Many Thanks

Thank you to all who commented on yesterday's post! I really appreciate your kind and encouraging words. It meant the world to me and gave me the boost that I needed to continue to persevere on this journey. You guys are the best... and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

xo,
C.C.

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 11

I'm happy to report a 1 lb. loss this week. But... I'm not going to lie. I am also feeling a bit frustrated and discouraged.

When you have 200+ lbs. to lose... a 1 lb. loss seems like a mere drop in the bucket. When you've eaten within your calorie range and have exercised several times over the past 7 days... it just seems like you should have lost more than 1 pound!

Honestly... I just feel like screaming right now.

Days like this have a tendency to "separate the men from the mice." And what I need to do is just let go of this frustration and discouragement and buckle down and keep on keeping on. I can't give up... and I won't. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing... and I'm going to be thankful for every loss.

Here's how the numbers stack up:

Last Week: 368.8 lbs.
This Week: 367.8 lbs.
Pounds Lost: 1
Total Lost Since 02-09-09: 33.0 lbs.

Who knows? Maybe I'll have a better loss next week. I sure hope so!

An Attitude of Gratitude

I just read the sweetest little post... and it really made me stop, think, and smile.

My good friend, Daniele, wrote about gratitude. And to follow her lead... I want to share a few things that I am grateful for today.

Not in any particular order... here are 10 things that I am grateful for:

1. I am healthy and strong in spite of my current weight.

2. I have clean water to drink.

3. I have a wonderful husband who loves me no matter what size I am.

4. I had wonderful parents and a wonderful childhood.

5. I've never lacked food, clothing, or shelter.

6. My husband brings home the bacon, and though I've been gainfully employed in the past, it is not a necessity that I hold down a job right now.

7. I have a great sister.

8. It's always sunny and warm where I live.

9. I am grateful for flowers and birds.

10. I am grateful for wonderful blog buddies who continue to give encouragement and support to me as I "journey to lose 200 pounds."

You know what? I think if we all lived with more of an attitude of gratitude... life would be much sweeter. The things that get us down really wouldn't matter quite so much. We would take pleasure in the simple things of life... and we would be much happier and healthier people.

So... who wants to join Daniele and me and display an attitude of gratitude today? What are 10 things that you are grateful for?

Healthy You Challenge - Week 17 Update

1. I exercised more in the past week than I have in awhile... so that is a good thing!

2. I stayed on track with my eating, consuming between 1,800 and 2,000 calories each day.

3. At last Wednesday's weigh-in, I was happy to report a 2.2 lb. loss!

4. I feel smaller and have more energy.

5. I've noticed that certain daily activities are becoming easier... such as stepping out of the bath tub and cleaning the mirrors in my bathroom. I think my stomach is shrinking... and I can lift my legs higher when stepping out of the tub, and I can get closer to the mirror above the bathroom sink when I'm cleaning it because my stomach is not in the way as much as it used to be. hehe

Overall... things are going well. Tomorrow is my weigh-in day... and I'm hoping my weight continues its downward trend!

How are all of you doing?

That was Then, This is Now

Like a lot of people, I've always tended to overindulge on food during the weekends. Hubby and I used to order takeout once a week... and we mostly likely did that on Saturdays or Sundays. And I used to cook huge weekend breakfasts for the two of us. And let's not forget the homemade baked goods that would almost always magically appear every Saturday.

At our house, weekends weren't "made for Michelob," they were made for "putting on the old feed bag!"

I was thinking about that today as I was planning the day's menu. My, my... things have changed in the past few weeks! I have changed in the past few weeks! And it has definitely been a change for the better!

I want to share with you what a typical weekend menu was for me a few weeks ago. And then I want to compare that with the kinds of food that I choose to eat now.

"Then" Breakfast:







2 Eggs Fried in Butter
2 Slices Bacon
4 Large Pancakes
2 T. Butter
1 Cup Lite Syrup
1 Cup Orange Juice


"Now" Breakfast:





1 Slice Toasted Whole Wheat Bread
2 T. Natural Peanut Butter
1 Cup Orange Juice


"Then" Snack:





3 Cups Potato Chips
1 Cup Chocolate Milk


"Now" Snack:







1 Container Fiber One Yogurt
1 Cup Blueberries
1/8 Cup Chopped Walnuts


"Then" Lunch:







2 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
1/2 Cup Ketchup
2 Cups Soda


"Now" Lunch:





Turkey Sandwich, consisting of the following:
1 Slice Whole Wheat Bread
3 Oz. Turkey Breast
1 T. Lite Mayo
1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
2 Slices Tomato
1 Cup Skim Milk


"Then" Snack:








1 Large Piece of Cake
1 Cup Ice-Cream
1 Cup Skim Milk


"Now" Snack:





1 Oz. Lowfat Cheese
1 Apple


"Then" Supper:







6 Mild Chicken Wings
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese Dressing
3 Slices Pizza
2 Cups Soda


"Now" Supper:







6 Oz. Broiled Chicken Breast
1 Cup Steamed Broccoli
1/2 Cup Rice


"Then" Snack:







1 Small Piece of Cake
1/2 Cup Ice-Cream
1 Cup Skim Milk


"Now" Snack (Only If I'm Hungry):





100 Calorie Bag of Microwave Popcorn
1 Oz. Lowfat Cheese



Total Calories "Then": 5,485
(222.3 Grams Fat - 84.2 g Saturated!!!)

