Life and Times of FutureMommy

What does he look like?

2008-04-03T02:04:00.007-05:00

So, maybe you have been so unfortunate as to not see my son yet. If so, I feel very sorry for you as he is the most beautiful child you will ever see....Well, at least in my opinion. :) So here's the latest picture I have of him.

This is "Mommy, I learned to stand up!" :) This was after hubby spent 10-15 minutes showing him how to "sit down, stand up!" I've told him about teaching him things, but he doesn't listen! LOL

So yes, now my son pulls up in his crib and playpen and is learning to walk around while holding on. Oh Lord! Won't be long before he's walking on his own. Funny how time flies when they're this young. :)

Anyone still out there?

2008-04-03T01:57:00.002-05:00

Wow! I did not realize how long it has been since I posted a blog entry. Time sure flies when you have a child. LOL

Alexander arrived perfectly on time on June 11, 2007, at a healthy 8 lbs. 4 oz. and kicking and screaming all the way. He is now almost 10 months old and is learning new things every day and bringing lots of joy to our lives.

Unfortunately, in those 10 months I also managed to gain back all the weight I had lost plus 2 lbs. I did really good during pregnancy and only put on 10 lbs. Then I remembered how much I LOVE food and put on 10 more. LOL Oh well, I'm back on WW's and have already managed to lose 6 lbs. in 4 weeks. Yay me! Now only 25 more to go. :)

So, if anyone is reading this, then you can join me again on my weight loss journey. This will lead to another pregnancy but maybe not as fast as the last weight loss did. LOL

We shall see. :)

4 weeks to go!!!

2007-05-22T00:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I only have 4 weeks left until we deliver this wonderful little boy I am carrying. He is currently around 6 lbs. and has definitely made me balloon in size. I have not gained much weight (under 20 lbs.) but he is definitely making room in my body. I seem to have the appearance of a woman with a really large medicine ball attached to me. LOL

My baby shower was on May 19th and it turned out to be a grand party with lots of family and friends around to wish me well. We received lots of gifts and I am now to the point of creating the mountain of thank you notes that everyone deserves. This is not a chore as I am grateful for every gift and well wish I receive.

Hubby hasn't quite completed the baby's room yet, but he's real close to being done. I am so proud of the work he has done and the fact that he is able to do the job even though he's never had a project like this one. I don't always show how grateful I am, but I'm pregnant and I think he knows that I really do appreciate him and his abilities. Just one more reason to love him! :)

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully I will blog again before our little bundle of joy gets here. If not, then I really will have lots to talk about in my next entry! :)

Laters.

28 weeks!!!!

2007-04-05T18:18:00.000-05:00

Well, on Saturday March 31st we made the 28 week mark of pregnancy! I've never made it this far in pregnancy and I am truly finding that every day I make past the mark where we lost our first son, is a real joy and a wonder. Our current son is very active and seems to really be enjoying his surroundings. Unfortunately, the baby also seems to be very prone to hiccups! He gets them 2 - 3 times a day and they last about 20-30 minutes. All the websites say that it does not harm the baby but I'm willing to bet that it is very aggravating to him. But the sites also state that these hiccups help strengthen his diaphragm, so anything that makes him stronger is a good thing. :-)

I also had my glucose test today. The drink that pregnant women must drink is like a flat, orange soda with a slightly medicinal taste (ugh!). I could deal with the flat orange soda part but the medicine taste was almost more than I could bear. It was very bitter. But I took it 10 minutes before my appointment and then waited around for another 40 minutes so the blood tests could be taken. I won't know the results for 3 days and, as with any test where you have to wait, those will be the longest 3 days of my life! LOL And I just thought about that the real time will be more like 5-6 days since we are right at a weekend. So, I get to try to forget about how long it's REALLY taking to get these results. This test will attempt to determine if I have gestational diabetes. If I fail the test, then I will have to take a 3 hour test in which they will investigate again. So, I'm hopeful to pass the test the first time as the 3 hour test requires a much worse drink.

Well, that's all for this post. Thanks for reading and we'll "talk" soon. :-)

It's a boy!

2007-01-30T17:34:00.000-06:00

So, in case you haven't heard it on the wire or by some miracle I haven't found you and told you face to face, we found out last week that we are having a boy! :) Although you could have asked me what I was carrying and I would've said girl, trust me a boy is just as great. I can give my husband a child to carry his name and make him very happy because he always wanted a boy to be our oldest child instead of a girl (yeah, that's a little chauvinist but what can you do? LOL).

Baby is now about 6 inches long and about 8 1/2 ounces or as hubby puts it "half a foot and half a pound" (so practical LOL) and boy, is he learning to kick good. I'm not quite sure what's so interesting inside of me but he sure likes kicking and pushing around to find out. :) It's a great feeling and we are prayerful that it will continue for many more months until June 23rd.

As for me, I feel pretty good. I don't quite feel like the "pregnant beauty" that all the pregnancy books and websites say I should, but I don't feel hideous either. I'm somewhere between feeling pretty and feeling fat and if I can stay there for most of the pregnancy, I will be happy. Because I started out overweight, the bump that is so obvious to me is starting to be seen by others but it's not real obvious yet. I'm 19 weeks along so I'm showing, but not sticking out everywhere. I can tell that this baby is an overachiever though, so it won't be long before it will become obvious. Hubby still hasn't felt a kick because EVERYTIME he puts his hand on my stomach, the baby stops kicking. This will come in handy when the kicks hurt, but is very frustrating right now as everyone knows the feeling of the first kick is wonderful to someone outside of the mommy. I think he gets a little tired of me always grabbing his hand to see if he can feel the baby kick, so maybe I will wait a few weeks before I try that again. LOL

Anyway, that's all for now. More updates soon. :)

What was THAT????

