Pick Your "HARD"

It's hard being overweight. Aches and pains in the knees, in the back. Always being out of breath when walking up the stairs or down the block. Having to shop in the "Big & Tall" section for guys or the "Plus Size" section for gals. Always feeling bloated or stuffed. It's HARD being overweight. I'm sure there are many other "hard's" that I am forgetting.

But it's just as "hard" to be at a healthy weight. It's hard to make good food choices. Portion control and not taking that second helping of Cheesy Potatoes or a second burger. Making a conscious decision to exercise instead of rest. Staying motivated and diligent all the time. Not binging on cookies, chips or candy. It's HARD to be at a healthy weight.

Which one is more difficult? They both have their "hard's" and I for one am going to try to keep with the healthy weight "hard's" as I don't miss the overweight "hard's" at all.

Quote of the Day

“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.”
~Unknown

I saw this quote on the WW message boards this morning and thought that it really makes sense when losing weight. I often find myself copping out at the end of the day and taking the elevator at work. After 12,000 steps in 8 hours I usually give myself permission to be tired, but I am going to think twice next time.

That's it for today, just wanted to share the quote before I forgot.

Mosquitoes vs. Snow

I have come to the conclusion that there are only about 2 months throughout the entire year that make for a good time to exercise outside. With over 11 inches of rain during the first part of June, we have been inundated by mosquitoes. It makes for a tough evening walk. I try to walk faster thinking that if I do so, the mosquitoes will not be able to catch me. That thinking only makes me sweat more, which attracts more mosquitoes. I am getting a good cross-training workout as I am using my hands a lot to swat the little stinkers away from me. During the winter, I was unable to walk for most of the winter due to icy sidewalks. I'm really starting to wonder which was worse, the cold and ice or the heat and mosquitoes. I am so glad that I have an elliptical to use inside my sometimes air-conditioned home (my wife would leave it off all the time if she had it her way).

Nothing Tastes As Good...Part II

I've still been pondering that silly quote, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!" I am coming to understand the meaning and really am starting to agree with the statement. There are so many things that I am able to do now that I couldn't do a year ago. I had aching knees, feet, and back that I just forgot about. Since I didn't feel the pain anymore, I've taken for granted that I just have always felt this way. Someone asked me today: What does thin feel like? The best way to describe it is not in how thin feels, but rather how "fat" feels. Thin has now been a way of life for a while and I'm just used to it by now. Fat on the other hand is being lethargic, having no energy, eating as much as you can and then feeling horrible afterwards, not being able to climb a flight of stairs without taking a break, not being able to park "farther away" from the store as a form of exercise due to pain, feeling that there is "no use" dieting because you have always been this way. Fat does not feel good!

Thin feels good period! I may not agree that nothing tastes as good as thin, but I am coming to understand the quote the more and more that I think about it.

I Like Skittles...

...but not THAT much. Today, I did something that I have not done in over a year. I made an impulse purchase of a candy bar. I had been craving Skittles for about a week now. I've been checking the vending machines daily, no Skittles. It's all right because today I was at the grocery store buying food for a recipe I am making for work on Thursday. The Skittles were calling my name at the cash register. They were on sale, buy one, get one free. I am not one to pass up a bargain, so I bought two without even looking at the Nutritional Information. I got my groceries put in the car and threw the bag with my two bags of Skittles in the front seat. I sat my proud butt down and took out one of the Skittle packs from the bag. I then looked at the NI. 250 CALORIES! I couldn't believe that one small pack of Skittles was over 5 WW points. I threw the pack of Skittles down in disgust and decided that it was not worth it. I went back to work, unpacked the groceries that work paid for and left the Skittles that I had paid for in the front seat of the car thrown of the floor. I proceeded to pick up my 2 yr. old from daycare and did what any other parent would have done in the same situation. I gave my 2 yr. old the Skittles. Knowing he would not share more than one at a time made it all worth while. Every time I got finished chewing one, I stuck my hand out for another and he obliged. By the time we got home, I had 5 Skittles...just enough to curve my craving AND we have a whole other bag to share tomorrow.

