And again......

I lost again :) It was 1.75 this week, my 9th week of losing in a roll! It amazes me to think that 10 weeks ago, I was 16.75 pounds heavier than this.

There is NO WAY I am going to let pecan pie and other junk foods knock me off this! NO WAY.

Btw, according to google, the average *small* piece of pecan pie (and really, who eats a SMALL piece?) is about 450 calories. 450. yikes.

Ted's

This past weekend, hubby took me to a Bed & Breakfast and a weekend out. I enjoyed it very much! He spoiled me completely: buying me anything I wanted. I ended up getting new running shoes, inserts for those shoes (because I tend to walk weird apparently LOL), new socks, a scrapbook, scrapbook paper, a picture frame, a book...and the list goes on. We went to eat at Ted's (Mexican food) which was a bit selfish of me because he is not a fan of Mexican food but it is my favorite and I had been wanting it for a long time! I did NOT eat the cheese sauce, although it was very tempting! These pictures are of us at Ted's. :)

On another note, I'm loving what the wii is telling me, as far as weight goes. It said 287.7 this morning! Of course, that isn't official TOPS weight. That won't be until Monday night. Regardless, I'm loving it. ;)

2 tenths from the 280's

This morning I was 290.1...just two tenths from the 280's. I'm excited about that!

15 pounds in 8 weeks

And....last night was my 8th week of weight loss. I lost 2 pounds this week, bringing me to 40 pounds below my highest weight. Fifteen of those pounds were lost in the past 8 weeks. Not to sound full of myself, but GO ME!!!!!!!! I'm so glad I FINALLY got my head wrapped around healthy living! I love it!

7th week in a row :)

Yesterday's weigh-in gave me my 7th weekly weight loss in a row. It was tiny. I will take it anyway! I'm going to adjust my calories a bit and maybe change up my exercise and see if I can't make the scales show a larger loss this coming week.

Calorie change: dropping 250 more calories.

Exercise change/plan:
Tuesday: 45 minute walk while listening to my favorite exercise songs--jog on the chorus of every other song.
Wednesday: (rest day)
Thursday: Leslie Sansone dvd--3 miles
Friday: 3 mile walk with a tiny amount of jogging....at the track.
Saturday: pick whichever type I want as long as I get in 45 minutes of exercise or 3 miles of walking (We will be coming back from our anniversary trip on this day)
Sunday: 3 mile walk with some jogging....at the track.

Cholesterol and 5K commitment

When I donate blood, they send me a letter stating my cholesterol level. A year and a half ago, it was 200 (that is the line where they say "hey! That's TOO high!). Three months later it was 191. Three months later (I believe that's how long it was..anyway...) it was still 191. Then I missed a donation and so it was about 6 months down the road, this past month, and it was 151! Yes! Of course, I know it has everything to do with GREASE which I now consider an enemy. Weight loss isn't the ONLY benefit of eating healthy!

I have a dear friend who is a KOPS (KEEPING off pounds sensibly--she's at goal weight)...and who is the coordinator for a yearly 5K run. It is in June. I walk 3 miles almost every day now, so I know I can do this. BUT I don't want to come in last, ya know? LOL Right now I probably would. But anyway...I stuck my neck out and committed to her that I would run the 5K next June. And so....yes....I will! I have plenty of time to work up to a faster speed and as I lose weight along the way it will get even easier. I plan to time one 5K each week and and see how my time improves. I'm also going to captain a team and I'm trying to get as many TOPS members as I can to commit. Right now, I've only gotten ONE tops person to commit. Sadly, it seems like everyone has this "eh, I can't do that" attitude. I was like "Hello? You have 7 months to get ready for this! Do you really think that 7 months from now you still won't be able to walk 3.1 miles? If so, that's pretty negative and unambitious thinking." I of course wouldn't say it that way, but I think it LOL. It saddens me to see how many TOPS members aren't really trying. They come to TOPS each week and they visit and then go out to eat with their friends but they AREN'T TRYING to get healthy (I'm talking in general here-- I know there are a few here and there that ARE going after it with all they have). Anyway, it is frustrating. It makes you want to shake them and say "Get ahold of yourself already!!!" BUT.................................not very long ago, I was in their shoes. It's not something someone can shake into you. It's something that has to come from within yourself. I'm loving the progress and changes I have made and continue to make. I have changed more in the past 6 months that I have EVER. I just wish I could give that to other people. somehow.

That was a really run-on paragraph. Oh well.

Have a great day!

