My Journey Through Life

We went out for a walk...ended up to be somewhat of a nature walk...we saw several interesting beetles and a couple milkweed caterpillars...they are the ones that turn into Monarch butterflies! We even saw a couple of snails on milkweed plants...it seemed like an odd place for a snail. The sky was a clear, cloudless blue and the temperature was perfect! What a blessing it was to spend a day with my beloved husband enjoying God's creations!!

It is a beautiful Fall-like day! I want to get out and take a walk and enjoy the wonderful temperature and sunshine! I can see that with continued use, I may actually be able to go a day without washing...or cleansing my hair. I may try it the next time I am out of town. I have been washing my hair every day since...well...since forever. The only time I can remember not washing my hair is if I was sick or in the hospital. I think the Wen does balance my hair so it isn't dry or oily feeling...and I can't get over the way it makes my scalp feel....tingly and clean! Have a wonderful day!

Did very well with my eating habits today...also worked out this evening, even though I couldn't watch the Yankees on the exercise room TV...it has a different cable set up so no MLB Network....got to see them lose though... :-( At least the Phillies won and are still in first place!! On the Wen watch...it truly does bring out the natural wave in my hair! I wouldn't have believed it, but it is true!!! I still don't feel like I can go without cleansing my hair every day, but maybe eventually I will see that benefit. Nice day today, very fall like...time for bed.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Used the Wen deep conditioner last night. It is actually called the ReMoist Intensive Hair Repair Mask. I left it in for almost two hours and my hair was so soft when I was done. Still a little wet when I went to bed, this morning it really did have more wave and was very soft! If you are thinking about trying Wen, I recommend it! I know I am only three days into using it, but so far, my hair looks and feels better!

Today was the second day that I used the Wen cleansing conditioner. I just love the smell of it and the way it makes my scalp feel! It really does bring out the natural wave that my hair has! As far as weight loss...I guess I am on a good track. I see that Monday will be 39 weeks since I started this project and I have lost about 42 pounds. If I lose 18 more pounds, I will be in the normal range for BMI!!! I haven't been doing as well lately with tracking my food and between meal eating, but I am getting back on track before I fall off! Weigh in is tomorrow!! Hoping for a loss!! Can't go without saying something about 9-11....thinking about where I was that day, what I was doing...how it felt...so sad, but so thankful that there haven't been anymore days like that! God Bless America!

It is seldom that I try a new beauty product that impresses me enough that I want to tell people about it...today I did! After months of deliberation, I finally decided to try the Wen hair cleansing system. I received it this week and tried it for the first time today. I know that it is too soon to see all the benefits that they claim, but for one day, I am impressed. First off, it doesn't lather, I was afraid that my hair wouldn't feel clean...but it does! The product gave my head a wonderful tingling feeling, long after it was rinsed out and starting to dry. My hair is soft and shiny and I am sure that will improve even more with constant use. The other thing that really took me by surprise was when I got in my car and closed the door. I smelled this wonderful smell and realized that it was my hair...once I was closed in a small place, the scent was very evident to me. It wasn't overpowering, just really nice! The product is more expensive than my usual hair care pro

The summer has been so busy with work and the family reunion. I spent time planning the reunion, thought that when it was over I would have extra time but somehow that didn't happen. Here we are a week away from Labor Day...wow, where did the summer go? I am still doing well with my healthy eating, although I have been snacking more that I should, but I haven't gained weight...I will post my results for this week on Sunday. I need to do weigh in, and measure to see my results. I still want to lose about 20 pounds, after that, I will work to maintain and if I lose more that will be cool! See you Sunday!

Tomorrow will be 32 weeks since I started this project. I am proud to say that I have lost 40 pounds as of today!! I am far ahead of schedule with my 50 pounds in 50weeks challenge! I really want to lose 18 more pounds to get to my goal. I haven't hit any plateaus and am still losing about a pound a week. Next week is our family reunion so I am sure it will be an overeating weekend. Even on weeks that I have a 'bad' day, I still either lose a pound or stay the same. I guess it is cause I keep up with my workouts. It feels so great to be only 18 pounds away from my goal, the charts all say that I should be another 10-20 pounds less than that, but I know that I look and feel better at 160 so that is what I am aiming for. Once I hit it, I will work to maintain it and if I lose more, great! Sad week, a friend who I haven't seen in forever lost her husband to cancer. It just made me so sad to think of how we have lost touch. I am meeting her and another friend for dinne

