Hi, friends!
Today I am beginning a new weight loss journey. I thought I should provide some background information for anyone that wants to follow along and read about my progress (I'm sure I'll have my share of stumbles too, but I'm thinking positive right now!) in the next couple of months.
 |
| Mini Me...oops I mean Skinny Me, Hawaii 1988 |
I lost a bunch of weight before our wedding (11 years ago) without even really trying. I think there was just so much going on that I didn't think about snacking all of the time. I wasn't as thin as I would have liked, but it was a weight I was happy with. I felt comfortable having photos taken, wearing fun summer/beachy clothes on our honeymoon, etc.
That same year, I slipped and fell on a patch of ice and broke my leg in several places. Healing seemed to take forever. We lived in a second floor apartment and I felt trapped. Joe worked long hours to compensate for the time I was out of work. My parents lived over an hour away. I felt trapped, bored and alone. Needless to say, I was really feeling sorry for myself and ate and ate. What else was there to do, right? I gained it all back...and then some!
It took about a year (maybe a bit longer) to get down to a weight that I was pleased with. I'm pretty sure I weighed less than I did on our wedding day. I joined Weight Watchers Online. I journaled my food, water and exercise using their online tracking program. They also had a great recipe builder that I loved! I also participated in the Weight Watchers message boards. I found great support from a bunch of regulars. Although I haven't been dieting for years, I still keep in touch with one of my WW buddies (hi, Traci!). I can't find any pictures from this time frame.
I gained it all back. All of it! Plus a whole lot extra! I'm not sure how long it took, but I know it took less time to put the weight on than it was to lose it in the first place! Sigh. So depressing. And because I was depressed, I just kept eating.
 |
| August 2008 (not pregnant) |
 |
| August 2008 (not pregnant) |
When we started to talk about starting a family, I had hoped to lose weight before getting pregnant. I knew it would be healthier for both me and the baby we were planning, but I just couldn't get motivated. I kept saying "I'll start tomorrow" and when tomorrow arrived, I'd say it again.
 |
| about 6 weeks before Grace was born |
 |
| 8 days after Grace was born |
 |
| October 2010, hiding behind Grace (17 months old) |
 |
| 2 years after Grace was born (May, 2011) |
 |
| So, how's that for unflattering?! I had no idea someone would have snapped a picture from this angle! (Thanks a lot, Mary!) |
And after Grace was born, I just continued to gain and gain and gain. There aren't many photos of me since I'm usually the one taking the pictures. But as you can see, I try to hide myself on the few occasions I'm in the photos.
That last photo was taken a year ago. I'll have to look through some photos to see if there are any new ones I can share with you.
Over the past 5 years, since the birth of my daughter, I've made several attempts to lose weight. These attempts were half-hearted at best and I failed at each of the online weight loss challenges I joined. Not just once, but twice, I paid $20 to join a challenge. The enrollment fee was then rolled over as challenge incentives and a big prize at the end. Both times, I dropped out within a week or two of signing up.
During the week of May 5th, 2014, I weighed myself and signed in to my old Weight Watchers online profile. I was just logging in to take a look around and see what was new in the world of Weight Watchers, since I knew they had made some changes to the plan over the years. Later that week, I jumped in with both feet and joined the new program. Again, I'll be following the online plan; but this time, instead of counting points, I'll be following the Simply Filling program.
On May 12th, I started a two week program called Simple Start. This is a plan that Weight Watchers suggests for anyone starting the program. After the two weeks is over, I can choose to continue with Simply Filling (same concept as the Simple Start program) or switch to the Points Plus program that involves tracking points. Today, I begin my second week of Simple Start and I have a feeling that I will be continuing on with the Simply Filling plan as I find it much easier than counting points.
~~~~~~~
On July 7th, I decided to give the PointsPlus plan a try. I started off the week pretty good, but by Thursday I was having trouble again. Too many busy days in a row without a lot of good food choices. I'm going to continue to give the PointsPlus plan a try for a bit longer before deciding which plan works best for me. I just really need to focus more on making better choices and being organized enough to be able to grab something easy and healthy on hectic days.
Drinking enough water is still something I struggle with no matter which program I follow. Sp that is something I really need to work on as well.
I have added very little exercise during recent weeks and plan to increase that a little bit each week. I'm extremely out of shape, so I am starting out very slow.
~~~~~~~
Thanks for visiting and cheering me on as I try to find a healthier ME!
week of 5/5/14 Joined weight watchers
Update: 7/14/14 total loss 11.6 lbs.
