Life lately....

has been a bit hectic. Summer came and went, and now I am knee deep in school and work. In the midst of this, of course, WW has not been a priority. As much as I don't want to do this, here are the numbers:

Weight: 147 pounds
Pounds gained (since last blog post): +6.2
Total pounds lost: 15 pounds
Pounds to lose: 15 pounds

There are a number of reasons why my weight has trended up, most of which involve me not focusing on my weight loss and making poor food choices. It's crazy how I could get so close to 25 pounds lost, and just like that I can gain like 10 pounds of it back. That is the trouble with this journey, it is full of surprises. it's easy to get down when things are going this way and I'm too busy to refocus. But I have to find a way to do it. one change is I have altered by goal to lose 30 pounds. I'm not going to try to get to a certain weight, just get down 30 pounds. So with this in mind, i have changed my "pounds to lose" number, and it looks like I am halfway there.

In other news, my job is officially posted. This day has been coming for a while, but it is weird to think of interviewing and hiring someone to replace me. I've worked at this job longer than my other post-college jobs, and I finally feel like i have it figured out. There is a small part (a very small part) of me that imagines what things would be like if i were staying here and not teaching. It could be a very good life. But I am really looking forward to the life I am trying to build for myself as a teacher, and that means I have to make some changes.

Also, I have gotten a second job at Shelton State Community College, where I tutor people three nights a week. If all goes well, then I will have this job after Christmas, which will be a huge financial relief. I really like it so far. It's giving me some valuable experience working one on one with students.

So that's the news with me - until next time (which may be Christmas, for all I know!)

So I missed July completely...whoops?

Another entire month went by, and it appears that yest again, I am starting this post with some not-so-awesome WW news.

Weight: 140.8 pounds
Pounds gained (since last blog post): +.2
Total pounds lost: 21 pounds
Pounds to lose: 16 pounds

Although it is only up .2, that means in an entire month, all I have done is go up and down and up and down all to get back to being up again. WW has not been a big priority for me, and it shows. There were a few weeks lately when I got my ActiveLink weekly progress email it said something to the effect of "not enough activity was recorded to provide a report." And that is not good. Some of that is related to forgetting to wear the thing, but most of it is related to consistently under performing on my activity goal. Sigh.

This is usually the part where I insert some positive statement and say something about getting back on track, but the truth is, all I'm feeling right now is burned out. And tired. And unmotivated. And I suppose all of that is part of the process. I just have to remind myself that I still have made progress, and that is something to be proud of.

In other news, we have moved to a new rental place in Tuscaloosa. It will be our last dwelling here before the BIG MOVE next summer back down to Fairhope. The place is still not unpacked (we only got in this past weekend) and I feel like there is a mountain of stuff to do to make it livable. I would rather take a nap.

Until next time....

It's June already?

So I'm not feeling too great about WW, and debated posting about it. But I realize some component of this blog is about accountability, and I know it helps me to see that others make mistakes too. So here are the numbers:

Weight: 140.8 pounds
Pounds gained (since last blog post): +1.2
Total pounds lost: 21.2 pounds
Pounds to lose: 15.8 pounds

Full disclosure: I actually got down to 137.4 pounds, and was SOOO close to getting a star for 25 pounds lost, but alas life got in the way. With what you may ask? I'll tell you.


So at the end of May, I undertook an adventure with my sister: a road trip 2,800 miles across the country to move her to Portland, Oregon. It was four days in the car with her cat, but we made it there all in one piece. Here are some fun shots from the trip, all from her instagram:

Snacks in the car	Carmella the road warrior cat
Wind turbines in Texas	Colorado Rockies early in the morning
Lincoln statue in Wyoming	Snake River Canyon in Idaho
Sisters!	Entering Oregon
Car game	Last stop - Multnomah Falls
Highest point in Portland	International Rose Test Garden

It was certainly a long trip, but I'm glad we had the chance to have that experience together. I'm glad I got to see where she's starting her new exciting life, and I can't wait to visit for real. Will be flying next time for sure!

