I did it. I met all 3 of the goals I set for myself for the family reunion today and ALL-THAT-FOOD!!! I really, truly surprised myself. After I wrote my post last night, I was thinking to myself, "Yeah right Fat Tammy. You know you. You know how you are with buffet tables full of food. You won't meet any of the goals you set. Who are you kidding? Tomorrow's going to be an eating disaster and you know it. Stop trying to fool yourself."
I tried to tell Sean last week that my old mixed tape just doesn't want to die. I've bashed the crap out of that thing and it just keeps playing!
I measured out 3 oz of ham this morning and made a ham sandwich for breakfast. I used Boar's Head 42% lower sodium Deluxe Ham...good stuff.
By the time we got to the reunion at 12pm I was starving....and then we found out they pushed it back til 1pm this year. Dang. So I found some Ritz crackers that my aunt brought for snacking, and I ate 5 of them.
It finally came time to eat. I grabbed my plate and headed down the buffet line...oh my goodness. I have a HUGE family full of fantastic cooks....that good ol' country cookin'....there were probably a total of 50-60 dishes of food on that table. My first goal was to only eat one plate. I did that...and there was no major piling. My plate didn't look like a mountain peak, lol, although I was tempted. But the one plate rule would have been worthless if I would have put two plate full's worth of food on it. First goal met.
My second goal was to make sure half of what was on my plate was vegetables. I did that. I had cabbage, carrots, lima beans, tomato slice, green beans and corn...most of my family members have gardens so nearly all of the veggies were fresh. Good eatin'. With the other half of my plate, there were so many different things I wanted to try, so instead of getting a spoonful, I just got maybe half a spoon...2 bites worth. Everything was fantastic...so, so good, and when I got done eating I was pleasantly stuffed.
They had probably 15 or so homemade desserts. Normally I'm not a huge dessert fan...I like desserts in small amounts....but can't say I've ever binged on sweet stuff. I sure could have today though, I could have started a new bad habit, lol. There was coconut cake, chocolate dream something or other, orange cake with vanilla icing, strawberry cake w/ fresh strawberries and blueberries on top, cobblers, pies...you name it, we had it. But what REALLY caught my eye today was a banana split cake. I had never seen one before. It had the usual banana pudding stuff on bottom with strawberries tucked inside, then a layer of Cool Whip, then on top there were cherries and walnuts and chocolate syrup drizzled all over. WOW. But I resisted...no dessert for Skinny Tammy.
My final goal today was to not have any Coke. I had water and half a glass of sugar-free lemonade. Third goal met. I enjoyed my food, but moreso, I enjoyed seeing family. I spent a couple of hours at the reunion and left at 2pm. I got home at 3pm and played with my puppy for a couple of hours. Then I went down and jumped on the treadmill. I knocked out 2.5 miles in 34 minutes. It felt incredibly good to know that I'm 3 days into the week and everything is right on track with the eating and the treadmill.
I came back and cooked dinner. I baked some cod in the oven with some spices and blackening seasonings on it. I had a 4 oz. piece and it was so good. Cod is a very mild, white, flaky fish..one of my favorites. I also had 2 cups of mixed veggies with it that included cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow squash, zucchini and asparagus.
Today has been a total win!! I'm proud of myself for doing so well with the eating at the reunion...I really am. I'm a total loser when it comes to buffets full of food and today I won!! I hope everyone else had as good of a weekend as I did. :)
Quote For The Day:
"Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." -Galatians 6:9
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rockin' It
Since my weigh in yesterday morning, and my ensuing disappointment in myself, the eating for yesterday and today have been stellar. I rock. Feeling good about my choices and staying under my calorie limits, drinking tons of water, pushing myself on the treadmill.
In fact, today Dwayne and I were out and about, away from home, taking care of stuff for the move at the end of the month, and it was about 3:30. I was soooo ready for a snack, and really needed to eat something to keep the metabolism fired up. We stopped by a convenience store on the way to Home Depot. Finding a decent snack calorie-wise in a convenience store? Yeah right. But I was determined! I need a loss this week!
I kept picking up things and reading labels, taking too long, and Dwayne was getting aggravated. He finally asked me what I was doing, and I told him. This dang snack bag of Doritos is 500 calories! The little pack of mixed nuts is 600!
He said, exasperated, "Baby, look where we're at. You're not going to find a snack in this store for under 500 calories...Gimme a break. Just grab something and let's go." Well that irritated me, I'm the one that needs to lose the weight...not him...so he can shut up and wait.
