Friday Night Re-cap

First, let me say thanks to all of you for your congrats on my weightloss. You all have a special place in my heart. I've learned so much from this community and without blogging, I know my journey would not have been so successful. Your support has been truly a blessing.

Yesterday was mom's 78th birthday and to celebrate, we went out for dinner. She loves steak so we (me, mom and my son) went to a local steak place to eat. Dinner was great! I had the K-Bob with sauteed veggies and salad with balsamic dressing on the side.

I haven't eaten out much while dieting. It's just been easier to make sure my food was prepared the way I wanted it and to avoid temptation. But to never go out to eat is not practical since eating is a social event. Something I read on the Medifast boards some time ago has really stuck with me:

It's a people event with food, not a food event with people.

So, last night I focused on the people and food was secondary. And it made all the difference. I passed on the bread and enjoyed being in the company of family. 

Later at home, we had ice cream cake. I had a very small piece and really, it was enough. My inner brat wanted to stomp her feet, but I very sternly said "no" and moved on to a nice cup of cofffee. All in all, it was an evening of being in control and the little bit of cake didn't trigger me to feel like I needed more. I don't think all things in moderation will work for me, but the small portion of ice cream cake followed by coffee didn't stir up any old feelings. And best of all, no change on the scale this morning. I had gone for a bike ride and walked Sydney earlier that day to offset any additional calories. 

I do believe that we have to have a plan in order to maintain once we've lost weight. Especially those of us that are seasoned yo-yo dieters. I'm not finished losing yet, but I'm learning something about myself: I can be in control and mean it!

Have an awesome weekend. Take care!

Before and After (almost)

Have I mentioned that I lost some weight, haha? I had a couple of goals in mind when I started Medifast on September 2, 2011: 1. Lose enough weight to be out of the obese range, 2. Lose enough weight to be out  of the overweight range, 3. Be a healthy "normal" weight and maintain that weight. 

In order to get to a "normal" weight range I needed to weigh 158 according to the BMI charts. That would put me on high end of normal for my 5'7" frame. But I don't want to just be on the high end, I want to have a little room for those times when the scale dips up a few from a weekend of too much social living. Not to give myself room for bad eating habits, but just room for when my weight fluctuates a bit, I won't beat myself up. So, I still want to lose a few more pounds :)

September 2011 - Before - 251.6 lbs

June 2012 - Almost done - 155

I think I can lose another ten pounds and still feel good. The next phase for me will be strength training. I don't think there is much I can do about some of my saggy spots, but I want to try and replace some of my flabby with a little muscle. Being a certain size doesn't really matter to me, but my mid-section doesn't match my ever-thinning legs :)

I feel so much better having lost this weight! I want to tell everyone that is in a diet or wants to lose a few: It is a gift you must give yourself. Try to think of it this way - that you are giving yourself something (a body)  that will help you feel better and move more. Words can not really express what I'm trying to say. It's just a freedom that you may not have realized you were missing. Yeah, freedom.

You know, it takes a village, as they say, and I just want to say that all the support that I've received by blogging has been a key element to my success. On days when I felt myself wanting to give up, I'd read someone's blog and realize that I wasn't alone in this fight. We all have to do what works for us, but sometimes hearing how someone else is doing it, helps.



(The almost done picture isn't the best. It was taken by my mom and there is a shadow behind my head making my hair look bigger than it actually is, haha.)

Keeping Cool

Happy Tuesday! It seems we are having a slight break in the heat here in H-town thanks to a few rainy days. And they say it will be rainy here for a few more days. The much needed cool-off is feeling good, but apparently heat will move in again when the skies clear.

I'm wondering what tips you have for keeping cool when doing outdoor activities. I take Sydney for a walk everyday and she gets hot, too. Any tips or products that you've found that are keeping you cool? Do share :)

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!!

I love this holiday! I have the best memories of family cookouts and watching fireworks. Lighting sparklers and, back in the day, setting off a few Black Cats in our own backyard. Everything would be all American including bbq, apple pie, and watermelon and then end with a family squabble. But it was all good by the next weekend when the family would gather for the next edition of brotherly love.

This year, I'm celebrating my own independence. Since losing 95 lbs (from September 2011), I'm declaring independence from:

• being obese and overweight
• the inability to move
• lack of energy
• junk food
• plus size clothing
• loss of hope
• poor health

I think I have finally realized that being healthy is something I want for myself. I didn't lose weight (this time) for anyone else but me. Always before when I would starve myself it was for the approval of someone else. And when I still didn't meet up to their expectations I let it affect me in a self-destructive way - by eating. But doing it for me has made me see that I'm my own best friend. I just wish it didn't take me so long to figure this out.

So this holiday will still be about getting together with family, but the focus won't be on just the food. I hope to focus more on enjoying the people I'm with and celebrating the freedom we have as Americans.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!