On a Roll

After another week of behaving myself and generally watching what I eat, I'm down another 2.5 pounds. I have 8 pounds to go to reach my short term goal (which is to be back where I was last fall by the end of May) and I'm feeling good about it.

I've been eating a ton of veggies (especially sugar snaps, squash, and cucumber salad) and whole grains (long-grain brown rice, anyone?) and getting enough calcium. Unfortunately, I have to keep reminding myself to get some protein since I've been eating virtually no meat and that has translated into the occasional supper of scrambled eggs. All in all, though, pretty good.

Another Ticker Change

I just wanted to explain quickly why I changed my ticker today. Remember a few months ago when I mentioned that I was afraid to say how much I weighed. Well, of course you don't, I almost forgot myself, so click here! ;-) Anyway, I decided I've moved from shame about the number that used to be on the scale to pride that I've finally started really making progress in the area of health and fitness. So, I changed my starting weight on my ticker from the weight I was when I was finally brave enough to admit how much I weighed to the weight I was when I was too ashamed to admit it. Did that make any sense?

Plateau over (hopefully!)

I lost weight this week, for the first time in about three weeks. I'm so excited! It's just half a pound, but it's something. I did a ticker too:




And yes, Jules, I will be needing your help to add it to the bottom!

Ticker Update

Just checking in. I updated my ticker. I'm down another 1.6 pounds this week. That along with last week's whopping 4 pound loss make a nice weekly average of 2.8 pounds lost per week. I'm pretty happy with that. I've even enjoyed several favorite meals over the last two weeks. My husband and I have started taking salsa dancing lessons, so along with the walking I've been pretty active. I am also very pleased that a good percentage of this weight seems to have melted from my tummy. It looked almost flat this morning, still W I D E, but flatter. Ha!

Funny Faces for Funny Laughs in your Brain

What's the point of this photo?

To make you smile.

This is Nat, Samantha and Julia - my three girls - and they always make ME smile, so I thought you'd enjoy the silly faces.

Those of you know about our past few months realize this is a miracle photo. All the girls together! Praise God!

Enjoy!

Ticker's Heavy

Over the past couple weeks, I've been paying more attention to myself and - even if I haven't been particularly inspired, I've been doing what I know to be right as far as diet and exercise. And it's paying off.

Although I'm not thrilled that this is weight that I'd already taken off (actually, it was right around this time last year - uggh), I've dropped 3.5 pounds in the last 2 1/2 weeks. So now I'm just going to keep on it and hopefully reach my short term goal (back to where I was last September) by the end of May.

Making and breaking goals... oh what a feeling!

Last week I had set a goal to do a solid hour of cardio at least three times, in addition to my regular weight lifting. Normally, I average 25-35 minutes of cardio five days a week, so this was a challenge for me. But I did it girls! Three times last week I ran four miles straight on the treadmill, and two of those days I did an additional mile+ on the elliptical machine. Yesterday, I knew I wasn't going to run as much, and was going to focus more on the weights, so I ran two miles, and at my fastest pace yet. My first mile was 10:40, and my second was 9:40. I felt so good, and I felt so strong. I thought to myself, who would have known that I could feel this wonderful after RUNNING of all things? I certainly didn't envision myself a year ago as a runner. I just thank God that He's given me the strength to make such radical, and healthy changes! : )

A little about me

First off, let me say I'm thrilled to be a part of this great community. Even after a year and a half on my weight loss journey, I still need the support of others!

My name is Melissa. I'm 30, have been married for nearly nine years to my best friend Jason, and we have one daughter, Anna Marie, who is five and a half. She'll start kindergarten this fall, a late start due to her October birthday.

I'm the news editor at a small community paper in north Mississippi. That means I have the "honor" of attending all sorts of government meetings, school events, and other community happenings. Then I have the "honor" of writing about them and putting together the front pages for two sections and an editorial page. I also write one or two feature stories per week, and a local editorial.

Phew!

I've been overweight for most of my life, compounded by my love of food and my aversion to exercise. My mom told me that I'd grow "up" as a teen and "thin out." She didn't know I'd stay 5'2" and round.

