A Few Surprizes ...

Alright, so this morning began the Fight the Fluff recharge. I woke up, did my usual things and then stepped on the scale. And the result... I did not lose and I did gain but only half a pound. For me that is a shock. I honestly felt as though I had gained back most of what I had lost based on how I felt, so this is a positive step in the right direction. But like I said, the loss count will begin here, so I am now at 0 loss again. Its ok, I know in my mind where I was and where I am at now. Now its off to get the girls an early lunch and head out to do some grocery shopping!

Off the Band Wagon... and Back on Again.

So over the last month and especially over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I fell off of the band wagon. Hard. But I will not give excuses or try and explain it all away. Nor will I sulk and give up. Tomorrow morning I will face the music and step on that scale again. If I have gained or stayed at the weight of the last weigh in, I will start the count over. However, if I have lost (which is highly unlikely) I will continue the weigh in process and add the loss to what I have previously posted.

In this recharge of the Fight of the Fluff there will be a few changes...

1. Weigh In - I will do a weigh in once a week. While I felt that doing a weigh in once a week might hinder my ability to lose, I think I used that as an excuse and a crutch instead of something positive. So now I will answer to the scale once a week and I really cant slack off.
2. Prioritize - This week I spent a lot of time getting a number of things done around the house and prioritizing what needs to get finished. I feel like I always failed because I never had enough time for me. I was always trying to clean or cook or keep up with the girls and when I got overwhelmed I would skip out on my obligations to myself. Never good. This time I have caught up, set priorities and will allow myself to have some time for me as well as time to work on projects that aren't the usual daily things. Knowing this makes me a happier and more driven person, which I am sure will help in the long run.
3. Blog - Keeping up with the blog... plain and simple. I wont allow myself to fall behind or keep from posting because its something I have a hard time sharing. The whole point is to share my thoughts and feelings as well as my successes and setbacks along this journey with those people I know well and have been my constant cheerleaders as well as a few strangers who might find something I have to say inspirational or just helpful.

As I have said before, this is going to be one heck of ride but I cant wait get moving again. Thanks again to all of you out there who have been so helpful and supportive. It means the world to me... and more.

Struggle #1

In this effort so far to fight the fluff, I have discovered something I struggle with. Consistency. Finding a pattern and thought process and sticking with it has been hard. One issue is the fact that I forget to eat. Yes, I forget to eat and by the time I remember to do so I am starving so I eat too fast and too much. Its horrible for the metabolism and I know its not helping me at all with the battle. The other is consistency with working out. When I started this, I was great at it! Walked at least 3 times a week if not more and did Pilates/Yoga at home as well. That has changed and I cant figure out why. I am still very motivated to lose but I am struggling with the challenges that life throws in front of my best laid plans. This week was illness. I think I need to figure out the best way to deal with the challenges that seem to keep being thrown in front of me.

As for the actual weight loss, I think I will need a reboot. Being scared of what this lack of consistency may have done to my actual weight loss, I havent stepped on the scale in weeks. Monday morning I will step back on and reboot this entire effort. I think I know where my issues are in the process and I just need a bit of time to correct them. Hopefully that can be done over the next few days! I guess we will find out, wont we?

Onward and downward (in the weight that is)!

Catching Up and Refocusing

Wow... while I haven't completely failed on this road to a new me, life has kept me from being as diligent about it as I would like. I have forgotten to write about it as well as do a weigh in every two weeks like promised. I havent been able to walk as often with Jen and her little ones as I would like to and I sometimes cheat about what I eat. The one good thing I have kept up with is the no soda policy. Dont get me wrong, I have ordered a few over the last month but never get more then a quarter of it down. The taste is too much. Now I am friends with water, tea and iced tea.

My very dear friend Mackenzie commented on my last post and something she said helped me refocus on what I want to accomplish. "Slow and Steady Wins the Race". While I know losing weight too quickly can cause you to gain it back again in the long run, its hard not to get impatient. For me that impatuience causes me to lose focus and sometimes creates frustration. That frustration usually gets the best of me and that's where I end up in limbo and often times fail. But her words have helped to drag me out of the funk I was finding myself in. I have now refocused. I will be patient. I will take it slow. I will lost the fluff. I will fight it. I will NOT fail.

Second Weigh In...

Wow... two weeks can slip by really fast. I know I need to write more, so I apologize. I have been prepping for Abby's 3rd Birthday and the errands and tasks involved consume my days. Things have been good though over the last two weeks. I have cheated a few times on the soda front, but due to the sinus headaches they were practically needed. I have also felt very challenged and a tad discouraged over the last week.

During one of our walks, a car full of older teenage boys drove past mooing and oinking at us. While weight has been a battle a good portion of my life, I have never had this happen to me. It was hard not to feel upset and completely discouraged. Its this type of behavior that causes so many who struggle with their weight to lose faith in the cause and give up. The world has its trends and issues and obesity is the newest target. The several reality shows and series I see out there dont help. Instead of shedding light on the struggles many go through when it comes to weight and offering ways to help, they seem to just make a mockery of the issue and create and even less healthy environment for those who do struggle and want to change. Obesity is a disease of addiction and can be just as debilitating as anorexia or bulimia. Luckily, little pathetic teenage boys wont stop me. I mean hey... I was out on a three mile walk and they were driving in a car that mommy and daddy bought. Ugh, I weep for the future. I wont say it didn't sting and make me want to cry but I certainly didn't rush home and eat a box full of sugar either. Which was great because today was weigh in!

