogurt/banana split pie switch has already blown my day" mentaility....so I had two helpings of the baked ziti. I guess it COULD be worse. I did work out in the morning. I worked out on Sunday...and I'm heading to the gym this morning also. Oh yeah, I ate 1/2 of the last piece of banana split pie too.....so there is 2 extra points also!!!! ARRGGHHH

I just put my food for today in my journal and all is well. And as for the banana split pie.....I made another one last night (added a layer of crushed pineapple...we'll see how that is when we have it for dinner tonight.....Todd will probably test it at lunch...haa haa haa)

Sooooo here is the stats for Monday Sept. 28, 2009
35 minutes cardio at the gym
30 minutes strength training at the gym

toast
green beans
chicken broccoli bake
banana
grapes
strawberries
baked ziti --1 1/2 servings (booo hooo...but it tasted really really good)
garlic toast
1/2 piece of banana split pie
fat free frozen yogurt

Monday morning already??????

The weeekend was rather uneventful. BUT, the most important thing that happened? I kept my eating under control!! I stayed within my food allowance and I actually ate well....not totally carb laden or anything like that.

Last night Todd and I settled down to play some Halo (we got the new one on Saturday). I popped some popcorn for our enjoyment. I was eating it and it hit me. I had the points for it. It was not over my allowance or anything like that. And I started to thinking about all the food I ate. I ate dessert for heavens sake...a healthy dessert, but dessert none-the-less. But the difference....I ate lots of fruits and veggies (naturally low in calories/points) By eating and making better choices, I was able to have the special thing (popcorn). And then I started to think...I've actually had popcorn 3 nights this past week.....and I didnt' go over my points any of those days either! By eating healthy, I actually eat more food. It's crazy!

Sooooooooo...the only other thing that happened this weekend. I made it to the gym on Sunday, I've already been there this morning also! Yesterday I did 45 minutes of straight up, sweat pouring off my body cardio. This morning I did 35 minutes of that perspiration inducing cardio and 30 minutes of strength training! Yup, I'm going to focus on doing the right thing and get strength training in a few times a week. We'll see how that goes!

September 27, 2009 Check in
toast
grilled cheese
carrots
sauerkraut
strawberries
piece of ww candy (double chocolate nuggat)
cheddar broccoli chicken bake
green beans
brown rice
banana split pie
popcorn

Empowerment

I'm in a much better place emotionally. Yeah, the bad stuff still gets to me....but I'm trying to focus on the good stuff. I would say that one of the big things that has helped me...is being able to focus on the control that I've had with my eating the last few days. As my funk increased, I became more determined to beat the funk and not give into the 'happy eating' that usually occurs. I'm happy to say that I actually have been doing well. Yesterday I made a lower fat/calorie version of a 'happy food' but that's the name of the game. When I sit down and think about it, when I have control over my eating, I really and truely do feel so empowered and strong...and that carried over and helped me feel empowered in every day life. Kinda neat.

Feeling empowered and strong just from beating a few days of my food addiction issues is really a good feeling. Addiction transfer???? I would be HAPPY to trade my food addiction to being addicted to being in control!!!

I've also beeen looking through and getting ready to try a whole slew of new recipes...and to me, that is sooo fun!!!

I've also decided that I am not going to worry about small goals on my way down (the 200 mark, every 10 pounds...or whatever). I am setting up my one final goal that I never reached. I had originally said 150 and we were going on a vacation of my choice....I was torn between a cruise, a trip to the bahamas...some all inclusive resort, or Disney world. SOOOOO I know that at 180 I was happy with my weight....people were commenting and telling me that my face was actually too gaunt. So I'm aiming for 180 as my final goal at this point. So when I get to 180....we are taking that trip. To add an incentive........my 20 year high school reunion should be next year....and what a pity (haa haa haa) it is in FL...so if I can combine that with my trip to Disney (I haven't been there since we moved from FL right about the time of my graduation from high school...and Todd's never been there). My employers also put a hold on raises this year....they were actually upset about this and in appreciation to our understanding and acceptance (what else could we do...at least we have jobs...lol) they have given us a week extra of vacation time to use by the end of next year. Hmmmm...so I also have an extra week of vacation time...PERFECT!!! A valid reason. Extra vacation time to use. AND a goal to reach!!! So I have a goal. As of yesterday morning 31 pounds by next summer. That's REALLY doable. My realistic (should be realitively easy) goal is to be under 200 by Christmas (11 pounds) ...my "I'd be over the moon" goal would be 190 by Christmas (21 pounds in 3 months...still quite doable).