2007-01-02T08:21:00.000-06:00

So, for the first time in years I had the opportunity to not only spend New Year's Eve with my husband, but for us to go out to a party and really enjoy ourselves. If you don't know, we tend to be homebodies, so for us to go out and attend a party is kind of a big deal. And with my being pregnant, anything we do is a big deal. :)

So, we went to a friend's house for a rockin' good time, good food, and good company. Since the party was from 8:00 p.m. until, we were in no major hurry to get there and arrived somewhere around 10:00 p.m. This of course was just as the party was getting started, so we considered ourselves fortunate to arrive when we did.

I had made the decision that for 1 night, 1 time I would have a small glass of wine to celebrate the new year. I have not had any alcohol since June or July and I keep reading that it is okay for pregnant women to have a glass of wine occasionally. So, I didn't feel too bad about having 1 glass.

Well, all I can say is that the baby must REALLY have wanted to ring in the new year! I know that babies cannot hear at this point in pregnancy, but he/she must have felt the vibrations of the music or really enjoyed the wine because for about the first 45 minutes of the new year, this kid was moving like never before! LOL I'm just getting to the point where I can feel movement, but the movement that night was really pronounced!

Now I guess you could say it was because I was so relaxed that I was able to feel the movement. But I chose to think that this kid decided that he was going to rock in 2007 with a bang!! And that he did. :)

Hello Everyone!

2007-01-02T08:13:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!!!! It is 2007 and time for all of us to the look to the future, learn from the past, and embrace the new year. I am very happy to say that I have a lot to look forward to this year and I am here to share that good news with you. :)

When I last wrote back in September, I told you that my husband and I were trying to have a baby. Well, we have been successful and I am now almost 4 months along in my pregnancy. I am to the point where I'm definitely feeling the flutters of the baby and I'm starting to show to the world that I am indeed pregnant! LOL

I'm not as tired as I was in the first trimester so that is a relief. But, I can still sleep all day if you let me. I think that was the case before pregnancy, though, so it's really not new. :)

Anyway, as time and energy will permit I will be updating everyone on how I'm doing, feeling, and in general coming along in the pregnancy. I do ask for any and all of you to please pray that we will be successful with this pregnancy. We have enough doctors working with us that it ought not be a concern, but prayers are always welcome and needed. And the ultimate doctor is and has always been God. :)

The Good News. :)

2006-09-12T23:45:00.000-05:00

The good news is that in the time I have been struggling with my diet, hubby and I have started trying to have a baby. I know, "how do you TRY to have a baby? Doesn't it just happen?" LOL. Well, I certainly hope so. But according to my doctor's it may not be as easy as we hope since I am getting older (I hate that word) and it may be harder for me to get pregnant this time around. It was suggested that we get ovulation kits and pick the "best" days for us to try to get pregnant. My first thought was "What happened to good old-fashioned trying?" It was my husbands response as well. So we are bucking advice this month to see if we can get pregnant without stress. I will keep you updated with results. We should know something soon. :)

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN????????

2006-09-12T23:37:00.000-05:00

Hello blogosphere! If anyone still checks this blog, you may be wondering why I have not made any updates recently. Well, the simplest explanation is that I have fallen WAY off track with my diet and exercise and honestly was ashamed to LOOK at my blog, much less make any additions to the articles. I honestly hit the 25 lb. mark and began a serious backslide on my diet. I became lax in my diligence to my lifestyle change and have put about 5 lbs. of it back on. I guess the easy reason is that I felt I deserved to "treat" myself to some time off plan. But when I think that I could have lost 5 more pounds instead of gaining 5 lbs., it makes me really angry and more determined than ever to get back on plan. I officially started on yesterday and so far I have been able to do very well. Cross your fingers that this continues....

25 POUNDS LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-08-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

Well, it has taken all of the 6 months that I have been on WW's, but I have officially lost 25 lbs. and now weigh less than 190 lbs.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a really big deal for me as I have not been at this weight since before I got married 2 years ago. It is also that much closer to me being a weight I would like to be when I get pregnant. And it is also a real impetus for me to keep going forward with the WW's plan. I've also noticed that even when I'm not "thinking about it", I am more likely to eat healthy instead of reverting back to my old ways of eating junk food until I pop! So, yes, it's been a real lifestyle change. And one I am definitely glad to have made. :-)

A REAL change.........

2006-08-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

So, I went to my doctor a couple of weeks ago for my yearly physical. I usually don't look forward to these appointments as the doctor usually has "stern" words for me and advises that I need to be more careful. But in light of my weight loss this year, I was hoping for better results. Well, I got them! My cholesterol has gone down from 200 to 147 and my blood pressure was 120/80 (it hasn't been that in years). Although her records only show that I've lost 8 lbs. in the last year (I gained about 10 more lbs. before finally joining WW's), my blood work shows how hard I've been working. She was very proud and actually smiling. That's a real victory for me! Making doctor's proud is not easy....

Weigh In Today..........

2006-07-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

So, as previously mentioned, I have been having a hard time staying OP over the last few weeks. It's as if my brain switched to "no diet" mode after our doctor gave us the go ahead to start trying for a baby (which we are not doing yet). So, I've been struggling with the diet. But this week, I recommitted and tried my best to stay OP. And it paid off! I lost 1.6 lbs. this week which is almost what I gained last week! Yay! I'm back on track. Now to keep moving in the right direction........

My Last Few WI's.........

2006-07-13T00:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, so here goes the skinny on the last few weigh-in's. Well, let's see I hit my 10% goal on 6/24/2006, a pretty huge achievement as it means I have lost 10% of my body weight. I was VERY happy. So happy in fact, that I spent the next 2 WI's bingeing. I lost 2 lbs. the next week and then last week I gained 1.8 lbs. of that back! *aarrgghh* But I'm trying to correct that now. I wanted to enjoy the 4th of July and I truly did. Now to get back on track. It's not easy, but it will be done. :-)

Sorry, I've been neglecting the blog!!!

2006-07-13T00:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting much lately. I'm working a new schedule at work and I haven't gotten used to my new free time. I'm finally off on weekends!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, or unfortunately for this blog, I now have extra time with hubby and I don't have a lot of time to write. But I'm back now, so look out! LOL

The Best News!!!!!!!!!

