Confessions and Realizations

Okay, I have been struggling lately with my diet and exercise (mainly diet) and I realized yesterday that I tend not to blog during these struggling times. Shame on me because isn't that why I started this blog? I should be talking about my struggles during my weight loss to help keep me accountable and for all you wonderful friends and family to help me. :)

So, here is the deal, I have taken a break from my personal trainer and weekly weigh-ins with Krista. It started getting on my nerves going to the Collonade and dealing with traffic. My other big problem with my personal trainer is the sessions became more like a small class of other ladies versus a personal session. The other ladies were also new to the program and I noticed I was working out at a lower intensity. The final problem I had with the program was the hours they were available. There are only two nights per week they stay past 3pm and they do not work on the weekends; therefore if I had a conflict with one of those two nights, I didn't have another alternative to make the day up for the week. On those occasions, the cost of my one session was extremely high and I couldn't justify it in my mind or pocket. I am not sure if I will go back or not; I haven't totally ruled it out but I needed a break.

I have been working out at home and that is going pretty good because I have quite a variety of workout options. I looked into the gym close to my house that is offering a $15/month no commitment membership and they have a lot of cardio machines and weight machines but offer no aerobic classes. I'm not sure how I feel about that so I haven't joined yet. I am realizing that I am struggling more with my eating rather than the exercise part and I don't think the gym will provide the accountability I need. So now I am not sure what to do.

I had reached the 25 lb loss mark and today I weighed and I am only down 24 lbs. I don't want to start going backwards because of the following reasons (not in any particular order) -

• My health (blood pressure, cholestorol, heart, etc)
• I haven't filled up my bracelet with beads yet
• I still haven't reached the goal where Clint has to sell his boat
• I have a lot of flab I want to get rid of on my body
• I want to go on vacation with Clint and look good in a bathing suit
• I would like to complete the 5K I signed up for by running, not walking
• I would like to buy some new clothes

I guess I could go on and on but you get the picture. So, I am still researching options. If any of you have any ideas, let me know. I really like the SparkPeople site but I find I don't log in everything I should everyday. They do have really good motivational/help articles so I should go visit for inspiration. One thing I am tossing around is finishing a room in our basement and setting it up like a gym and then joining WW again. I don't know. Why can't I be like my sister and not have a weight problem? Even though she thinks she does. :)

Thanks for reading and any/all comments are welcome.

Pam

New Additions to the Nail Household

It has been an exciting week! Monday night we brought two little puppies home to fill the void Peabody left and I must say they are cute.

The little black one is a girl and we named her Daisy; the brown one is a boy and Clint named him Rudy. They both are so sweet and playful; however, I will be glad to get through the housetraining stage. :) They will be 13 weeks old on Monday (8/3). I have let them keep me from going to workout with Sylvia so that isn't good even though I have been working out at home. I am kind of struggling with the whole personal trainer thing because they now have so many clients that it isn't really "personal" training and it is very expensive on my budget. I noticed the gym close to my house has a special for $15/month and no contract. I have been thinking about that because then I could go at more convenient times and more often per week if I want to workout, plus it would save me a lot of money. I looked at their site and they have a weight loss program so I think I could still weigh in and be accountable. What do you all think? Is it a mistake to change? I kind of think I need a change because I feel like I am getting burnt out from going to the Colonnade twice a week. I also need a kick regarding by eating because I haven't been as strict as I should be. Hint hint, I need a kick. :) Okay, here are some more pictures of my little puppies.

Umm...

I have been wondering why I haven't seen any comments lately and I just discovered two that were hidden. I have obviously done something to my settings to make me have to select the comments before they post. I wonder what I did so I can undo it?

Yesterday, I ran/walked my longest distance to date so far, 2.45 miles. I am so excited and totally know that I will be able to finish the 5K in October by running, not walking! Are there still no volunteers out there to join me? It's for a good cause and if I can do it, anybody can do it.