It's May! Hooray!

 So this week, I decided to experiment a little. Since I started WW, I have found myself drinking more diet soda than I ever did before. I think I was lured in by the fact that diet sodas are 0 points each. Although they are no points, all the sugar, sodium, etc. in them has been shown to make some people retain water. And let's be honest, it's probably not okay to put the same chemicals in your body that can take the rust off of metal. So I decided to forgo them this week in favor of water. And even though I was not a diligent tracker, I did lose weight!

Weight: 139.6 pounds
Pounds lost (since last blog post): -1.0
Total pounds lost: 22.4 pounds
Pounds to lose: 14.6 pounds

One of the big things they have been talking about for the last month is about activity. I know that I could stand to do a little more activity than I have been. I just don't make it a priority. So to jump start this, I got myself an ActiveLink, which is a WW activity monitor that will help me track my activity throughout the day. I think it will encourage me to be more aware and more diligent about activity. And ultimately, I hope it will show up on the scale. I've got less than 15 pounds to go, and I'd like to do that by December!

Finally, school is over for the semester. I came out with two A's. I get a whole summer with no classes - the first time since Fall 2009. I am not going to know what to do with myself! oh who am I kidding...I am my father's daughter, so I'm sure I will take on some projects in the meantime. =)

A small WW victory

Hi everyone,

Life has been pretty hectic this spring, so I haven't been doing much blogging. But I finally have a moment to clear my head, so I'd like to share.

In WW news, I weighed in today and got some good news: a loss!

Weight: 140.6 pounds
Pounds lost (since last blog post): -1.4
Total pounds lost: 21.4 pounds
Pounds to lose: 15.6 pounds

As has been the pattern in the past, as soon as I get to a milestone, in the weeks that follow it is difficult for me to maintain the progress. It happened at my 5%, 10 lbs, 10%, etc. So it was no surprise to me that once I got to 20 pounds, I went up and down quite a bit. Today was the first time I made it past that mark, so I am really happy about that.

I've been really consumed with work and school lately. With school, I had a pretty big decision to wrestle with. I had made plans to do my internship this fall, but due to the course offerings over the summer, it looked like I would be unable to complete all my course requirements (last two classes) in order to do my internship in the fall. At first I was a little upset, because I had already made mental plans and preparations for this to happen. I was looking forward to the prospect of being done. But in reality, this way is better for me. It means I can stay at my job longer, and finish out the year, which would help them. Also, finishing in the spring may be a better way to get a job. So after some unrest, I just went with it. So the plan now is to stick around Tuscaloosa until August 2014 and then move on down home to Fairhope.

Something big on the horizon is that my sister is moving to Portland, Oregon with her husband. This is a pretty significant move. We've never lived more than a few hours apart from each other, and I know I will miss her. But I also know that this could be a great opportunity for both of them. I've also agreed to help them move there next month - which means a 4 day road trip there and a 9 hour plane ride back. What have I gotten myself into?!

In general, life is going pretty well. The weather is nice again, and who knows - maybe I'll wear a bathing suit this summer?

20 pounds down!

Just a quick post to share the EXCITING news! I am down 20 pounds as off my weigh-in today! Here are the numbers:

Weight: 142 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -1.4
Total pounds lost: 20 pounds
Pounds to lose: 17 pounds

It is even more exciting that the number left to lose is smaller than what I have lost! My next goal is still to get to the 3/4 mark by Spring Break. As long as I can lose 6.6 pounds by March 23 - I will be golden.

What goals have you reached this week?

Life keeps moving on, whether you're ready or not...