When I got the news editor job, I knew I'd be in public a lot more and needed to feel more confident about my appearace. I was also turning 29 then, and knew that if I didn't try to lose some weight now, I'd have a harder time (and more health problems) as time went on. I walked into our local Weight Watchers meeting weighing 237 pounds in August of 2005.

I now weigh (as of last night) 163.5, a loss of 73.4 pounds. It hasn't always been easy, but I figure the longer it takes me to lose it the better I'll do at keeping it off (right? That's the upside to this, isn't it?) I have about 30 pounds left, which will mean my weight loss will be somewhere in the 100 pound range.

I haven't lost any weight the past two weeks, which kind of has me down, but I know it's just a temporary plateau and I'll power through it.

Again, I thank Jules for inviting me into your community. Hopefully, I'll be able to give some help in return for all I've gotten! And I look forward to getting to know each of you better.

Welcome, Melissa!

Welcome to our newest lady, Melissa! She happened upon our blog one day and I read her post. I know she will add a lot to this place and I hope we can all come behind her and lift her up to help her realize her dreams! Welcome, Melissa, please introduce yourself to us soon! Jules

Spring Hurrah...

Okay, how about the 19th or the 26th of May instead? I think Ernie's birthday is the 19th? Not exactly sure, but we have to have our very own Elicia join us this time! Either one of those dates is fine by me. What say you all?

The Spring Hurrah is in 24 days!

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

Saturday May 12th is our next event! Yes, believe it or not, only twenty-four days remain before we come together again at the imfamous Northgate Red Robin.
Now, I know that alot of us haven't lost anything lately, some of us have even gained over the Winter months. But isn't that all of the more reason to come together and encourage one another? Come on girls, let's see what we can do between now and then!

Missing some of you.

Hello crew. I am missing reading posts and comments from some of my favorite women....how we all doing? Lets have a roll call:

1. name

2. current weight or current "place" you are at

3. ultimate goal

4. short term goal

5. strategies to get there

6. biggest inspiration

7. biggest "trigger" to the old ways

8. best complement you have received on your weight loss.

Almost 10 Pounds

The pictures on the left were taken on March 4th. I weighed 234.2 pounds and was wearing size 18. The ones on the right are from today (April 16th) and I weigh 225 pounds and I'm wearing size 16. I'm ten pounds away from my short term goal of 215 and I have 65 pounds more to lose until I reach my ultimate goal of 165 pounds.

The walking is going really well too. I get together with other 3-day walkers in training on Saturdays and we're increasing our mileage each week. I notice that every week I feel better and stronger on these walks. That feels as good as watching the numbers on the scale go down, and putting on smaller jeans.

Good News and Bad News

The bad news is the scale has only moved .4 pounds in over 2 weeks. The good news is that it moved down, not up. I've updated my ticker. Oh, and more good news: last Saturday I walked 5.1 miles, which is a new record for me (in the last 15 years).

This is a long note:Surgery went well so far

Hello everyone,

It has been a long time since I have blogged. I have had a rough time since I was brave enough to take that great step aerobics class at the Y. It was about 4 1/2 -5 weeks ago. I was fine that day. I felt so encouraged and healthy and fit. The next day I also felt ok. The third day I went down, meaning my back went out.

My husband had to take me to the ER and they said that I must have re-injured my back and pinched my sciatica nerves down the back of my legs. In 2002 I had a lumbar discectomy at the L4-5 level. Long story kind of short, I had a shot in the bum then went home. The next week I was back in the ER for the same thing, and the next week also.

Finally God sent me a spine doc in Everett. And of course he suggested an MRI which I had last Saturday (3/31). That showed a very narrow nerve root at my L4-L5 and L5- S1 lumbar spine. For those of you who do not know, that is at your tail bone. So today at exactly 1:34pm I was on the surgery table in Everett at the Trask Surgery Center. I must say that that was the WORST 7 MINUTES of my life. I have never ( even after a c-section) had that kind of horrible pain given to me.

I had a procedure called a Caudal Epidural at the L5-S1 level (my tailbone). This is a steroid injection put into my nerve root going down both legs. This is supposed to open my nerve paths to relieve pressure going down my legs. So far I can say that it has worked about 60%. The medicine that was given during the surgery has made me vomit with night sweats and extreme headaches. The doc said that this would happen and I should take caffiene of all things, to relieve the headaches.