With This Ring

It is a very good thing my daughter was not around yesterday. I have not worn my wedding ring for many months, since it is way too big. I have a ring guard, which is a strip of gold that is supposed to keep my ring smaller. Unfortunately, the ring guard bends and then my ring is way too big once again. My ring had sat in my near my elliptical for a long time until I thought I better move it before the kids did. Thinking no one would ever look in my sock drawer, that seemed like a logical place to keep it. Yesterday, I went to look for the ring since we were headed out to do some errands that are much simpler to do without 4 kids. We went to Target for drapes, Walmart for more drapes and we were going to the jewelry store to get my ring resized. Alas, I was wrong about no one going into my sock drawer. The ring was not there. My wife decided to give my daughter a "call" and she admitted to playing with it. At least, I knew I was not crazy because I could have swore the last place I put it was my sock drawer. After looking all over the house, I did find it on the floor along with a bunch of toys.

Today, I am proudly wearing it once again even though it is huge and I will be taking it in to get resized at which time I will never take it off again.

First Day of Summer

This weekend NASCAR is in town. We live within walking distance to the Milwaukee Mile and hear the roar of the engines all week. Today, they started at 7:30am and I'm sure they won't stop till about 11:00 tonight. Summer is an awesome time of the year to get out and move. This week, I bought a new pedometer. Yes, it is the new WW model. I had the old one and I always hated tucking my shirts in since it was so bulky and had the big WW swosh on the front. I felt like a walking billboard. Well, the new model is noticeably smaller and has a very small WW emblem on it. I am much happier with this one and have tucked my shirts in for the last two days. I have gotten more comments in the last two days about my appearance than I have in the last six months. Either I looked like a slob with my untucked shirts, or tucking them in really does make a difference.

Happy First Day of Summer! I'll be enjoying the hum of the engine all day.

"Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels"

I'm sure you've all heard this quote before and I just have to say that it is just not right. Now that I have been at a healthy weight for the last six months, I've come to really enjoy the special indulgences that I allow myself. Today, my wife made muffins. She made a few special ones for me without the extra brown sugar, but apparently they were too go to pass up for my little 2 yr. old. I didn't care. I ate the ones with the extra brown sugar and I am glad I did. It is something that I don't get everyday. Thin feels good, but food still tastes better. I am changing my tastes for sure, enjoying fruit and veggies a lot more than in the past, but if I had to live on fruit and veggies and never see another frozen custard from Culver's, my life would be much less satisfying.

Food tastes good. I like food. Being thin will never feel as good as tasting something good. Today, I received information about the National Weight Control Registry. I am now eligible since I have maintained a 30 pound loss for a year. I lost my first 30 pounds in early July of last year, so I cheated a bit. The survey was very long and very in depth asking about 200 different foods and how often you eat them, asking about habits both eating habits and exercise habits, asking about family history, and several other questions that are more for statistical purposes. I am looking forward to doing everything I can to remain accountable to myself and being part of the National Weight Control Registry is just another way to stay accountable.

What Are You Afraid Of?

Totally off topic: I just saw the definition of OCD while I was taking a walk tonight. There was a gentleman trimming his hedges and to do so perfectly, he had a level and was checking multiple sections to make sure it was completely level. If I ever get to that point, God help me!

I've been thinking of this question all day. I think my answer is actually two parts. The first part of my answer would be that I am afraid of being arrogant. I had an extremely steady weightloss with no major hiccups along the way. I am feeling afraid that if it was so easy to lose the weight, I'll become too comfortable and start eating just a little bit too much. I'm feeling so confident that I can do this that I'm finding myself eating more than I know I should.

The second part of my answer would be that I am afraid of being successful. It was so easy to be fat. I could poke fun at myself and people laughed with me. I could use my weight as an excuse to get out of certain difficult situations. Now, I'm being looked upon as an example. People ask me for pointers, for WW information, for the "magic pill."

I know I have nothing to really be afraid of. I know how lose weight, I know how to keep it off, what do I really have to worry about? It's the balance between overconfidence and obsessive weightloss behaviors that I need to find.

What are You Afraid Of?