2006-06-17T23:53:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I went to see my ob/gyn last Tuesday to provide an update on my progress thus far with my weight loss. If you've been reading, you'll remember that the reason that I joined WW's is because we are wanting to try for a baby and my weight was a real barrier to that process. So, we meet with my doctor, one of the nicest men you'll ever meet, and tell him that I have lost 22 lbs. since February 1st (my start date on WW's and the last time we met with him) and that my muscle tone and physical status is much better than it was previously. He was truly impressed. But that is not the best part.

He gave us the go ahead to start trying to have a baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one knows how happy this has made us feel. We have some preparatory work to do before we start trying, such as seeing a specialist about my condition and possibly having a procedure before hand to insure a successful pregnancy. But it is WONDERFUL to know that my weight is no longer a barrier for us. And that someday soon I will be able to provide us with something we truly want more than anything else.......a beautiful child. :)

A Great Weekend!!!!!!!!!

2006-06-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

My husband and I have been very busy over the last year due to work and personal issues and have had very little time to take for ourselves. Consequently, we (or I) have been feeling a lot of pressure to make everyone else happy and have been putting ourselves on the back burner when it comes to relaxation. After a while, that can put more stress on you than you deserve and you can occasionally feel the walls start to crowd in around you.

So, about 2 weeks ago, it occurred to me that my husband and I had not been away together for about a year. We had not taken any time off to do anything just for fun because we have so many responsibilities that take priority. So, while at work one night, I sent an email to my husband (who was contemplating just how many things he has to do) and advised that we needed to take at least part of 1 day for ourselves where we could do something just for fun. Boy! I didn't know how ready he was to hear that! Before I knew it, he was planning a camping weekend with friends that turned out to be one of the best things we've ever done.

About 6 months ago, we purchased a pop-camper from a co-worker. It's nothing fancy, basically 2 beds and a floor with a camper top on it, but we are pretty proud of it and had been dying to try it. So we packed up the camper and struck out to Lake Palestine, in a city called Flint, Texas. Thank goodness for the friends that we were meeting with, because in our haste we forgot to pack a few things that we had to rely on them to provide. But, we socialized with our friends and their kids and had a REALLY good time in the process. And we got the much needed R&R that we needed to recharge our batteries and set us to our tasks again.

Thank you Moe and Moe's Girl for letting us participate in your weekend. And let's do it again sometime! :-)

20 Pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-06-03T23:38:00.000-05:00

I have done it everyone. As of Thursday afternoon, I have officially lost 20.4 lbs. in 4 months. I have to admit that when I first saw this number my thought was "that's all", but after further consideration, I have figured out that this is truly a significant amount of weight loss. I cannot imagine still being at my starting weight of 214 lbs. and feeling as good as I do now. I am healthier and happier than I have been in a few years. And I feel better about myself than I have in quite some time. Thank you WW's. Thank you for giving me back something I had lost....pride in myself!

BREAKING EVEN.

2006-05-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

Well, this week I managed to lose the 1.8 lbs. I gained last week and have managed to "break even" in that respect. So I am now back to 194.6 lbs. which suits me fine for now. I am 2 lbs. from making 10% loss which is a mile marker for WW's. I am excited about being this close, but I do not take for granted that I will keep losing. I now understand that it will take real effort and a continuous monitoring of my progress for me to reach goal. I guess I took for granted that I would continuously lose because on "fad" diets I never had to really watch what I ate. I just followed the instructions and the weight disappeared. But WW's is different. With WW's they are teaching you how to eat for a LIFETIME, not just long enough to lose weight. And it depends on you figuring out what works for you. The program provides support, but ultimately you are responsible for your success or failure. I like that. Taking responsibility for myself is paramount to me. So now I am armed and ready for battle. Look out 160 lbs. Here I come! :-)

A GAIN AGAIN!

2006-05-20T00:26:00.000-05:00

*sigh* Well, I had a gain this week. 1.8 lbs. which puts me at 17.6 lbs. lost. Not insignificant, but not where I want to be right now. I'm not sure what has happened. My hubby and I are thinking that it may be that my body is getting used to not eating as many points as before and has basically gone into "starvation mode" again. It's not unrealistic to think so as I tried cutting out my activity points this week so that I might lose more. It appears that this may have backfired. So I will try some new combination this week (eating all daily points, activity points, and some flex points) and see if this will net me a loss. But I am not giving up. I can't afford to do that. I have too much to lose if I do so......

Happy Mother's Day Mama.

2006-05-13T03:48:00.000-05:00

In case you don't know, Mother's Day is Sunday, May 14th. Tomorrow in short. And if your mother still lives, I hope that you will spend time with her and let her know every minute of every day just how much you love and appreciate her. I lost my mother in 1999 and I remember thinking that the one thing that I was grateful for was that the last thing I said to her when I saw her in the hospital that night was that I loved her. She was in a lot of pain that night and had been drugged, but she managed to mumble to the best of her ability that she loved me too. But that night wasn't about her love for me. It was about my love for her. I didn't give her the opportunity to leave this world without knowing that I loved her. And I believe that she took that thought with her when she passed, because when we saw her later that night after her death, she was smiling as she lay in the bed. Smiling ya'll. As if where she was going was beautiful and where she was leaving had been good to her. Much as I wish she were here for me to hug, talk to, and share my life with, I know that where she is now is a better place than any of us can imagine. So, Happy Mothers Day Mama...hug all those women that you joined and who have joined you. I think of you often.....

Down Another 1.2 lbs. !

2006-05-13T03:00:00.000-05:00

So I lost more weight this week. Down another 1.2 lbs. to 194.6. Not as great as I hoped but it is TOM, so that explains it a little bit. And amazingly enough, I find that I really don't miss eating my extra points. The more that I think about it, the more I know now that I was forcing myself to eat all of that food and that's why my weight loss was so slow. It didn't seem like it at the time, but now I realize that this was exactly what was happening. Guess I'm still learning as I go...which is a good thing. :-)

2006-05-04T15:39:00.000-05:00

IT WORKED!! IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!

