Friday Thoughts

Still struggling to find my mojo...

Wondering what in the world happened...

Knowing that eating is not the answer...

But finding it hard to stop...

But... I've got to stop...

I've got to get back on track...

I can't quit...

I can't give up...

I won't give up.

Lord, help me to not give up!

Love Notes to Ourselves

I unexpectedly came across a very unique Valentine's Day post at the blog "Shutter Sisters" today. This was my first visit to "Shutter Sisters," actually... and the post challenged readers to write a love note to themselves.

And I thought... what a great idea! (Especially for weight loss bloggers... because we are notoriously hard on ourselves, aren't we?)

So... "in the spirit of love," I'm going to join in and write someting nice about me today...

Dear C.C.,

You are a loyal and loving wife, sister, and friend. You are a conscientious homemaker. You are creative and talented. You are loved by your wonderful husband, family, and friends. Life may not always be perfect... but you are perfectly blessed.

Congratulations on losing 51 pounds this past year! You have a long way to go... but that is still quite an accomplishment. Hang in there! Never, ever give up! You CAN do this!

Love,

Me :)

And now it's YOUR turn! Go ahead and write a love note to yourself today! And if you do... please let me know so I can make sure to pop on over to read it!

Happy Valentine's Day! I love you all! :)

Thank You and A Winner

Hi, everyone. I just wanted to thank all of you who left a comment on my last post. Your words of support and encouragement mean more to me than you will ever know.

I felt alone and isolated in my struggle and recent weight gain and I was holding it all inside. Deciding to blog about it was very difficult for me. To be perfectly honest... I didn't want to admit my failure and weakness. I guess I was disappointed that I had let myself down... and I didn't want to let any of you down, either.

But... it turns out that blogging about it was the best thing in the world that I could have done! Admitting my problem really was the first step to overcoming the self-sabotaging behavior of the past month. It made me face reality and realize that I had to stop... or the 18 lb. gain could very well have turned into a 28 lb. gain... or more.

And your comments... oh... your wise, wonderful comments! YOU made me realize that I am not alone... that I am not the only one who struggles and fights... sometimes overcoming... sometimes falling down... but never giving up. YOU gave me hope and the push in the right direction that I needed to get back on track and keep going... no matter how long it takes. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And I'm so happy that one of you is the winner of a recent giveaway that I posted about HERE. Pop on over to see who it is!

Have a great weekend, my friends!

xo,
C.C.

The Journey Continues...

Remember yesterday? It was February 9th... my one-year anniversary of getting back-on-track. And a month ago... I was SO excited for February 9th to arrive! I was 331.6 pounds... and could not wait for my one-year weigh-in. I was pretty sure I would be in the 320's with a one-year weight loss of over 70 pounds.

Well... that was then... and this is now. Let's just say that I have had an absolutely HORRIBLE month... and I am nowhere near the 320's. And yes, stress and emotional eating had EVERYTHING to do with it.

I was afraid to get on the scale yesterday... REALLY afraid. I knew that I had gained a significant amount of weight because my clothing was starting to fit tighter. And I could see it in the mirror. There was no denying it. I'd dodged some bullets over the past year... but this was NOT one of those times. This was a for-real weight gain... and I was scared.

To be perfectly honest... I felt like a big, fat failure... and I seriously considered giving up for good. I didn't want to get online and post about my weight gain. And I even considered disappearing from blog land entirely.

How could I do so well for 11 months... and on the 12th month do EVERYTHING wrong??? Hadn't I learned ANYTHING in the past 11 months? How can I help and inspire anyone else when I can't even help myself?

It all came down to perseverance. That's what this blog is about. It's not about quick weight-loss. It's not about starving oneself. It's not about perfection. This blog is about not giving up. It's about not quitting. It's about getting up... no matter how many times you've fallen down. And that's why I'm here today... because maybe someone else has fallen down, too... and we both need to know that we CAN get back up and start moving forward again.

I am not proud to admit that when I stepped on the scale yesterday I weighed in at 349.8 lbs. That is an 18.2 lb. gain in one month. That is just crazy... and there is no excuse for it. I totally fell off the wagon and was using food for comfort... and this was the end result.

Instead of giving up... I have determined to go on. This is not the end of the journey for me... this is just another fresh beginning. I'm choosing to move forward... focusing on the future instead of regretting the past.

This is a new day... a fresh start... and I will never give up. I've come too far to turn back now. And instead of beating myself up over an 18.2 lb. gain... I am celebrating the 51 pounds that I did lose and have kept off this past year.

So... the journey continues... just taking it one day at a time and doing the best that I can each day... and remembering to never, ever give up.

A "Souper" Giveaway!

The kind folks at Progresso recently contacted me with an offer that I just could not refuse, and I am sure you're going to love it, too! I'm moving the post which was here to a new review site I've created, so for more information and to enter, please go HERE, and if you've already left a comment at this post, don't worry because you're still entered in the giveaway!

Thanks!
C.C.

Happy Friday!

Thank you to Chubba Momma, Hanlie, Alan, and Shihtzuma for recently bestowing upon me the "Happy Blogger Award." I am truly honored to have received this award from 4 such wonderful people. You are all an inspiration to me... and it makes me HAPPY to have such great blog buddies! :)

I'm supposed to post 10 things that make me happy now... so here goes...

1. My husband - I absolutely adore this man! He is intelligent, funny, handsome, wise, generous, hard-working, and the list could go on and on! And... he loves me!

2. My sister - She's the best sister in the world. Really. We've always been super-close and I know that I can always count on her no matter what.

3. The outdoors - I absolutely love being outside. I love walks in the woods, trees, flowers, bubbling brooks, birds, etc.

4. The feeling you get when all the monthly bills are paid.

5. Bosom Friends - If you've read or watched "Anne of Green Gables," you know what I'm talking about. I am happy that I have BOSOM friends!

6. Going for rides - I'm a simply person, really. One of my favorite things to do is to just hop in the car with my husband and head for the country so we can explore some back roads together.

7. The sweet scent of a baby - Is there anything as sweet as this in the entire world? I think not!

8. Chocolate - Yes... this is a weight loss blog... but... there's just something about chocolate that makes me happy! lol

9. Reading a good book - I love to be able to sit down and relax with a good book.

10. Flowers for no reason - This is ALMOST as sweet as the scent of a baby!

And... actually making this list made me happy!!! It's amazing how when we focus on the positive things just seem so much better!

And... I'd like to pass this "Happy Blogger" award to the 10 people who left me comments on THIS POST... because they really made me happy! :)

Excitement Around the Bend

I'm so excited! I have an awesome, fantastic, wonderful giveaway to post about the beginning of next week! I'm talking extraordinary! I promise you are going to love this! I just need to sample a few more products... and then I'll fill you in on all of the super details!

I can hardly wait! :)