I kept looking and finally found a pack of crackers for 250 calories...and next to those found a tiny bag of Combos (those pretzel thingies w/ the fake cheese in the middle) that were 230 calories. Aha! Success!! I waved them in his face, he rolled his eyes at me, and we got up to the register. And what do I spy as I'm getting ready to pay for my itty bitty bag of 230 calorie Combos? A basket with small granny smith apples and little boxes of Sunmaid raisins. YES!! IN YOUR FACE, DWAYNE!! lol Yes, I know I'm a dork, but making the best choice on my eating is the priority, not his schedule. So I got my fruit and we were now happily on our way.
Dwayne got some chocolate chip cookies and some Combos and as we were driving down the road, he tried to make nice, and offered me some of his Combos. It seemed like he felt bad that I "had" to eat fruit when he was eating yummier stuff. He knows I do not care for apples, they're one of my least favorite fruits. He even told me they were "diet" Combos, lol, trying to get me to accept his peace offering. I politely declined and merrily munched on my apple...so, so proud of myself.
I had originally planned on cooking some shrimp and crab legs for dinner when we got home. My local grocery store, Publix, has been having some fantastic sales on their seafood this summer and seafood is my absolutely favorite food in the entire world. Love it. Well, my dinner plans didn't work out.
We had a long, tiring day of hauling a load of stuff to the new house, then going to Home Depot shopping for chicken wire, then bringing it back and stapling it up to the inside of the fence, over 160 feet worth, to keep my puppy from slipping through the slats in the picket fence and escaping like she did last week. It was hot, sweaty, dirty work. The wire tears up your hands when trying to unroll it, and having to cut it with wire cutters, etc. To sum it up, it was a total pain in the rump. A lot of bending, up and down, crawling under rose bushes, etc. and we were sooooo sore and just worn out by the time we were done. Dwayne took one look at me and knew I wasn't cooking dinner, lol.
So....his suggestion was our local pizza joint, Mellow Mushroom. They have some of the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life...and knew not to even suggest that to me after what we went through just to get me a snack today, lol. He suggested a calzone for him stuffed with sauce, mozzarella cheese, italian sausage and pepperoni. (I'm starting to drool again)...and a large Greek salad for me w/ grilled chicken (apparently he HAS been paying attention).
At first I declined because I wanted something a little more filling than a salad. Then I did a 180. I decided a low calorie salad was exactly what I needed to complete my 2nd day this week of awesome eating. I ordered it with one serving of grilled chicken on the top, dressing on the side, and REALLY light on the feta cheese....they can get crazy with that stuff. I had 650 calories available for dinner so this was perfect. Again.....so proud of myself. Day 2 completed and I'm going strong.
Then Mom called. She reminded me that tomorrow is the family reunion...the one on her side of the family. I had forgotten all about it. I told her I doubted I'd be able to go with her like I usually do, only because I was completely exhausted, covered in dirt and sweat, and all I wanted was a shower and my yummy salad. I felt like I could sleep for the next 2 days....joints and lower back were killing me. It didn't even hit me til a couple of hours later that it was a FAMILY REUNION. Meaning, some of the best-tasting, fattening, calorie-laden foods that have ever been squeezed onto a table before. I have got some darn good cooks in my family. OH......DEAR......LORD.
After I realized what kind of danger zone I'd be entering, I thought about it for about an hour before I called her back. I decided to go. I enjoy spending the time with my family....many of them I only see once a year at this reunion. I told myself I'm going to have to curb my neurosis about the food at some point, and will have to LEARN how to deal at these kinds of things...not just completely avoid them. The only way to do that is to go.
Of course, I'm sure you all know how completely nerve-racked I am about going. In pre-planning in my mind, I tried to leave most of my calories for the day tomorrow for the reunion at noon. I'll have a couple of hundred for breakfast to kick in the metabolism. I'll hit the treadmill before I even leave the house, again, for the sake of the metabolism. And I went ahead and took some fish out of the freezer and put it in the frig for tomorrow night's dinner, knowing that's low calorie. I have a medley of veggies in the frig that I steamed last night to go with the fish.
Pray for me, lol. The goal is to eat 1 plate....not my normal 2 at an event like this. My 2nd goal is to make at least half of what's on my plate vegetables...leaving less room for all the really good stuff. My 3rd goal is to drink only water....as I normally use something like this as an excuse to drink all the Coke I can hold. I have no idea why, I'm just weird like that.