Well, cutting back on the number of points I used this week has definitely worked! I lost 2.2 lbs. at WI this afternoon!!! I am SO happy. Just in case you haven't been reading along, I have been struggling this past month with my weight loss. While I am consistently losing, it has been partial pounds instead of full pounds. And I could not figure out why. Then this past week, I decided to try cutting back on the points that I was eating. And it has paid off. I am still getting in my daily points and activity points, but I have ceased eating my flex points for now. And now, my losses have increased. I know that this is not a permanent fix as metabolism likes being tricked. But this is working now and I will follow this path until the next plateau.

Anyway, off to exercise now. But I wanted to share my news. And I am now officially at 195.8 lbs. :-) *happy dances*

2006-05-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

SO HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOST???

Oh how many times I have had this question asked of me. And I'm sure my blog readers are curious as well. Officially, I have lost 16 lbs. since February 1st. Not as much as I'd like but definitely a good start. Here is how it breaks down:

Date---------->Change from Start--------->Weight
2/1/2006------->-0.0 lbs (start day)----->214.0 lbs.
2/8/2006------->-4.0 lbs----------------->210.0 lbs.
2/15/2006------>-6.8 lbs----------------->207.2 lbs.
2/22/2006------>-9.0 lbs----------------->205.0 lbs.
3/1/2006------->-8.4 lbs----------------->205.6 lbs. (gain)
3/8/2006------>-11.0 lbs----------------->203.0 lbs.
3/15/2006----->-10.8 lbs----------------->203.2 lbs. (gain)
3/22/2006----->-13.4 lbs----------------->200.6 lbs.
3/29/2006----->-13.4 lbs----------------->200.6 lbs.
4/5/2006------>-14.4 lbs----------------->199.6 lbs. (Onederland!)
4/12/2006----->-14.8 lbs----------------->199.2 lbs.
4/19/2006----->-15.4 lbs----------------->198.6 lbs.
4/27/2006----->-16.0 lbs----------------->198.0 lbs.

2006-05-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

A CHANGE IN THE PLAN.....

Within the last month I have found that I have been struggling with my weight loss. I continue to lose, but the losses have been disappointing to me. I have been losing parts of a pound instead of a full pound. I know that this is partially due to my cutbacks in working out. I still workout but not for more than 30 minutes at a time. I thought that this was my problem so I increased the number of days that I worked out but not the duration. This helped some but I was still only losing a part of a pound and never a full pound. I was confused. What could be causing this problem? I was doing as I had heard about on the message boards and had increased my eating so that my body would have enough fuel to burn. What was wrong?

So after losing another .6 (notice the decimal) pounds at my last weigh-in Thursday, I began thinking about the problem seriously. It seemed I was headed for a plateau or maybe in one at this time. The week before when I had incurred a similar weight loss, my husband and I had talked about the issue. He suggested that maybe I needed to cut back on how much I ate. At the time I thought "What, he must be crazy! I need this much food to LOSE weight!" But when it didn't happen again, even after an increase in exercise, I had to think about it seriously. As I stated before, I was eating my daily points, exercise or activity points, and my flex points which are extra points given so that you can splurge or eat more if necessary during the week. But eating more is suppose to be good, right?

Well it is. But every now and then you have to switch things up. Basically, keep your body guessing. So this week I decided to try just eating my daily points and activity points and leaving the flex points (flexies) alone as much as possible. So far I have been succeeding and have only dipped into my flex points by 3.5 pts. (great family gathering with cake! :-)). And on Saturday I stepped on the scale to see if there was any difference. The scale read 196.6 which is 1.4 lbs. from what I weighed on Thursday. Already a significant change. I don't know what will happen when I WI Thursday but if there is a noticeable difference I will be very happy. I'll be sure to keep you updated. :-)

2006-05-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

IT'S OUR 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Today, May Day, is also my 2 year anniversary with my husband. 2 years ago we both impatiently (him more than me! LOL) said our "I DO's" and officially became husband and wife. Although it has not been easy and we have been through some difficult times in our 2 year marriage, it is safe to say that our love for each other only grows by the day and that we wouldn't want to imagine our lives without each other. I don't think that this kind of love can be find with anyone other than the one you are meant to be with. He means the world to me, and I to him. That kind of love can't be beat!

2006-04-24T01:25:00.000-05:00

A LOOOONG AND WINDING ROAD.........

So it's been a while since I posted about my weight and how I'm doing with WW's and working out. Well, the good news is that I am consistently losing. I haven't had a "gain" week since mid-March, which in "diet and exercise" time for me is significant. For that, I am grateful.

The bad news is that while I am not gaining, my weight loss has slowed, in my opinion, considerably. I am losing less than 1 lb. per week, although all of the partial pounds are still losses and not plateaus. And it's not as though I don't know what is causing the slowdown. It's very simple, actually. I have been struggling with motivating myself to exercise. And up until this week, I have been failing miserably at motivating myself.

Some may ask, "How can you not feel motivated? As stated in previous posts, you know your goals and what it will take to get there and that exercise is an absolute "must" for you to achieve your goals quickly and effectively? So, just go work out! What's the problem?" Well, I truly believe if it were that simple and that logic were applied to all that I do, then a) I would not be overweight in the first place or b) I would have reached my goal 2 years ago instead of struggling with the question "I don't look that fat, do I?" I think that for a while I began to feel that some others on this plan seem to do well without exercise and that maybe that could work for me. What I failed to remember is that if these people are not exercising, then they reduce the points they are eating weekly to compensate for that and therefore do not eat as much. I, on the other hand, continued to eat the same amount as I had while exercising but cut back significantly on the actual exercise part. Not my smartest move. :-)

So, after losing .6 lbs. this past week, I had to sit down and take a long, hard look at myself....again! I had to decide just how satisfied I had been with my weight loss of the last few weeks and honestly, I was a disappointed. So this week I went to the gym 5 times, took today off (as normal) and will work out both Monday and Tuesday. I am also eating my extra allowed points a little each day instead of lumping them all into a couple of days out of the week. And we will see the effect it has with my WI on Wednesday. I will keep you updated!

