Think Thin Thursday...What Happened?

Okay, I told you all I'd update you with my weight-loss progress on Thursdays. Well, there really hasn't been any significant progress in this area. It is now after April 1st and I've been on this current weight loss journey for exactly one year. When I started out, I had sincerely hoped to get to my goal weight by that time...I still have a long "weigh" to go.





On top of all that, I'm pretty sure the universe is against me. Not only has my treadmill quit working, and we seem to be stuck in a never-ending Winter season here in MN...but now my electronic scale died!! Maybe it just needs a new battery, but I just replaced it. Perhaps the one I replaced it with was also dead? I don't know, but for the last two weeks, my weight on that scale has read: ron. I have NO idea what that means.

I'm not giving up, and as I've said before, I'm happy to still be 35 lbs or so lighter than I was a year ago...but I'll resume with the "Think Thin Thursday thing as soon as I get my scale fixed. I do have an old fashioned scale, that weighs about 5 lbs less than the electronic one...but at least it will let me know if I'm gaining or losing...for my own information. I'm hanging in there.

Think Thin Thursdays

Okay, this is it. I have 45 days to go before my one year "blogoversery". Do you know what that means? In less than one month, (April 1) I will celebrate a year on this weight loss journey of mine. I did okay the first 6 months, losing almost 40 pounds. I never did quite make it to that mark, and then somewhere around the end of August, I got STUCK there.

My original goal was to lose 100 lbs in a year, even though I thought that was probably not exactly realistic. Eventually, I was thinking more along the lines of 50 lbs for a one year goal. At least I'd be halfway there! Now, the reality of the situation is this... I put on about 5 lbs over the holidays...and took it off...and put it back on...and took it off. I can't seem to get back to where I was! Now Ill just be happy if I can at least get to the 40lb-off mark in one year's time! So that is my new goal.

Anyway, I've decided to do my weigh-in here at home, on Thursdays. I was hoping that my idea to do a "Think Thin Thursday" was original...it wasn't. That's okay, I'll just join the rest of the crowd and do my weekly weigh in every Thursday mornings at 8:00AM. That's 8 hours away folks...wish me luck! Cheer me on, so I can finish out the year strong, okay? Some of the ladies acutally take pictures of the number on their scale. I'm not that brave yet. Maybe when I finally reach "One-derland", but not yet.

Weekend Update: Saturday Randomness

Just a little update on things that have been going on around here:

I was awakened this morning, by a bluejay on my bedroom windowsill. He was tap-tap-tapping again. This is the second time that has happened. He would make an effective alarm clock, if he was a little more dependable.

Ray's still not working. He doesn't want to go crawling back...again, and I don't blame him, but the guy owes him quite a bit of money, so he needs to go collect it, somehow. I really wish he could find a regular job, that would pay REGULARLY, but I with the rest of the world out of work too...that's not likely to happen. I'm still trying to Fully Rely On God for this to work out, put it's hard to do.

In weight loss news: I'm still kinda stuck. I haven't been going to WW, just can't afford it. That doesn't mean I'm giving up, I'm still TRYING to lose on my own, but nothing much has been happening lately. I've decided I will just pick a day and time to weigh in on my own scale, and then I'll do a regular weekly weigh-in post, so you can all keep up with my progress too.I'm going to count on you, my lovely readers, to keep me accountable. I haven't quite decided when to do the weigh-ins, but I'll let you know SOON...

And now, from the fishy files... Molly's latest fish, "Tiger", died of Ich the other day. Jessica bought something to cure it, but by the time Molly was going to put the stuff in the water, the poor little fishy had gone to that big ocean in the sky...or wherever little fishies go. So far, he is survived by his friend, "Spiderman II". He was preceded in death by: Cody, Ozzy, Cody II, and Spiderman. All of the fish that have died so far, have come from Wallyworld. The surviving fish was purchased from a pet store. If this one lasts a little longer, Molly MAY get another one from there.