That has been the question on my mind lately. What are you afraid of? Success? I think so. I'll be thinking about this question today and post my answer later.

TEAM

Think First, Eat Wisely, Attend Meetings, and Move More. I've been focusing on eating wisely this week. I decided that I have been eating too much for lunch. Since starting WW, I've never really changed how much I eat for lunch. My points have decreased, but my lunches haven't. I had always been eating 10-14 points worth of food for lunch. That's not a big deal when you have 44 points to eat throughout the day. Now, my daily points are 33 and 14 points comes close to half my daily allowance. This week, I decided to subtract a fruit: 2 points. I still get plenty of fruits and veggies in. My lunches this week have been 7-9 points. I'm not feeling hungry and I needed to do it. I never felt full with the 14 point lunches, but never felt hungry either and that's what it's all about: feeling satisfied. I've felt the same with my 7-9 point lunches this week, so I'll be keeping the lower points for lunch so I have more wiggle room in the evening.

I know a lot of my problem has to do with eating when I am tired. This week, I will focus on "Thinking First." Do I really need the popcorn for a snack in the evening, or could I eat a few carrots?

Last night, my wife offered to go to the grocery store as to keep me away from the Fiber One Bars. I told her I'd be alright because they were on sale last week: 5 for $10 and now they're $3.59 a package. No temptation here for this cheapskate.

**Happy Birthday Ms. Caryn~4 yrs. old on Friday the 13th. Same day as Grandma and Grandpa B's Anniversary~Happy Anniversary: 38 yrs?

Time to Fess Up

I weighed in this evening for the first time in almost a month. Had to do it as WW employees are required to submit a weigh in sheet by the 15th of each month. I posted a 6.6 lb. gain. I knew it was coming and was trying to put it off as long as possible. I know what my problem is, I track what I want. I eat until my points are gone and then I snack some more without writing anything down. Thinking that if I don't write it down, it didn't happen. I've had some late night snacking issues especially the last week or two waiting for baby. I've stayed up too late and snacked on good choices, but not good portions. Again, the Fiber One Bars came back to bite me. Two nights in a row I've finished an entire box. You would think by now I should know better than to even buy the darn things. I am snacking especially when I'm tired and sleep has been a luxury item these last two weeks. Doesn't seem to be going to get any better since school is now out for the summer and the kiddos think that means bedtime is now 10:00.

So what's my plan? I will track daily, writing EVERYTHING down or at least keeping track in my head and stopping when I am out of points. I haven't written anything down since reaching lifetime and I know what I usually eat for breakfast and lunch, it's dinner and evening snacks that I need to track. I will also exercise daily once again. I have been ignoring this important aspect, but the last two nights have decided once again that it is important and at 9:15ish, I have hopped on the elliptical. I'm so tired, it really doesn't keep my awake any longer than I would be anyway. Actually, tonight I made a pot of coffee at 9:00 just so I would be awake enough to exercise.

WW 4-way approach involves the acronym: TEAM. T~Think First, E~Eat Wisely, A~Attend Meetings, M~Move More. I know what to do, now I just need to do it.

Anchors

an·chor (ngkr)
n.
1. Nautical A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom.
2. A rigid point of support, as for securing a rope.
3. A source of security or stability.
4. Sports
a. An athlete, usually the strongest member of a team, who performs the last stage of a relay race or other competition.
b. The person at the end of a tug-of-war team.
5. An anchorperson.
v. an·chored, an·chor·ing, an·chors
v.tr.
1. To hold fast by or as if by an anchor. See Synonyms at fasten.
2. Sports To serve as an anchor for (a team or competition).
3. To narrate or coordinate (a newscast).
4. To provide or form an anchor store for: Two major stores anchor each end of the shopping mall.
v.intr.
Nautical To drop anchor or lie at anchor.

Anchors can be a great reminder and motivation to reach and maintain a goal. The guys of GOAD are designing a bracelet that says: MAKE THE BETTER CHOICE! It has come to be somewhat of a slogan for the Goadies. Everyday a thread is started by one of the biggest losers stating: What was the better choice you made today? I often try to add something to the thread even if is as small as waking up to exercise or choosing yogurt instead of ice cream. I am looking forward to getting another anchor to go along with the other ones I value so much including my 5 lb. stickers and 10% keychain to go along with the Biggest Loser Keychain I received for Christmas. Anchors can be very helpful as a motivator. So what are some of your anchors?