My plan is to make it to the gym today!!!! I've got to get serious about the exercise. Exercise will help me make that goal!!!

The one other thing that I did that I think has helped to lift my spirits...even though I have dreaded doing it because it means I'm admitting that temporary failure of gaining weight...is that I broke down and went to Sears. When we bought our freezer earlier this summer we opted for the free delivery. You pay it up front, and then get it back in the mail. I opted for the gift card, knowing that I can always find a pair of tennis shoes or SOMETHING there. Well, earlier this week I got it in the mail $82.50. I knew immediately what I was going to do. Buy clothes that fit me. I hated to do it because I was giving in and admitting that I gained weight and that my clothes no longer fit. I was looking at it as being a failure....I'm buying clothes in the next size up! And not only was I feeling like a failure, but I was wasting my money on this failure by having to buy new clothes But I've been miserable for weeks upon end as I shove myself into the same few articles of clothing that still fit (most quite tightly) day in and day out. So when this gift card came...it was almost like 'free money' (yeah, I know that in reality I paid for it....) and it freed me to spend the money. Sears had some REALLY good deals. I bought 2 pairs of work/dress pants in neutral colors (I found a pair a few weeks ago for 3 bucks so I have one pair of dress pants that I've been wearing numerous times each week) and 11 tops for my 82.50! I shopped carefully and tried to buy stuff that fit me perfectly (nothing loose to 'allow' myself to gain even more weight) and also things that I can wear even after I lose weight. I bought a shells and camisole type shirts to go under my button down shirts that I can't wear right now (gained weight...the buttons are gaping across my chest area on my button down shirts)....so I can play with them and get more use out of them.

So all that said....Food for September 26, 2009

Baked Sugar n' Spice Doughnuts
Salad
Vegetable soup
garlic bread
roasted potatoes
carrots
peas
sauerkraut
strawberries
Fruit bar-strawberry

I didn't weigh myself the last two days, but I've been determined to not turn to my 'happy foods' to make myself feel better. It's been rough, but I've managed to stay away from the 'happy foods'. AND....I've been rewarded, the scales went down another pound!!! WOO HOOO!!!

Yes, that is my new term....happy foods. We all have our happy foods. For me it's baked goods and carbs. Pasta pasta pasta! Comfort foods...but I prefer to call them happy foods. Becuase they will make me happy (fleetingly of course...but happy) and if I'm already in a good mood...well then happy foods are a prefect accompaniment! Happy foods! But I've managed my happy food consumption these last few days. And while my mood has been one that I feel as if the world is crumbling down around me......I feel really good because I have been 100% in control of my eating!

Food for Friday September 25, 2009 (and might I add that they ordered in pizza for us at lunch at work).

toast
mandarin oranges
corn
green beans
kiwi
string cheese
Homemade Helper (sooo very tasty)
applesauce
lowfat/ff ice cream (yup, exactly 1/2 cup...I premeasure my ice cream as soon as I bring it home)
popcorn

Blah

Not gonna write today as I'm in a grand funk. I don't have it in me. However I vowed that my food would be posted on line....so......

Food for September 24, 2009

2 eggs
potatoes
toast
turkey bacon
Mandarin oranges
pudding cup
kiwi
string cheese
smart ones pizza
popcorn
toast

Food for thought!

Wow..posts in one day...but I was reading some other blogs and low and behold I hit upon this one....and wowzers, did it really hit me square in the forhead. This simple one line "If you want to change, you can’t just be in love with the end result, you have to fall in love with the process too." Striks a huge chord. I was/am totally in love with the end result...with me at 180 (a year ago)...that I've lost focus on the current process and in reality the current me. Please please please read this post!!!! I promise it will be worth your time!!!