Tomorrow will be 24 weeks since I started this challenge! That means that the following Monday, June 7th will be the half-way point. I started out on December 14 with the 50 pounds in 50 weeks challenge. I have not kept up with posts like I did at the start...I will try to get better at that. I have made such progress and I feel great! Every week I am afraid that I will not lose or that I will gain and I haven't had a gaining week since I started. I lost another pound this week! It is getting harder right now. I want to snack more, but I am conditioned to not snack all the time. My problem is that I have been craving carbs and when I eat them, even if I don't eat too many, it adds the calories up faster, then I still feel hungry and don't have any calories to eat! I have to start eating only good carbs for snacks...carrots, apples...I can do it! I am still losing, keeping up the workouts. I am more than half way to my goal in half the time! I also think it is time to

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I missed a week of posting my weight loss! Well, now I am up to half way to my actual goal, not just the 50 pounds in 50 weeks. I was sick last Saturday, but I lost 2 pounds, lost another pound this week!! As long as I eat the amount of calories Sparkpeople tells me to eat and burn the amount of calories it tells me to eat, I lose weight. I don't have to kill myself with exercise in order to see results and I don't have to starve myself. People won't recognize me at the reunion in July, I will look so different from last year! I wish I could get a life-sized cut out of a picture of me from last year to bring along. Looking forward to another good week and some time off next weekend!!

Okay, so my actual goal it a little higher than the goal on this blog, but my whole idea was 50 pounds in 50 weeks so here we are....tomorrow will be 17 weeks and I am half way to my goal!!! I only lost 1 pound in the previous two weeks, so this past week I decreased my workout time and voila! 2 pounds down in one week!! I got advice that if anything, I needed to increase my workouts...I knew from what Sparkpeople was telling me and from the amount of calories I was eating that I needed to increase my calories or decrease my workouts. I adjusted the number of minutes that I am working out so it will adjust my alloted calories up a little. 2 pounds a week is great progress, I wouldn't want to lose any more than that (okay, I'd be thrilled if I lost 5 pounds in a week, but I think that is too fast!) I am very happy with my progress...I have lost 25 pounds! I was watching a woman on Oprah the other day talking about how she was so obsessed with other people noticing her weight

Weigh in day is tomorrow and I am sure hoping for a loss. Last week I was feeling bloated and 'gassy'..I think that is a term my mother would use...it sounds funny, but if you have ever felt that way, you know what I mean!! This week I feel much better so a loss would be great! I had a few days last week when I just wanted to eat everything...not feeling that way this week. I even bought some cookies for my mom and didn't eat any when she offered them!! Made a good low calorie supper tonight with lots of veggies...YUM! Still feel like eating and I have some calories left over, so I better get a snack in before it gets too late. I know that eating late doesn't cause you to gain weight, but it effects digestion and I don't need that! Happy Easter!

One of my goals is that when I have lost 28 pounds, I will start doing the P90X workouts. I bought the set of DVD's two years ago and was just too heavy and out of shape to do them. I tried, but it was too much for me to sustain. Now I am 6 pounds away from meeting my goal so I started looking at the program last night...specifically the eating plan. I did all the figuring and it came out that I should eat 2400 calories a day when doing the workout. I can't imagine that is correct, I am sure that with the job that I have...spending much of my time in a car or sitting in meetings, that will be too much. Right now I eat between 1300 and 1500 calories a day, burn around 1100 calories in my workouts and I lose 1-2 pounds a week. I wonder if that calculation is based on maintaining weight and building endurance and muscle....who knows? I will have to research it further. The other thing is that I don't know if I will do the P90X every day, or if I will do other workouts, li

Last night I went to visit a good friend of mine. She used to be a huge American Idol fan and she asked me if I saw David Cook on the show the other night. We talked about his performance and I asked her who she thought was going to win. She told me her pick, and I told her that I didn't agree. Then she told me that was only really based on looks cause she wasn't watching the show this year so she hadn't seen any of them perform. I asked her why and she said it was 'because of Ellen'. I asked her if that was because she doesn't like Ellen, or because of Ellen's lifestyle. She told me that it was the latter. She went on to tell me that someone from her church told her that she shouldn't support the show because of Ellen being on it and that the only reason she got the job was because of her sexual orientation. She also said that she made the decision herself, she didn't just listen to what the people told her, she thought about it and decided tha

Now seems like a good time to go back and look at my goals to see how I am doing. The last set of short term goals I set were these: 1. Eat a more balanced diet (less carbs, more protein and...silly as it sounds...more fat) 2. Stick to between 1300 and 1400 calories a day 3. No Lattes for a week... put $2.00 in my goal jar for every day I don't drink a Latte How have I done? 1. I really make an effort to eat protein with each meal...sometimes that is a handfull of nuts...I added them to a salad the other day and it was very good 2. Doing well here, I seldom go below 1300 and although I do go over 1400 some days, I rarly go above 1500, my top end goal is 1560 so I am eating a good amount of food 3. I have had one or two non-fat lattes since I started this goal...just like diet soda, the less I have them, the less I want them. I will review my other goals tomorrow!