2006-04-24T01:23:00.000-05:00

ANYONE STILL OUT THERE?

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that I have not been updating my blog lately. I've been busy and I think all the time how I should update it, but the days often end before I think of it again. For those who have been checking, I'm sorry that there has been nothing new. Planning on changing that soon....starting now. Enjoy!

2006-04-06T00:43:00.000-05:00

ONEDERLAND (Just Barely)!!!!

Well readers I have finally made it! I am officially below 200 pounds, hopefully never to return again. My weigh in today was 199.6 lbs. which officially puts me in Onederland (even if by the skin of my teeth)!

I am excited! For the last 2 years I have been at my largest weight. Pre-pregnancy and all the other issues I have dealt with over the last 2 years, I never weighed more than 190 lbs. I was pretty consistently 188 lbs. and I always felt fat and would yo-yo diet, but I was also pretty sure that would be my fattest point. Boy, was I wrong!!!!

So here I go, headed back to 188 lbs. and I will be so happy to get there. This time though I will not just stay there, I will continue to my goal of 160 lbs. No matter how long it takes!!!

2006-03-25T03:31:00.000-06:00

STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW!!!!!!!

I will rarely write political posts on this blog. Why? Most of the stuff that is put on the news and in the papers bores me and the views are so slanted that you literally have to read between the lines to find the truth. Or read the blogosphere, and then it depends on who you believe. But there has been something going on lately that is REALLY bugging me. So here goes.

What makes comedians, you know people who go on stage to tell jokes and make people laugh, think that they are now experts on politics? Who has told Bill Maher, George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, etc. that they are in ANY way qualified to stand on a stage and criticize our president, congress, or any elected person in this country? I am sitting here at work watching television and watching as Bill Maher tries to make it apparent to his audience (thank you HBO for yet another useless program) that George Bush is an idiot and, get this, that we should never let ANYONE from the state of TEXAS run any part of our government EVER AGAIN!!!!! Where does he get off insulting ANYONE like that? And singling out a whole state to boot? Who made him an authority on what this country needs? The last time I checked, NO ONE has ever voted for him or said that he is the foremost authority on anything other than himself (and honestly I'd want a second opinion then)!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I am not a Bush-supporter. I did not vote for him in the last election and I still haven't seen anything that would make me vote for him if given the chance. But regardless of personal feelings, the man is our President and as such deserves respect. He does not deserve the abuse that he has been getting from these so-called comedians who have forgotten that their real job is to entertain, not judge. And let's not even get into all the ACTORS and SINGERS who are trying to put their 2 cents in and are screaming from the rafters that Bush should be impeached and that the war must be stopped. Excuse me, but isn't your job to entertain? Aren't you where you are because you are an entertainer, not because of your political views? What is entertaining about your political views other than that we get to watch you make fools of yourselves?

I guess I'm just really tired of people trying to force their views upon me. Just because you can get on television and receive an audience doesn't mean that everything you have to say is noteworthy. Nor is it necessarily correct. When Bill Maher was allowed on network television I think he show was appropriately titled....Politically INcorrect. That's definitely what these "stars" are these days.....................

2006-03-23T07:44:00.000-06:00

CLOSER TO ONEDERLAND!!!!

So yesterday was my weigh-in day for the Weight Watchers program. As per the norm, it is a stressful day to say the least. You start thinking back trying to remember if you did anything particularly "bad" on your diet over the last week and what ill-effects a mis-step might have on the number on the scale. Trust me, you can drive yourself crazy.

I have noted one thing that seems to help me have a better weigh-in. Since you are fully allowed to weigh-in after getting up, I choose to weigh-in after having slept all day. Since I work nights and Wednesday is my first night to return to work, I get a boost of sleep because I go to bed with my husband on Tuesday night and (except for a few times during the night/day) and I don't get up until Wednesday afternoon. This may or may not stack the odds in my direction, but it certainly cannot hurt.

Anyway, weigh-in was yesterday and I spent 5-10 minutes just looking at the scale. I don't know why this little machine can intimidate me so. My loving husband has tried countless times to tell me that the number on the scale is just that, a number. It does not signify in any way whether or not I'm a good person. It is simply a number. But for me, it is more than that. It has now become an indication of ultimately when he and I will be ready to start trying to have children again. This combination of numbers can now determine my future in a way. If the wrong combination of numbers is given, I am that much farther from being able to become a mother to a child I want desperately. So I follow "the plan" as well as possible and hope that the combination of numbers is going down instead of up. But it takes forever to get on the scale!

I finally got on the scale and after a series of beeps to determine height, age, body fat % (which is inaccurate at best), and finally weight the machine offers its final beep and stand staring at the cabinets. I don't look immediately. One final prayer is issued and then I look down..........

And it says 200.6 lbs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A small squeal is issued and then I step off the scale, reset it, and step on again. And again it states 200.6 lbs. I am happy to say the least. This is 2.6 lbs. less than last week, which had a small gain, and now puts me about 40 lbs. from my goal. When I started this diet I was 54 lbs. from my goal. So, in 7 weeks I have managed to lose 13.4 lbs. I am extremely happy with this for 2 reasons: One of course is that it does indeed put me closer to being able to have a child. However, it also provides me with a way of eating that will not make it necessary for me to start gaining weight the minute I quit the plan like diets such as Atkins do. It is a plan I can stay with long term because it promotes healthy eating without cutting out a major food group. And it can provide long-term success.

So next week or the week after should see me finally weighing below 200 lbs. which I have not done in about 2 years. I am excited at the prospect. Now if only that scale would guarantee that on Wednesdays......................

2006-03-18T02:20:00.000-06:00

I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!!!!

So, I woke up today (this afternoon) with good intentions. I had already decided not to go and work out because I pushed myself really hard yesterday and had a) forced an asthma attack and b) hurt my knee to the point of stiffness. But I knew that all I had to do was stay OP (on point) and eat well and I could still have a pretty good diet day. No problem, right?