So...it's time for rest...I hope the insomnia takes a break tonight and lets me sleep. I sure could use some. The quote I'm giving you tonight is one Mom told me several weeks ago, and I will be running it through my head at the reunion tomorrow. :)
Quote For The Day:
"Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels." -Anonymous
In fact, today Dwayne and I were out and about, away from home, taking care of stuff for the move at the end of the month, and it was about 3:30. I was soooo ready for a snack, and really needed to eat something to keep the metabolism fired up. We stopped by a convenience store on the way to Home Depot. Finding a decent snack calorie-wise in a convenience store? Yeah right. But I was determined! I need a loss this week!
I kept picking up things and reading labels, taking too long, and Dwayne was getting aggravated. He finally asked me what I was doing, and I told him. This dang snack bag of Doritos is 500 calories! The little pack of mixed nuts is 600!
He said, exasperated, "Baby, look where we're at. You're not going to find a snack in this store for under 500 calories...Gimme a break. Just grab something and let's go." Well that irritated me, I'm the one that needs to lose the weight...not him...so he can shut up and wait.
I kept looking and finally found a pack of crackers for 250 calories...and next to those found a tiny bag of Combos (those pretzel thingies w/ the fake cheese in the middle) that were 230 calories. Aha! Success!! I waved them in his face, he rolled his eyes at me, and we got up to the register. And what do I spy as I'm getting ready to pay for my itty bitty bag of 230 calorie Combos? A basket with small granny smith apples and little boxes of Sunmaid raisins. YES!! IN YOUR FACE, DWAYNE!! lol Yes, I know I'm a dork, but making the best choice on my eating is the priority, not his schedule. So I got my fruit and we were now happily on our way.
Dwayne got some chocolate chip cookies and some Combos and as we were driving down the road, he tried to make nice, and offered me some of his Combos. It seemed like he felt bad that I "had" to eat fruit when he was eating yummier stuff. He knows I do not care for apples, they're one of my least favorite fruits. He even told me they were "diet" Combos, lol, trying to get me to accept his peace offering. I politely declined and merrily munched on my apple...so, so proud of myself.
I had originally planned on cooking some shrimp and crab legs for dinner when we got home. My local grocery store, Publix, has been having some fantastic sales on their seafood this summer and seafood is my absolutely favorite food in the entire world. Love it. Well, my dinner plans didn't work out.
We had a long, tiring day of hauling a load of stuff to the new house, then going to Home Depot shopping for chicken wire, then bringing it back and stapling it up to the inside of the fence, over 160 feet worth, to keep my puppy from slipping through the slats in the picket fence and escaping like she did last week. It was hot, sweaty, dirty work. The wire tears up your hands when trying to unroll it, and having to cut it with wire cutters, etc. To sum it up, it was a total pain in the rump. A lot of bending, up and down, crawling under rose bushes, etc. and we were sooooo sore and just worn out by the time we were done. Dwayne took one look at me and knew I wasn't cooking dinner, lol.
So....his suggestion was our local pizza joint, Mellow Mushroom. They have some of the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life...and knew not to even suggest that to me after what we went through just to get me a snack today, lol. He suggested a calzone for him stuffed with sauce, mozzarella cheese, italian sausage and pepperoni. (I'm starting to drool again)...and a large Greek salad for me w/ grilled chicken (apparently he HAS been paying attention).
At first I declined because I wanted something a little more filling than a salad. Then I did a 180. I decided a low calorie salad was exactly what I needed to complete my 2nd day this week of awesome eating. I ordered it with one serving of grilled chicken on the top, dressing on the side, and REALLY light on the feta cheese....they can get crazy with that stuff. I had 650 calories available for dinner so this was perfect. Again.....so proud of myself. Day 2 completed and I'm going strong.
Then Mom called. She reminded me that tomorrow is the family reunion...the one on her side of the family. I had forgotten all about it. I told her I doubted I'd be able to go with her like I usually do, only because I was completely exhausted, covered in dirt and sweat, and all I wanted was a shower and my yummy salad. I felt like I could sleep for the next 2 days....joints and lower back were killing me. It didn't even hit me til a couple of hours later that it was a FAMILY REUNION. Meaning, some of the best-tasting, fattening, calorie-laden foods that have ever been squeezed onto a table before. I have got some darn good cooks in my family. OH......DEAR......LORD.
After I realized what kind of danger zone I'd be entering, I thought about it for about an hour before I called her back. I decided to go. I enjoy spending the time with my family....many of them I only see once a year at this reunion. I told myself I'm going to have to curb my neurosis about the food at some point, and will have to LEARN how to deal at these kinds of things...not just completely avoid them. The only way to do that is to go.