It has been 13 weeks since I started this challenge to myself...here I am down 20 pounds...that is better than a pound a week!!! I started losing even before New Years Day!! I feel so much better...today had two bonuses 1. I hit the 20 pound lost mark 2. SOMEONE NOTICED THAT I HAVE LOST WEIGHT!!!! Wow, what a feeling. I was at work, spent some time talking to a woman who I don't see very often and when there was no one else around she said "you're doing good losing weight...I was checking it out.. you look good" I thanked her and told her how much it meant to me to have her say it. She is heavy, also and I think that those of us in that club really want to make sure that we recognize each other for our successes. It made my day! I have a meeting on Thursday and I am hoping that I can find one of my smaller skirts that fits so I can wear it...what a great feeling that will be! I am already fitting into some of my smaller clothes. My big pants are fairly new so I am

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Wow, two months down for the year and I stand at total of 17 pounds lost!! Soon I will break that awful number and my weight will start with a '1' again!!!! I long for the day!! LOL Today is the last day of our little 'staycation'. We were going to go away, but the weather has been too unpredictable so we are just taking it day by day. I have truly made this healthy lifestyle a habit, but I have to keep thinking of it and working to not back slide again...I know how easy that is. Yesterday we took my sister in law out for breakfast to celebrate her birthday...it is amazing how you can make it through situations that once seemed like 'traps'. I ordered ham steak, a dry bagel and egg beaters. I divided the eggs in half and topped half the bagel with the fat free cream cheese and no sugar added jelly that I brought with me. My sodium was high for the day, but the calories ended up being only what I would have eaten if I was home. I felt wonderful about it...ju

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So I started this little project 8 weeks ago, which must mean that there are 42 more weeks (294 days) to go! My final weight loss goal is more than the tracker here shows, but my goal was 50 pounds in 50 weeks. I actually need to lose a total of 58 pounds and 12 of those are already gone. Hopefully I can reach my final goal within the 50 weeks! I am still doing very well, had a good day today, watched my calories and was successful even with the holiday! Keeping my fingers crossed that I can show another loss tomorrow morning!!

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Just looked out the back door again and yes, it is still snowing...again... I had to change my whole schedule for the week due to the snow last week and had to cancel a meeting cause of the snow this week. I know it will all work out, but it is frustrating. Shouldn't be since there is nothing to do about it. I need to just relax and watch the pretty snow fall! I knew I needed to stop and get new windshield wipers, I was on my way home thinking, I am going to stop and get new wipers and minutes later, one of them popped off and just started hanging there! Okay, I guess they really wanted to be replaced! Now I have a brand new pair of nice RainX wipers. They were expensive, but I feel like I go through them so fast when I buy the cheap ones, it was time to buy good ones and see if they last any better. I decided on some new goals for myself starting this week. 1. Balance my diet...less carbs, more protein and fat to hit the right rations and keep losing weight 2.Stick to 1300 to

I guess you can't really tell by this picture, but I have lost 11 pounds! I was hoping that if I put on the same clothes, it would really show, but it doesn't. Although you can see how the sweater doesn't gap open at the bottom anymore! The good thing for me is that I have a better perception of how I look...I don't see this fat chick when I look in the mirror! I have always seen a fat chick when I look down at myself or look in the mirror! Hopefully at the next milestone, the picture will show a bigger difference! I am still going strong, not going to give up just cause the photo doesn't show it!

Today marks my one month anniversary for being back on track with Sparkpeople and my 49 day on this blog challenge. I lost three pounds! I feel great, eat good food and exercise regularly, but I don't over do it! I look forward to another good week. I am not falling into that trap of 'treating myself' on weigh in days, I have to eat as healthy today as I did every other day. I don't want to eat anything that will impede my weight loss and good health!

I had to look back over my posts to see when I actully start this 50 month project. As I see it, 48 days is about 1.5 months so this is where I stand...I am doing great! I have lost 8 pounds and am exercising on a regular basis. I have commited to 10 minutes a day, but do 30 most days. I am eating a healthy diet and staying within my calorie range every day! My DH has also come along on the journey with me, which is an added benefit! Tomorrow is weigh-in, hoping for a loss!

Finally got up the nerve to get on the Wii and have the little voice tell me I am obese. Not what you want to hear first thing in the morning, but I knew it before he told me anyway. The good new is that I am down two more pounds and my BMI is lower than it was the last time I used the Wii...which was a very long time ago. Gotta keep up the good work...drinking water and cut back a little more on calories. I also really need to cut the sodium...it is just too high. Another good week is starting!!

