We Can Do It!

If I can do it, all y'all can. No kidding. According to the doctor's office, I've actually gained weight, but I'm losing inches in all the right places (not counting my eroding derriere) and building muscle. He told me he'd rather see me put on four or five pounds of muscle than simply lose 20 pounds. So, take it from me, Mistress Refuse to Give Up Chocolate or Drink Diet Pop, if I can improve my health, you can too!

Now, I've posted twice (a minor miracle) and it's been almost a month since my last one with no one else posting updates in between. Time for the rest of you to 'fess up or shout out in celebration!

I'll be watching!

Cooler Weather and Cold Weather Exercise Prep

Now that the weather is cooler, I'm finding it easier than ever to walk. I walk to my workstudy job and back instead of taking the bus. Unless I've forgotten my umbrella and it's pouring. And since I know it's only going to get colder (tis lovely Iowa winter soon upon me), I have been checking into finding ways to walk even when it's crappy out. For starters, trying to kill two birds with one stone (stopping smoking and weight loss), I now make stair laps between classes instead of going out to smoke. I get four ten minute breaks, not counting my lunch break, and I do as many trips up and down the stairs as I can without being late to class between. I've also decided to join the local mall mile club. There's all kinds of cool prizes and free stuff for joining, it's free, they keep track of my progress, it's inside, and it all goes on during times when the stores aren't open so I can't shop. You can even go while it's open for business, so long as one of the Club supervisors goes along to make sure you aren't just shopping. They're available nearly everyday during a variety of hours. Between that and my stair routine at school, I think this is a great winter weather plan. I know many malls offer such clubs free, so it could be worth some of you other Shrinking Yay Yays checking into.

Lets get the party rollin

I think we should all get hyped up about losing again. I know it's fall, and most people go into a shut down/depression kind of mode. Well...lets not let that happen ladies.

I had been struggling with exercise issues. I have such bad knees and ankles, and problems with my back, and hips. That it hurts to the point of crying to exercise. When I went to Texas we did tons of water aerobics. And that is zero impact, but I could tell I was losing weight. Well...back home there is no water aerobics. So...I've been trying to walk, but haven't been overly successful. I also started doing my mothers exercise for arthritics tape. But that didn't do much of anything for me. So...I dig around in my video tapes, and find my Richard Simmons-Dance your Pants off tape. I used to do this tape every day 5 days a week with a friend before I gained another 100lbs. Anywhoo. I decided that I could do some of the stuff. So...this morning, I put it in, and stand up to do the first routine, trying my best to do all the movements. Than I sat in a chair and continued to march my feet and do all the arm movements to 3 other songs (his songs aren't short people) And boy did I keep my heart rate up, and I was a sweatin fool. I thought if I could do that all week. Then my goal for next week is to stand for two of the songs, and do a total of 5 all together, and up it accordingly. I can tell you that I felt the endorphines moving. I felt down, and "why the hell try" attitude when I started, but boy oh boy was I fired up and feeling good afterwords. Now of course my legs are all like jello and wobbly, But that will only get better with time.

COME ON LADIES WE CAME HERE TO CHEER EACH OTHER ON, AND TO DO OUR BEST. GET BACK ON THE PARTY WAGON AND LETS GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Slackerrrrrr!!!

Well, I have no excuses for myself. It's not that I've been busy, I'm just very negligent (did I spell that right?). Anyway, I started out at 276 and went down to 256. That's 20 pounds people!!! But I don't feel any lighter and my clothes certainly disagree I lost that much. Now for about 2 months, I have maintained my 256 and I've gone up a few pounds and down a few pounds. Never lower than 256... I'm SO ready to hit 249, so cheer me on gals. Today I'm on vitamins (which I believe will help alot since I'm deficient in so many of them) and I have a goal of 5,000 steps a day (which sounds hard, but really I should be doing more than that!) and a goal of drinking 10 glasses of water a day. Do you think I can do it? I've been shopping alot more lately (trying to get in touch with my feminine side) and I realized I LOVE clothes. Just not the ones I can fit into! (Did you notice there's a crap-load of these parentheses in my post today?). And due to that, I'm more determined than ever to work my hardest to fit into those clothes. I'm tired of sacrificing style for what fits.... I think ya'll can relate.

Anyway I'm sorry that I contributed to the slowing of the posts and as of today, I will be posting regularly. C'mon girls, let's get back into this!!!

A Cutting Issue

I'm not sure if this is just for people as large as me, but I'm having issues with the waists of my pants cutting into me. I've lost a few pounds, more inches than weight, but while I feel and notice it in my thighs and hips, my waist is still being dug into by my pants. Part of it is how short torso'd I am. There just isn't that much space between my chest and my waist. But, if I buy petite length pants, they're too short. I generally hunt around for those hip-hugger type pants, simply because they don't cut into my gut so much. I also wonder if there isn't something to it just from being older or from having my hysterectomy a few years ago. I'm just wondering if anyone else has this issue and what solutions you've found? Does it go away somewhat the more weight that comes off?

Curves

Well, what can get a girl off her butt and exercise more than something FREE! We went to a parish picnic Saturday and I won 2 free months at Curves. I'm going to wait until my week long trip to Chicago is over then start..that will be the first week in October. Has anyone tried Curves before??

Campus Dieting 2

So, I'm still agonizing almost daily over what to eat on campus, but I've discovered a cute little eatery about two block's walk away, which gives me exercise before and after the meal, and offers really good healthy food. I only allow myself to eat there once a week, though to save $$. But, I'm trying to recreate some of there stuff at home. Things such as cold soups. I'm not sure how I missed these growing up, but I got a mini pita sandwich with grilled chicken, lettuce, radish, and other yummy veggies; a cup of cold cucmber soup; and a mini cup of strawberry soup the other day for like $4 and my drink (green tea) was free with the meal. They even sweetened it with some truly delicious cinnamon honey. I loved it. Now, my only problem is finding recipes and figuring out how to make these cold soups. They have a whole list of them. Some sound gross, but others sound really good. Any ideas? Or does this sound like 'not dieting'? I've lost two pounds since classes started and I'm starting to feel a slight loosening of my clothes. I think I'm off to a great start. What do you guys think? About the soups and all of it.

stall...

I seem to have stalled in the "diet". We're getting ready to redo the kitchen which will mean eating out for a while..then YAHOO. I'll be all set w/ no excuse to eat right and cook good!

This weekend I did get tons of exercise. That was a good thing.