It seems appropriate to start this post with WW news, as I have been doing previously. Fortunately, it is good news! I have steadily been losing over the last few weeks. I can attribute it all to tracking my food, going to meetings, and exercising regularly. When you follow the plan, the weight comes off - what a novel concept, right? Here are the numbers:

Weight: 143.4 pounds
Pounds lost (since last post): -3.4
Total pounds lost: 18.6 pounds
Pounds to lose: 18.4 pounds

One of the reasons I've bee able to stay active is that I am back in karate again. It's good to be back. I really like challenging myself. This past weekend Jennings and I went to the annual winter camp in Fort Walton Beach. It was a good time, like always, but it was extra special this time. Jennings got his black belt!

We also both competed in self defense and ended up doing pretty good. Competing in the black belt division for the first time, Jennings got fourth place. I got third place in my division. Also, the most fun part of the weekend is always doing karate in the water:

Tuscaloosa dojo after karate in the water

Normally, I would be mortified to share this picture online (ok I am still a little mortified), but I am putting this on here to show my weight loss progress. This is our dojo last year:

I am not proud of how I was looking back then, but I am happy to say I am working on it. I hope next year I can show another picture and I will be at my goal weight!

In other news, I did complete the houndstooth cookie challenge some weeks back. Thanks to some help from my friend Nikki and a surprising amount of patience, I churned out 16 dozen of these:

My customer in Huntsville was very happy with them, and she told me that only 2 or 3 cookies broke in the shipping process, so that is great news. This whole experience marked the end of my etsy shop, Blue Bird Baskets. I sold off the rest of my basket inventory and closed it down. In some ways it is sad, but in other ways, it is a chance for me to focus on the many other exciting things going on in my life right now without this nagging feeling that I am being wasteful with all the stuff I'm not using.

So, in closing - what exciting things are going on in your life right now?

Winding down the week, gearing up for the weekend

Since I last wrote, I had another small gain, and then a loss, so I am approaching my 10 percent goal (again). It is a little frustrating to take one step forward and two steps back (literally), but I know that this whole thing is a journey and a process, and I am still learning it -  9 months into it. So here are the numbers:

Weight: 146.8 pounds
Pounds lost (since last post): -.4
Total pounds lost: 15.2 pounds
Pounds to lose: 21.8 pounds

Two things helped me with a loss this week: i actually tracked my food (even when it meant i went over my points) and I started back to karate. i had not been since September, so it was good to get back. I hope I can get myself in a position to where I can actually compete at winter camp and not be totally embarrassed. I plan to stick with karate and do some more activity, and I know as long as I stick to it, I should see the results at the scale.

In other news, this weekend I will be embarking on a little blast from the past adventure. Yes, I am resurrecting my houndstooth cookie skills and will be making 16 dozen of these babies for a nice lady in Huntsville:

I have enlisted some help this time, and have also discovered some new decorating techniques that should help me do some more of them more quickly. I have been in the process of shutting down blue Bird Baskets by selling off my supplies, and in the meantime I had an email from this lady who wanted some of these cookies for her son's bar mitzfah. I normally would have said no, but I thought - why not go out with a bang?

So this will be my official last order in the basket business. I hope they turn out the way i want them to and that they will be the hit of the party. I may take some photos of the process and do a final blog post on my other blog, bluebirdbaskets.wordpress.com, so stay tuned!

2013 is THE year

I am a little late, as usual, on a year-end post. But that's just how I roll.

So the quick and dirty WW story is that I gained after I got to my 10 percent. Am I surprised? No. I didn't track the week of Christmas. I did, however, go to a WW meeting two days after Christmas even though I did not want to. I figured I ought to face the music. So here are the numbers:

Weight: 147.2 pounds
Pounds lost this week: +1.8
Total pounds lost: 14.8 pounds
Pounds to lose: 22.2 pounds

This semester, I am going to get back into karate, which means that I will have change my WW meeting time once again. I am going to start going Wednesdays during lunchtime with one of my coworkers. I am hoping that by going with someone else, I will be motivated. Also the increase in activity level should get me back on track for success. Even though I am disappointed in a gain, I  know that I can try harder and lose again.

