Don't give up!

It's a sad statistic.

Most people who resolve to lose weight at the beginning of the new year give up their diet this week. OUCH.

I invite you to take the challenge to NOT be a statistic. Stay the course. Weight loss and healthy living should be looked at as a life-long journey. If you can keep the course and steer yourself in the right direction, the results will make the journey worthwhile.

I had a friend recently ask me why I started this journey this year and why I am so resolved to lose weight. Other than the picture I showed you in a previous post, I realized one other thing.

NOT losing weight has dire consequences. Yes, Dire. I am 47, and I have two paths in front of me. One is health and well-being; the other is sickness and gloom.

I have Lupus and arthritis. Being overweight causes me to feel even worse than I might otherwise. If I stayed the course of an overweight person, how long would it be before my ticker decided to take a hiatus? Heart issues run in my family -- that is a pretty dire consequence.

Not only that, but from an aesthetic standpoint, DH is within 10lbs of the weight he was when we married. He has kept his end of the bargain to remain attractive for me...now it is my turn to get back to the girl he married (well, at least within spittin' distance of that weight).

I lost another 1/2 lb this week. Not alot. But I lost, right? This is a journey, not a race. The direction is down, and that is where I want to be.

I am starting something new, exercise-wise. I will be able to share more next week, but I CAN share a short-term goal with you -- I want to be able to run 2 miles without stopping. By the end of April. Today starts that journey! I have help with this one, but that is a story for next week.

Have a healthy week!

My weight loss is like a heartbeat...

Well, in a way it is like a heartbeat. One week I lose 3+ pounds, and the next week I lose one or nothing. At least my "weight-heartbeat" is staying above the line -- meaning weight loss (in this case, below the line would be weight gain, and that would not be good!). So technically I guess my weight is more like a mountain range -- some of the peaks are high and some are low.

I have a theory about this. I really think it has nothing to do with what you eat or how you excersize. I think when your body loses a bunch of weight (for me, 3 lbs or more in a week is a bunch of weight), then it needs the next week to "catch-up", so it doesn't lose as much. I'm okay with that personally, because this is a weight loss journey -- not a weight-loss race.

Do you like my theory? It is not based in any medial or scientific fact. Just my observation. I guess it really doesn't matter that much -- if I don't lose that pound one week, perserverence tells me that I will lose it the next week, or the week after that.

So I bet you can guess how much I lost this week -- another pound. That brings the total to 16.6 pounds.

How did you do this week?

To love or to hate...the scale saga

Do you love your scale or hate it? Well, that depends.

This week, I love my scale. I lost 3.6 lbs this week -- bringing my total loss since January 4th to 15.6 lbs. I am astonished that the scale was my BFF this week! It was due to the fact that I went skiing yesterday -- it is such an intense workout and I know my body reacted positively to it.

I confess, I also hate my scale. I even hate it a bit this week too. I hate it because I am afraid that this week's weight loss it too good to be true and when I step on the scale again tomorrow, it will show me weighing in higher. That's silly, right? But I know YOU know what I mean. Those little numbers (little, mean, rotten digital numbers) are our gauge. Yes, I know. I am not supposed to "care" about what those numbers say. Weight gurus tell you that it is all about how you "feel." Sorry, skinny gurus. When you have 70 lbs to lose, you CARE about that scale number.

Of COURSE I am happy that my jeans are looser. I do feel better, even in a short period of time. But I care more about that scale. It is my measurement.

Yes, my diet is a lifestyle change. When I get to my goal, the numbers will be less important. But right now, friends, I am living by those digital demons.

PS: I have been receiving quite a few personal emails from those of you who have been following my journey and/or have been inspired by it to start your own journey. Each of you have touched my heart more than you know, and have inspired and motivated me to stay on track with you. WE can do this together!

What tips your scale?

Sorry I haven't posted in the last week. I have been faithful to my diet, though. I was a bit depressed last Monday when I weighed in -- I GAINED 1/2 lb. Sigh. I think that the alcohol over the weekend -- although it was NOT excessive, and certainly I had points to share -- killed me. This weekend, I was virtuous -- even through a Superbowl party at my house -- and I lost the 1/2# plus more! I am now down 12 lbs total. Thirty Days, twelve pounds. Not too bad!

I was thinking about what "tips my scale." What I mean by that is: What is the thing that got me off my big behind and got me moving to lose weight? I know what did it...

A few weeks ago, I posted a layout here titled "just me". If you scroll down you can see it. I had quite a few comments --on and off the blog -- that I didn't look "that bad." Let me tell you, that was NOT the zenith of my weight! That picture was taken in July and I put weight on since then.

What tipped the scale for me is the picture below. This is a picture taken in October with my brother when he and his wife visited from Chicago. My SIL sent it to me after Christmas via email. Now, I know I have ALOT of layers on -- but still, not THAT many. The biggest layer is my own skin!! If the lens sees me this way, other people do, too.

Before you look, understand that posting this picture is HARD. It is facing up to the mirror. The inner picture I have of myself does NOT look like this. My tipping point was when I faced up to the fact that I DO look like this -- or at least I did 12 pounds ago! : )

Okay, look now. Then YOU tell ME what YOUR tipping point was. I know many of you are following this journey and joining in...

OUCH.