lose 25 pounds

I haven’t weighed since a week past Halloween. I went a little bonkers with the Halloween candy. Especailly KitKats and “Gummy Body Parts.” (That is what they were called!) Then there was the week after Halloween when everyone at work brought the leftover goodies in. I was no angel, but I had a few mini bags of M&M’s.

I weighed a week later and hadn’t lost any more weight – but I hadn’t gained weight either.

Then I spent a week at my mom’s – my dad had a small stroke and he was in the hospital. He has now has been moved to a nursing home for PT and hopefully may get to come home in a few months. Thankfully it is a good place. He has lots of friends there and also his sister – my Aunt Agnes – is there. He does well because he can get out and move around in a wheel chair there. That is not possible in my parents house. At home he is limited to how far he is capable of walking with a walker – about 10 feet – so he spends much time in front of the TV. At the nursing home there are always activities, a dining room for meals, and games and puzzles in the lounges.

I had one bad diet day at my mom’s – the first day I was home. I was tired from traveling, I was worried about her and him, and there are lots of food items there that I normally never see in my house: marichino cherries, fatty dressings bacon bits and croutons for salads, crackers, chips, etc. After the first really bad day, I wrested myself back in control. (I am finally figuring out I like a 3 year old if I get tired or worried.) But even though I was staying on the straight and narrow past the first day, we went out to eat almost every night while I was there. It is hard to stay on a 1200 calorie a day diet when I eat out a lot.

A week after I came back to my home it was Thanksgiving. I was off work that week to work on my house renovations. I ate out 3-4 times that week, plus had a good plateful on Thanksgiving day (and one piece of pie). I ate good healthy food when I ate out. I just ate more than I should of.

So I have been back on the diet starting the day after Thanksgiving. I am going to weigh next Tuesday (Dec. 3rd or so) and see where I am at. Right now my goal is to make it to Jan 12th (after Christmas plus a week after my mom’s 80th birthday) without gaining any of the weight I have lost so far. As of Halloween, I had lost 23.2 pounds for this goal. I’ll have to look up the grand total but it is about 60 pounds. I have another 50 to go.

Maybe my goal for the next few weeks should be to meet this goal of 25 pounds lost and aim for 5 more on my next goal. I think that is a better idea than just trying to maintain for the next six weeks. If I maintain fine – but I am going to try to continue losing. I need to up my exercise level to do that. get more exercise is something I needed to do for my general health.

Thanks for listening.

Week 12 9/25/07: 15 pounds (Yeah! I have crested the plateau!)
Week 13 10/2/07: 18.2 pounds (I lose weight in clumps it seems! I don’t lose any weight for 3-4 weeks then whoosh! I have to stay focused and on goal waiting for the whoosh!)

Week 14 10/9/07: 19.0 pounds
Week 15 10/18/07 22.6 pounds
Week 16 10/25/07 24.4 pounds – a wobble!
Week 17 10/31/07 22.8 pounds
Week 18 skipped weigh-in – I didn’t want to look!
Week 19 11/12/07 23.2 pounds – off to mom’s house
Week 20 11/19/07 skipped weigh-in Thanksgiving week
Week 21 11/26/07 Skipped weigh-in but back on diet

Week 1 4.5 pounds 7/10/07
Week 2 6.5 pounds 7/17/07 (taking steroids for allergic reaction)
Week 3 7.8 pounds 7/24/07 (Still on steriods)
Week 4 9.0 pounds 7/31/07 (last week on steriods)
Week 5 8.0 pounds 8/7/07 (the wobble after steroids)
Week 6 10.4 pounds 8/15.07 (Weebles wobble but the don’t fall down)
Week 7 12.6 8/21/07 (Half-way there!!! Wooo-hooo!!!!)
Week 8 11.4 8/28/07 (dinner out 2x, a wedding and a party) (bad week for a diet but a good week for my soul!)
Week 9 14.2 9/4/07 (back on the wagon)
Week 10 12.2 9/11/07 (another wedding and a party, plus a friend’s dad passed away. I need to work on my skills for managing when going out and when I am under emotional stress.)
Week 11 14.0 9/18/07 (Lots of exercise – yea!!!)

I am eating less. Walking more. Swimming 2x a week. I have added stationary bycycle to my exercise routine. It seems to work my glutes more. I can actually tell I have lost some weight in my hips. This is very gratifying.

We have a retirement party this week on Friday. It is a dessert potluck for the staff and later, Mediterranean Deli is catering a party for the public.

To keep me away from the cookies and brownies at the earlier party, I went to the grocer this afternoon and stocked up on carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon hommus, bagel chips, and baba ganoush. The potluck is high risk. Then for the later party I have to remember portion control. Portion control. Portion control.

I get to eat all the brocolli I want.

I realized after I got back to work from the grocer I need to get some mineral water also. The fizzy fills me up. I am making tea and lemonade for both parties, and there will be wine for the later party. But I can do damage with lemonade if I am not careful.

So. Fizzy water. Maybe I need some celery also.

I am reminding myself also about keeping the brain in charge. My brain can be trusted. But my hand and my tastebuds cannot be. Portion control. Portion control. Brain in charge. Brain in charge.

My sister said one time about a party we were planning: let’s have fun not fat. That is a good idea. So—I am bringing strange desserts to the dessert potluck… would you like some hommus and cucumbers dearie?

b.

I am down:

Week 1 4.5 pounds 7/10/07
Week 2 6.5 pounds 7/17/07 (taking steroids for allergic reaction)
Week 3 7.8 pounds 7/24/07 (Still on steriods)
Week 4 9.0 pounds 7/31/07 (last week on steriods)
Week 5 8.0 pounds 8/7/07 (the wobble after steroids)
Week 6 10.4 pounds 8/15.07 (rock on)
Week 7 12.6 8/21/07 (Half-way there!!! Wooo-hooo!!!!)
Week 8