Well, truth is I have been fighting cravings for a while. Fighting and winning, but still fighting. I've denied myself the foods I've been wanting by replacing what I want with a low-fat alternative or something that I can feel good about eating. UNTIL TONIGHT! Tonight I absolutely broke and had something I have not had since well before 2/1/2006.......I had a Sonic regular chili dog and onion rings!

Now I know, you're thinking "ummm ok, that's really not all that bad" or "ok, have something really fattening and give me a call" but, you have to understand what having a simple meal like this does to a person who is overweight and trying to change that. It's not just that I ate this food which is fattening. It's not that I didn't even try to stop myself from having this food even though I know it's bad for me.

It's that I feel that my commitment to the diet wavered for just a little while. And honestly, that scares me.

My husband tells me that I really shouldn't be concerned. Weight Watchers does give you extra points to spend for those times when you have cravings, which reset every week so you don't have to worry. And honestly, I am no where near using all my points for the week. But I still feel like I failed a little. Like I should have been able to tell myself that I shouldn't have the "bad" food and should have had the lunch that my husband so lovingly made me. But I didn't and I satisfied a craving instead.

So now what? Well, I pick myself up and start again tomorrow. And who knows, maybe now that I've satisfied my craving it will be easier to continue to say no to temptation. We shall see......

2006-03-16T01:27:00.000-06:00

LADIES, PROTECT YOURSELF!!!

I have recently been talking to a lady on the WW's message boards who is in what she thought was a good relationship. She has been married for a few years but things have gotten rocky here lately. This past Sunday, her husband struck her and made plans for what seems like a real attempt to hurt her. Her phone line was disconnected, unbeknownst to her, and he had hidden her car keys. Fortunately, her 19 year old son was home and was able to pull her husband, his step-father, off of her before he could do real damage. The husband called the cops to say that the son assaulted him, but fortunately the lady spoke up and stated that he had hit her. He is now not supposed to come near her by court order without a police escort.

The problem comes in that she thinks that this court order will keep her safe. She is being walked out to her car at work by on-site security and has neighbors that are watching out for her. However, she REFUSES to have a gun to protect herself. She says that she WILL NOT have one in her house, because it gives her husband something he can use against her. I thought about trying to convince her that instead of being afraid he would use it on her, she could be sure to use it on him first. I thought about telling her that she needs to NOT count on the police, and that being able to protect yourself is a wonderful thing. But I didn't.

The reason I didn't is that I have often found that people who use flawed reasoning regarding owning guns, are not very open to being persuaded differently. She undoubtedly has many reasons why she would not own a gun. For me to convince her that she should think any other way would probably only anger her or me or both and might cost us our friendship.

I have a concealed handgun license and I am very proud of it. But many of my friends feel that owning a gun is an extreme idea and against all that they believe in. They doubt that they or I would be able to use the gun in any situation. I have tried to convince them that in a choice between my life or the offenders life, my life wins and I will protect myself when necessary. They feel that this is the point where the cops should be involved and that they will protect them. I have tried to tell them that each person is responsible for their own life and as a responsible person they should be willing to protect themselves at all costs. But they do not believe me. Not all of my friends feel this way, but the majority do.

So to any ladies that may be reading this blog, please hear me now. It is imperative that we learn to protect ourselves. And the best, most effective way to do so is to be armed at all times. There are certain places you cannot have guns and those places blatantly advertise that guns are not allowed, such as government buildings and some private businesses. But most places allow you to be armed and be able to protect yourself. The cops are completely unable to be EVERYWHERE they are needed. When you need them, they may not be available. And no one values your life more than you do. Please take gun safety classes, practice shooting, and get yourself a concealed license so that you can legally carry a gun to protect yourself. Doing so could literally be the difference between your life and death.

2006-03-16T01:17:00.000-06:00

A SMALL GAIN!

Well, I had a small weight gain this week! .2 lbs! Does it really count if it's less than 1 lb. ? Yes, and it is SO frustrating. I have been dealing with these same 10 lbs. since I started WW's February 1st. Actually, that is only partially true. I have figured out what I need to do to continue to lose weight and I did this in spades this past week. But thanks to TOM (time of the month, sorry guys) my loss did not show. Typically a gain is hiding a 1-2 lb. loss, so I should see this next weigh in. I guess I should just get used to having a gain once a month. Sure don't like it though.

2006-03-10T04:49:00.000-06:00

TROLLS! AARRGGHH!!!

Why is it that stupid people have to get online and let everyone know JUST HOW STUPID they are? There are several message boards for WW's and I swear they are so susceptible to these idiots that they revel in getting online and posting rude, @sshol3-like posts about people. Don't these people have anything better to do? Why bother someone who's not bothering you? And unfortunately they seem to do it overnight, when WW's has no customer support available to make them leave. It is so frustrating. Many paying posters have suggested to WW's that they should do something to lock these boards down, but nothing has been done to this point. It is super frustrating, though. I guess as long as there are stupid people in the world, there will be @sses.....

2006-03-10T04:26:00.000-06:00

GREAT WEIGH-IN!

Well, I figured out something very important this week on my WW's plan. I found out that if I eat all of my flexible points and activity points as well as my normal daily points that I will have a "bigger" weight loss.

I have been on the plan now for 5 weeks (into my sixth) and I've been battling to lose weight. The first week I lost 4 lbs. Then I gained 2 lbs. lost 1 lb. put on .6 lbs (yes, you can do that) and so forth. I could never figure out why I was having such a hard time when I'm sticking to plan and I workout 4 days a week for at least 30 minutes, more often 45 - 60 minutes. I thought my body just wasn't ready to let go of the weight, which was starting to bum me out.

Well, last week was a little different. First, I was on vacation. So consequently, I did not work out at the gym because I thought it would be good to take a break from that. I did still earn activity points from working in flower beds, a vegetable garden, and around the house but I didn't devote time to exercise. Second, I had lunch with 2 friends I rarely see and my husband took me out to Black-Eyed Pea for my birthday dinner. Both occasions caused me to eat extra points and I ended up using all of my activity points and all but 1 1/2 flexible points. And guess what? I lost 2.6 lbs. this week, my largest loss since my first week of starting the plan. It seems that my body wants me to eat as much as is allowed and that as long as I work out, it is willing to do the rest. Well DUH! I can definitely do that! I won't exceed my points allowed, but I will use all those that are allowed and we will see if this keeps up. I certainly hope so. :-)

2006-03-02T21:06:00.000-06:00

An Awesome Husband!