Just another early morning with nothing on my agenda. Well, I could clean the house....but my cats hate hate hate the vacuum cleaner and considering I have one cat that had emergency surgery earlier this week and one cat that is still sequestered in the library and not really walking much (and when she does walk it's obvious that she's in pain)...uhhhhhh nope, I'm not running that vacuum.

I stayed within my points allowance yesterday, however I ate a whole bunch of carbs! Oh well, we'll see. I vow to do better today! Actually, I think I may run to weigh myself as I didn't do it first thing this morning! Whew....down another 6/10ths of a pound! Even with all those carbs...hopefully it doesn't come back to bite me tomorrow!

I'm in a bit of a funk here now. Yesterday for sure and it's carried into today. Probably worry over my kitty cats! So anyway...I'll bid adiu for now.

Food from September 23, 2009

pancakes (2....4 or 5 inch in diameter)
mandarin oranges
kiwi
pudding cup
apple
PB&J
pasta salad (one serving)
corn
Fat free ice cream

Thoughts

Struggling struggling struggling....how differently can I say it? I guess most of my problem is just my self disgust that I feel over my weight gain. I know that I'm not alone. I have friends online, in person, friends that I made when I attended weight watchers that are in the same boat. They have gained and the self disgust is tearing us up. I hate myself for letting this happen. I hate the fact that my clothes no longer fit. I'm still trying to hold out and not buy clothes because I so desperately want to lose the weight. So I'm miserable in my tight clothes...clothes that actually do not fit me any longer. And it just hit me while I was typing that this self disgust is actually part of my problems right now. This animosity that I hold toward myself is holding me back in my efforts to lose weight. Somehow, I need to acccept the fact that I'm human and that i've gained weight and I need to move on. The clothes thing...well, with the economy being so iffy, I still don't want to spend the money on clothes....but maybe I will have to buy just a few more things (i've bought just a few already) to make life bearable. I could actually still wear most of my button down shirts....if I left them open as a 'jacket' and used bought some camisols for underneath. Or even partially open in some cases. hmmmmm Pants, I bought one pair which I wear twice a week. If I buy one more pair again in a neutral color, I may be able to pull it off. (friday and saturday is khaki day...and I actually still have some that fit). So there is a possibility.

Sooooo something that I'm going to institute is that I am going to begin to post, online for the world to see my food for the day and my exercise. I think this is a grand idea because if I know that others are going to be looking, I may think twice. SOOO if my food intake starts disappearing off of my posts, please call me out on it! And for those of you who preach protein...yeah, I know...I need more of it on most days)

I'll start with yesterday Septembre 22, 2009.....and it's not a very pretty first start....which is why I'm doing it.

Toast
Green Giant individual corn
Green beans
Jello pudding cup
Wasa cracker
mandarin oranges
grapes
Southwestern Chicken ...this is actually a pretty healthy dish....but I had two servings.
cornbread
pears
betty crocker mini bowl thingy-the 100 cal things
1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter ice cream (yes, measured out)

stress!

sept-1-2008 (1 of 365), originally uploaded by mfcstotler.

Well, are you ready for the Stotler family drama of the day???? I'll go in chronological order.

I stopped at the post office to pick up the mail on the way to work. There were statements from our bank (the one we use most regularly, not the accounts from where I work). So when I got to work I decided to go ahead and balance my checkbooks. All was looking good.....UNTIL I noticed a deposit was not there. However a check that I wrote for cash two days later was posted. I pulled out my receipts and no problem...the receipt is in my book (thank heavens...I'm usually really good about keeping receipts, but every once in a while one gets put somewhere else). I called the bank...they see no record what-so-ever of my money. They are 'investigating' it right now....they should get back to me today. Uhhhhhhh I'm not happy about this at all. I called them more than 3 hours ago.....I read all of the information off the receipt...so they have the exact time date, teller info...everything from the transaction. I'm going to call back in another hour or so and raise stink. This is ridiculous. I have a stinkin' receipt! Give me my money and figure out what messed up convoluted error you made on your own after MY money is back in my account! So that is drama one...I'm currently on hold awaiting their call.

