Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

My apologies that I haven’t written lately. I am just having a hard time staying motivated to write & to diet… very frustrating… I know what I need to do but I am having a hard time doing what I need to do! I know that I need to eat smaller portions…. I know that I don’t need to take second helpings….. so on and so forth….. but doing these things is hard for me….
Anyway, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you all! I hope & pray that each of you have a very blessed holiday season with your family & friends! 🙂

Struggling…..

As I near my 200th post, it occurs to me that I haven’t had the success that I had hoped for when I began my blog.   That is unfortunate to say the least.  I am just about at the same weight that I was when I began this journey…. I know my health issues (back, neck, knees…. ) have been a factor but still…. I was sitting in the living room sipping on a cup of coffee and watching the weather channel when it came upon me that I am not trying hard enough…. I know how good I feel when I am at a smaller size and even ten pounds makes a huge difference yet here I am snacking after dinner, taking second helpings, scooping out large helpings…. so frustrating….

I say all that not to garner sympathy but to ask your help in getting motivated again to get this doggoned weight off!  Sure, I know my back, my neck, my knees, etc won’t magically improve just because I lose 25+ pounds, but at the same time I know that losing this weight will help nonetheless….. if nothing else, when I have surgery on my neck it will make things easier if I am at a lighter weight…. so anyway, that’s where I am today…. here it is the Christmas holidays and I know that food temptations will abound… what a time to try to resist food temptations!  But I am determined I am going to try….

Have a blessed & wonderful day!  Merry Christmas!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Seems like this last month or so I have been slack in writing which in turn makes me slack in staying motivated & energized.  Of course, I may not have mentioned health issues that have arisen in the last month or so…. turns out I have numerous bulging/compressed discs in my back and neck with three of them pushing up against my spinal cord!  On top of that are numerous other discs that are pinching nerves… so needless to say, my legs, feet, arms, neck, face, etc have momentary tingling and numbness as a result of my disc problem.  After Christmas I am going to a neurosurgeon to talk to him about what I can & should do… to say I am nervous would be an understatement so please say your prayers my family & friends!!

As far as my weight goes, I am holding steady.  I may fluctuate a bit here & there but I am maintaining within about 5 pounds…. I go up and I go down but I seem to be holding on….. with all that’s going on with my back & neck it’s a wonder I am not eating everything I can since I am the type person who tends to snack when upset or nervous…. so I can’t complain too much…

Will be working diligently on smaller portions and not having second portions…. that’s about all I feel motivated to do right now anyway…. hope you all have a blessed & happy Thanksgiving!!!!  🙂

Winter is coming!

For me, I know winter has arrived when we have our first snow… and according to multiple weather channels online and on the TV then this weekend we are forecasted to get 4 to 6 inches of the heavy white stuff!  🙂  Another sign of winter is the appearance of chili on the dinner menu – yum!  I do love chili!

The biggest thing I must remember and strive for is to not overeat…. during the winter we are inside more so we are not as active…. I definitely need to strive to eat less and to eat smaller portions as well…. I am trying to ride the exercycle more often which also should help not only with my knees but also with speeding up my metabolism a bit…. everything helps!

So, my goal is to lose about 20+ pounds before we go to FL this winter…. not sure if I will be able to pull it off but I sure am going to keep trying!  Have a great evening and Happy Halloween everyone!  🙂

Blustery fall day

Well, today is another blustery fall day…. the temp is close to 50 but with the wind blowing it feels more like 30!  LOL  Anyway, off to get some chores done on the farm here…. grease our tractor, check game cameras, etc…. nothing big but just several much needed tasks to check off our list… 🙂

I weighed this morning and what a disappointment…. 😦  I have gained a couple  pounds!  I guess snacking and not doing as much walking (cause of my bad knees & bad back) has finally caught up with me…. plus I have gotten slack about no second helpings and smaller portions….  my goal was to have 20+ pounds off by the time we go to FL for a few days this winter but now it’s more like I need to lose 25+ pounds!  Gosh, and I was doing so good….

Ok, so any words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!  I need to get back on track immediately!

Love you guys and have an awesome day!  🙂

Saturday in the mountains

Another drizzly day here in the mountains but at least the leaves are starting to turn so looking outside offers me a very colorful palette of fall color!  I do love fall!  🙂

I forgot to mention that my husband & I did manage to fit our exercise bike in our living room so we can use it when opportunity presents itself…. I am so glad.  This past week I have gotten on it three times for 15 minutes each time.  My knees bother me afterwards but not as much as I thought they would bother me so that’s good.  As long as the aches aren’t too bad, then I can manage to ride the bike a few minutes each day…. and build up to 30 minutes or so.  Making progress!

