Ten Things!

I am linking up with Emmy today to share ten things that have made me smile this month.  I love this feature of hers for two reasons:  1.  Because it is important in a world filled with negativity to focus on the positive and 2.  Because she will list some of the simplest things.  And isn't that what it is all about???  So, without any further ado...

1.  School got out!  I am still glad to be free of homework!
2.  A combined family birthday party for my sister and my niece.

3.  A successful birthday party for my Little Middle

4. Getting together with old friends

5.  Surviving not one, but two camps that took away my eldest.  Okay the second was a day camp, but still.

6.  Mild temperatures for our otherwise HOT climate.  Not quite as bad as Vegas or AZ, but similar.

7.  A "dolphin show"

8.  Fixing a toilet!!

9.  Holding a brand new baby!

10.  And best of all to finish out this month...I lost 20 pounds!!! Woot!

What are you smiling about?

Check out my Photo Blog

Best Friends

It's week two of "What Is Beautiful?"  and I thought it would be fun to talk about our beautiful best friends.  Do we have just one?  Or do we have many?  I have a lot of best friends.  Some close.  Some far.  Lucky for me, she is close!

The first time we crossed paths it was 2001.  I can honestly tell you I remember very little of our meeting.  Not because she leaves little impression to the mind, quite the contrary.  It was during a family crisis.  See, my grandmother had a stroke.  All of the family was there.  I was there with my two daughters.  Kristin was 3 and Emily was just about 9 months old.  It was a long couple of weeks complete with three ear infections.  And for me, multiple wasp stings.

One day while visiting the hospital, one of my uncles was there with his son and his son's fiance.  I was introduced and here are the two things I remember:  her name and her height.  She was....well...she was short.  Maybe she just looked short next to my cousin who is nearly seven feet tall.  No joke.  And yes, he played and still plays basketball.

I never would have imagined that some 7 years later my cousin and his wife and their two children would be moving into our city.  I was re-introduced to her and it felt like we were meeting for the first time, but it didn't feel awkward at all.  She was sweet, friendly and was very easy to talk to.  Poor thing, I probably still talk her ears off!  Our sons had an instant friendship.  They were thrilled to have someone their same size! 

In the year and a half that they have lived here, she and I have become very close friends.  I know I can count her for help with the kids, support when I need it and just to talk her ears off.  And the same is true for her.  As close as we have become, there is not ONE picture of the two of us together.  Maybe that is because we are both the photographers in our families.  She is because she is darn good at it.  I am because I am not willing to have MY picture taken.  Who is she?  Well it's Emmy from EmmyMom.  And if you haven't visited her blog before, you should go over there today.

Who is your beautiful best friend?  Link up.

A Beautiful Hit

Last Monday...like all the way back to June 14th...I asked a question as I often do.  I asked, What is Beautiful?  And I challenged readers to come back and tell me what they thought beautiful was and to display a picture of themselves.  Everyone who saw the blog wanted to see it again.  You can see the Beautiful post here.

Given the positive response this has generated, I thought it would be great to run with it.  So, take the weekend to think about your best friend.  And then write about her and link up here. Until then, ta-ta-lovelies!

Beautiful Me

Did you all make it?  Is everyone settled?  Now the reason I brought you all here is last week on this blog, I asked a question.  I asked What is beautiful? Did you miss it?  Go ahead and check it out, we'll wait.

...

Okay now that everyone is caught up, I would like to show you what my definition of beautiful is....

Beautiful is a mother and daughter

Beautiful is:  Sisters

Beautiful is:  Grandmother and her Granddaughters

Beautiful is you when you smile and stand tall!

I am no airbrushed pencil thin model.  She is not real.  She isn't perfect.  She is turned into the ideal.  Well I think the ideal is wrong.  I think we are the ideal.  Women who share, love, work, cry, laugh and give.  We are all beautiful.  And we are all real.  So the next time you see the "ideal" on the cover of a magazine looking airbrushed and perfect, remember you are the beautiful one.  Because you are real.  You don't need airbrushing because you are so beautiful.  I have one more definition of beautiful to share.

 

Being beautiful means not being afraid of who you really are.

What is beautiful to you?

Are We There Yet???

Are we there yet?  Is the phrase often uttered in a car on a long trip.  It usually starts about 5 minutes into the trip.  If you are lucky.  I like to think of weight loss as a road trip.  We have a destination.  We don't just go we take a map.  If you are savvy you bring a GPS that will tell you in 100 yards to turn left.  It couldn't be easier.  We have dvd players in our cars so the kids won't be bored.  But we hit little bumps in the road.  Sometimes someone gets sick, or the car overheats.   Our weight loss journey is very similar.

We have a goal.  We follow a life style of eating and living.  We use tools to help us keep on track.  We find creative ways to have good and yummy treats the whole family can enjoy and not be bored.  As a result, our family learns a healthier way to eat and gains a healthier relationship with food.  Yes, you can totally have a relationship with food. 