As I did last year, these are not resolutions, but rather a reflection on GOOD things from 2012:

1. I  lost 10 percent of my body weight on WW!
2. I completed two 5k races - The Color Run and the Crimson Couch to 5K.
3. I celebrated 5 years of being married to Jennings.
4. Watched my big sister get married in October.
5. Went to Hangout Fest with family and friends.
6. I went to karate summer camp and got first place in breaking competition.

And here's to many more good things in 2013!

I finally got to my 10 percent!

Hurrah - I can finally say I reached my 10 percent goal in WW! I originally thought I could get there back in September, but then life got in the way. With full time school and full time work, WW really took a back seat. I never gained more than a pound or two back, but I didn't lose much either. So at this last weigh in on Thursday, it was such a relief to realize I finally got there! Here are the numbers:

Weight: 145.4 pounds
Pounds lost this week: 1.8
Total pounds lost: 16.6 pounds
Pounds to lose: 20.4 pounds

One of the best parts about this goal is that I got a little WW key chain (yes, I respond to tokens like an elementary school child) and they passed around to everyone at the meeting because they have all been a part of my weight loss journey. It was very touching moment.

So my next goals involve losing half of what is left for my ultimate goal: 10 pounds. An aggressive goal would be to have that lost by February 28 (10 weeks), but with the holidays around the corner and a new semester to adjust to, I think a more reasonable time frame would be by Spring Break, which starts on March 23. So that is 13 weeks to lose 10 pounds. I'm going to need a lot of encouragement and determination to stick with it.

I know talking about weight loss around the holidays is a bit ridiculous, but for the first time in my life, when I sit down to write New Year's resolutions, I know that one of them I have already put some serious effort into, and that is a good feeling.

If any of you out there are hoping to do the same, I know you can do it. You just have to decided to make it a priority. And I have to say, success is one of the best feelings there is, especially when you know you worked hard!

Happy Holidays everybody =)

Still here, believe it or not!

Hi everyone,

Just a quick post to say I'm still around, just been very busy with school/work/life. Classes are over for the semester, but I still have a few things to finish up to get my final grade in one of my classes. I was fortunate enough to have a teacher who would work with me on some things. Working my job and being a full time graduate student has not been easy these last few months. I am actually looking forward to next semester so that I can only take two classes and be in the office more.

In other school related news, since I will be finished with school in exactly one year, Jennings and I are making plans for what to do after that. Originally I thought I may be able to take a leave from my job for a semester and then come back in the spring, but that's not going to work out. So I will be looking for teaching jobs starting in January 2014, which means we will likely go ahead and relocate to Fairhope, which has been our plan anyway. It's pretty scary to think about, but also exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In WW news, I am still going to meetings, but have been up and down on the scale. I am still chasing down that 10 percent loss, and based on the weigh-in last week I am only 1.2 pounds away (need to get to 16 pounds!). I will weigh in tomorrow, so we will see. It has been pretty tough to keep up with WW and all the stress from school, but that doesn't mean I'm quitting. I have just revised my timeline and my expectations. Here are the numbers:

Weight: 147.2 pounds
Pounds lost (since October): .6
Total pounds lost: 14.8 pounds
Pounds to lose: 22.2 pounds

My ultimate goal is to get to goal weight by next August so I can be a FREE Lifetime Member and not have to pay for WW while I'm student teaching - since I won't have an income at that time (scary!). So that is about 30 weeks to lose a little over 20 pounds. If I lose a pound a week - it should happen - wish me luck!

I wish there were some more exciting things for me to share, but unfortunately not much going on with me except the daily grind. Hope y'all are doing well!

Back, and just in TIME (warp)!

So I have, regrettably, fallen off the face of the planet for a few weeks, but for good reason! I have been so busy with real life that virtual life didn't make it into my priority list. But Hurrah!- I am here to update you anyway.