Of course, I'm sure you all know how completely nerve-racked I am about going. In pre-planning in my mind, I tried to leave most of my calories for the day tomorrow for the reunion at noon. I'll have a couple of hundred for breakfast to kick in the metabolism. I'll hit the treadmill before I even leave the house, again, for the sake of the metabolism. And I went ahead and took some fish out of the freezer and put it in the frig for tomorrow night's dinner, knowing that's low calorie. I have a medley of veggies in the frig that I steamed last night to go with the fish.
Pray for me, lol. The goal is to eat 1 plate....not my normal 2 at an event like this. My 2nd goal is to make at least half of what's on my plate vegetables...leaving less room for all the really good stuff. My 3rd goal is to drink only water....as I normally use something like this as an excuse to drink all the Coke I can hold. I have no idea why, I'm just weird like that.
So...it's time for rest...I hope the insomnia takes a break tonight and lets me sleep. I sure could use some. The quote I'm giving you tonight is one Mom told me several weeks ago, and I will be running it through my head at the reunion tomorrow. :)
Quote For The Day:
"Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels." -Anonymous
Friday, August 14, 2009
Unacceptable Weigh-in
The scale says 250.0. I gained .6 of a lb. I have let "life" and stress rule my thoughts this week instead of focusing on the most important thing to me....myself, and my goal to lose this weight. This is unacceptable. That was the motivation for my post last night. I wrote it for me. I needed to sit down and really think hard about pulling the weight loss back into focus.
Life and stress and problems aren't going to go away. They will always be there in one form or another, and I am the only one that can control what I give priority to. If someone else needs something from me, too bad. If the move doesn't go as planned out and smooth as I want it to by the end of this month, too bad. If every single thing goes as wrong this week as it did last, too bad.
I'm moving myself and my goals back to the front of the list. Number one on the list...right where it should be. My desire is still there, that has never left, but it's time to get the focus back where it should be. Desire + focus + dedication to my MOST important goal in life will produce the losses that I want to see and move me down the scale towards my goal. I have 3 weeks left this month to reach the 10 lb. loss that I want. Time to push life aside and get down to business.
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend filled with good choices for YOU and YOUR goals. Make it paramount. Be back later. :)
Life and stress and problems aren't going to go away. They will always be there in one form or another, and I am the only one that can control what I give priority to. If someone else needs something from me, too bad. If the move doesn't go as planned out and smooth as I want it to by the end of this month, too bad. If every single thing goes as wrong this week as it did last, too bad.
I'm moving myself and my goals back to the front of the list. Number one on the list...right where it should be. My desire is still there, that has never left, but it's time to get the focus back where it should be. Desire + focus + dedication to my MOST important goal in life will produce the losses that I want to see and move me down the scale towards my goal. I have 3 weeks left this month to reach the 10 lb. loss that I want. Time to push life aside and get down to business.
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend filled with good choices for YOU and YOUR goals. Make it paramount. Be back later. :)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Make Your Choice
Was being called Shamu and Free Willy hard?
Yes.
Is staying under 1500 calories per day harder than that?
No.
Was being made fun of on the school bus for 2 years hard?
Yes.
Is replacing crappy food with healthier choices harder than that?
No.
Was sitting in and breaking lawn chairs and even a wooden rocking chair in front of family, friends and even strangers hard?
Yes.
Is telling friends and family you can't go out to eat with them like you've always done, because sticking to your eating plan that day is more important, harder than that?
No.
Was shopping for clothes sizes 3x, 4x and 26/28's hard?
Yes.
Is drinking almost entirely water and cutting out Cokes harder than that?
No.
Was hearing your doctor define you as morbidly obese and telling you that if you don't get a grip on the weight loss very soon you might not make it through your 40's hard?
Yes.
Is making yourself get on the treadmill every day even though it hurts harder than that?
No.
Was being rejected by guys you wanted to date because they think fat chics are gross hard?
Yes.
Is pushing yourself as hard as you can on the treadmill to go further and further each week harder than that?
No.
Was having to drag another chair into a classroom in front of 30 of your peers at college because you couldn't fit into any of the desks hard?
Yes.
Is dedicating to blogging about your daily wins/losses and being completely honest in front of the whole world harder than that?
No.
Was finding out that you have hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression, and had to be medicated for all of them hard?
Yes.
Is eliminating the fast food and mega buffets that you're so accustomed to harder than that?
No.
