Week 14 Updates (Den)

I’ve been completely on-track this week. I have denied myself a good number of things, and I feel better for it. Many people tell us that we shouldn’t deny ourselves, but frankly, I think I would do well to deny myself a lot more! I am a creature of lazy luxury. I want to laze around and indulge in whatever my mind says it wants. If it wants a half gallon of ice cream, well then, where’s the spoon?! I mean, gee whiz, I wouldn’t want to “deny” myself.

I’ve noticed that my nose is working overtime. I smell the yummy food that Colton and Todd eat (which seems to be ALL THE TIME), and I want to rip my hair out and run the other way because the temptation is so great. I think I am waking up to the fact that I fell off this program because the boys were no longer supporting me. True, they kept encouraging me, but they didn’t adhere to the “plan” and that made it harder for me, and I gave-up. It’s not their fault; but, eating better has to be a FAMILY priority. Now, I have to walk the road alone (but I hope to inspire them through my actions). I have to figure out the way to move forward, because the boys can’t lead me where I need to go.

I haven’t weighed; I won’t weigh. Oh man, it’s killing me. But, I want to take these next five weeks to really test myself in this respect. I have to get past the “diet” mentality. I stopped counting calories, too. I’m just living the way that I think I am supposed to live. It seems like such a monumental thing to let go of the tracking, logging, measuring, and weighing. I DON’T think giving up logging and tracking is for everybody. I think it is for ME, because I’m obsessed with it, and that can’t be good. I hope I can stick to this part of my commitment. 

Den's Update

I didn’t update last week. Boo on me. Frankly, I’ve been a bit of butt. I am half-butting this weight-loss lately, and I know that I am. I let little things dissuade me from keeping on track. I think that if I have done well for a day or two, I am somehow entitled to a “day off.” That is old diet thinking right there. I have a list of excuses a mile long! I have evaluated those excuses and decided that while some are truly valid reasons for not exercising, they fall apart in regards to eating. I don’t have a single good excuse as to why I should eat poorly!

Anyway, I am making some really radical changes right now. Not just with weight-loss, but with how I run my life. I’m organizing better for Colton’s schooling, I am writing again (trying for a couple of hours a day), and I am going to try and get my previous year’s taxes done (so I can do the current ones!). I have started the project, but it’s overwhelming as 2010 was a rough year for us, and the taxes are pretty messy. But, I have started! Anyway, all of this is my attempt to forego the excuses that I love to make.

I have also decided to not live for my scale. When I gain, I have an excuse to eat; when I lose, I have an excuse to eat. I have decided not to weigh again until May 16th. Yes, May 16^th. It is the deadline I have placed upon myself for some other things, so why not weigh-in on that day as well. If I do well, stick to my plans, and focus, I should be solidly in the 220s by that date. We will see, but no more excuses about eating better. My posts until then will focus on my eating, exercise, and my goals for each week.

Numbers Update Kori

My numbers are beautiful!!!! My triglycerides are down by 150 points and I am within 5 points of normal. My good cholesterol is up and my bad is down, also within in normal. My liver enzymes are good. It was an all around very encouraging visit. WOOHOO!!!!
Now that's incentive to keep going for sure.

Kori's weigh in

I lost 2.8 pounds this week so that brings me to a total of 35 pounds lost. I feel great. I know that I still have a lot of weight to lose and I am trying to really look at the long term of it all. I bought myself some new clothes, a size smaller and if I hit 40 pounds before I go to Nevada, I am going to get my self 2 Coach purses at the outlet instead of 1. I am happy to have some weight off before we go to the Grand Canyon so I can move around while I am there and not feel like I am dying. :) I have met all of my first month goals with my health counselor and I am well on my way to my three month goals. I still battle with stress and lack of sleep but it's better and I know better how to control it. I know we each have our time where it goes really well and those times where we struggle, I am trying to equip myself with as much knowledge and strength as I can to get through the struggles.
Looking forward to the next chapters in life.........

Updates: Week 10 (Den)

I’m skipping my weigh in because I don’t think it is as accurate as it could be. Unfortunately, we decided to have pizza, blue cheese salads, and milkshakes…A LOT OF FOOD.  Yeah, eat til you almost pop amounts of food; a miserable amount of food. My rings are so tight from the water retention that I may need them cut off!  Ok, not that bad, but still! Very bad decision on my part, I know – especially right before weigh day.

Oddly enough, I had an alright week. Some days I was pretty good, some days not so great. Obviously yesterday qualifies as “not so great.” Point is, I don’t want to weigh and make myself feel bad for a few pounds of water weight, so this is a strategic decision on my part. I might check in the middle of the week, but if I check Saturday morning, knowing I weigh more, and then I’ll give myself license to eat all weekend. This way, I wonder about it all weekend, but don’t have the excuse that I often use to blow an entire weekend on eating junk food.

I’m just not gonna play into that scale-anoia this week. It’ll just about kill me to not weigh. I’m scale junkie. There is a gal on my internet diet board that switched to weighing once every two weeks, and I that might be something I would like to try. I don’t know if this no-weigh will help or hurt me, but I’ll let you know next post. 

Den's updates

Man, have I been slacking! I feel pretty motivated this week, though. I lost a half pound last week, but found it this week, so I've got nada...and after a weekend of pizza and muffins, I probably have a gain to contend with at this point.

I did start my period, which is helpful because I've been having a lot of problems with my "parts." I thought it was my back, but when my back never improved, I realized I was likely dealing with PCOS again, and that I probably have an ovarian cyst that is twisting and making trouble for me. My last go around with a badly cystic ovary was a couple of years ago and it took months for the pain to subside. In the meantime, though, I'm stressed and worried because I have not been to the doctor to confirm my self-diagnosis. So, I don't sleep well, I have an incredible amount of tension in my body, and I'm mentally fatigued.

I'm using pain as an excuse to blow my diet. I mean -- really -- how does overeating and not exercising improve my pain situation? It doesn't. So, pain -- although real -- is not a valid excuse to quit eating healthy (it may be a valid excuse not to exercise). It doesn't make sense to eat poorly because I don't feel well.

I've tried to get out of the house more this week. I planted the garden, I weeded, I painted the house. Anything to keep my mind off of the ache in my abdomen. I believe that I am feeling a bit better. I was reading Exodus early this past week, and I paused on a portion of 15:26 where it says that God heals. He was saying that He heals the Hebrews who follow Him, but I think He's capable of healing us still. I'm gonna cling to that this week. I'll try to be a mustard seed this week. I will try.

Saturday Weigh In (Kori)

My weight stayed the same this week. I am expecting to start my period any minute and I am cranky and bloated. It has been a busy week with meals later than usual. It's funny how even though we know what we need to do to keep on top of things, we let stress and lack of time take over. I have been better about my time management but sometimes your week just presents more things than you had planned. That was this week for me. I feel good that I did not gain. I have spent today trying to regroup and do some meal planning. I am optomistic.

Weigh In (Kori)

I lost three pounds this week so I am at 32.2 I think, maybe 32.8, it's written down upstairs. I feel good, my cleanse went well. I did not lose a large amount but I really feel energized and healthy. My stomache is much flatter :)  I look forward to my test results when they come back at the end of the month. I have met my first month goals with my health counselor. Now I am looking to firm up this month before I head to Las Vegas with my husband on the 30th. It will be nice to have some downtime together. Have a good week. Den, feel better and take care of yourself.