I am still missing Peabody really bad! I know we cannot replace him (there will never be another Peabody) but I have been thinking about getting another one and did call about some dogs tonight. We really like Dachshunds so we want to stay with that breed but I am thinking maybe a different color so they won't look exactly like Peabody. I say "they" because we are thinking about getting two dogs, a brother and sister. Peabody had such bad separation anxiety whenever we left the house and we were thinking about getting another dog anyway so why not get two from the start? I found two potential owners tonight so maybe we will go look at them this week. A few days ago I found some on www.petfinders.com but I waited too long and they are gone. Anyway, maybe I will be posting new pictures soon. :)

I think Clint wants the computer so I better sign off. I hope to post some pictures from my vacation next post.

Good night.

Catch Up

A lot has happened since my last post so I am just going to list the highlights since most of you talk to me on a regular basis anyway.

• Peabody became ill
• I went on vacation with my niece to visit my sister in NJ
• Peabody passed away while I was on vacation
• Had a wonderful time in spite of being depressed about Peabody. BTW, The Little Mermaid on Broadway is fabulous! Spent too much time and money at the American Girl store. lol
• Made it back home after a major flight re-route, not fun!
• Happy to be home and see Clint but majorly depressed about Peabody. He was such a big part of our lives and it is really hard with him gone.
• Took the remainder of the week off from exercise.
• Started working out again last week. Running is going really good. At my weigh-in, my weight stayed the same. I guess that is good after being on vacation; I did have several pieces of birthday cake. :)
• This week, I have really tried to get back on track with eating and exercise. So far, so good. I had a good weigh-in today; my total weight loss is 25.5 lbs. yea me!
• I started tracking my personal weight and exercise goals on http://www.sparkpeople.com/. It's a fun site and you should check it out.

I guess those are the major highlights. I will really try and keep up with this blog.

Running Update

Running is hard! I am not enjoying it but I am still willing to stick it out and see if it gets better. I am hoping the benefits I will see in terms of toning will out weigh the struggles of getting through the run/walk. I am also trying to remind myself this is only my second week of training. I am going to download some new music to my i-pod; maybe that will help. I read about a site called www.dontquitmusic.com and I am going to check it out.

Tonight I go see Sylvia so that will be fun. She has started me doing kick boxing to help tone my lower body. You would think between my run/walk and personal trainer seesions I would be in super shape but everything takes time right? As Nan tells me, I didn't put this weight on overnight and I am not going to lose it overnight either. It is coming off and I feel so much better than I did a few months ago; if it takes a year, that is okay.

So, what do you all do to stay in shape? I want to hear from you.

Recipe for Artichoke Dip

I have been going through some magazines around the house and I came across this recipe for Artichoke Dip. I haven't tried it yet but I thought I would share with you all because I know at least some of you entertain and may want to try. It is not fat or sodium free but better than a regular recipe. This recipe came from the May issue of Health Magazine -

Artichoke Dip (makes 6 servings)
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup light cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs chopped scallions
1 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine artichokes, mayonnaise, cream cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 3/4 cup mozzarella, garlic salt, pepper, scallions, and parsley in a bowl; transfer to baking dish.
2. Top with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella; bake 20-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. (Serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Calories 159; Fat 9g; Chlesterol 23mg; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 9g; Sugars 1g; Fiber 0g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 684mg; Calcium 268mg.

Let me know if you try it and I will do the same.

No Plateau Yet...

I know I am always excited but this has been a pretty good "voyage" so far. Today at weigh-in, I lost another 2 lbs. for a total of 23. I am so proud of myself and excited about reaching 30 soon. I think a lot of my success can be attributed to a mind set. There have been a lot of times in my life when I wanted to lose weight but wasn't successful because I don't think I wanted it bad enough. A few months ago, I hit rock bottom by feeling bad, over all health not great, and I was out growing my fat clothes. That was a bad moment! Now I feel like I can do anything given enough time which is why I know I will be successful this time; it may take a year to get my BMI in the range it should be in but that is okay, I just have to keep going.