Have you decided which is harder and made your choice on how to go forward with the rest of your life?
Yes.
What choice did you make?
I CHOOSE TO LOSE.
Quote For The Day:
Being fat is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Choose your hard.
-Anonymous
Yes.
Is staying under 1500 calories per day harder than that?
No.
Was being made fun of on the school bus for 2 years hard?
Yes.
Is replacing crappy food with healthier choices harder than that?
No.
Was sitting in and breaking lawn chairs and even a wooden rocking chair in front of family, friends and even strangers hard?
Yes.
Is telling friends and family you can't go out to eat with them like you've always done, because sticking to your eating plan that day is more important, harder than that?
No.
Was shopping for clothes sizes 3x, 4x and 26/28's hard?
Yes.
Is drinking almost entirely water and cutting out Cokes harder than that?
No.
Was hearing your doctor define you as morbidly obese and telling you that if you don't get a grip on the weight loss very soon you might not make it through your 40's hard?
Yes.
Is making yourself get on the treadmill every day even though it hurts harder than that?
No.
Was being rejected by guys you wanted to date because they think fat chics are gross hard?
Yes.
Is pushing yourself as hard as you can on the treadmill to go further and further each week harder than that?
No.
Was having to drag another chair into a classroom in front of 30 of your peers at college because you couldn't fit into any of the desks hard?
Yes.
Is dedicating to blogging about your daily wins/losses and being completely honest in front of the whole world harder than that?
No.
Was finding out that you have hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and depression, and had to be medicated for all of them hard?
Yes.
Is eliminating the fast food and mega buffets that you're so accustomed to harder than that?
No.
Have you decided which is harder and made your choice on how to go forward with the rest of your life?
Yes.
What choice did you make?
I CHOOSE TO LOSE.
Quote For The Day:
Being fat is hard.
Losing weight is hard.
Choose your hard.
-Anonymous
Busy As A Bee
Mom showed up at 9am this morning with her van and we loaded that thing to the gills. Also threw some stuff in my car and hauled it all up to the new place and unloaded it. Ran by the salon and got my face waxed (part of the fun of having PCOS) and did a little grocery shopping for some healthy junk. I came home and did a ton of laundry, vacuumed all the floors (the carpet cleaning guy is coming in the morning), and got started on washing all of my baseboards...just need to finish up in my bedroom. Cooked dinner and ate, laid down across my bed to play with my puppy Scarlette...and woke up 2 hours later, lol. I was completely zonked. I woke up at 8:45 and made some decaf coffee. I have this weird thing of wanting to eat right when I wake up after a nap, so I grabbed coffee because dinner pretty much used up the rest of my calories for the day. As Sean says, my calorie bank doesn't have an ATM. :)
Finally got rid of the drowsy haze that follows a long nap (I hate those) and strapped on my tennis shoes. Walked down to the fitness center and jumped on my nemesis, the treadmill. I knocked out 2 miles in 30 minutes and drug myself back home. Fat Tammy was trying to skip the treadmill because I did all that moving this morning.....up and down those dang stairs...was trying to call that "good enough". But Skinny Tammy knew that I rested from the treadmill yesterday due to aching joints and my screwed up lower back, so it was time to get back on. I never allow myself to stay off of it more than one day in a row. That would just be bad business.
Fixing to hit the shower and and then lay down and pray for sleep. Insomnia is a b*tch. Back up early to pick up the baby's toys for the carpet cleaning guy. I've got a play date with my niece Carla tomorrow...the one I call Ladybug. We're going to hang out at the new house tomorrow and play with her toys. Quality time with my babies is important. I'm going to get a lot better at that once I get moved and get back into some sort of normal routine. I wish that routine included a dang job. :(
Quote For The Day:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt
Finally got rid of the drowsy haze that follows a long nap (I hate those) and strapped on my tennis shoes. Walked down to the fitness center and jumped on my nemesis, the treadmill. I knocked out 2 miles in 30 minutes and drug myself back home. Fat Tammy was trying to skip the treadmill because I did all that moving this morning.....up and down those dang stairs...was trying to call that "good enough". But Skinny Tammy knew that I rested from the treadmill yesterday due to aching joints and my screwed up lower back, so it was time to get back on. I never allow myself to stay off of it more than one day in a row. That would just be bad business.