Monday Morning Musings

• Despite the fact that we lost a dear friend this weekend, I am comforted in the fact that we know he is in the presence of the Lord right now, and I'm pretty sure the first word out of his mouth as he entered the Pearly Gates was WOOOWWW!!! If you are someone who was blessed enough to have had your life touched by Pastor Tom, you will understand.
• Even though my hubby and I did not go on the couples retreat with the 17 other couples from our church, we were able to spend some quality time together yesterday. He had some work to do in a building in downtown Minneapolis, so I decided to tag along and spend the day with him. I did have an ulterior motive to going to work with Ray though, I was able to TOTALLY AVOID the Super Bowl! Yippee!! We had no TV or even a radio playing. I'd heard a lot about this building, and what he was doing there, but I couldn't quite picture it in my mind. I took lots of pictures, I'll do another post with them a little later.
• I was planning on going to weigh in tonight...but now, after getting on my scale this morning...I'm not so sure. If nothing else, I do have a physical scheduled for Wed. morning. If I don't get to WW tonight, I'll update my froggy chart with whatever weight the doctor's scale says I am...but that could be scary too.
• On a positive note, one of my emails this morning was from CATHERINE'S...you know the store for us "Plus Size" women. The subject line said, "We miss you." That gave me a little chuckle. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against CATHERINE'S, it's a great store. It's just that since I've lost some weight, (I'm now in their smallest size), I have a hard time finding very many clothes there that fit me. I'm sorry, but I will not miss them when I am too small to fit into ANY of their clothing! They won't lose me totally though, I can still use my CATHERINE'S card at Fashion Bug, where I just found such a great deal on a winter coat, that I couldn't possibly pass it up.
• I purchased a new exercise DVD over the weekend. It is Leslie Sansone's Walk at Home, "Walk Away Your Hips & Thighs". It has a 2 mile power workout, and also a lower body toning workout on it. The package came complete with "The Fit Cuff", which are velcro ankle cuffs, connected by a big rubber band thingy. It is designed to be used with the toning exercises. I'm thinking I'll walk at my own speed to begin with, and probably start with a mile and work up to 2 miles. If I do that 3 times a week, and alternate with the toning exercises on the other 2 days, that should work. That's my plan anyway. Wish me luck, I'm going to go start right now.
  

Never Say Diet Book Set~Review and GIVEAWAY

This is my new "BEFORE" picture:

Because it's a brand new year, and because I've been virtually stagnant in my weight loss efforts for a couple of months now, I've decided to start over. I'm just not going to dwell on the weight that I've already lost. I'm going to start from where I'm at right now as if it were my "before". So, in addition to doing the basic program I had been doing to lose almost 40 lbs so far, I've decided to try something new.
I was sent a copy of "The Never Say Diet" Book by Chantel Hobbs to review. It looks to me like something that could work. After all, Chantel lost 200 pounds on this plan, so I figure I should be able to lose another 66 or so pounds, right?

Never Say Diet summary:

After years of failed diet attempts, Chantel Hobbs discovered the missing
ingredient to permanent weight loss: to change your life, you first have to
change the way you think. She developed a balanced plan for exercise and
nutrition and lost two hundred pounds. Now, through writing, speaking, and her
work as a personal trainer, she inspires others to achieve far more than they
thought possible. In Never Say Diet, now available in trade paperback, Chantel
provides everything readers need to lose weight for good, including:

· Simple, step-by-step workout routines that fit into a normal weekday schedule

· A realistic approach to nutrition that helps people break their bondage to food

· Strategies for staying motivated when life takes unexpected turns

· Keys to dealing with discouragement by relying on God’s strength

· The secret to moving beyond past failures and getting over old excuses

Chantel helps readers make the five commitments that are necessary for changing their lives. Her high-energy, no-nonsense approach inspires readers to achieve results that last in body, mind, and spirit.

Author Bio: Chantel Hobbs is a personal trainer, certified spinning instructor, and motivational speaker whose no-excuses approach to fitness has won her a grateful following across the country. The author of Never Say Diet, Chantel hosts a weekly fitness program on Reach FM radio and is a regular guest on Way FM. Her “Ditch the Diet, Do the Weekend” bootcamp takes place several times a year in a variety of locations. She has presented her unique approach to lasting fitness in People magazine and on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, The 700 Club, Living the Life, and Paula White Today. Chantel enjoys life with her husband and their four children in South Florida.

I love the fact that Chantel is a Christian and that when she had reached her lowest point, (and her highest weight), she broke down and surrendered it all to GOD. She asked Him to give her a plan to lose the weight, and He answered her prayer. Chantel Hobbs sincerely believes that this plan is not just for her, but for all of us out there who have been struggling with our weight. I'm willing to give it a try. And if you think you'd like to try it with me...KEEP READING...

*

*

*

But wait! There's More!!! I was also sent a copy of her latest book, "The Never Say Diet Fitness Trainer". This book is designed to be a companion workbook to the Never Say Diet Book and includes a 16 week program to get you started on your weight loss success.