First: I am knee deep in my methods block this semester, and I have been teaching at Northridge High School about 3 days a week. I am learning SO MUCH about what it is really like to be a teacher. I have the same feeling I did about making the transition from a college newspaper to a real-life newspaper. You just can't know what your strengths/weaknesses are until you get thrown out there on your own. So far it has been a great experience, and both my supervising teacher and my professor have given me lots of good feedback. Also, looks like I will be done with school a semester early (out of necessity - grad school is expensive!) and should be an official certified teacher by December 2013. Whoop whoop!

Second: My big sister got married! Even though there was quite a bit of last minute, behind-the-scenes work going on, her wedding ended up being quite a success. Everything worked out, lots of people came to see them on their special day, which means I got to see them too!

I need to take a moment to brag on the photographer Katie used, because she did such an amazing job:

Isn't she the prettiest?

So if you ever happen to be in the market for a great photographer, please check out Camille Moenkhaus, the photographer behind mille.me. You won't be disappointed!

Third: It's almost Halloween, and around these parts that means it's Rocky Horror Picture Show time! This will be the FOURTH year Jennings and I have been a part of the Pink Box Burlesque's shadowcast, and this is our second year to be "Head Transylvanians." I am excited about the show this year, because I have done a little bit of a re-do of my costume. I will actually be dressing up like a specific Transylvanian from the show instead of just a random Transylvanian, as in year's past. So if you are in Tuscaloosa and are not going to the Mississippi State game, join us:

2012 Shadowcast Photo by Robert Sutton

And last, but not least..The WW story.

Well, the story is that I have fallen off the wagon a bit with WW. I have been going to meetings, but have not tracked in about 2-3 weeks - which is not good! I have gained just a bit, and will share the ugly details sometime in another post. But I am not giving up - just giving myself a chance to do better. Normally I would give myself such a guilt trip over this, but the fact that I have still lost 14-16 pounds is enough to let me lighten up on myself a bit. This is just a little bump in the road, and tomorrow is always an opportunity to do better. =)

The Color Run!

Hi everyone,

As promised, here are photos from The Color Run this past Saturday in Tuscaloosa. If any of you are looking to take the leap to doing a 5k, this one is definitely the one to start with. Dubbed "the happiest 5k on earth," the race was less about what your time was and more about having a good time. Originally I was slated to be on the Pink Box Burlesque team, but unfortunately several of the members had to drop out because they got food poisoning - yuck! (They are all ok now, fortunately.) But we still ended up having a pretty good group.

Here is "before" shot - all clean and white and pretty:

Then, 5k later, and "colorfied":

Here's some more of the group we ran with:

At the end of the race, everyone gets their own color packet and throws them up in the air together in a big cloud of color. They did it a few times for the late stragglers. This was probably my favorite part:

So that's how I spent my Saturday this weekend, how did your spend yours?

Speed bump

So I am a little sad to report that for the first time in nine weeks, I gained instead of lost. It was only a small gain, but that was all I needed to see that I had not been really sticking to my WW plan. here are the (regrettable) numbers:

Weight: 147.8 pounds
Pounds lost this week: +1.4
Total pounds lost: 14.2 pounds
Pounds to lose: 22.8 pounds

Also, due to my incredibly hectic work and school schedule this semester,I have decided to take a hiatus from karate. I am a little sad about this, because I was just about to test for my brown belt (it would have been today, actually). But, if I did not make any changes, I was headed toward a mental break down for sure.

So the only thing I can try harder. People always use the expression "one day at a time," and I would always just sort of nod and go on about life, but I am one of those people who is totally guilty of getting bogged down in either the past or planning for the future. So I am trying to do this one day at a time. Most days that's all I have the energy for.

Tomorrow is another weigh-in. I have switched to Thursdays, and I still don't really know how I feel about having the weekend all at the beginning of my week. I think I was more successful with it at the end of the week. But this is how things will be for now.

Also, Saturday, I am doing a 5k, called the Color Run. Have you heard of these? I think it will be really fun: Hopefully I'll get some cool pictures to share =)

 

Down 15 pounds! Can't beleive it!