By the way, did I tell you all about my blood pressure? My blood pressure was inching up and my GYN was really concerned which is one of the reasons I got serious about the weight loss. Anyway, I had an appointment the other day with my GYN and my blood pressure was great! He couldn't quit praising me for the efforts I have made and how good I was doing. He just went on and on and I really felt good leaving there for a change. Next year, I won't dread it so much. One thing I still need to work on is my bad cholesterol number; when I had it checked, it was a little high but the doctor said my diet and exercise program should help it to lower. My good cholesterol level was good so the overall ratio was fine but I still would prefer that number to be lower. I will have it checked again at the end of July so keep your fingers crossed.

Does anyone have any questions or a topic you would like me to talk about? I don't mind sharing almost anything so go ahead and ask. I won't tell you my current weight though. Some websites I have found helpful are www.mapmyrun.com (thanks Keela) and www.health.com. They both have a lot of useful information in terms of diet and exercise. Mapmyrun.com has a cool feature where you can put in your walk/run route and it will tell you the distance and a lot of other stuff. Check it out; it is a fun site. I also have found out the diet I am on is similar to the Zone diet for those of you curious. I have really come to see how some carbs are really bad in the diet, especially if you are overweight in the first place. I really try to avoid breads, pastas, potatoes, rice, etc.

I Have Never Been So Sore!

Today was my second day of training and I cannot believe how sore I am. Now I am still seeing my trainer twice a week so I guess that is adding to my sore muscles but still, I am in pain. No one told me how sore running makes you. I am trying to imagine my thighs slimmer to stay focused and realize I have until October before the actual 5K run but I am not going to lie, the thought crossed my mind this morning that I could just walk the 5K and forget this running business. Not a good attitude so I could use all the encouragement you can give me. I don't run again until Saturday so hopefully I will recover a little and feel better. Weigh-in is tomorrow so maybe that will provide some addtional motivation too. Doesn't anybody want to join me in the effort? I wouldn't mind having some co-sufferers. :)

I am going to relax tonight and maybe even take a bath. Isn't that supposed to be good for sore muscles?

Have a great night.

Can I Do It?

As most of you know, I love scrapbooking. My favorite store in Birmingham, Scrap Etc., closed recently but Lucy (the owner) will still be hosting events. The next event is in October and the theme is Running with Scissors because they are combining it with the Susan G. Komen 5K Run. Well, I have never been a runner and the one time I tried with Marcela, it didn't go so well. Maybe I wasn't in the right mind set. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and register because if all else fails, I can always walk. But I am going to challenge myself and set a new goal to run, at least most of it. I have decided to begin training Monday and will follow a beginners 5K plan I got off the health.com website. Wish me luck and if you would like to donate to the cause, just let me know or go to my Facebook page. By the way, my weigh-in on Thursday went well; I lost another pound making my total 21 lbs! Sylvia, my trainer, wants me to lose more fat before I start seriously toning so this training program should help that effort. I am really excited; Clint even said the other day "It is obvious you are going to reach your goal." That is monumental coming from him because he is pretty pessimistic. If anyone would like to join our team for the run, let me know.

Have a great night.

My New Look

I forgot, how do you like my new look? I thought it was time for a change; hopefully you all will like it enough to keep coming back.

My Weekend

I was not able to "go shopping" this weekend for my additional beads because my niece, Izzie, was with me most of the time. She is 3 1/2 and full of energy! We had a lot of fun but I never realized how much attention children require since I don't have any of my own. She was constantaly on the go so I am extremely tired today. I have a new appreciation for parents, especially Don and Amy. :)

Maybe I will get over to Wraposdy this week to look at their beads and find me two new ones. I will post a picture if I do.

Have a great night.

I Get To Go Shopping!

I am so excited because I had my weigh-on today and I made it to 20lbs! Because I lost another 10 lbs, I can add to my bracelet and that will be a lot of fun picking out two more beads. I will post an updated picture after I have made my purchases.

I know in my last post, I told you I had gained two pounds. I think that was a big wake up call for me and helped me to get back in gear and serious about not eating whatever I want. This week, I lost close to 6 lbs alone which is what I did my very first week; I guess my body needed a jolt.