Just Hanging Out

I'm doing fine on the WW front. Probably won't be too inspired for a while on this blog as I am a bit too excited about #4. I have been checking out everyone's blogs as I have time.

Last night, I worked two WW meetings back-to-back. As the lead receptionist, it is difficult to weigh people in discretely. I hate telling them whether they gained or lost especially if other members are still in line. I did make a point of complimenting them if they had a loss of over a pound. Not sure what the right thing to do yet is, but I know I would not like hearing about a gain in front of people. Any thoughts?

Baby's Look Alike...

Elizabeth Marie~August 19, 2001

Caryn Margaret~June 13, 2004
Alexander Joseph~December 19, 2005
Benjamin Thomas~June 3, 2008
but for some reason, I have looked different during each one of our children's births. When Elizabeth was born, I had just finished 2-10 week At-Work sessions of WW and lost 36 pounds. Almost 3 yrs. later, Caryn was born and the weight was back. One and a half years after that, Alex was born and the weight was still there. Today, Benjamin Thomas was born and I really can't believe the picture. All the babies like pretty much a like and my wife looks the same in each picture, it's me that leaves me surprised. I hadn't thought about how different I really look until I pulled out these pictures, which happen to by some of my favorites.

If you'd like to see more baby pics, check out the baby blog at: B4 Baby #4

Substitutes

I'm not one to add artificial sweeteners to my foods. I am guilty of doing it with grapefruit as I need it sweetened, but even with grapefruit I've been adding sugar~the real thing. Substitutes are just not like the real thing. With Splenda, it seems I need twice as much to make my grapefruit just right.

Substitute WW leaders are nice to have on occasion, but I usually go to my WW meetings to see my regular leader. Actually, if I notice a substitute leader as I weigh-in, I have been guilty of leaving. Again, substitutes just are not as good as the real thing.

Brings us to baby! My wife went to the doctor on Monday and was ready to head for the hospital until her doctor said he was no longer "on call." I definitely understand the "no substitute" rule in this case as I would not feel comfortable with a different doctor either. The "real thing" will happen Tuesday morning. Going to the hospital for an early 6:30am wake-up call.

21,068

I ended May withing a whooper of a day. 21,068 steps yesterday. I have not walked over 20,000 steps in a day since Feb. 6, which happened to be Ash Wednesday and a huge snow with no volunteers to help transport residents to and from Chapel.

Yesterday, I planned to have a large number. I woke up early and got out of bed by 6:30 and off for a walk. I walked around the fairgrounds, which is my usual course on a weekend. This weekend was different, the Indy Cars were in town to run their annual race at the Milwaukee Mile. I had a great time being nosy and no one questioned me at all. I had over 8,000 steps by 7:45 when I returned home.

Later in the morning, we decided to go to the zoo. We had coupons for the Zoomobile and the Carousel that expired on 5/31/08, so we had no choice but to go. I hate wasting good coupons. We also had coupons that expired on 5/31/09, so we didn't have to pay for either the Zoomobile or the Carousel. The kids had a blast, Alex prefers to push the stroller rather than ride in it. That's a 2-yr. old for ya!

After the zoo, I checked and I had over 13,000 steps. I was thinking that I was done for the day, but then I went to Sam's Club for some fruit. Little did I know I would spend close to 5 HOURS there as I asked about new tires and they said they could get them on in less than two hours. Well, Elizabeth and I had a great time trying all the samples, buying an ICEE, and resting for a long time on the bed and lounge chairs they have set up for displays. 5,000 more steps by the time I got home.

I was tuckered and ready for a break when we got home. My wife was a bit worried, since we left and 2:00 and didn't return till after 7:00. Of course I didn't have my cell phone with me. Well, she had enough of Alex and decided I should take him for a walk to put him to sleep. Luckily, I only had to walk 2,000 steps to put him to sleep.

What a day! Lots of steps and I felt great.