Fixing to hit the shower and and then lay down and pray for sleep. Insomnia is a b*tch. Back up early to pick up the baby's toys for the carpet cleaning guy. I've got a play date with my niece Carla tomorrow...the one I call Ladybug. We're going to hang out at the new house tomorrow and play with her toys. Quality time with my babies is important. I'm going to get a lot better at that once I get moved and get back into some sort of normal routine. I wish that routine included a dang job. :(
Quote For The Day:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Lovely Ladies
I finally got the calories back under control today...thank God! I took a break from the treadmill to rest the joints and back for a day....back at it full force tomorrow. Mom is coming over tomorrow morning with her van to help me take a load of stuff up to the new house. It is absolutely amazing to me how much crap you can squeeze into a 2 bedroom apartment. Amazing.
I want to tell you about two blogs that I have been following recently. Maybe you've seen them, but I'm guessing not, as neither one of these lovely ladies have hardly any followers on their blogs yet. That needs to change. :)
Michelle has a blog called My Journey to Onederland and she and I have exchanged a few emails. I love this woman. I can feel the grit in her writing. She really wants to get it right this time....she wants this to be the LAST time...just as we all do.
In fact, she's got a camping trip coming up very soon with her best friend. These little trips are usually filled with bad, bad eating so she's been a little nervous. She finally just told her friend that she will be bringing her own food to try and stay on plan. She has begun counting calories and gives herself a daily limit of 1500. Her friend asked her can't she just let loose this weekend? Most people would cave at that point. Not Michelle. She very plainly told her friend that no, she can't let loose. She is proving that her quest to lose the weight is THE most important thing in her life now and I applaud her for standing up for herself.
Then there's Lisa that I recently found. She very recently started her own blog called Struggles With Losing Weight. I haven't exchanged any emails with her yet, so I don't know a whole lot about her, but I have been following her blog for a few weeks now and leaving comments. I can see her desire too. She is a member of TOPS and seems to enjoy that, and she's had some success in her weight loss. I'm very proud of her.
I feel like Lisa and Michelle would benefit greatly from a few more followers on their blog to pop in and leave their words of encouragement and support. We all know how much we love comments when we receive them, don't we? Sean has already signed up on both their blogs and is already offering his insight and inspiration....thank you so much Sean!! Now...for the rest of you....Pam!! Diane!! Kari!! Sheilagh!! Rebecca!! Carla!! Amy!! Both Amy's!! I mean all 3 Amy's!! (I'm talking to YOU Amos, lol.) I won't list all of you, but you get the point. :)
I've got a little laundry left to do before I turn in, so I'll say goodnight. Oh by the way, Michelle gave me the quote that I'm using tonight. She said it's her favorite one and it comes from the Navy Seals. She's Canadian, but loves our Seals!! How cool. :) I love this quote so much and it ties in with the one I gave you yesterday....Pain is just weakness leaving the body. BRING IT!!!
Quote For The Day:
"The only easy day was yesterday!" -Navy Seals
I want to tell you about two blogs that I have been following recently. Maybe you've seen them, but I'm guessing not, as neither one of these lovely ladies have hardly any followers on their blogs yet. That needs to change. :)
Michelle has a blog called My Journey to Onederland and she and I have exchanged a few emails. I love this woman. I can feel the grit in her writing. She really wants to get it right this time....she wants this to be the LAST time...just as we all do.
In fact, she's got a camping trip coming up very soon with her best friend. These little trips are usually filled with bad, bad eating so she's been a little nervous. She finally just told her friend that she will be bringing her own food to try and stay on plan. She has begun counting calories and gives herself a daily limit of 1500. Her friend asked her can't she just let loose this weekend? Most people would cave at that point. Not Michelle. She very plainly told her friend that no, she can't let loose. She is proving that her quest to lose the weight is THE most important thing in her life now and I applaud her for standing up for herself.
Then there's Lisa that I recently found. She very recently started her own blog called Struggles With Losing Weight. I haven't exchanged any emails with her yet, so I don't know a whole lot about her, but I have been following her blog for a few weeks now and leaving comments. I can see her desire too. She is a member of TOPS and seems to enjoy that, and she's had some success in her weight loss. I'm very proud of her.
I feel like Lisa and Michelle would benefit greatly from a few more followers on their blog to pop in and leave their words of encouragement and support. We all know how much we love comments when we receive them, don't we? Sean has already signed up on both their blogs and is already offering his insight and inspiration....thank you so much Sean!! Now...for the rest of you....Pam!! Diane!! Kari!! Sheilagh!! Rebecca!! Carla!! Amy!! Both Amy's!! I mean all 3 Amy's!! (I'm talking to YOU Amos, lol.) I won't list all of you, but you get the point. :)
I've got a little laundry left to do before I turn in, so I'll say goodnight. Oh by the way, Michelle gave me the quote that I'm using tonight. She said it's her favorite one and it comes from the Navy Seals. She's Canadian, but loves our Seals!! How cool. :) I love this quote so much and it ties in with the one I gave you yesterday....Pain is just weakness leaving the body. BRING IT!!!