And I dare you-----COMMIT to a run then tell me about it :)

(p.s. The same KOPS friend wants me to commit to a Christmas 5K (about a month from now) in a town about an hour from here and she is really pushing for me to do it. I COULD do it but would have to walk it. I might come in last. I still considered it. But hubby thinks I should wait. He thinks it would be too much and too cold and too far away and that I'm not ready. So.... we will see.)

The Thanksgiving/Christmas Plan.

Here's the plan I am committing to: the day before Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas Eve (the day my family celebrates), I may eat some of the goodies I am preparing BUT I MUST journal every bite and count every calorie and NOT go over my calories for the day. The day OF Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, I will not journal and I can eat what I want BUT I MUST still get in a fruit and at least 5 servings of veggies. I will NOT have sweets AT ALL for 5 days after the holiday (lest the holidays start me on a sugar binge!) I will still drink at least 132 ounces of water every day and I will keep my regular workout routine through it all (which is walking at least 3 miles or doing at least 45 minutes of dancing/workout video every day except Wednesday.)

So, that's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

What is your plan?

You are awesome (I am too).

I am not a morning person. I could just sleep and sleep and sleep. I am a night owl.

However, I woke this morning at 5 when hubby was getting ready for bed and now here it is 6:35 and I'm dressed and awake. hum. I'm trying to decide if I should crawl back into bed (clothes and all LOL) until 8 or if I should start on my daily list of things to do.

Regardless, I just thought I'd let you know that you are awesome and that you deserve a healthy body. (I'm talking to myself as well) I hope you make awesome choices today!

another loss! woot!

I had my 6th loss in a row tonight! 12.75 pounds gone in 6 weeks. Whoo hoo!*happy, happy* (and tired....goodnight!) ~Amy

4 week measurements.

I got a new tracker book and started it on October 1st.

Today, my book said "You have completed 4 weeks. It is time to take your measurements again."

I was happy to report a loss of just over half an inch in my bust, just over one and a half inches lost in my waist,and just over one inch lost in my hips.

It's not huge. But it's something! I'll take it!

Happy music.

I don't know how to link youtube videos but I wanted to post 3 songs that are so inspiring to me and that I've been listening to every day. :) Music can be really inspiring and helps me to stay motivated. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWeRQtj6s2o Today is your Day by Shania Twain. My husband heard this at the gym and came home and played it for me and told me to listen to it every day. It is so true! We CAN do it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfP8ygGSMBc I Can by Minnutes. I can do anything today!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpI6Ed02A9o Brand New Day by Tim Myers. (I ignore the milk & cookies portion of this song LOL)

~*Be happy. Be good to you.*~

On an unrelated side note, I've gone on a green bean craze lately LOL I guess that is a good thing ;)

5 weeks of losses in a row :)

I plan to post a longer, better (with pictures) post later but I just wanted to quickly say that I had another small loss tonight at TOPS (-0.25 pound, but last week was rocking at -6 pounds..anyway...) AND that makes 5 weeks straight of weight loss for me. I think I was hindered this week by that lovely time of the month and emotional roller coaster rides, etc..... but I know that I was good...so yeah...

..............keeping on keeping on....... I hope you are too! :)

pics of the big jean skirt & the smaller size skirt

I got the new jean skirt out of lay-a-way. It is cute because it is super long and I have a hard time finding skirts that are super long on me because I am 6 feet tall! So, this was a rare find.

The main thing I like about it is that it is a size smaller-- size 24. It is not big on me and it doesn't really make me look thinner BUT it is a size smaller and I feel like wearing a button that says "This skirt is a size smaller than my last one" just so people will know. LOL

The other pic is me in the old size 26 jean skirt, which I can still wear ok but is really big and I can take off without unbuttoning it. I'm looking forward to the day when my hips will no longer hold it up at all. That day will come!

I'm feeling kind of bloated today (time of the month) so, I'm not feeling much smaller today. The scales were up a pound today. BUT I HAVE BEEN AWESOME with my eating/water/exercise, so I know it will be gone soon.

the big jean skirt & the cutie jean skirt

I'm just *thrilled* with the way I'm losing. It makes me want to do more to promote more weight loss! What energy comes from success and happiness! :)

My jean skirt can now be taken off without even unbuttoning it! It's way too big and just kind of hanging on me. A week or so ago, I put a new jean skirt in lay-a-way. It was more expensive than I usually spend on a jean skirt ($40) but it is SOOOoo cute and I thought "hey...hubby spends $48 per month on the gym for him for his health. I can spend $40 per month on me if I am losing weight too. But I didn't have $40 LOL so in lay-a-way it went and I hope to get it out within a week. But now I'm wondering if I should have put the next size down in lay-a-way and I'm hoping when I get it out, they will still have whatever size I need, so I can exchange it if need be.