So far so good. I hope that this is going to work with some physical therapy because if not the doc wants to fuse my spine, which is binding my last three discs together for good. This would cause me to move very limited. I am trying to advoid it. Sorry this is so long. Need less to say, I am still doing pretty well with my diet despite the problems, but exercise will come back shortly. Love you all and will update shorter versions later. Again, sorry so long. Kim

Wow! What do ya say to THAT?

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

I was humbled yesterday as we were leaving church, a woman that I really don't know very well approached my husband, and this is what she said; ' Your wife looks just stunning'. I was speechless. I mean, I think I mumbled a thankyou, but I was a little embarrassed.
We are our own worst critics, though, aren't we? We tend to see all of the flaws in our own appearance. My thing lately, is noticing the wrinkles that are becoming more apparent. I'm almost 39, and at this point in time we're suppose to have them ...right? But that doesn't make it any easier to see them in your own reflection. I've just conceded that I'm going to do the best I can, with what I've been given. I'm going to be a runner, and I'm going to be fit. And those days like yesterday, where most of us eat more than we should. I'm going to run an extra mile or two, just like I did this morning. And I'm going to love myself, whether the scale stays the same or not, because I am worth loving.

Jules checks in...

Hey crew! It is the morning after the resurrection, and I am feeling like a new year has begun in my life. I haven't been posting much because I have been caught in a whirlwind of homeschooling, birthdays (Reese in March, Riley in April), starting the new weight loss group at my home, my husband changing careers and just general craziness around the Paine home. My sister-in-law moved in with us almost 3 months ago and that has affected my life as well. Lots of emotional opportunities around here for me to get caught up in (and eat with). The good news is that I have maintained my weight loss with diligence. I have had to be really determined to watch myself. The bummer is I am still that 1.8 or 1.4 lbs away from breaking into the 150's. I have been hovering here now for a long time. I have had to focus so much on just the maintenance part of my weight loss (not getting caught up in the sorrow of other's lives or the celebrations) that I have not had the extra gumption to go anywhere beyond that. But that is all apart of life, I suppose.
I have been visiting the Y about 3 times a week, rarely missing my yoga class, but I know that my body needs more than this. I went on such a beautiful spring walk the other day with Mandi, I was inspired to keep the exercise factor up in my life. Kristina and Lisa and Amy are very inspirational in the workout side of life. Thanks, girls. And Jennifer, you are really an encouragement as far as the weight loss goes. Good for you, girl!
Well, that is about it. I am looking forward to the spring and summer. Ready to challenge myself and have fun with my family. I will try to post more often. Love to all.

(pictures are of me making Easter dinner for 19)
Jules

Checking in

Hello everyone,
I am still around. Still hanging out on my plateau. Love the fitlinxx though. It really rocks. I love seeing some numbers of accomplishment somewhere, even if it is not the scale. I am just coming out of a major fibromyalgia episode. It was yucky and depressing, but I am hanging in there. Softball season has started again, so Ben Gay is my new best friend:)

Happy Easter everyone.
He is risen!
SueAnne

Happy Easter

Eggs, ducks, the Resurrection of our Lord, Ham and family, restoration with God, candy...

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has a godly thought between practical thoughts when I think of Easter. I'm sure many of you are wondering how you'll be 'good' tomorrow with such a delectable holiday emerging.

Here's how I'm going to do it - To eat and drink and breathe unto the Lord.

Yup, that's right - whatever I eat, I will eat it with gratitude.
Whatever I drink, I will drink it to be benefit of my body and soul.
Whenever I breathe, to speak, to laugh, to well, just breathe, I will do it unto the Lord.

Tell yourselves to revel in the wonder that is the Resurrection - and how its manifested in your own life. I can tell you - Kris is resurrected - she's free from the old body. As she is free in her body, may she also be free in her heart.

Think about your own resurrections - things you counted as dead that have been returned to you-flush with life.

That's what I'm gonna try to do - happy EASTER LADIES!

HE IS RISEN!

Tidings

I'm headed out for the weekend, ladies, but I wanted to wish each of you a very blessed Easter (and continuing, slightly belated passover for those so inclined) before I went. Don't eat (too m)any ears off the chocolate bunnies!