Quote For The Day:
"The only easy day was yesterday!" -Navy Seals
I've Been Inspired!!
I think I've mentioned Amy H. before at "No To The Deuce" listed on my blogroll, but I have such a terrific reason to mention her again that I'm making this whole post about what I read in her post tonight!!
She just got back from a family weekend at Cripple Creek. While there, she enjoyed a parade that involved some military troops. On one of the awesome soldier's shirts (I am sooooo pro-military and oozing with patriotism), she read this: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."
Oh.....my......gosh. This is one of those inspirational sayings that has grabbed me and just won't let go. When I read it, I felt like I had been slapped right between the eyes....but a good slap!
My biggest, nagging issue with the weight loss is the exercise. More specifically, the walking I'm doing on the treadmill. As I explained tonight to Amy in a comment I left on her post, I completely suck at it. I really do. Yes, I'm pushing myself to get on it every day. But what a struggle it is. A daily struggle. The reason it's so hard to make myself do it is for one simple reason. It hurts. Even after 8 weeks of doing it steadily, it still REALLY hurts.
I've had lower back issues for years...not just because of the weight...but from actual injuries...straining it too many times from helping friend's move and lifting furniture...one time I was roller skating on the asphalt with some friends in our neighborhood as a teenager and both feet slipped out from under me at the same time and Oh! My bottom hit that asphalt so hard and I heard something pop. That's the very first injury I remember to my lower back.
Another time, several years ago, I was helping my boyfriend at the time put a post in the ground. He was doing a job for a subdivision and we were out in front of the subdivision, RIGHT BESIDE the main highway...a very busy highway. It was a 16 foot long, 6x6 wooden post. It was huge and it was heavy. I don't even know how we lifted it off the ground in the first place and got it upright and steadied but we did. I'm sure it helped that he himself was 6'7 and I'm 5'10. We were inching the post close to the hole....we were almost there...and then we lost the balance. The post was starting to fall TOWARDS TRAFFIC. In that split second I had a vision of it landing in someone's windshield of their car and killing them right in front of me.
My mind freaked, I wrapped both of my arms around that post and lifted the entire thing up off the ground BY MYSELF (the bf let go) and dropped it into the deep hole. It was adrenaline. I could never do that again in a million years.
Well....that little stunt landed me in the chiropractor's office for 5 straight weeks. Something about the sciatica nerve I think. All I know is I couldn't sit, stand, or lay down without immense pain. I had to drape myself over the loveseat, looking at the floor, to relieve the pressure and pain in my back. I would stay like that for HOURS.
Anyhoo....talk about getting off an a major tangent!! The point is....my back ALREADY hurts, before I even get on the treadmill, and it makes me dread it all the more. Of course, after the workout, my knees and legs are in pretty bad shape too. It makes me want to scream my head off every day due to the frustration of WANTING to do more, and physically just not being able to do so. The most I can do is 2.5...maybe 3 miles if I really push it...at one time.
However, when I read this quote: Pain is just weakness leaving the body....it was like I was viewing this exercise thing with "new eyes" (I lifted the eye thing from Sean's post from last night.....EXCELLENT post...go check it out!). A whole new outlook. Now, when it starts to hurt, I can smile instead of cringe. I know that it means what I'm doing is working. I know that it means the endurance WILL come eventually. I know that it means I'm getting stronger. It means I'm improving. With every step, it means I'm leaving Fat Tammy further and further behind.
Before someone tells me that if it hurts that bad, just don't do it....I've had several doctors tell me over the years that walking...specifically walking as an exercise...is one of the best, low impact exercises I can do to strengthen the muscles in my back and alleviate pain.
This new quote is my new inspiration for when I'm strapping on my tennis shoes every day. I'm going to view the pain as a good thing. I'm going to stop dreading it. I do think that after a good chunk of this weight is gone, that the pain will be much less. I think watching what I eat, and continuing with daily exercise, will lead to strengthening my whole body...my back, my legs, my knees...the whole shabang.