Total Calories "Now": 1,754
(52.1 Grams Fat - 14.2 g Saturated)

That's a difference of 3,731 calories!!! I was eating approximately 3 times the amount of calories on one day of a weekend splurge than what I am eating now!!! Aaaagggghhhh!!!


Wow... to be perfectly honest... I never realized how much I ate on the weekends until now! Honestly... I cannot believe I ate all that crap! This little post has been a real eye-opener for me. I never really took inventory of what I ate before... and I am absolutely shocked and appalled at the amount of calories that were in the crap that I was eating!

God help me... I never want to go back to eating like that on the weekends... or any other time... ever again!

And now... it's your turn!

What were YOUR eating habits like "then?" What are they like "now?"

Celebrate Every Victory

I am so happy to share 2 great NSV's with you today! And the first one has to do with exercise.

As most of you know, my hubby bought me an elliptical a few months ago. He got it for 100 bucks from a family member. Score! Anyway, the first time I got on it... my legs literally felt like they were going to fall off after only two minutes. I was out of breath, and I felt like a total loser. I felt like the weakest, fattest, most out of shape person in the world. I was mad at myself for being so unfit, and my lack of endurance made me want to cry. I felt hopeless... like I was destined to be fat and out of shape forever.

But... I knew that I couldn't give up. I knew that this was just a start. I should not have expected a great workout the first time. I mean, really... I've NEVER used an elliptical before... and the only exercise I was currently doing at that point was a 1-mile "Walk Away the Pounds" video.

So... I made up my mind that I would do 2 minutes the next time I got on the elliptical. I would stay at 2 minutes until I felt like I could do more... gradually increasing the minutes as time went by. And that's what I did.

Before long... I was up to 3, 4, even 5 minutes per session. Yay! I was improving! I was getting stronger! My endurance level was going up! And the day that I did 10 minutes straight... I felt like I was on top of the world! This "slow and steady" approach was working... and I was becoming more fit in the process!

And then... on March 19th... I set an all-time high record of 15 minutes straight on the elliptical! Now... that might not seem like much to most of you... but when you weigh as much as I do... that is a major NSV! I couldn't have been more happy if I had just reached the summit of Mt. Everest! (Well... OK. I would have been happier if I had just done that. hehe)

Anyway, after that day... I didn't use the elliptical very much. I started to do the 2-mile "Walk Away the Pounds" video, and I was busy with gardening and other activities. I used the elliptical a few times in April, but I felt kind of lazy and only did it for 10 minutes at a clip. Until today, that is. For the second time... I did 15 minutes on the elliptical! Yay! And... honestly, I think I could have done more but the bottoms of my feet were hurting so I got off.

(Speaking of the bottoms of my feet hurting... does anybody else have that problem when they use the elliptical? I don't think it's my shoes... because I have an almost new pair of New Balance sneakers. And I put arch supports in them to see if that would help. It did help slightly, but my feet still hurt. Is it because I'm just so heavy right now? Is the pressure on my feet just too much for it to be comfortable? Will the pain stop when I'm lighter? I hope so!)

At any rate, my second NSV has to do with my hubby. This week, he actually told me that he could tell that I was losing weight! I asked him where he could tell... and he said, "everywhere." Yay! That totally made my day... especially because hubby does not mention weight or weight loss very much. So I know that when he says something about it... he really means it and I do not take the compliment lightly!

It's amazing how far I've come in the ten weeks since I got my big wake-up call on February 9th. And I just want to tell all of you to not be discouraged. You are NOT a hopeless case! You are NOT destined to be fat and out of shape the rest of your life!

If you persevere... you WILL lose the weight and become fit and healthy. Maybe you can only do 2 minutes... or even less... on the elliptical. That's OK. Just keep doing that... and soon you will be able to do more. Maybe you can only walk for 5 minutes before you have to stop and rest. That's OK. Just keep doing that... and gradually you will be able to increase your minutes.

One thing I've learned is that this journey is not about perfection. It's about persistence and taking it one day at a time and doing the best that you can each day!

(PS: What NSV's have YOU recently celebrated?)