I don't really care who wins the Super Bowl...we will probably root for the Saints just cause my DH hates the Colts so much. My sister will be rooting for the Colts, she is a Giants fan, but likes Payton. I only started watching Football a few years ago and if it isn't the Eagles, I don't really care...well, if it is the Ravens, I root for them since they are one of my DH's teams! Weigh in is tomorrow...I am anxious cause I feel like I have had a great week. Kept my calories in check...drank lots of water, exercised enough, drank on can of diet soda all week!! See you 2morrow for the results!

I am really concentrating on the cardio...I just need to get this weight off so I can move better. I know I have to start strength training so these are my goals: When I have lost 12 more pounds, I will start more intense strength training When I have lost 22 more pounds (10 pounds after the first goal) I will start the P90X routine. I know people do P90X when they are overweight, but some of the moves are just impossible for me at this point. Waiting till I get more weight off will eliminate that problem as well as help me to avoid a possible plateau that I usually hit at that point! Missy

Today my husband gave me an early Valentine gift...he started on a healthy eating program! I have been doing pretty well for the past couple weeks and now we are on the journey together! It is so much easier to do it when you have a partner! I went to the gym today, then stopped at the grocery store and stocked up on Weight Watchers dinners. DH is going to be eating what his diet plan says to eat, so I figure I can make us salads and then we can each eat the meal we want. Soon Spring will be here, we will start walking and biking and our excess weight will come off!

Good weigh in...I lost two pounds! I forgot how easy it is to be healthy and lose weight when I really set my mind to it! I don't eat constantly anymore, when I do snack it is a healthy snack. I am getting my fruits and veggies, working out regularly and drinking lots of water! I know I still have a long way to go, but 6 pounds lost makes me very happy!

It has been a good week. Things are going well at work...I am achieving my goals of building my knowledge and understanding of things I don't usually deal with. I have been steadily decreasing my calorie intake to a reasonable healthy level. Water intake has been great and I am exercising on a regular basis! I am determined to cook more and eat fewer carryout and delivery meals...this will help both of us to get healthy! Tomorrow is weigh in day...I hope to see a loss!

I am still sticking to the plan and doing well. On Jeopardy last night they had a category "January". One of the clues was... January 14 is the day that people give up on their______...the question was "what is resolutions?" So today is January 13th and this isn't a resolution anymore. This is a change in the way I live. I still don't exactly enjoy working out, but I know that as I lose more weight, the workouts will be easier and I will enjoy them more. I have cut back on my calories and continue to improve by eating not only less food, but foods that are good for me. I made a late breakfast today, guess I will call it Brunch so that I don't eat any lunch. Too many calories for one meal, but I was full and don't feel like eating anything as I approach noon. Really want to get to the gym today, hope I can convince my DH to go along. BTW I lost another pound!!!!

I have had a great year so far! I have worked out most days of the new year, only skipped a couple. I have cut way back on my calorie intake, although I still have more work to do there. Now I just need to get motivated to take my Christmas tree down. The next thing is that I have to get my friend's wedding scrapbook done...I know she is anxious to have it. Too bad my pathetic Eagles didn't win last night, they looked bad! My DH is also a Raven's fan, so I will root for them for his sake. God Bless!

We got a couple more inches of snow overnight Thursday night. Had to change my work plans, but that was okay as it made it so I didn't have to be away overnight tonight. I didn't think a trip to the mountains of WV was a good idea! Had a productive day at work and had a good day as far as food goes. I woke up...yes, on my own, before the alarm about 6:30. After sweeping the snow off the sidewalk and my car, I walked 2 miles in 30 minutes with Leslie...I am so glad I can get my walking in without having to go out in the cold to do it! Nice hot oatmeal for breakfast. Lots of fruit and V8 juice for snacks. Easy Peasy, lemon squeezy...when you set your mind to it!!

I am continuing my streak of healthy eating days! So proud of myself! I knew I could do it. Snowing here tonight, the roads are a little slippery, ugh! I am sick of the winter already! No exercise today, had a long day at work, left the house at 7am and got home at 9:30pm! Too tired to write much...Night!