So, drum roll please..... I am now at XXX.X pounds which means a loss of...

2.8 Pounds

For a total loss to date of...

6.9 Pounds

I hope this continues. That was not the 2 pounds per week I was hoping for but I was doing more yoga and Pilates at home this week due to a pinched nerve in my hip, so the muscle building may have slowed the actual scale loss. Oh well, I will take it. Ten to fifteen pounds generally produces a loss in clothing size and I am starting to see it! On to the next week and hopefully more loss!

First Weigh In

After being offline for 3 days, which was more then I could handle especially since I had a ton of things to do, I am back. This week has gone great! I could be better with what I eat, but I have definitly cut down on needless snacking and eating based on my mood. Unless I know I am actually hungry and need to eat, every time I feel the need to eat something or grab something sugary, I go clean something up or do another load of laundry. It helps. Although it doesnt help with the Monica Geller reputation I seem to have these days. Anyway... back to the task at hand.

It was weigh in time this morning! I dont think I explained it clearly, but because I started to become obsessive about numbers and over using the scale in my bathroom I have decided to do a weigh in once every two weeks. Between that time I am not allowed to use the scale. I think stressing about the numbers on the scale takes away from the actual weight loss effort. So, drum-roll please, after weigh in I have lost...

4.1 Pounds

That averages to 2.05 pounds per week, which is an excellent start! If I can keep this average up I will be at my weight goal within 64 weeks. Not bad! I feel great about myself right now. Now its off to get a bite to eat and then walk with Jen. Thanks Jen for being my walking support!

Issues with Posting

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I have been MIA! I have had some issues with the blog and being able to post. Its been a bit of a bummer for me, but now it seems as though things are back on line and I am ready to go! To catch up this last week had its ups and downs. The heat has put a major damper on some of my exercise routines and even working out indoors has had its issues. The weather looks to be changing now and will be bringing more bearable temperatures. So now we can get back into a better schedule of working out and walking with Jen. My next goal... a new pair of shoes! Mine are getting old and worn down, to the point of not having arch support, causing some major pain in my right foot. It hasn't stopped me, just slowed me a little in the distance I walk and my pace. A little rest and some new shoes will fix that. Looking forward to another great weekend and a wonderful week. My first weigh in is coming next Thursday! Fingers are crossed!

Catching Up...

Well the holiday weekend certainly kept us busy, but I did my best about being conscious of food and all that I should be at the moment. So here is a short breakdown of how the last four days have gone...

Thursday

Thursday I woke up at 5:30am, threw on my workout clothes (yes I own them), shoes and took Jack for a walk. This was a goal of mine and I met it. Jack is a tad hard to walk, mainly because he wants to sniff and get into trouble, so we had to walk down the middle of the street so that I could move at a pace that was good for me. We walked about 1.13 miles before heading home. Later that day I took the girls to the park. It turned out to be a gorgeous day so I thought I would take advantage of it before another heat wave set in. We had a great picnic, with lots of yummy fruits and veggies. Later that day we headed to my friend Jens house and walked again. This time I did our walk pushing a double stroller with two kids in it. I would say counting the weight of the stroller itself plus the two girls I was pushing nearly 80 pounds around. Our walk was almost three miles up and down some pretty steep hills. I was tired by the time we got home, but I felt great! Just over 4 miles walked, great eating and I met my goals for the day. Cant complain!

Friday

Friday the heat came back, making it hard to go out again. I cant wait until November when the California summer ends. I woke up at 4:30am with a splitting headache so I did not meet my goal of walking Jack. I was disappointed but there was no way I could get up and walk feeling that way. After getting some rest, I started my day with the girls. To stretch out and take it easy I decided to do some yoga for the day instead. I had a lot of fun with the girls who tried to mimic the movements with me. I wish I had someone there with me to video and take pictures, because it was very cute. That night the girls went over to visit with Grandpa and Nana and Shaun and I had the chance to go out. This was my first attempt at eating well at a restaurant. I did ok, but luckily I ate very well during the day to compensate.

Saturday

Saturday was a pretty low key day. Shaun and I went out to breakfast at IHOP. Oddly enough, on their menu is a section with breakfast plates that are less then 500 calories. I chose a yummy Veggie Omelet with fruit that was only 350 calories. Not bad. It was a lot to eat too! Lunch and dinner were minimal and nothing to bay an eye at. The one thing that made my day was my Skinny Vanilla Latte. A Grande (thats a medium in non Starbucks terms) is only 130 calories. Not too bad. Even though I did not get out and exercise, it was a great day. I was feeling pretty good!