My hubby is absolutely the greatest! I say that for many reasons. Mostly because in our almost 2 years of marriage, we have had so much tragedy occur in our lives and yet he loves me now more than ever. Neither of us could imagine our lives with anyone else and both of us realize just how lucky we are to be married to our best friends. It truly is a great feeling.

However, he just went the extra mile to prove how much he really listens to me. As you all know, I have started a lifestyle change with Weight Watchers and I have started exercising on a regular basis. Exercising is pretty boring at my gym because the music is left up to the manager of the gym, which isn't always good, and there are no televisions currently in the gym (a bigger better one is being built). I have been saying that I would like an IPOD but we just really haven't been able to afford it and so I stopped saying it. But my hubby listened and he has purchased me one for my birthday. And not just any IPOD, but the one with video! Like I said, I 've been wanting this for a while but I just figured we couldn't afford it. But he has found a way and now I have something that I totally LOVE!! Thank you baby for the nicest, most thoughtful gift in the world! I LOVE YOU!!!

2006-02-28T01:14:00.000-06:00

BADGE OF HONOR.....

Well, it happened. I have officially earned a "badge of honor" and found my first gray hair 6 days before my 33rd birthday. I noticed it while getting dressed for an appointment this morning. It was laying in the midst of my red and dark brown hair and it decided to stand up and say "Hello!" Not that I'm all that surprised. I was actually more surprised that I did not have one before now. Actually, I don't really know how long I've had it because I used to color my hair a reddish blonde color and have only recently begun to wear my natural color. But for some reason this morning my eye was drawn to it. It's not very long as my hair is cut in a short style, but it is one of the longer hairs in this style. My husband is very proud of it and takes credit for putting it there. I tend to think it is probably more from all that we've been through in the last 2 years, but if he wants the credit he can have it. Regardless, I see it as a sign of maturity and I welcome it and its friends with open arms. *looks around* Now what did I do with that bottle of Clairol????

2006-02-27T02:43:00.000-06:00

VACATION!!!

Ahhh what a wonderful word! That's what I'm on this week. Vacation from my job. Not that I have a hard job. It's actually fairly easy in the grand scheme of things. I have a night job, which means I work 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. 4 nights a week. I monitor production processing for a finance company and make sure that everything goes well and all systems and locations are up for the next day. It takes a lot to be able to do the job but things pretty much run in a pattern and you learn what to expect and learn the signs of when something is wrong. I like the job but I don't always like being there because it keeps me away from my wonderful husband. He used to do the same job I did except he worked days from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. But he has moved up in the world and now has a regular job that allows him to work 8 - 5 like every one else, which is a nice change. I would like to work those hours but right now circumstances don't allow for that change. So, I keep my current job and smile every time I get a check.

But, I don't have to worry about work this week. This week I do not have to go to work, think about work, or in any way participate in work. I don't intend to go anywhere special, as my husband is working this week and is not taking time off. And it would not be much of a holiday if he were not there. So I will spend time with friends, get caught up on a few of my home projects, and pay extra-special attention to my husband during this time. And mostly RELAX! It's nice just to do that sometimes........

2006-02-25T05:12:00.000-06:00

Recipe Alert!!! :-)

Here's a recipe that I got from a fellow WW. I tried it out on my loving husband and he loved it. If you don't mind pizza without crust and you like mushrooms, you should give it a try....

Ingredients:
1 large (3-oz) portabella (portobello) mushroom cap
1 piece of turkey type lunchmeat or equivalent ground meat or ground turkey
1/4 cup pasta sauce
1/4 cup part-skim or regular mozzarella cheese
Garlic (fresh or powder), to taste
Dried basil, to taste
fat-free cooking spray (olive oil flavor is best)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wipe the cap clean of any dirt. Trim mushroom stem even with cap. (Or sometimes you can just pluck the stem right out!)

Place mushroom cap on foil and bake for 5-10 minutes before you proceed with the toppings. Remove from oven. If you find juice on the top of the mushroom cap after you take it out of the oven, just pat it dry with a paper towel.

While mushroom is baking, season your tomato sauce to taste. I purchased Hunt's tomato sauce and seasoned it with plenty of garlic powder, oregano, basil, and about an 1/8th of a teaspoon of salt. (If you are using fresh garlic, you can either dice it very small or roast it till soft.)

Spray both sides of the mushroom cap with cooking spray. Place on a baking dish, gill side up. Cover generously with the sauce, and then top with the meat, cheese, and dried basil. Place in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the cheese is well melted. Broil for the last minute or two if you want your cheese browned on top. Serve immediately. (Most people prefer to eat this pizza with a knife and fork).

For any WW's out there, this is only 4 points per mushroom. Mmmm mmmm good!

2006-02-25T02:58:00.000-06:00

EXERCISING!!!!

I hate it. I mean REALLY hate it. I would rather be doing anything in the world than walking on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, "running" on an elliptical (aka torture) machine, or any number of other things that gyms incorporate.

So why do I do it? Why do I pay for a membership to a gym and go (unlike my husband) and then willingly torture myself for 30-60 minutes a day 4 times a week? Why not just give in, accept that I am going to be overweight for the rest of my life, and so to h*ll with it?

Trust me, I ask myself that every day that I am sitting or walking on one of these machines or lifting weights. Why do I have to do this? Why couldn't I be blessed with high metabolism and great health like so many others (at least in my mind it seems like a lot)? But I guess that ultimately the answer is......

Because my body is not built that way. Sucks, I know.