We have moved from good to great!! What a wonderful feeling to get to the end of a day and not feel like a failure in the healthy lifestyle department!! Was off work today, but I had a couple phone calls to make, got up late, but let my DH sleep while I took care of the calls. Cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, soup and salad for supper. Still need to incorporate more fruits and veggies, but I am doing so much better. We went to the gym, I was so happy that I got hubby to go along, it has been too long since he has been there! We both do better when we are on this journey together! 20 minutes on the treadmill, 10 on the elliptical, and I worked much harder at it than usual...kicking it up a notch!!! I stayed within my calorie range for the day, less than I thought it would be!!! It is so easy when your mind is set right! I went to the Dr to have him look at my arm, have been having muscle pain and soreness. He thinks it is tendinitis, prescribed an anti-inflammatory...see if tha

I frequently have a hard time sleeping through the night when I am in a hotel, the thing is that I stay in hotels an average of one night a week. Last night I was ready to go to bed and I had a headache, so I took some Tylenol PM hoping it would help me sleep through the night. 7.5 hours later, I just didn't want to get up. I guess I will have to cut back to one pill so that I can sleep through the night but still get up in the morning! After finally dragging myself out of the nice, warm bed at 6:10, I dressed and made my way to the workout room where I walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill. Shower, dress, downstairs to the car...OMG...it was so cold. I started the car and left it to warm up while I went back inside for breakfast. Anyone who has ever stayed at a Holiday Inn Express knows that they have a breakfast included with your night's stay. Their signature breakfast item is a cinnamon roll. Not the best cinnamon roll in the world, but it is good. It is sad that I th

Today was a day of challenges and I met them all head on!! It WAS easy!! Challenge one: Stopped at Starbucks: the espresso brownies called to me from behind their glass cage...but I resisted! Hot Green Tea...that was all. Soup for lunch with fat free crackers, an apple for a snack. Supper: Salmon, baked potato, salad with fat free dressing...for a veggie, the choices: Corn (that's not a veggie) and BRUSSELS SPROUTS! I don't like Brussels sprouts, but decided to order them anyway. They are so bitter! I choked a couple down, yum...vitamins!! Dinner roll, okay, the potato was small and I did so well all day! Challenge two: Dessert cart with 5 whole cakes and one whole pie. I didn't give in! I actually wasn't even tempted...I was in that wonderful place where I don't want to ruin a whole good day with one stupid slip up! I stayed within my calorie range, walked 30 minutes and feel good. I am tired from driving, so off to bed early so I can get up early and ge

It is a good morning...I got up and walked 30 minutes with Leslie...then weigh-in....three pounds gone...and over Christmas and New Year!!! Off to work, not much time to blog right now, but I was so happy about my weigh in...just had to share!

I am following the Sparkpeople website again...it is good to be back there. The January month has suggestions for every day. The one for the first of the year is to set three specific goals for the year so here they are: Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet within my healthy calorie range each day If there is an event that I eat too much, get right back on track immediatly Exercise for 30 minutes a day atleast five days a week I will re-evaluate these goals on a monthly basis to see if I am sticking to them or if I need to adjust them

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. As it comes to a close today, I feel pretty good about what I have done. I went to visit my mother and my only downfall was a couple small pieces of candy. When I go on trips, I always eat too much, it is one of my triggers to over-eating! Yesterday, I stopped for a sandwich on the way and for a sandwich on the way home. Ate a bag of baked chips and a couple granola bars. Even with the candy, I only went over my allowed calories by a couple...so I am feeling pretty good. It was probably about 500-700 calories less than I usually eat in a day, just by paying attention to what I am eating!!! DH might have to be working a double shift today, so I am going to try to get some work done...dishes, Christmas treed taken down...and I need to go to the gym today! I know I can be successful, with the help of my DH and all my wonderful friends on Sparkpeople, we will all succeed!!

I decided to make breakfast for my husband today...a lowfat quiche kind of a thing that we like...just came out of the oven! I am praying that the weather stays ok for me to travel up to visit my mom. It is a 3.5 hour trip, but I am afraid if I don't go see her now, the weather might make it that I can't go for another month! We have had snow and ice lately and I don't want to travel in it. I am back on track on Spark People...I know I will have success this year! God Bless!

I awake this January 1st with a great positive attitude! I am thankful for every day that I wake up and can share my life with my wonderful husband and fantastic family! I am thankful for the fact that although I haven't taken as good care of myself in the last couple years that I should have, I am still here. I have the opportunity to make the changes necessary to live a full, healthy, long life! I am also thankful that I can pick the sauerkraut off of the pork and don't have to eat it!! YUCK! Ate a good breakfast, just cereal and and orange. I am going to have a banana for a snack now cause we aren't eating for another hour or so and I am hungry now. I tried to do a Yoga routine on-demand, but it was a little advanced for me. I think I better start out with something easier till I get some of this weight off and can move more easily! I did a mile with Leslie and now I am off to shower and then peel potatoes. God Bless you and have a great day! as they say on the Yoga vide