Fat Friday....or still fat and once again its Friday...

GAINED..... I hate that word...

In my little Weight Watchers book it says +0.6.....  I hate plus signs too.

Let's get this over with....

My Stats:

Started: 265.6

GAINED this week:  +0.6  :(

Weight Now: 229

Lost so far: 36.6

To be perfectly honest I did not count my points the second half of my WW week and I knew it was probably going to be a gain, I was actually a little relieved it wasn't worse!

So why when we know what we want...and know what we have to do to get what we want, do we often do the opposite?

For me what I want at the time seems more important than what I want in the long run. That is the simple answer. And sometimes the scale seems to move sooooo slowly... even when I am giving it 100%. I think I need to focus more on the Non-Scale Victories.

Like getting back into my wedding dress or wearing the jeans I wore in college again.

So I think that means the a list of goals and rewards (both small and big) is that much more important this week.

Last Sunday at church, someone offered to take me out to the salon, and to buy a new outfit, when I get to 50 pounds lost! My Aunt Jeanne was right, God will provide!

In the meantime, when I get to 40 pounds lost I am going to buy my self a new outfit for spring, I would probably be doing it anyway but won't let myself do it until I see -40 on the scale!

I still don't know what to do when I get to my ultimate goal, which is 190. At that point I will have lost 75 pounds....wow. I can't imagine how I let it get that far.... that I would NEED to lose that much weight.

So any ideas on an ultimate reward or celebration? I feel a new poll coming on.

And with two hours left to vote, the results are...... *drumroll please*

A two way tie!

Buy lots of new clothes -3

Get Pregnant- 3

hmm... you all do realize that these two things don't really go well together, right?  I mean, if I were to get pregnant I would certainly buy some new maternity clothes.. but the fact that they are 90% elastic just makes me want to eat some cookies. mmmm.... cookies.....

Midnight Madness.... 25% off the sleep you thought you'd get !!!

It is almost 1am.....

My throat is sore,

my nose is stuffy,

my toes are numb.....

Yes I have slippers on mom.

Let's Review: 45 minutes ago...I laid down in bed and got comfy.... DING DONG!!!

got a text...

wrote back,,,,

laid down...got comfy cozy....  DING DONG!!!

k...  text back with response that requires NO further response.....

Laid down, snuggle up with Tom.... super comfy....  *contented sigh*

Cue the screaming baby.... *frustrated sigh*

I move around to make Tom aware of the baby situation since he dozed off...

It works and he says "He just needs a pacifier.... I'll go..."

but he does not move ...

so I say " I got it"

He says "no I'll go"....... again very minimal movement..

I know now he is playing the same game I am so I give up and go.

Baby is settled... back in bed.. comfy... drifting to sleep...

Cue the second round of crying from the same disgruntled baby....

Fine.... don't bother hard working husband this time. Go to make a bottle.

And that is when I decided this would be the perfect time for a post about why I picked the name "Mommy @ Midnight".

PS. I typed this all with one finger! Mommy Multitasking :)

Scwitchy???

I love Kidism's ..... these incredibly funny, weird, nonsense things my kids say daily.

For example...

Isabella is running through the house the other day yelling at her brother. "Get back here you scwitchy!!"

Scwitchy.....??? This could be spelled incorrectly, I could not find it in the dictionary and my spell check is currently suggesting , Twitchy, Switch, Scratchy, or Switchgear. 

Being the concerned, attentive parent that I am.... ahem..... I stopped her and asked nicely 

"what did you call Tommy?". 

I have to ask in a sweet, non-threatening voice or she thinks she is in trouble and suddenly she is stricken with amnesia.

"Um..... a Scwitchy??" she shrugs.

"Oh... and what does that mean?" I ask.

"Its kind of like an Electric Squirrel." she says (Very matter-of-fact) as she runs away.

*crickets chirping*

Needless to say "Kidism's" will now have there very own category.

Thank you Isabella...

Kidism's.... just one of the many perks of preschoolers!

My Husband, my Hero!

Right now I really am the mommy @ midnight! Tom got home late and helped me give my blog a face lift! I was trying to do it by myself but I was stuck.... however I believe I have gained a new found empathy for those who have found themselves stranded in a forgein land where no one speaks a word of english. Computers are beyond me, I'm lucky if I can turn it on by myself. I feel accomplished when I succesfully upload pictures to Sam's Club!

In conclusion... I just wanted to give public thanks to my incredible husband.... He really does do it all folks...

 

 

See!?  Love you Baby!

Fat Friday or "Adventures in Houlihan Land"

Yesterday was "weigh-in day". It was also my meeting leaders last day. She has been my leader since I started in July and next week we will have someone new.... weird, sad... but maybe change will be good. Either way I have now "friended" my old leader on Facebook, so I will probably actually talk to her more often.

I am disturbed by the fact that Facebook IS the majority of my social life but that is a whole nother blog post....