Sunday and Monday

Well Sunday and Monday were a challenge. On Saturday we traveled up to Solvang and well, its a Solvang. A Danish town full of yummy foods and pastries. I wasnt horrible, but I am sure I didnt stay within my usual good parameters either. We had an early dinner at The Little Mermaid Restaurant where I enjoyed a Danish meatball, Danish Sausage, mashed potatoes, yummy gravy, veggies and of course red cabbage. Yeah I know, Red Cabbage? Its pickled and tart and so very yummy. I was embracing my Danish blood. And before we left, we had to stop by one of the bakeries for a treat or two. It was well worth it though and I think that you should have splurge every now and then. I still feel great and I wouldn't change a thing. Monday has been a blur, but I was good and healthy. Walked a lot and ran some errands. Pretty low key and nice after a busy weekend.

Info to Come!

Its been a busy few days, but full of great things and wonderful achievements. I am feeling very proud of myself and feeling good. After the wonderful day I had on Thursday, I felt a bit tired on Friday so I parred things down. I still managed to keep to good things though. More to come later on!

First Goal Met!

Good Morning Everyone!

Ok I did it! Got up this morning, although I cant say I jumped up the minute my alarm went off, and took Jack for a really nice walk. We walked 1.13 miles in just under 24 minutes. Yeah I know to many that's slow, but for me it was a nice pace without the girls. I have to say it was nice getting up and watching the sun come up. According to SparkPeople, that's about 163 calories burned for today so far. I also go walking with my friend Jen and her twins in the early evenings with the girls. Hopefully that's something I get to do today as well. That walk is nearly 3 miles and its a lot of hills while pushing a double stroller with over 50 pounds of children in it. Its a great workout and its something I hope to do multiple days a week!

Well, so far so good. Two of two goals have been kept up with... no soda and walking Jack in the morning. Things are looking great!

New Goal

My new goal for tomorrow, for multiple reasons, is to get up in the morning before Shaun and take Jack for a walk without the girls. Thats tough because I am not a morning person by any means. The girls sleep in now until about 7:30 or 8, so I have enjoyed a few extra hours of shut eye. To get a good long walk in, I will need to get up at 5:30 AM. That way I have a full hour before Shaun is up and out the door. My alarm is set now all I need to do is go to bed and then actually get up when the alarm goes off. I will... I know I will. Wish me luck!

Getting Enough Water

I have never had a hard time drinking water but if given a choice I always chose to drink something else. Before I set out on this weight loss mission I did set one goal for myself... NO MORE SODAS. Its been 4 weeks so far and I have only had 3 sodas in that time. While I am proud of myself I did cheat because I made the promise of NO MORE SODA. So I will now restart the clock on this one. As of today, no more... nothing!

Through SparkPeople I found an interesting article about getting your 8 cups of water a day. It has 12 tips on making it easier, especially for those people who are not all that fond of water. Even if you arent dieting, maybe this will help you increase your water intake and help you continue a healthy lifestyle. Click Here for a fun read!

An OK Start to the Day

And so it begins...

Today has started off fairly well. Got the girls up around 7:30 this morning and took them for a walk. Unfortunately exercising with two young children can be difficult only because you sometimes have to turn around and go home due to poor behavior or cranky children. So I only got about a mile of walking in this morning. As I always try to remind myself.... its better then nothing.

My one issue I have is remembering to eat breakfast. Yes I said remembering. Once I get the girls to the table with their breakfast I try and clean up around the kitchen without them underfoot. Before I know it, they are done and we are off to doing something else. I just forget to eat and I know that's not good for me. This morning I remembered to make myself something and while it wasn't perfect it was better then nothing. I hope we can get out later today and try to walk again.

The Games Are About to Begin

Tomorrow is the start of a new me. Before now I have been working on a few things but nothing overly serious. I wanted to start on Monday but I was not feeling well and felt I needed the rest so I could start on a positive note. Let's not sour things before they really start.

Thanks to a suggestion quite some time ago from Kenzi, I will be using a weight loss source that I have used and loved in the past. SparkPeople is a free online weight loss source that helps you set up a diet, fitness and lifestyle plan. Its an excellent tool for those looking to either lose or to maintain an already healthy lifestyle and weight.

I usually dread starting something new, especially when it comes to this. But for once, I am actually excited. So now its off to bed for some much needed rest. Good things start tomorrow!

My Mission

"I'm not Fat, I'm Fluffy!" Thanks to comedian Gabriel Iglesias I can giggle a little when it comes to addressing the issue of weight. It sounds endearing and a little bit easier to swallow, right? But now that I am at a place of not being happy with myself and disliking what I see in the mirror, it doesn't always seem so funny. So now I am here to Fight the Fluff and do it with what I hope will be a captive audience.

From this point forward, I will try to post on a daily basis regarding the changes in my diet, my exercise, my triumphs, my setbacks (which I hope are few) and the challenges that I face. I am very aware of the fact that it will be a tough road, as I have tried to head down the dieting path before, but I know this is something that I can do. I also know that even just the thought of having a few people follow me, gives me an added bonus of motivation. I don't want to let myself down or my family down, but I also don't want to let my readers down. And I promise that I wont!

So let the fun and games, hard work, and changes for the better begin!