So yesterday at WW, I got to get a little 5 pound sticker and everyone clapped. it was AWESOME. Here are the numbers:

Weight: 146.4 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -1
Total pounds lost: 15.6 pounds
Pounds to lose: 21.4 pounds

You'll notice that the "pounds to lose" number has shrunk significantly. That's not because I have been making outstanding progress, it's because I have revised my goal weight. I had originally thought I'd want to get down to 120, but now I'm thinking a more reasonable goal is 125. Healthy weight would just be 130, so 125 is in that range. I realize that the last time I was 120, I had a significantly smaller chest and almost no muscles (sorry, TMI), so I'm ok with changing my goal number.

In other news, school is driving me crazy and work is incredibly hectic. When I have another moment to breathe, I may update about that. But for now, I just wanted to share this happy moment.

Finally getting my head above water

Hi all,

Since I last posted life has gotten pretty busy, as I expected. But I just wanted to take this time to come back an update y'all (mostly myself) on progress. First things first - still on the WW train. Again, there have been some moments of not so good food choices, but there has still been a slow creep toward my weight loss goal. I've combined the progress from when I last posted:

Weight: 148 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -1.6
Total pounds lost: 14 pounds
Pounds to lose: 28 pounds

There are two big milestones around the corner, and if I can get myself motivated, perhaps they can happen at one weigh-in instead of two. The first is a 15 pound lost. that's pretty serious. To give you some context (because this helps me realize how far I've come) my cat Penny weighs about 7.5 pounds, so I will have lost two of my Penny =) Also she's cute:

The second milestone would be reaching my 10 percent goal, which is 16 pounds. So perhaps if I sit down and make a plan for the next week, I can make it work.

In other news, school is in full swing and i have started my placement at Northridge High School. It's 10th and 11th grade, and right now I think I am just feeling out the teacher and the students. So far, though, I have a pretty good feeling about it and I think i will end up being a good experience for me. the only thing that is a struggle is me taking off time from work to do this placement. So i leave the school feeling pretty good about the day and then I rush back to work and immediately feel behind on everything. It's been hard to juggle and I have 12 more weeks to go! I guess at this point, I really should just take it one day at a time.

So that is all for now. I am hoping to be posting again on a regular basis, but we'll see how that goes. In the meantime - everybody enjoy the promise of fall around the corner!

A small loss and a BIG freak out...

So this week was my last time to visit the Monday WW meeting for the semester, because starting next Monday, I will have a class at the time of the meeting. Boo. It was sad to think about not getting to see the same people each week and check in on their progress. It's amazing, after 16 weeks, you really get to know people's stories and struggles. They have also helped me with my own struggles. There is a girl there who started just a few weeks after me, and her name is Kelli (with an 'i' just like me!) and we have really bonded. She wasn't at last night's meeting, so I didn't really get to say good bye to her. I did tell our leader to tell her I'd miss her for a while, though. So I'll be weighing in Mondays still, but going to meetings on Thursdays. I hope I can start going back to Monday meetings once school is over. One good thing about going to Thursday meetings is my friend Nikki goes to the Thursday meeting. I hope we can really encourage each other to keep up the progress. So here are the numbers:


Weight: 149.6 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -.2
Total pounds lost: 12.4 pounds
Pounds to lose: 29.6 pounds

It's just a very small loss, but still a loss. I am hoping to get down just a few more pounds before Labor Day. I had set a goal at one of the early summer meetings to be down to 143 by Labor Day (that would have been a pound a week) but I know that won't happen. So my new reasonable goal will be to get to 147-148. And that would be awesome.

In other life news, classes officially start tomorrow and I am completely panicked about my schedule. I keep trying to figure out how I can prepare for this, but I know that in the end, there is nothing I can do except try my best and just get through it.

Lots of people started school yesterday, and I have a surprising number of friends who were teachers. On Facebook people were either posting pictures of their kids starting school again, or pictures of their classrooms all ready to start the year. It made me a little sentimental, somehow. I really am looking forward to being a teacher. I know I complain about school right now, and my job gets me down. But I know that I am working toward a goal, and God willing and the Creek don't rise*, I will get there.