For the record, although my eating has been off plan for the last 3-4 days, the exercise and the water intake have been golden. I have been on that treadmill every single day without fail since Friday and I have consumed at least (3) 32 oz. glasses of water every single day. I'm trying to reign the calories back in and get my focus back on the dilligence of counting them so that I can get my groove back and start heading back down the scale. Might not have the time left this week to fix what I've already screwed up with the eating. But if I can just get my balance back this week, then next week should look a lot better. Gotta' get consistent and stay that way. :)
She just got back from a family weekend at Cripple Creek. While there, she enjoyed a parade that involved some military troops. On one of the awesome soldier's shirts (I am sooooo pro-military and oozing with patriotism), she read this: "Pain is just weakness leaving the body."
Oh.....my......gosh. This is one of those inspirational sayings that has grabbed me and just won't let go. When I read it, I felt like I had been slapped right between the eyes....but a good slap!
My biggest, nagging issue with the weight loss is the exercise. More specifically, the walking I'm doing on the treadmill. As I explained tonight to Amy in a comment I left on her post, I completely suck at it. I really do. Yes, I'm pushing myself to get on it every day. But what a struggle it is. A daily struggle. The reason it's so hard to make myself do it is for one simple reason. It hurts. Even after 8 weeks of doing it steadily, it still REALLY hurts.
I've had lower back issues for years...not just because of the weight...but from actual injuries...straining it too many times from helping friend's move and lifting furniture...one time I was roller skating on the asphalt with some friends in our neighborhood as a teenager and both feet slipped out from under me at the same time and Oh! My bottom hit that asphalt so hard and I heard something pop. That's the very first injury I remember to my lower back.
Another time, several years ago, I was helping my boyfriend at the time put a post in the ground. He was doing a job for a subdivision and we were out in front of the subdivision, RIGHT BESIDE the main highway...a very busy highway. It was a 16 foot long, 6x6 wooden post. It was huge and it was heavy. I don't even know how we lifted it off the ground in the first place and got it upright and steadied but we did. I'm sure it helped that he himself was 6'7 and I'm 5'10. We were inching the post close to the hole....we were almost there...and then we lost the balance. The post was starting to fall TOWARDS TRAFFIC. In that split second I had a vision of it landing in someone's windshield of their car and killing them right in front of me.
My mind freaked, I wrapped both of my arms around that post and lifted the entire thing up off the ground BY MYSELF (the bf let go) and dropped it into the deep hole. It was adrenaline. I could never do that again in a million years.
Well....that little stunt landed me in the chiropractor's office for 5 straight weeks. Something about the sciatica nerve I think. All I know is I couldn't sit, stand, or lay down without immense pain. I had to drape myself over the loveseat, looking at the floor, to relieve the pressure and pain in my back. I would stay like that for HOURS.
Anyhoo....talk about getting off an a major tangent!! The point is....my back ALREADY hurts, before I even get on the treadmill, and it makes me dread it all the more. Of course, after the workout, my knees and legs are in pretty bad shape too. It makes me want to scream my head off every day due to the frustration of WANTING to do more, and physically just not being able to do so. The most I can do is 2.5...maybe 3 miles if I really push it...at one time.
However, when I read this quote: Pain is just weakness leaving the body....it was like I was viewing this exercise thing with "new eyes" (I lifted the eye thing from Sean's post from last night.....EXCELLENT post...go check it out!). A whole new outlook. Now, when it starts to hurt, I can smile instead of cringe. I know that it means what I'm doing is working. I know that it means the endurance WILL come eventually. I know that it means I'm getting stronger. It means I'm improving. With every step, it means I'm leaving Fat Tammy further and further behind.
Before someone tells me that if it hurts that bad, just don't do it....I've had several doctors tell me over the years that walking...specifically walking as an exercise...is one of the best, low impact exercises I can do to strengthen the muscles in my back and alleviate pain.
This new quote is my new inspiration for when I'm strapping on my tennis shoes every day. I'm going to view the pain as a good thing. I'm going to stop dreading it. I do think that after a good chunk of this weight is gone, that the pain will be much less. I think watching what I eat, and continuing with daily exercise, will lead to strengthening my whole body...my back, my legs, my knees...the whole shabang.
For the record, although my eating has been off plan for the last 3-4 days, the exercise and the water intake have been golden. I have been on that treadmill every single day without fail since Friday and I have consumed at least (3) 32 oz. glasses of water every single day. I'm trying to reign the calories back in and get my focus back on the dilligence of counting them so that I can get my groove back and start heading back down the scale. Might not have the time left this week to fix what I've already screwed up with the eating. But if I can just get my balance back this week, then next week should look a lot better. Gotta' get consistent and stay that way. :)
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