My workouts are going great. Sylvia is a wonderful trainer. She knows how to really push you but she does it in such a fun way. We laugh a lot during the workouts and that helps make the time go by faster. I have really improved on my stomach crunches. When I first started it was all I could do to get 20 done; this week, I did 130 in one session! It was hard but I got through it and I think I could do it again. I am really glad I did this and I think it is really starting to show. If any of you are thinking about exercise and a trainer, let me know and I will get you touch with Sylvia.

Another thing, (this has really been a good week) I tried on some pants that had become too tight and they fit this week. Woo Hoo, now I have more clothes to choose from for work. I have a pair of brown pants that are really too big now. I have been debating whether to donote them or hang on to them and hold them up to me when I am finished losing all the weight for comparison. I could take a picture like a lot of diet and exercise programs do as testimonials. What do you think I should do.

Okay, I have to get back to work. Have a great day!

I'm A Liar

Well, what can I say, I am a liar. I have not been keeping this up-to-date and I am sorry. This blog is to help me and I have not been doing a good job. Since my last blog, I lost another pound for a total of 17 total but then I gained two back last Thursday at my weigh-in. Holidays and traveling are not my friends. :) I do feel like I am back on track since my last weigh-in and should have a pretty good one this week. I mentioned a few blogs back about starting a Trollbead bracelet so I want to share my picture. It is not the best picture but hopefully you get the idea.

I also did some scrapbooking and wanted to share my work. One is a card I did for my great-niece that is expected in July and the other is an Easter layout of my nieces Annabelle and Isabelle hunting eggs. I hope you think they are as cute as I do.

I hope everyone has a great night. Thanks for reading my blog and supporting my cause, me.

Thursday Weigh-In

I had another good week and lost 2 more lbs. so now my total is at 15. If I can average 2 lbs. per week, I will be thrilled! I have made a new goal for myself to walk 5000 steps before I leave work, or at least not counting my exercise steps, each day. I feel like in order for the weight to continue coming off, I need to increase my goals each month so I continue to burn calories.

I am really enjoying the new facility. It's great to be back with Sylvia; she is so nice but really works you out hard. She doesn't rush you through anything but she is very thorough. I think she would have worked me out for 2 hours tonight if I had let her; she just keeps you going from one thing to the next. Tonight we boxed, worked abs, worked legs, worked arms, did the hula hoop, and then she wanted me to do the eliptical for 40 minutes! I only did it for 30 minutes but I think that was plenty; I was there for over an hour. Next week, I meet the new doctor. I thought I was going to meet her today but I was wrong. She is supposed to be really nice and motivating. Well see.

I am disappointed in one thing. When I started my program, they took my measurements and then I would be re-measured every four weeks. With the craziness at the first facility I was going to, they told me they didn't have my original measurements that Sylvia took them with her. So, I was hoping tonight Sylvia could measure me and I would know how many inches I have lost overall; however, Sylvia said she did not have them. So now I have no idea about my lost inches and that is a real let down. I guess I will have them going forward but it would have been nice to have the original. I should have asked for a copy the day they took them for my own records. Lesson learned.

I don't work out with Sylvia again until Tuesday so I will be doing some things on my own. Have any of you all seen those infomercials for The Firm? I have some of those workouts and they are hard but really work you entire body. They are good and I try to do at least one a week in addition to the workouts with Sylvia. Will I have to work this hard the rest of my life?

Thanks so much for reading and all the encouraging words. My friends at work are really helping me stay on track and I really appreciate it. You all are the best!

Good night.