Planning to get back to my nutrition rules today…. no second helpings, no big portions, etc etc…. those things really help although in my case I need to downsize the portions even more cause I am stuck at this same place on the scales for the last few months…. it’s going to take a dramatic change to make a difference but I am determined…. we plan to go to see my in-laws this winter so my goal is to have the majority of my weight off before we go…. my goal is 10 pounds each month before we go but that might be a unrealistic goal…. time will tell I guess.

Happy Saturday everyone!

 

Curveball

As I sit here in the office of our home on the Parkway, looking out the window at the rain, it occurs to me that the remainder of our week has been thrown a curve-ball!  We had so hoped that we could get all our mowing & weed-eating done today (because according to the weather channel today was supposed to be clear and dry!)  but instead we woke up to rain & heavy fog!  Now, we are trying to regroup…. and what a challenge that has turned into….  one client isn’t available and the other one hasn’t responded to my messages yet…. so, here we sit, waiting….. while we watch the rain outside the office window!

My dieting is going well or maybe I should say I’m maintaining but I haven’t lost any more weight since last time I weighed… I keep fluctuating around the same number on the scale – one day I’m up a pound and the next day I’m down – but I am hoping that by really sticking to my dietary changes (no second helpings, smaller portions, & stop when I’m full) then maybe the scale will budge soon!  We have plans to go down to the coast here shortly and that may set me back but I am going to try to refrain from changing the habits I have worked so hard on sticking to…. time will tell.

My knees seem to be somewhat improving…. I feel that losing weight will help them tremendously and that is one of the reasons I am trying to be so diligent…. the other reason is to lower my cholesterol.  It seems that whenever I get myself in a healthier place then other health issues dramatically improve…. so my goal is by losing another 20+ pounds that my knees will ache less and my cholesterol will improve…. those are two of my goals.

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Have a blessed week!  🙂

 

Redundancy

Gosh, I had no idea that this cool foggy wet weather would cause me so much temptation with food!  Seems like I am constantly snacking….. I don’t have anything around like Oreos or brownies or anything like that but still eating too many good foods can be detrimental to weight loss just like the other foods…. I am trying so hard.

We plan to go out of town in a couple weeks and my goal is to have 5 more pounds off before our trip…. it won’t be easy with us being short of work and hanging out at home more than ever but I am determined to lose that 5 pounds!!!!

Seems I am being redundant but again the same rules apply as I get back on track…. no second helpings, smaller portions, stopping when full, and so on….. it’s really going to have to be a way of life… and I will need to be more in tune with my body – kind of like the saying “Eat to live not live to eat”… it’s hard but I have to do it!

I am trying to do more walking as well… my goal is 10,000+ steps per day… it’s difficult with my knee problems but I am doing it anyway.  I have also begun to do my daily stretches again….. I did daily stretches twice a day for years and for some reason I got off track a few months ago…..so that’s another item on my list – keep on stretching!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!  Rainy & foggy here.  Not complaining though since the rain is so good for the plants outside….  have a super day my friends!  🙂

New Wardrobe

One of the many pros of losing weight is having old clothes fit again – it’s like having a brand new wardrobe!  Last evening we went to our friends’ house where I was able to wear a pair of size 10 jeans that I haven’t worn in over two years!  I was so tickled!

The thing is with the economy as it is and electrical work being slow for my husband, then we just don’t have the money to buy new clothes…. so by going through tubs of older clothes I am finding things I didn’t even remember I had….. so much fun!!!!

I still haven’t reached that magic halfway point in my weight loss plan this go round but I am close…. very close…. I am hoping that some positive things will happen for us soon which in turn will brighten my outlook and in turn help me become even more motivated to lose weight…. I will be the first to admit that when I am bummed out (over finances, over work, whatever it is bringing me down… ) then I find it harder to resist those second helpings, or take smaller servings, so on and so forth….. when life is moving in a positive direction then it seems like all areas of life move in a more positive direction… including weight loss!  But that’s just me…. I may be an odd duck.  🙂

Another wet dreary day here today but no complaints…. we so badly need the precipitation.  Last year this time in July we had had 13+ inches of rain and this year we’ve only have 3+ inches in that same amount of time from July 1-18….. so come on rain – we need you to raise the water table!

Have a wonderful & blessed day my friends!