Personal Trainer summary:

Her newest book, The Never Say Diet Personal Fitness Coach, now allows
readers to have Chantel show up each week to inspire, encourage, and energize
them on the journey to a healthy life that centers on body, mind, and
spirit. This fitness guide helps readers set new weight-loss goals and create
an exercise schedule that works in the midst of life’s constant demands. Readers
will be inspired with Scripture, and they will welcome Chantel’s healthy eating
plan with simple, energy-and-nutrition-packed recipes. Weekly checklists and
personal evaluations direct readers in reaching their goals. Plus, Chantel’s
personal and entertaining stories provide the motivation needed to get through
even the most frustrating days. With Never Say Diet and The Never Say Diet
Personal Fitness Coach readers will establish new fitness habits that burn off
excess weight, increase strength, and establish a new, healthy way of living.

You can use this book set alone, with a group of friends, or in your small group bible study. A leader's guide can be found at http://www.chantelhobbs.com/.

Now, for the really exciting part!!! You can join me in this new weight loss endeavor, by picking up these books for yourself, or you can try to win them right here! I have an extra 2-book set to give away to one of my readers. All I ask you to do, is leave me a comment telling me how much weight you would love to lose, and I'll enter you into a random drawing.

This contest is open to everyone, NOT just bloggers. If you've never left a comment on a blog before, it's very easy. Just click on "comments" after this post, and check the "name" or anonymous" box. Just make sure you leave me your name and a valid e-mail address, so I can contact you, in the event that you are my lucky winner. I will leave the contest open through January 31st, and announce the winner within the following week. If the winner does not get back to me within 3 business days, I'll draw another. Thanks for entering, and GOOD LUCK!

My Personal Trainer/Cheerleader

Well, I decided to get on my treadmill today, much to my grandson CJ's delight. I had set his booster seat on top of his dog's kennel, so he decided that was a good perch from which to spectate. He was cheering me on saying, "Go Grandma, Go Grandma! After about 15 minutes he said, "I think you're gettin' skinnier, Grandma!

Wow! You can't ask for much more motivation than that. Of course he was talking to me the entire time, while I was trying to listen to a CD, but that's okay. After my half hour was done, he seemed a bit disappointed that I wasn't "skinny" yet, but then I explained to him that Grandma had to walk on the treadmill every day for a long time, and THEN she would be skinny. He looked at me and said, "I think you're a LITTLE bit skinnier, Grandma." What a sweetheart. I think I'll keep him around for a while.

I'll (Re)-Start My Diet and Exercise Plan On Monday

I've done it again. I've put back ON a few pounds. But now that the holidays are officially over, and since tomorrow is the first MONDAY of the year, I'm going to get serious about this whole weight loss thing again. I've got to find me some kind of exercise to do though.

The new weight loss book that I'm reading says that the first week I have to establish an exercise routine. I need to exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days (in a row), per week. NO EXCUSES! They recommend:

1. Basketball (where would I play basketball?)
2. Bike Riding (it's -10 degrees outside, and the ground is covered with snow)
3. Cross -country skiing machine (I don't have one)
4. Dancing (yeah, right)
5. Elliptical machine ( my mother has one of these, but lives over an hour away)
6. Jogging/running (see bike riding note)
7. Kick boxing (don't make me laugh)
8. Racquetball (I can't afford it and don't know where there is a racquetball court around here)
9. Spinning class (Apparently, this is a class in riding a stationary bike. see above note for excuse)
10. Stair climber ( I don't have one, but I guess I could climb actual stairs)
11. Stair stepper ( see above note)
12. Stationary bike/recumbent bike (I don't own one of these either)
13. Step arobics (I May be able to find a dvd for this, and something to use for a step?)
14. Swimming (If I only had an indoor pool, the bathtub isn't big enough)
15. Tennis (almost as funny as me dancing or kick boxing, also, there's that below zero thing)
16. Walking -My treadmill is in need of repair and I can't afford to get it fixed. It's below zero outside, and the roads are covered with ice. I don't feel like walking out there, brrrrrrrr.)

I can't afford to join a gym, and right now my van is also in dire need of repair, so I couldn't drive to one anyway. That's only because it is finally paid for, they always die right after you get them paid for, right? I guess I could run up and down my multi-colored stairs, but they're so steep that it hurts my hips every time I walk up them, so I can't see myself enjoying that either.