Athena's Fit Linxx Stats and some stuff

Here are my FitLinxx stats for March..[The person in the lead for the entire gym is also female and I know her. She is a long distance runner who runs about 8 miles each night and does weights too. She is maybe a size 2 soaking wet and is in my age group.] I am never going to catch her. There was a time when I would beat myself up for not keeping up with someone whos goals were higher than I could achieve but age and experience have taught me not to try. So with her 17,554 points, I am just going to be happy with working out 4 days a week and shrinking.

82nd for the whole gym
39th for all women in our gym
13th for women my age (40-49)

I have discovered a new website. Someone may have already mentioned it but it is so awsome I have to do it again. Calorie-count.com is a FREE website where you can track your food and activity each day. It is awsome. I had decided that after years of tracking WW points, I needed to get real and track actual calories. I have only been doing it for 3 days but I love that I can go over to the computer and mark my food.

Things are good around here and I love reading all your success!!! Lisa, I am pulling for you...let's do tea again soon or maybe a date on the treadmill at the Y. Jennifer, WAY TO GO!! Kristina, you never cease to amaze me. Jules, Thank you for this great place to be.

Love you guys,
Amy

My fitlinxx stats for March!

I set some goals for working out for the month of March, and I surpassed them!
Last month, I lifted 974,524 pounds. Ranking me first in my age group, first for all women, and SECOND for the entire YMCA!!
I earned 19,160 fit points. Ranking me first in my age group, first for all women, and third for the whole Y.
I burned 14,471 calories. Ranking me first in my age group, third for all women, and seventh for the whole Y.

Deja Vu

I know I don't usually post so often, but I've decided to reset my ticker. Again. I've gained so much weight back over the last four months that it hasn't been acurate for quite awhile. In fact, I look at it now and laugh...probably a good sign that I've got some work to do.

I don't food journal like most of you, but in the name of accountability, I can tell everybody what I ate yesterday. Breakfast: yogurt, scone. Lunch: cucumber orange salad, apple and tuna salad (no mayo), yogurt. Afternoon: a handful of M&Ms off the receptionist's desk. Dinner 1 (pre-racquetball): dry cereal. Dinner 2 (3 hours later): cucumber salad, apple, 2 thin mints. 5 cups of tea, 8 glasses of water, and the proverbial partridge in the pear tree.

Today I will do well. And not be so tired when I get home that I wind up eating the same thing I had for lunch.

No Pressure Now...

I suppose it's no secret that I've hit a wall lately, which has left me pretty indifferent to everything. How I keep the house, what I do at work, how I've been eating, and whether I'm getting enough exercise. In short, a pretty big case of the blahs.

It's not that I'm bored or unhappy, I'm just seriously lacking in inspiration and trying to break out of it is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I've been trying to manufacture my own inspiration - the March challenge, or running next to someone at the Y since I'm so stubborn that I won't slack off if someone is watching - but it hasn't been working. But the weather is getting gorgeous, shaking off the last of winter, so I'll try something new.

This week I have good, healthy foods prepared and in the fridge. My kitchen is clean, the closets in the house are organized, and I finally went through various cupboards and got rid of the things I no longer use. I took the train to work this morning, walking to the station and I will (have to) walk home again this evening. I have racquetball scheduled for tonight, tennis for tomorrow and Thursday, and either Wednesday or Friday I will go to the Y. In short, I am set up for a week of success.

And Jennifer - with her incredible progress so far (yeah for the new jeans!) - and Kristina - running races that a year ago she thought were impossible - are my inspiration for the week.

We'll see how it goes.

My dad and I running our first race together!

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

This Saturday, my dad, (his dog), and I ran our first race together, it was a 5k in Arlington. It was a really big deal for me to accomplish this. I've only been running for about 2 1/2 months, and only on the treadmill. It was a challenge for me to run outdoors. The course was mild enough, but it was very windy. But I completed it, and at a ten minute a mile pace, my fastest yet. I've come so far in fifteen months, and I'm very proud of myself.

Tryin' to hear the dude with the blow horn, right before the race...

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.

32:01 at the finish! Yeah me!!

, originally uploaded by willemkristina@verizon.net.