Anniversary Weekend

Saturday (5/2) was mine and Clint's 17th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been that long; I really can't believe what he talked me into doing that day. We fished in a tournament! Yes, it was the Mark's Outdoor Annual Tournament and it was a mad house. There were 500 boats signed up and it was crazy. So the day started out pretty slow but we eventually started catching fish and we ended up with a pretty decent "sack". We went to the weigh-in which was another mad house and it was so hot; we had to stand in line forever. Anyway, we weighed-in over 13 lbs and that put us in 25th place overall and 1st for the mixed couples group. We won over $400! Clint told the announcer it was our anniversary and I think he thougth I was crazy and Clint was some kind of hero to get his wife to fish on their anniversary. I guess I just thought after 17 years, we could finally do what Clint wanted to do that day. Hopefully, he won't get any ideas and make this a habit. :) Not that I would let him.

Okay, have a good night. I won't post again until tomorrow.

Fourth Weigh-In and Update

I am going to try and get better at posting more often; what's the point of doing this if I am not going to keep it up to date?

Last Thursday(4/30), I had an appointment with the doctor for my four week evaluation, measurements, and review of EKG and other tests. Well, I got there and found out the doctor was not there and he is closing the office. Supposedly he is re-opening in a month or two at another location. I'm not sure if I believe that but I don't care because I think he is very unprofessional for the way he has handled things. I did go ahead and weigh-in and my weight loss was at 13 total pounds for the month. That's pretty exciting and I hope I can keep it up. So now, I decided to start going to the new place where my trainer moved to and I had my first workout last night. It was great to box and have a good workout after almost two weeks. I go tomorrow to meet with the new doctor so hopefully I will really like her. I will do my best to write an update tomorrow afternoon.

Have a good night.

Third Weigh-In

I weighed in last Thursday but their computers were down and they couldn't tell me my official total weight loss. I finally found out yesterday and I am so excited. My total weight loss as of last Thursday (4/23) is 11.2 lbs. I have decided to start myself a Troll Bead bracelet and add two beads for every 10 lbs. I lose as a non-food reward. They are kind of expensive but I think I am worth it. :) By the time I lose all the weight I want to lose, I should have a full bracelet. When I get it, I will take a picture and post.

So the trainer I was seeing, along with the nurse I really liked, quit the other day. I am really bummed because the main reason I chose this facility was for the entire weight loss program including the exercise. Sylvia, the trainer, took all the equipment with her and now the doctor doesn't know if he is going to continue offering the workouts. I have an appointment with him on Thursday so hopefully he will have more information for me so I can decide what I am going to do. I think Sylvia is now working for a similar facility so maybe that will be an option for me if this doesn't work out. I am trying to stay positive and not let this sabatoge the progress I have made. In the meantime, I am working out at home and trying to keep active. So far, I have reached (or exceeded) my 5,000 a day step goal.

Okay, have a great day and keep moving.

Sometimes What You Say Can Come Back and Bite You

Funny story - at least I think it is funny.

So a few weeks before I decided to get serious about my weight, I was really in a bad funk. I'm sure Clint was tired of hearing me moan and groan so one day he said "if you lose ___ lbs., I will sell my boat and give up fishing." (He did mention an amount but I am keeping that confidential for now, but it is doable.) Well, if you know my husband, you know that is crazy talk coming from him because he is a little obsessive about fishing. Anyway, at that point I just kind of glossed over it because I was trying to figure out what I was going to do to get back on track.

A few weeks later I started this program and Clint saw I was serious. One night he got all quiet and acting kind of funny and I looked at him and he said "do you remember anything I said lately and are you going to hold me to it?" Well, of course I remembered what he said because it has been a major part of our lives for many years and that just wasn't something I was going to forget. Anyway, I said "Yes, I remember you saying you are going to sell your boat and give up fishing after I lose so many pounds. Are you starting to think about who you might sell it to?" I wish you could have seen his face and heard how fast he started back pedaling. He started changing how much I had to lose and then saying he didn't say he was going to give up fishing just the boat. I just laughed and said "no, that is what you said and I am going to hold you to it."

So, my point is, be careful what you say. It does make me feel good that Clint is worried this time and he believes I am going to achieve my goal. It is nice having so much support from everyone. So, what do you all think I should do? Let him off the hook or hold him to it? I think I should hold him to it!