You may think I'm just making up excuses here...but I'm not. I'm truly wracking my brain trying to think of something I can do. I THINK I may have some exercise dvd's that I got from McDonald's, back when they used to give them out with an adult "Happy Meal". I'll have to go and check that out. Let me know if you have any wonderful exercises dvd's that I could possibly borrow, or some ideas on what I can do. No Lisa, I refuse to try your "Flirty Girl" exercises, or anything else that might require the use of a pole!

Weekly Weigh In ~ A Leap in the RIGHT Direction!

Well, I didn't quite lose the 5 lbs that I had put back on over the past few weeks this week, but I got close. I lost 4.2 lbs, which made me feel a bit better about things. I just ate ONE of CJ's cookies though. How could I resist? They were just so beeeeautiful!

Hopefully, I can do a good job of maintaining over Christmas and New Year's. I got a couple of new weight loss books in the mail today too, they look very intriguing to me. I'm hoping they will be something I can incorporate into my weight loss plan and then maybe I'll be motivated enough to get off of this plateau that I've been on for awhile. Look for my review of these books in January. I received an extra set of books to give away to one of my lucky readers at that time too!

Monday Musings

It's official, not only has my 11yo passed me up in height, she has also gotten a bit taller than her "big" sister, who is almost 15 years older than she is. So now, my younger son (Joel) is taller than my older son (Jeremy), and my youngest daughter is taller than the oldest one. I'm thinking the girl got a bit too much sunshine over the past summer, or something. Molly was thrilled though, when Jess lent her this green sweater, and gave her a pair of jeans that were a bit too tight for her.

Speaking of my younger son Joel, he finally came to visit yesterday. I wanted to take a picture of 3 of my 4 children together, but the older two wouldn't cooperate. They had the funny idea that their loving mother would post said picture on her blog for some reason, and neither one of them was ready for a picture. But I did catch this one of CJ beating up on Uncle Joel. Just ignore the fact that I hadn't made my bed yet, and didn't think to close the bedroom "door" before I took this picture. Okay? Hey, it was Sunday...and I had just gotten up from an afternoon nap.
Anyway, as some of you may have noticed, I have not been changing my weight progress chart lately. That's because I haven't gone to weigh in the past 3 weeks. I'm afraid that with all of these holiday parties and events we've been to lately, that I may have actually gained a few pounds, and I was hoping to take it back off before I went to weigh in again. Well...that's not exactly working, so before I backslide just too much, I've decided to "bite the bullet" and go weigh in tonight...even if I have to admit that I've gained, and make my little froggy hop backwards just a little bit.

As I posted a few days ago, I won a blog make-over from seemydesignsbyshauna.com, playing a shower game at Sassyfrazz's cyber shower. Shauna is working on my new blog design, Yay! Look for it sometime later tonight or tomorrow. I'm really excited about that, so maybe it will cheer me up when I have to post my weight gain...if I can post it on my newly made over blog.

Week 29 Weigh In ~ On Again...Off Again...Back and Forth

Well, we WERE online for a little while last night. Molly and I went to town so I could go to WW and then we went over to the other house to pack up some of the odds and ends still left over there. Ray and his crew met us over there and got it all in the van for me. We came home, and the cordless phones all read, "no line" and there were no lights on the "thingy" or the "do-ja-ma-hicky"! So much for reporting on my weight loss like I had promised. I did lose 3 lbs, which sounds pretty good, but the last time I weighed in, I was up 2.6! So all in all I'm a 1/4th of a lb closer to my goal weight, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I called the phone company this morning (with my cell phone of course), and they said they would put out a trouble ticket. I gave them my cell no. and assumed someone would call be before they came out. WRONG! I decided to make a trip to the other house just before noon today, I had been there all of 10 minutes when I get a call from the repairman. He's sitting in my driveway...at the farm. So I run all the way back here with an empty vehicle. It's a good thing the gas prices have come down a bit. We're using an awful lot of gas with all these trips back and forth. We have until this weekend to get everything out of there, and we're doing okay but it's still going to take a few more trips. Last night's van-load was all of the Christmas/Easter decorations that were stored under the steps at the other house.

Ray and his DD Ruth and SIL Dan are making some progress sorting through the main garage, but there is still a small garage in back that is STUFFED with who-knows-what that needs to be sorted through. We're getting there though. I have most of my pictures on the wall here, and still have several boxes to unpack and find homes for the contents of on this end, but that can wait as long as we can get through the house.