Secondly. Todd had cancellation this morning (THANK GOODNESS) and went home to pick up something. He noticed Desi, laying on the bed licking himself profusely. Everywhere he licked, he left a strip of blood. Yes, you read that right. I asked if it was his poor little scabs...did one break open and was he bleeding. Todd was like, "NO, it's coming from his mouth!" Called the vet and they said bring him right up. Todd headed up to town (20 minute drive of course). By the time he got there, he said the blood was gushing from the cats mouth. (the towel that was in the cat carrier was covered wit blood when he brought it home). They rushed Deebs right in and quickly acertained that he has a huge gash (hole) in his mouth. They rushed Desi into emergency surgery to put repair this issue. The good news.....Todd had that cancellation and had forgotten a piece of paper and went home to get it at 10:30 instead of at 1PM when he was planning on going back for lunch and to pick up that paper. The vet said that at the rate that he was bleeding, that he would have bleed to death within an hour or two. So we miraculously found him sooner because of a cancellation with the studio. Thus, I'm waiting for a call from the vet also!

The vet told todd that he could have gotten into a fight with another cat. I asked Todd, "did you check the other cats when you noticed Desi" He was like, no, I just scooped up desi and ran. So I left work and rushed home to check on the other babies. None had a leg dangling or an eye missing. Ethel however seems to be walking very gently...favoring her back end. SOOOO my co-worker and I came up with this scenario. Desi attacked Ethel.....Ethel fought back. When Ethel fights she uses her back legs and roto-tills on him. Her claw got him in the mouth, and somehow in the fray (probably with him panicked with a wound in his mouth...possibly she panicked with her claw stuck in the flesh of his mouth) she twisted and has caused her back end to be sensitive. Oh the drama never ends at our house.

And all this worry makes me want to eat eat eat!


The picture on today's post is of my baby that's in surgery today. Desi!

Heritage days!

I have no clue what I weigh today. Nor will I know. Yesterday was absolutely crazy!!!! It was the day of the Sharpsburg Heritage Days! Todd and I were up at 5AM. I threw some bread in the toaster and had breakfast bright and early. We were in town by 6AM and I was unloading all of our sound gear and lights from our vehicle. I helped set up stuff until 7:45 when it was time for me to walk across the parking lot into the bank. I worked until noon and then I went outside. As I somehow ended up with the title of photagrapher for the event, I was busy taking pictures (I was able to leave my job and run outside to get a few things in the morning also). I went to grab lunch an hour or so later and the place that was selling Chicken was sold out!!! YIKES! That left me with steamers or hot dogs from a local church....or crab cakes. Uhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't do beef and I DEFINITELY don't do crabcakes! I ended up finding a country ham sandwich and an apple dumpling for lunch. Dinner rolled around. Todd was fine (he had gotten his chicken early...and for dinner he had a crabcake). For dinner...the ham sandwiches were gone.....and quite honestly most of the food venders were totally gone or sold out. Uhhhhhh....what do do ....what to do. Well, I did the only thing a food addict WOULD do. I went to the ice cream shop and had a nice big dish of ice cream! YES! I ate three scoops! Heath, Strawberry and Chocolate for you foodies out there that are salivating! Ok, before I go on....I did stick with fat free yogurt and didn't go straight up ice cream!!! The music finally ended at 10...we loaded up our gear and came home. So I had a grilled cheese, 100 cal pack of chocolate covered pretzels and a jelly pudding cup (60 cal) at about midnight. Sooo my eating was a bit out of the ordinary. Ohh yeah,and add to the fact that I didn't drink nearly enough. (there was no way.....I didn't go to the bathroom ALL day...so I KNOW I dehydrated myself!)

My saving grace? From 5AM until pretty much 11:30PM I was on my feet and moving! Who knows how it will shake out. But I am not going to let one day derail me!