Second Weigh-In

Well, I did better than I thought I was going to do; I lost 2 pounds. My total weight loss for two weeks is almost 8 1/2 pounds. I'm really excited and can't wait to see how I do for the month. The personal trainer sessions are tough but fun and my overall mood has really improved. They have this boxing torso that is so hard but you can really take out some aggression. You wouldn't believe how good it works your entire upper body - arms, waist, back, shoulders - it is a great workout. I may have to look into buying one myself someday. I saw them at Academy and they were $249; maybe I can ask Santa for one. :) Clint could use it too and I bet he would really like it.

I have a funny story to tell so be looking for that over the weekend. Have a good night.

Easter Update

I had a really good weekend. We had Friday off for Good Friday and I did a lot of things for me. I got my eyebrows threaded, worked out with my personal trainer, got a mani/pedi, and went to the scrapbook store - Scrap Etc. After I worked out on Saturday, I ran errands again but not as fun as Friday - went to the drycleaners, returned some things and went to Walmart. I also did a lot of housework which is why I didn't have a chance to update my blog. On Sunday, I woke up early and went for a 2 mile walk before going to church. I am so proud of myself! We went to both sets of parents for Easter and I did really good with eating. My mom had one of my favorite deserts, lemon pie, and I didn't even eat a piece. Katie, my mother-in-law, is being very supportive and had fruit with Ready Whip for my desert.

I am doing great with my daily steps and water in-take. One thing not so good is I weighed myself at home this morning and I haven't lost any more weight. Not sure what is up with that but I am not going to dwell on it. I feel great and my mood is much better than it was a few weeks ago. I still think I am on the right track and the doctor will figure out what is going on if it becomes a problem. Tonight I have another session with my trainer; she really works me out but it is fun.

First Weigh-In

Drum roll please...I lost 6 lbs. and 6 oz. Yea me! Wouldn't it be nice if I lost that much every week? I know that is not realistic; I'm just saying. Anyway, I am so excited and I think I can do this. They gave me some meal examples for the week and there was actually one piece of whole wheat bread on there; that's something to look forward to since I have only been eating protein, vegetables and fruit.

Did you know that hot water with fresh lemon squeezed in it is a natural diuretic? I'll be honest, I have felt a little bloated with all the broccoli I have been eating so I asked what would help. They told me to drink the lemon water twice a day and it should help. I am going to give it a try. She said to use about 1/4 of the lemon with 6 oz of water. I asked but lemon juice will not work the same as a fresh lemon.

Okay, here's wishing me another great week.

Goals

I was given some goals on my first visit with the doctor and I would like to mention a couple of them. They are both daily goals - drink 128 oz of water and walk at least 5,000 steps every day. I thought wow, who can drink that much water every day but the 5,000 steps shouldn't be too hard. So the next day, I put on the pedometer and started drinking my water. By the time I was getting ready to go home from work, I think I had taken in all my water for the day but when I looked at the pedometer I was shocked. I didn't even have 2,000 steps logged and it was 5pm! I guess I shouldn't have been too shocked because I have a desk job, but still, only 2,000 steps. So now I realize why my backside is "kind of big" as my sweet niece told me a while back; I sit on it all day. Now my niece just didn't volunteer her opinion, I asked for it and she was just being honest. Anyway, since I am very good at following instructions, I now have to do some kind of exercise every day to reach my goal of 5,000 steps. Whatever it takes to make positive changes. Everyone should wear a pedometer once and just see how many steps they take in an average day, it is very enlightening. So far, I have met both goals every day since the first day and I plan to keep it up.

Welcome

Okay, this is a blog mainly about my weight loss voyage but I will include other stuff too. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment; I think it will help me be more accountable if I know people are reading.

Last week I decided to get serious and do something about my weight. In the past several months, a couple of my doctors mentioned my blood pressure is on the rise and I need to get control before it turns into a serious health problem. It's not to the point of medication, but still. So now I am serious! I am seeing a doctor who specializes in weight loss and I will also be seeing a personal trainer three times a week. My first weigh will be later this week so keep your fingers crossed it goes well.