*FUN FACT* This is one of my favorite phrases. The "Creek" is thought to refer to the Creek Indians during the late 18th century when the U.S. government was trying to reclaim parts of their land, but some believe its etymology came before that. It's also the name of one of my favorite Ray LeMontagne albums.

A surprising loss!

So after getting my sister to join WW, I was pretty pumped. But this week, unfortunately, I did not do as well in the activity department. Despite being aware that I needed to do some activity to compensate for the lack of karate this week, I was pretty lazy until this weekend. Jennings and I did some major yard work, and I was surprised at how winded I got. I think it was because of the heat, too. But, another surprise is that I lost weight! I was so expecting to stay the same or gain.

Here are the numbers:

Weight: 149.8 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -1.4
Total pounds lost: 12.2 pounds
Pounds to lose: 29.8 pounds

Also when classes start (in only 8 days! Yikes!) I won't be able to go to the Monday meetings anymore, and that makes me sad. I have really enjoyed getting to know those folks. I'm going to have to start going to the Thursday meeting, which means I will miss one day a week of karate. I hate that my schedule is going to be so jam packed, but that is life sometimes.

I'm already stressing about hard this semester is going to be, and I need to quit that, because it makes me want to just go home, get under a blanket and eat popcorn and ice cream all afternoon and sulk.

But I'm not going to do that. I'm going to refocus, and do better.

Katie joined the Weight Watchers Party!

So this past weekend I was down in Mobile because Jennings was the best man in his friend's wedding, so we stayed with my sister. For many months now, she and I have been talking about Weight Watchers. I have been telling her about my progress and encouraging her to start, but she just needed a little extra push.

So on Saturday, without much warning, I told her that she and I had to run an errand. I drove her to the Weight Watchers meeting place that is just minutes from her house and signed her up! I have to say, she is a trooper for letting me bombard her like that. I am very excited for her to go on this journey with me. So if you know her or are friends with her on Facebook, send her some encouraging words!

So here are the numbers from this week's weigh-in for me:

Weight: 151.3 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -.2
Total pounds lost: 10.8 pounds
Pounds to lose: 31.2 pounds

It is a small loss, but a loss nonetheless. I did end up eating Chinese buffet basically twice this weekend (the wedding rehearsal dinner and the wedding food was Chinese because of the bride's heritage), so I am still going to count this in the "win" category.

I do have a challenge this week because our karate instructor is out of town this week on a trip to Costa Rica, so I am going to have to find some other ways to get in some activity points to keep up my progress.

Wish me luck!

I've lost 10 pounds!

So I weighed in today after missing last night's meeting. It was such a yucky day at work that I drove straight home and completely FORGOT about the meeting. Yea, it was one of those days. The nice thing about WW is that even though I missed the meeting, when I weighed in today my leader was so nice and just wanted to know how I was. No judgement. Just positive support. So here are the numbers:

Weight: 151.5 pounds
Pounds lost this week: -1.6
Total pounds lost: 10.6 pounds
Pounds to lose: 31.4 pounds

I have to say I was totally shocked. I had some struggles this week because of stress, and there were some times where I made pretty bad food choices. I guess the only thing that kept me on track was the fact that I kept up on my exercise. It was the last week of Summer Slimdown, I went to karate, and helped a friend move over the weekend. Another great thing about WW is you can get activity points for any kind of activity you do - even moving! I know it is not structured exercise, but it does take effort - so i counted it! As soon as I get my final results from the Summer Slimdown, I'm going to post them here, too.

So it has been about 13 weeks, and I am pretty positive I am going to stick with it. Now my next goal (in addition to continuing my own weight loss) is to get my sister to join with me. We've talked about it several times, but she hasn't quite committed to trying it. I know she's busy, and I can totally relate! But i just want her to experience the success that I have. I know she can do it! So, you know what this means - I'm coming for you next, Katie!