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

About a week or two ago Todd and I watched one of my all time favorite movies....the Shawshenk Redemption. And of course having that movie in my head emphasized my choice that I'm making right now. That choice? To live.

It's been no secret. I've gained weight over the last year. I'm not happy with myself over this, but that's a whole other ball game....er post. I was only half way committed to the weight loss journey and therefore I lost control and gained. Finally it hit me. I have two choices. I can get busy living or be busy dying. Literally. I can chose healthy foods, healthy activities and lose the weight and live. Or I can continue eating poorly, ignore exercise and die. I can live or I can die. How can this be that I'm chosing life or death?

Lets go with death first. The larger I get the more miserable I feel. Aches and pains that I had long forgotten. I don't have the energy that I had at a lower weight. In essence my quality of life has diminished because of added weight. I know that to gain more would continue to lower that level. I'm not saying that I can't be a happy fat girl...I just know that it's more difficult for every day things. My arthritic knees bother me more. Back pains. Stomach aches (they were constant). You name it. But even beyond the diminished quality of life is the fact that the added weight could very well eventually kill me. There are quite a few weight related illnesses out there. One of them would surely eventually catch up to me and get me. So yes, death very well could be closer on the horizon with a heavier weight.

Soooo not lets talk about life. Well, there's not much to talk about except to say that my energy levels are outstandingly higher with each pound of extra weight that is gone from my body. My arthritis doesn't bother me nearly as much. Stomach pains.....rare. My bloodwork came back so much better at a lower weight...showing me that my risks for some of these illnesses was greatly reduced. I was able to lead a much more productive life and I knew that that life was better protected because of the lifestyle I was leading. Losingi and maintaining a weight loss is to chose life.

Soooo I have a choice every time I look in the refridgerator. I can get busy living or I can get busy dying. I have a choice every time I am waffling back and forth between going to the gym or skipping it. I can get busy living or I can get busy dying. The choice is that simple!

Gym gym gym. Yes, I made it to the gym again today! My legs muscles are still sore...although it's a very dull soreness now. My back is still tender. I started on the elliptical, but moved to a bike at the gym as the eliiptical bothered my back. :-)

Eating wise....I'm getting this down. And my weight dropped today!

Moving along on my quest!

Well....woke up this morning and could barely move. My lower back sometimes gives me grief. (yeah yeah yeah...I'm falling apart, my knees, my upperback/shoulder, what's next). I usually just use it and overextend it...but more commonly I find that while sleeping todd flips his leg over me and if I'm laying lower in the bed (which I usually am becuase a cat is sharing my pillow...so of course I lay lower in the bed to allow the cat to stretch out). Anyway, if I'm laying lower in the bed his leg then rests across my lower back...which pulls my back out of alignment...and causes me pain int he morning. SOoo this morning was one of those lucky mornings. I made it through work and came home. Determined to work out. Todd cancelled on me (for good reasons this time) so I didn't go to the gym. Not to fear, not to fear. I still sucked it up and hopped onto the recumbent bike here at our house and read while I rode for a bit. So I'm still on track!

Eating. I'm within my points...my portions are ok...I just need to really focus on chosing the BEST choices for myself!!

Worked out again this morning at the gym!!! Two days of gym visitation down! Two days of good activity before that!!! So four days of having activity back in my life. WOO HOO!

Eating yesterday. Well, I planned it all so well. But I didn't take into account that my 'normal' lunch that I usually take to work with me was not going to hold a candle to what I've been eating this past week. Soo the fruits and veggies and light lunch just didn't cut it. Therefore at about 4PM, I found myself just eating and eating and eating at work! It was nuts! I didn't do bad with my points, Todd was gone in the evening so I was able to adjust my nighttime eating to accomodate what I had gorged on earlier. Today was better. Of course I had a larger lunch (todd and I ate at together at lunch today). I took a banana to eat at 4...when I knew the munchies would hit! I have stayed within my points allotment thus far this evening. I have one point left. Probably a piece of fruit for me later this evening.

Speaking of this evening...The Biggest Loser is coming on!!! Woo hooo!