Ruth and Dan are looking for a small apt of their own, but until they do, they're hanging out here and helping Ray out at work. Hopefully they will be able to find something right in town so that they can ride to work with him or eventually find jobs within walking distance, since they are without a vehicle at the moment too. I'm grateful for all of their help with the moving, but I'd prefer not to have 5 of us living in a one bathroom house for too long. The landlord didn't want a lot of people here either, because of concern about the septic system not being able to handle it. When we told him we had 7 kids, he wanted to know how many of them would be living here. We told him just 1, but the others would be visiting from time to time and he was okay with that.

If any of you in the local area know of an apt for rent, or possible job opportunities...or a cheap vehicle for Ruth and Dan, please contact me and I'll pass it along. Thanks.

Week 23 Weigh-In ~One Third of the Way There!

I decided to skip a week last week, since I would have had to go elsewhere to weigh in because of the Monday holiday. I also didn't think my weight had changed much in either direction that week, so it didn't make sense to spend money driving to another town just to find out nothing much had changed. Also, as a lifetime member, I really only have to weigh in once per month so as not to pay for skipped meetings. Just for the sake of saving a few bucks, I may not weigh in weekly from here on out. I know it helps me, so I'll probably try to weigh in at least every other week.

I got myself another gold star last night, having lost 2.4 lbs over the past two weeks for a grand total of 35.6 lbs gone!!! Hallelujah! I was really hoping to be about halfway done by the end of this month, (which will be 6 mos. back on program), but I guess I'll settle for being a little over 1/3 of the way there. After all, I didn't put on over a hundred pounds in a year, so I shouldn't expect to take it off in a year, right. I'll just keep plugging away at it. I honestly haven't been trying all that hard lately either. Just think what I could do if I actually tried.

In other news, I had hoped to blog this week about rejoining the workforce after 8 years at home, but that was not meant to be. I had applied for a full time cake decorator postition, but was not the one chosen in the end. I was told it was a difficult decision though, and that they would keep my app on file in case something else opens up. Hopefully it will soon.

Week 17 Weigh-In ~ 30 lbs gone!

Actually, 30.6 in almost 4 months. That's almost as much as my grandson, CJ weighs...and he gets awfully heavy after just a few minutes. I feel much better with even that amount off. My knees don't bother me at all, and I think I just have more energy. I would really like to have 50 lbs off by our anniversary on September 30, but maybe 40 is a more realistic goal. If I actually do get 50 lbs off, I hereby promise to post the (fully clothed) picture of my butt that CJ snapped with my camera last year on that date, along side a current one of my (somewhat smaller behind). The photo was taken with my old fashioned film type camera at a hotel we were at in Sioux Falls last year. The film was still in the camera until just recently when I got them developed and discovered the not-so-flattering picture of my patoot. CJ was not even quite 3 years old then, but he was already a budding photographer.

I'm still computer-less. Right now, I'm at my friend Lisa's house blogging right alongside of her. Actually, she's busy ignoring her family and entering giveaways at the moment. Their livingroom is a bit like a computer lab with 3 machines going all at once. Thanks for sharing your computer, Lisa!

Week 16 Weigh In ~ Missed It by THAT Much!

I was really hoping to have 30 lbs off by this week, but I don't. I lost 2.2 lbs this week for a total of...(drum roll please)...29 lbs gone!!! I'll take it. Now if I can just keep it up and lose a few more this week. One thing that did happen with this weeks weigh in, was that the second digit of my weight dropped to the next lower digit. I'm pretty sure that means I lose another point. You pretty much lose a point with every 1o lbs you lose.

To figure out how many points you are allowed per day, one of the criteria is the first two digits of your starting weight. From there, they add points for different things ~ like being a certain age, (younger than I am), being male (obviously not me), or being over 6 ft tall, (nope, not me either). You are also allowed extra points for the activity level in your daily routine. When I started out the program, I could have a total of 30 pts per day. By contrast, my hubby, who was 300 lbs, happens to be male, is over 6 ft tall and works quite hard at times was allowed a whopping 44 points per day. That's a LOT of points, but we figured he had been eating a LOT MORE pre-Weight Watchers.

I'm very proud of him, he's probably lost somewhere around 35 lbs, so he's lost a few points too... I think I'm right around 27 now myself. It's all good, I think my stomach has shrunk too, so it's not like I feel hungry at the end of the day...and if I do, I can always munch on veggies...they're what we like to call "pointless".