Wow........losing weight is fun :)

119 days later....

119 days ago, I said "I will drink no soda, eat no fast food and no dessert for 118 days". I made it! It is over!

I don't know that I will go back to drinking soda. I hate to start again when it is out of my system now. We will see. I know I won't be having any today.

Today I will have one cup of mocha ice cream. I have wanted mocha ice cream the past 118 days LOL.

I lost 14 pounds during those 118 days. It would have been more if I would have been exercising, which I didn't start being consistent with until Oct. 1st. Many of those pounds were lost in the past 2 weeks.

But even though I didn't lose a ton of weight, I have proven to myself that I DO have self-control and self-discipline when I choose to exercise it.

I CAN do hard things. I AM strong.

I am strong and loved and beautiful......and I'm going to be the Oklahoma TOPS queen.

Happy is healthy.

You may remember that my goal for October is: BE HAPPY.

I have been. I am. And it is good.

I haven't messed up with exercise or calories at all this month.

This morning I was 297. Down from 302 on October 1st.

I think happy is a good thing :)

~Be happy~

The boundary line that makes you bounce.

For me and many in our TOPS chapter, there is an invisible boundary line, a number on the scale, that we get down to from time to time but when we do, we bounce right back up. I really have two lines. The first one is 300. I have hit 300 I don't know how many times but 90% of the time, after I hit it, I bounce back up. A few months ago, I hit 300 and then bounced all the way back up to 313 or so! BOUNCING IS NOT FUN.

I guess 300 is my smaller bouncer boundary but my humungo bouncer number is 296. I don't think I have been below 296 since we moved here 4 and a half years ago(February 2007). I have touched 296 before (last April, near my birthday)then boing boing boing.

Do you know how you STOP all the bouncing junk? You ~*BREAK THROUGH*~ and then you ~*KEEP GOING*~ I wish I could write this next word in super, mega-big letters:

>>>>>>>>>>CONSISTENCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I was 298.9 this morning. I'm ready to break the boundary into tiny little shreds. It won't happen by giving myself some slack. It will happen with WORK. Some people dream of great things. Others get up in the mornings and make them happen.

*Stick with it* EVERY. single. minute.

Come on, get sticky with me. :)

face shots while waiting on daughter in the bathroom

My daughter is 10. Tonight she started in on "I'm scared!" when I said it was time to get ready for bed. So, I just went with her and took self pics while she got ready LOL Now everyone is in bed and I'm feeling quite sleepy myself. zzz goodnight :)

a fun night

I had the best night!

I started with getting a 44 ounce ice water from sonic (I've been drinking THREE of these per day).

I walked 2 miles at my absolute favorite walking trail, mp3 player blaring.

I went to Fashion Bug and found cute new clothes that I put in lay-a-way.

I ran by the store for salad, fruit, almond and kashi cereal (health kick!)

I ate black eyed peas (that I had brought with me) on the way home.

~fun night~

What should I do with my kid-free time? (suggestions please! asap!)

Tonight is homeschool mom's night out at a local restaurant. I asked hubby to be home to watch the kids but I'm not even sure I want to go. For starters, I'm still on the 118 days of no fast food (Sunday is my last day!), so I could only visit, not eat. And I don't know, I just am not excited about going for some reason that I can't put my finger on. I'm feeling obligated to be there because I need to deliver t-shirts to 2 ladies who will be there. But I just can't get excited about going. So, I thought "eh, I won't go. I'll stay home and clean house and work on TOPS stuff". BUT........then I thought of how JEALOUS I get of my husband because he can just go and do as he pleases most of the time and I feel tied down with the kids and I have to schedule and 'ask permission' to go do something that I want to do. Probably a lot of that is the homeschoolingness of it all...because yes, I am with my kids ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY and we get a bit tired of each other. So, if hubby stops by the gym on the way home or to see his mother or even to the library or walmart, I catch myself thinking "That is NOT fair. You never have to ask me to watch the kids so you can do those things. You just do them." So yeah, I think I should take tonight to do my own thing, even if it is just running the shirts by the restaurant and then leaving to go do something without the kids for a couple of hours. But what do I do? Suggestions anyone?

~more later~~