But I find myself whining lately.  Are we there yet??  Why is it so long?  Why can't I eat what I want?  Well the truth is:  I am getting there.  It's long because it will be more effective in the long run.  I can eat whatever I want.  No really.  If I want to eat a full on hot fudge sundae, I can.  I have to count it.  So what can I eat instead?  Well how about a lower fat version of the same?  There are a lot of options out there.  And every once in a while, the real thing is okay too. 

Another thing that keeps me going is seeing pictures of me before.  Wow.  Some of them are too scary to post at all.  But I see them and it gives me new motivation.  So instead that skinny picture of me from the first time I did it, I focus on the me I am trying to get away from.  What is your motivation?

Remember on Monday to link up with me.  Show me your beautiful self! 

Weight Loss: .8
Total Loss: 18.8

So close!!!

What Is Beautiful?

Like most of us, I follow many blogs.  And every time I gain a follower, I return the favor and stalk follow them.  One of my newer followers is Tennessee Mom from Days on the Creek.  She wrote a post that really got me thinking.  What is beautiful? 

Is it her with her bones and lack of shape?

Here are the FEW models that I found in the PLUS sizes....

These models are found at the top of the page.  The rest of the clothing is either displayed on a "fat" mannequin or a model.....

Hmmmm....she's a plus?

She's a little better.  But again she and the strip above were the only plus women featured.  So it begs the question, "What is beautiful?"

Okay, now I want to issue you all a challenge.  I will be playing right along.  Take a deep breath now...I want you all to post a picture of...YOURSELF.  Full length, close up, waist up, whichever you prefer.  Show your beauty, and link up here with me next Monday.  Answer my question with your lovely faces.  I'm going to.  And I am truly a vein woman.  So this will be hard for me.  Will you play along? 

Hip Hip Hoo-ray!

Do you see those hands on my key chain?  It signifies 16 weeks of moving forward. 16 weeks of ups and downs.  16 weeks of good eating, bad eating, and eating in general.  It also shows me I am working hard.  My book shows me my progress in numbers.  We all know the numbers should not matter, but they do.  My numbers say 17.8 pounds lost!  A little over a pound a week!  My leader happily told me I only have 2.2 pounds to go for my 20.  I am looking forward to that day.

Today we talked about when hunger calls.  She had a drawing of an analog clock with breakfast pointed at 8, lunch at 12 and dinner at six.  Draw this for yourself and see why you are so hungry between lunch and dinner and at night.  Fill up those in between hours with snacks.  We are supposed to eat...SUPPOSED to eat breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner, a snack, and dessert.  Life is short, eat that dessert first.

Breakfast ideas:  Oatmeal.  I make the instant kind, add 1 tsp of brown sugar.  I poor a cup of 1% milk and use that to fill my bowl with enough milk to make it the way I like.  Drink the rest of the milk.

How about cereal.  Measure it.  Add some fruit on the side, or right into it.

100 calorie English muffins with 8 grams of fiber.  Light margarine, jam and low cal hot chocolate.



Snack ideas:  apples with your favorite sugar free jello sprinkled over the slices.  Sandwich rounds --these are awesome btw--a tablespoon of PB and some jam. 

Lunches:  same sandwich rounds, tuna, grapes, light mayo, and lettuce.  Side with carrots

Dinner:  making something with pasta?  Choose wheat over white.  It is very tasty and more filling.  Ground beef, choose the 4% fat. 

Desserts:  skinny cow, cake made with diet coke in lieu of oil and eggs.

Got the munchies?  Gum, carrots, popsicles, tea to name a few.  Did you know when you are feeling actual physical hunger it means your body is metabolizing.  It is doing what it supposed to!  How about that!

Weight Loss:  .8
Total Loss:  17.8

Gains, Losses, Lessons, Successes

I have been neglecting this blog!  Not because I am gaining weight.  Not because I have lost interest, but it is because I have brain overload.  And when you have that, something is bound to short circuit somewhere! 

I actually DID gain a pound and a half two weeks ago.  It was not a good day.  Last week I went down .8...geez can't I have a WHOLE POUND!?  Well, it was still a loss.  This week it was .2...oh now you're just taunting me, scale!  Do scales have bad days?  Anyway, it was indeed another loss.  I tried on a Large shirt a couple of days before instead of XL.  And it looked so nice!  It made my day. 

This week, it was my sister who had the gain.  She hasn't had a significant one yet.  Hello, girl has lost 25 pounds!!  Needless to say she was upset about it.  My mom and I assured her that she will have gains.  To prove our point we both went over our books to see when and where we had our gains.  I have lost 16.8  and have gained 8.8.  Wow!  That's a lot, but I still look thinner than when I started and I feel better too!  I am working towards that 20 pound mark.  Only 3.2 to go!  Root me on!  Because when I get to 20 pounds, I will be posting another picture!!

So what do I take away from all of this?  Our weight truly fluctuates from day to day and week to week.  You really need to watch those nibbles and bites.  It's like "nickel and diming" yourself.  It adds up!!  As one gal in the meeting yesterday said, "I didn't gain this over night, it's not going to come off that way."  She is so right.  I have been building my poundage since about 2003.  I don't think it will take 7 years to get it off, but I know it won't come off in 7 DAYS!  Besides, slow and steady wins the race!