Week 14 Weigh-in ~ Back on "Target"

Yippee! I did it! I had originally wanted to get to my "target weight" by my birthday, and I was within a pound of that goal the last 2 weeks. This week, I lost 2.2 lbs., which puts me a little past my goal. I received my 10% key chain, so I now have something to put my 25 lb charm on. This is what the key chain looks like:

I'm not sure if it was because I was chasing Shelby around this weekend, or exactly why I did so well this week, but I'll take it. I have been trying to get some walking in each week, and probably did that a couple of times last week too. The only thing is, I have to get up early and do it before it gets to hot. I've found that I look forward to walking more when I borrow a "book on cd" from the library, but it in my personal cd player, and listen to a story while I walk. This works whether I do my walking outside, or inside on the treadmill. My hubby just fixed the AC last night, (thank you, Honey!), so now I can walk indoors if the weather is not nice outdoors. The trick is, to only let myself listen to the story while I'm walking or doing some other unpleasant task-like washing the dishes, or scrubbing the kitchen floor-which also gains me "activity points".

I'm thinking that the rest of the Summer should be pretty much smooth sailing as far as staying on program. The grad parties are done, the camping weekend is over, I survived my birthday and 4th of July weekend. I'm sure there will be other occasions to accidentally overindulge, but for the most part, I'm safe.

Week 10 Weigh In ~ 80 Sticks of Butter - Gone!

That sounds a little more impressive than 20 lbs, doesn't it? Yup, I finally did it. I lost the first 15 lbs in about 6 weeks, but it has taken me almost a month to get that last five off. Not that I'm done, mind you...I've still got a loooooooonnnnnnnnnngggggg way to go, but it's a great start.

Someone reminded me of the old "sticks of butter" thing. I remember about 24 years ago, when I was first on my way to lifetime status, we used to compare our weight loss to a lot of different things, for instance:

1. 5 lbs = a small bag of sugar or flour


2. 10 lbs=a sack of potatoes


3. 15 lbs =a rather large cat


4. 20 lbs = a standard bag of dog food

The first time I did this, my son Joel was not even a year old yet. He weighed somewhere around 20 lbs by the time I'd lost that much. That made it very easy to comprehend exactly how much weight I'd lost. Obviously, I carried him around all the time. Eventually, I ended up losing almost as much as my 4 year old weighed at the time: 35 lbs. I wish I only had that much to lose now, but wishing isn't going to get me anywhere, is it?

There was one lady who had lost 90 lbs on WW, and said that after she lost her next 10 lbs, she was going to go to the grocery store and have someone lay ten 10 lb bags of potatoes on her, just to see what it felt like. I don't know if I want to go that far, but someone else pointed out that if you fill a 5 gallon jug with water and try to carry it...it's not easy. Wow! you never think of losing (or gaining) five lbs as being that big of a deal, but if you think of it in terms of water, you wouldn't want to carry those jugs too far, would you? I've been carrying around waaayy to much weight for waaayyy to long. Time to start melting off the next 20 sticks of butter...

Here I am!

My friends have been bugging me about starting my own blog for some time now. I put it off, and put it off, and really just wanted to figure out a main theme for my blog if I was going to start one. Recently, I went back to Weight Watcher's AGAIN, but am bound and determined to stick with it this time, maybe because the big 5-0 is looming ever closer, and I have over 100 lbs to lose at this point in my life, and don't want to gain even more.

So...this morning, before I even got out of bed, I had an "aha moment" it came to me. I'll create a blog about my journey back to a "normal weight", and the triumphs and trials along the way. It won't be completely about weight loss, (cuz that would be boring to most people), but I promise to update you all at least weekly on my progress, (or lack thereof). I'm hoping that I will be able to encourage others with a lot of weight to lose, and my readers will also provide encouragement and accountability to me along my weight-loss journey. Is that a deal?

I'm not going to post my starting weight, not even my own darling husband is privy to that information. I'm not ready to do that at this point, but after losing a significant amount, I probably will. So far though, I've lost 5.4 lbs the first week, and another 5.8 lbs the second, for a total of 11.2 lbs!
Hopefully, I will not only keep that off, but will lose another couple by the end of this week.

I weigh in on Monday evenings, so I will update on Monday nights or Tuesday mornings and let y'all know how it's going, and if anything else interesting happens during the week...well, who knows? I might just post about that too.