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 10

That cartoon is SO funny! (And SO untrue... but I had to share it anyway. lol)

At any rate, here's how the numbers stacked up at today's weigh-in:

Week 9: 371.0 lbs.
This week: 368.8 lbs.
Pounds Lost: 2.2
Total Lost Since 02-09-09: 32.0 lbs.

Yay! I lost 2.2 more pounds! That's 32 total pounds in 10 weeks!

I am pleased, to say the least. And what's so great is that I am not starving myself. I am not working out 8 hours a day. I have not become a dieting fanatic and exercise fiend.

I am simply taking it one day at a time and doing the best that I can each day. I'm exercising a few days a week. I'm eating 1,800-2,000 calories a day. I eat a variety of healthy foods plus the occasional (but rare) treat. I'm drinking lots of water.

And most importantly... I am being patient with myself. I am learning to sit back, relax, and give myself time to lose this weight. I am not in a rush anymore. This isn't a diet... it's a lifestyle change. And I realize that the positive changes I have made over the past 10 weeks are all changes that I can live with on a daily basis. They are changes that I MUST live with in order to change my body, improve my health, and finally LIVE the life that I want to live instead of just existing.

I have the power to change my body. And I've learned that in order to change my body... I first must change my mind. I have to deal with my emotions on a daily basis... because emotional eating is what put me at 400.8 lbs. 10 weeks ago. Realizing that food is not the cure-all is setting me free from the fat prison that I have lived in most of my life.

Knowing that I weighed more than 400 pounds was the wake-up call that I needed. I knew that if I didn't take control of the situation immediately... the scale would soon show 450+. And I've determined that I won't go back to that place... neither physically nor emotionally.

So wherever you find yourself at today... please do not give up. You DO have the power to change your life!

xo,
C.C.

A Weird Feeling

I don't blog a lot about my husband, but occasionally I do mention him. And as most of you probably know by now... hubby is chubby. He's also wonderful, handsome, smart, muscular, hard-working, funny, and talented. (I could go on and on... but I don't want to bore and/or nauseate any of you. hehe) So... let's get back to the chubby part.

Hubby weighed himself last night, and the scale said 271.4. Remember last Wednesday when I weighed myself? I weighed 371.0. Yep... that's just about 100 pounds MORE than my hubby weighs! Talk about a weird feeling... to weigh 100 pounds more than the strong, muscular man that you are married to!

Ideally, I would like to get down to 170 pounds... which is roughly 100 pounds less than what my hubby weighs right now, and 200 pounds less than what I weigh right now. Heck... I can't wait until the day that I just weigh LESS than him!

Hubby did lose about 10 pounds in the last 6 weeks, so I am extremely proud of him. He wants to get down to 200 pounds, which is a weight I haven't personally seen since I was 13 years old! Yikes... there it is... another weird feeling!

Sometimes I can't even imagine what it would be like to be at a normal weight. What would it feel like? How will it change me? What things will I do differently?

I'm so used to lugging around an extra 200 pounds... will it feel like my body is floating when I move? Will it feel like I am walking on air because I will just feel so much lighter than I do right now?

Yep... I think there are many more weird feelings in store for me as I continue this journey. And I'm looking forward to every single weird, wonderful one of them!





(PS: What's the weirdest feeling that you've had since starting YOUR weight loss journey? Come on... 'fess up! That way I won't feel like I'm the only one that's living in "The Twilight Zone." hehe)

Healthy You Challenge Week 16 Update

Highlights from the Past Week

1. I had a loss of 3.4 lbs. on weigh-in day!
2. I stayed on track with my eating.
3. Exercise could have been better. I definitely need to work on that this coming week!

How are all of you doing?

Fourth of July Challenge Update

I can't believe it! We've made it half-way through the Fourth of July Challenge already! We're at the 10 week mark, and there are 10 weeks to go!

You know what that means? It means... there's still time to DO THIS!

No matter how much weight you have or haven't lost to this point... let today be the day where you buckle down and determine in your heart that you are going to finish this Challenge strong and in better shape than you were 10 weeks ago! Let today be a fresh start... and let's all have something to celebrate by the Fourth of July! (Besides America's Independence, that is. hehe)

Re-commit to checking in each week... and start with this week!

And if you're not a member, but would like to join... pop on over and sign-up. The more the merrier!

Lemonade Award

The fabulous Tonibaby recently bestowed upon me the "Lemonade Award." Thanks, Tonibaby!

Here are the rules for this award:

1) Put the logo on your blog or post
2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude
3) Link to your nominees within your post
4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog
5) Share the love and link to the person from who you received your award

I read a lot of blogs. And so many of you show great attitude or gratitude. Too many to list, in fact! So... I'm just going to send all of you...

a glass of lemonade...



a big bear hug...



and wishes for a...



xo.
C.C.