Anyway down to the nitty gritty, My Stats:

Started: 265.6

Lost this week: 1.6

Weight Now: 228.4

Lost so far: 37.2

So I have broken through my "yo-yo" cycle and am at my lowest weight again! This is good for me because now when I lose I FEEL like I'm losing! Not like I'm just working to get back to where I was a few weeks ago.

Now about eating out and dieting.... where to begin?

First I have to say that I think that Weight Watchers makes it easier to eat out than any other diet I know of.

If you don't know about it, they give you a number according to your height, age, weight, gender, activity level (before exercise), mine is 33, it started out at 37 but I have lost weight so it has gone down.

This is your points target, all foods have a points value, and basically when you eat it is like balancing a check book, you are trying to break even everyday. And if you do you should lose weight.

Also every week you get 35 "bonus points" you can take 'em or leave 'em, eat them all at one meal or have five every day, its up to you.

If you want to try to lose more that week then you try not to use them. If you have a party to go to you save them and use them that day. Get it? Not hard right?

When I cook at home I can make small substitutes in recipes that make a big difference in there points value.

Like margarine for butter, or reduce fat cheese instead of whole.

Not so at restaurants.... sure I can get low fat dressing on a salad, or not eat the rolls. But over all I am constantly shocked at how many points things are. Last night we went to Houlihan's and the appetizer we got was 56 points!!!!!  Granted it is meant to be shared but two people could easily eat it. My teeny tiny piece of Cappuccino Cake was 14 points! Worth every bite..... but still..... Even my salmon and asparagus entree was 13 points, probably because of butter and whatever they used to season the asparagus with.

My basic point in all of this is that what you eat at a restaurant is not the same as what you would be eating at home even if you make the exact same thing! That is the major problem with our country and weight in general I think.

Last week we were told at our meeting that the average American eats out 8 times a week! I can barely make good choices going out once or twice a week, and I am REALLY TRYING. No wonder so many people are overweight now. We have forgotten how to cook for ourselves and we are letting people feed us everyday without ever stopping to ask what exactly we are eating!

Well this is totally not what I set out to say! Next week I want to make a list of goals and reward (at my Aunts suggestion!) to keep me motivated. My next big goal is reaching the 40 pounds lost mark so that will be my first little reward, any suggestions?

Oh and there is an unfortunate picture of me from last night, but I can't get it to upload. Anyway its not a good sweater to show off my weight loss but I was trying to herd three whiny kids out the door and I didn't have time to be picky. Hopefully I can get a better one next week.

Fat Friday

Since July I've been doing Weight Watchers. Most people who know me are well aware of this because I find that it motivates me to keep going when I know that people are watching.

So here are my stats so far:

July 23rd: Started WW> 265.6 pounds (OH LORD did I really just tell you that!? If it makes any difference I was barely one month postpartum...)

Feb 18th: 39 weeks in > 230.0  pounds--- Down -35.6!

I have been fighting the same 5 pounds since New Year's and have finally gotten past it! It feels so good to be moving (consistantly) in the right direction again. My ultimate goal is 180-190. Once I get there I will probably re-evaluate how I look and feel and see if I want to try and lose more. For my height they say the maximum healthy weight is around 175. I have NEVER weighed 175 in my adult life! But who knows. I have been overweight since third grade so maybe my perception is just off.

So 35 pounds down,  about 20 inchs over all. And from a size 22 to a size 18 (which is getting big!)

I still have a long way to go but I know that I'll never have to do it again! This will be the last diet I ever go on, because I won't gain this weight back.

I can't.

The way I was living before was pathetic. I couldn't go up and down the stairs without getting winded! I never wanted to do anything. I was constantly tired. cranky. angry.

My kids, my husband, and of course myself all deserve better.

So since my weigh-in days are Thursdays (and might be changing to Friday) I'm going to try to write about diet and weight loss every Friday!

Last but not least, my favorite part, the Before and After photos! Here is my progress so far...

This is me at the end of June 2009. The top is on my 26th birthday, 10 days after Daniel was born.

 These were taken around the end of September, down 15 pounds. (250 lbs.)

 

Beginning of November (238ish)

end of November (234)

I will get a current picture for next Friday!

Love...

So once again it is February 14th, Valentines Day... a day all about love (and greeting cards, and fancy dinners, and chocolates...)

So what is Love?

Love. ( according to Websters Dictionary)

Function: noun

Middle English, from Old English lufu; akin to Old High German luba love, Old English lēof dear, Latin lubēre, libēre to please

Date: before 12th century

(1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (maternal love for a child)   

(2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers

(3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests (love for his old schoolmates)

Not very inspiring huh? I like Gods definition much better.

Love (according to God):

  

1 Corinthians 13

. 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing..

So anything you can do, give, or be is meaningless and purposeless if you do not have love in your heart.

 

Love is patient, love is kind

 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud

 

It is not rude, it is not self‑seeking

 

it is not easily angered

 

it keeps no record of wrongs

 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

 

It always protects, always trusts

 

always hopes, always perseveres. 

 

 Love never Fails.

I can't love this way all the time, or even most of the time, but God can and does.

And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.1 John 4:16

 Happy Valentine's Day!