My Milestone

I wanted to blog with a short post today because I reached a milestone, and for me it's a very important one.  Now that my health has become the most serious reason for me to lose weight, my recent three day stint in the hospital is always at the forefront of my mind these days.  That and all the many follow up doctors appointments since then- still one more this Friday in fact for yet another round of blood work.

So I have to share my weight from today.  I am down to 205.6- in fact I've been at 205.6 since Friday which is a miracle in itself.  I say that because I almost always gain 1-2 pounds over the weekends.  But this weekend, even though we went out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, I restrained myself and ordered a small side salad and a cup of soup.  Funny thing is, they got my order wrong and brought a large bowl of soup instead, but I made myself stop eating it well before I hit the bottom.  Come to think of it, I didn't even finish my side salad either.  So I am proud that I was able to forgo my normal menu choices, and guess what?  I had a nice lunch anyhow, because I was with my husband and we were talking and enjoying ourselves. What I had on the plate in front of me, didn't influence my good mood at all.

So 205.6 is a milestone for two reasons.  First of all, I haven't had a weight that low since fall of 2009- which is the last time I wasn't working and I was faithfully going to my Weight Watchers meetings every week- just like I am now.  Secondly, it's a 20 pound loss since I came home from the hospital in April.  I know this because I weighed that first day, and took a photo, to remind myself I was not ever going to weigh that much again (below).  If this isn't reason enough to carry on with the Weight Watchers program, and to keep exercising and eating right, I don't know what else it would take to keep me motivated! Here's to the next 20 pounds gone......

SANDY

(APRIL 2013)

Keep On Moving!

Wow, down to 207 now.  A loss of 1.8 pounds since the last check-in.  Tomorrow I have my weekly Weight Watchers meeting, which I skipped last week due to the laziness of the July 4th holiday.  We ate healthy for the holiday, just the two of us at home.  Everything came off our new smoker- nothing was fried, nothing had mayo, no desserts, no soda.  Just lean meat and veggies.  Our "side" was a nice loaf of ciabatta from the bakery, but instead of butter we roasted garlic and spread on it.  It was absolutely delicious, and we were both very happy.  Neither of us felt deprived one bit.

But the continued weight loss has been assisted greatly by my ActiveLink.  It was totally money well spent.  I am so happy I decided to get it, and it has been such a useful tool.  Not so much for calculating my Activity Points for Weight Watchers, because I don't even look at that or use it for that.  But just as a motivational tool, to keep me moving more.  The graphs and weekly reports are helpful by giving me a daily goal to meet and insightful by breaking down my activity by the hour (above), by the day (below), and by the week.

I am currently in week five of the 12-week challenge (below).  You can see the line on the graph, showing a subtle increase for my weekly goals throughout the whole challenge.  Every week it will be a little harder- it will take more and more exercise and activity to reach the 100% mark.  My week starts on Tuesday, because originally that was my Weight Watchers meeting day (I've since switched to Fridays).  Last week it looks like I was a bit slack, but other than that, I see every week where my activity has increased.  I think this has really been key for my losing weight this time.

Because the Link is right there, hanging around my neck from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, it's very hard to ignore.  And that helps keep me motivated too, because I can check on my progress at any time, I don't have to be near the computer (there are green light indicators on the Link that measure my activity progress in 25% increments).  So in the afternoon I can see, wow, I'm not even at 75%, I better get back on the treadmill.  Even my husband gets involved, and he'll ask me what level I'm at for the day.  If it's after dinner and I'm not at 100% yet, he'll suggest we go outside for yard work, or sometimes a quick walk in the neighborhood.  And yes, he is losing weight too, and looks great!

The ActiveLink is just one tool I've been using, to keep me focused and keep me motivated.  We're also changing our eating habits at home too, a little more every day.  This time of year, we've brought in a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.  It makes me happy to see James reach for an apple as a snack, and I feel good about myself when I take a midday break for slices of fresh pineapple or watermelon.  Back in the old days at the office, a midday snack would have been chips or crackers.

I feel as though we are both making the right choices these days, and I know my behavior and decisions- what foods to buy and cook, not sitting in front of the TV at night- are also influencing my husband's health as well.  So that's a double bonus!  He doesn't even have to join Weight Watchers and he's getting the benefits.  He has punched new holes in his belts to get them tighter, but his pants are still about to fall off him lately.

We do leave for vacation in 10 days, and we've already discussed eating less and lighter, not only for our diet but to save money too.  We all know that most restaurant portions for "one" are actually closer to 3-4 servings.  And the hotel we're staying at is a block away from a five-mile walking trail along a river, so I am definitely packing my good sneakers and I will have my ActiveLink securely around my neck the entire trip.

SANDY