God did not see fit to bless me with incredible metabolism or wonderful genes that would allow me to eat WHATEVER I want and never have to worry. Both my Mom and Dad were overweight for most of their lives. And sedentary doesn't even begin to describe their lifestyle. I lost my father when I was 9 years old, but I remember that he had a "donelap" as my husband calls it, where your stomach done lapped over you pants. Actually my father had what we called a "beer gut" although he didn't drink a lot of beer. Some but not much. But it cost him his life and he had a heart attack in 1982 at the age of 55.

My mom was also overweight. She was 5'11 and 265 lbs. most of my life. A formidable woman to say the least. But she is like me, she "carried it well" and didn't show her size. In the last few years she lost quite a lot of weight due to health issues and got down to 188 lbs. But that's not a good way to lose weight and her issues ended up costing her her life. She passed in 1999 at the age of 67.

I also have 3 brothers. The oldest is on dialysis thanks to uncontrolled high blood pressure. His kidney's failed in 1993 and although he had a transplant, it didn't take. My second oldest brother is a manager of a steak house in Mississippi. He's always been a little overweight and he smokes. Consequently, he had a heart attack in 2003. And my 3rd oldest brother has pretty much been overweight since he and his wife had kids in 1993. He doesn't seem to have significant health issues but carrying that weight is not doing him any favors.

My grandparents did not have good health either. I can't elaborate on them because I either didn't know them because they died before I was born or I was fairly young and don't know much about their health. I know my mom's dad had a heart attack and her mom had diabetes and my father's side of the family is almost a complete mystery. I do know my dad's mom died of old age but she was in a nursing home and could no longer care for herself. I don't want that either.

As if these reasons alone were not enough to get me off my fat behind, there is also what I spoke of in my first post. My desire to have a child. No small feat. But worth every second.

So, I remember this everytime I get out of bed and think "Am I really going to go work out today?" Yes! Why? Not because I love it. Not because it's fun (puhleeze!). But because I owe it to myself and generations past to take care of myself to the best of my ability. We are supposed to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them. It's not going to happen by sheer will, or luck, or any other thing I might pray for religiously. It is something I have to do for myself or else look forward to a short life. And my favorite foods are not worth that.

So although I complain and utterly hate exercise, I will do it because I have to. I won't be smiling but I'll be moving......

2006-02-23T23:46:00.000-06:00

WELCOME!!

Hello! My name is Lisa and I am 32 (almost 33) years old. I am VERY happily married with a home and a job that I love. And yet I find that I don't feel my life is complete. The reason for this is that my husband and I want to have a baby. Let me rephrase that, we want to have another baby. We were pregnant once and lost the baby at 23 weeks, but that will be detailed a little later. The reason that we are not pregnant right now is that I am "too overweight" at this time and it would endanger my health and the baby's health should I get pregnant and try to carry the baby successfully to term. This was confirmed for me, although I already knew it but was in denial, on the morning of 2/1/2006.

I had my annual appointment with my ob/gyn and my husband went with me because we wanted to discuss the possibility of us starting to try and have a baby again. We saw my doctor, who is the nicest, sweetest ob/gyn you will ever meet. He was my doctor when we lost our baby and no one was more hurt by what happened than he was. Well, except for me and my husband. We had gotten pregnant unexpectedly 2 months before our wedding date, but we already knew we wanted children and we could not have been happier when I became pregnant. To lose our baby, whom we named Aaron Taylor (after my husband and his great-grandfather) was almost more than we could bear. But we look at Taylor (which he would have been called) as Our Littlest Hero because he has taught us what we have to do to bring his little brothers and sisters into this world successfully. You see, I have an incompetent cervix which basically means that during pregnancy gravity is not my friend and I will spend most of a pregnancy on bed rest. Although it costs us our beautiful little boy, we are now well aware of what must be done to have a child and I will do anything to make sure we are successful. Which brings me back to the beginning of this story.

Well, we met with my doctor and he was pretty clear on what needs to be done for us to start trying again. He stated that technically we could start trying now and probably be successful. He laid out what will need to be done during the pregnancy to ensure that it is carried to term. BUT (don't you just love when that happens) it would really be best if I could lose some weight before I got pregnant. You see, at the time I was weighing 214 lbs. (5 more than my home scale was telling me) at the doctor's office. This is basically weight that I gained during the pregnancy and never shed. Not that I was thin pre-pregnancy. I typically hovered around 185-188 lbs. pre-pregnancy but I "carry my weight well" and although it bothered me a little, I never felt a great "need" to do very much about it. Scratch that, in 1999 I had done the Atkins diet and lost 32 lbs. and reached my favorite weight of 156 lbs., which is when I met my husband. :-) But of course, the minute I ate bread and starchy foods, it came back and brought friends.

Anyway, the doctor basically laid out for me that, contrary to the delusion that I was carrying in my mind, my current weight was not the best place for me to start trying to have a baby if I truly wanted it to be successful. As I stated before, I was not surprised but I was a little crushed. I knew that there have been women in this world who are much heavier/bigger than I am who have had successful pregnancies. Why was this man being so hard on me? Didn't he understand just how much I wanted a baby? Why couldn't he just give us the go ahead?

The answer is simple. This doctor does not want me to go through a loss like Taylor again. He wants to see us be successful just as much as we do. And if I am truly willing to "do anything" to be successful, then this is something that must be done.

Well, my husband and I went home that day a little hurt but not very surprised. A had joined a gym back in November with the hope of losing weight. But because I did not change my diet, I was not seeing any pounds lost, just inches. My husband was happy to see the inches disappear and was very supportive of my workouts. But again, no lbs. being lost and as much as he tried to tell me that the pound loss didn't matter, we both knew it did. But I figured eventually I would see some change. Nothing happened until 2/1/2006.

So what has changed. Well, now I am on Weight Watchers as well as exercising and I am steadily seeing a decrease in pounds and inches. I have also hired a female trainer to assist me in getting to my goal as quickly as possible. This is not the easiest thing in the world for me to do, but it is much better than some of the fad diets out there and I think it will be longer lasting than any of them as well. So I will be detailing my journey and I hope that you will enjoy it and journey with me. Ready? Let's go!