Forging Jewels

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 85

Catherine Gray — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:57:53 +0000

Day 85 of My Weight Loss Journey and although I’ve STILL not lost another pound someone at work yesterday said that he could tell I have been losing weight. So, that’s something, right? As I mentioned, my work uniforms are quite loose on me now….which is good, and comfortable, LOL. Well, I’ll keep at it and keep moving in spite of the stalemate I’m at with my body, LOL. Hopefully, the weight will start to drop again, fingers crossed!!!

Suggestion of the Day: Just a reminder to pay attention to portion control and calories. Even if you can’t seem to loose any pounds it’s just as important to NOT gain any pounds. Make sure you’re adding enough dark green veggies to your daily meals because not are they only low in calories but they are full of cancer fighting nutrients as well.

Have a GREAT day everyone!!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 84

Catherine Gray — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:19:13 +0000

Day 84 of My Weight Loss Journey and STILL no weight loss…no gain either, which is good. I really am starting to think this could have something to do with being perimenopausal. What else could it be??? In the next few weeks I am going to have to make an appointment to see a doctor so I can discuss what’s happening, or is not happening, LOL. As positive as I am trying to be it is getting increasingly frustrating that my weight does not want to go down and I’m getting very discouraged, though I haven’t given up and have no intention of giving up. I just need to get extra help and keep seeking solutions. UGH….why does it have to be so freakin’ hard???!!!!!! (That is a rhetorical question, LOL)

Suggestion of the Day: Some of us seem to have an extra hard time losing weight…more often women struggle with this more than men. I’m beginning to think that hormones DOES play a factor in this. If you are perimenopausal and struggling really hard to lose weight than it might be time to seek help from your doctor (gyno). Maybe there is a hormonal imbalance that is wreaking havoc on your body and it may be something that can be treated through various methods. It’s worth talking to your doctor about it. You don’t know what options are open to you if you don’t talk about it.

Have a GREAT day everyone and I hope Spring is finally making it to your part of the country/world!!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 83

Catherine Gray — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:23:56 +0000

Day 83 of My Weight Loss Journey and I know, I know, I haven’t posted in about a week. I have been SUPER busy!!!! Still no weight loss either…arghhhhhh!!! But, my work uniforms feel looser so go figure, huh?!! I have been within my calorie limits and I have been working my tail off around my house the past week so you would think I would have some loss but, no. Oh well, no gain is STILL a victory…in my opinion anyway. Not sure what to do to kick start the weight loss again but for some reason my body DOES NOT want to let the weight go. Okay, I know I’m perimenopausal but still. I haven’t been able to figure out what to do to get the weigth moving off again but when I do I will certainly blog about it and let you know. Any suggestions are completely welcome, LOL.

Suggestion of the Day: Try not to get bummed if the weight is refusing to come off. Keep at it anyway. Not gaining is just as important as losing because you NEVER want the scale to continue to move up, right?!!! There could be many reasons that your body is refusing to give up the weight, like hormones, etc. So, keep at it….keep your head up….think positive….and if all else fails than maybe a trip to your doctor is in order to see what’s going on. I’ll be going to see my doctor soon if this lack of weight loss continues.

Have a SUPER day today everyone!!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 76

Catherine Gray — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:56:53 +0000

Day 76 of My Weight Loss Journey and still no freakin’ weight loss. I worked my BUTT OFF all weekend in this house and didn’t lose one single pound! How does that happen? I was moving huge boxes, sanding drywall, painting doors, vacuuming, painting some walls, moving all kinds of crap all over the house….in other words, by the time I went to bed last night I was soooo exhausted. Every muscle in my body hurt and my feet where absolutely killing me….and nothing…no weight loss. That’s a bummer. (sigh)

Well, I had to work today…which was like a vacation after all the work I have done in my house this past week. The problem was every time I got up I was so sore that it was hard to get moving around again, LOL. Did manage to get a little done this evening around the house but I’m just too worn out today to do any more. Need a day or two to heal sore muscles and sore feet.

Suggestion of the Day: So, working your butt of won’t always give you a weight loss on the scale but the positive side to it is that you are still helping your body by keeping it moving and you’re not gaining weight, which is ALWAYS a success!! So, keep at it anyway….even if your stupid scale isn’t cooperating with you.

Have a GREAT day everyone!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 74

Catherine Gray — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 19:52:28 +0000

Day 74 of My Weight Loss Journey and again, no weight loss. I’m convinced I’ll have a loss tomorrow though, or at least I should. I have been working my butt off, literally, getting those two rooms emptied, moving heavy boxes, etc. Man, I’m tired. Still have tons to do today (though I’ve gotten a LOT done so far) and tons more to do tomorrow too. I still need to empty out the guest bath and scrub it down good too. Both guest rooms need to be scrubbed, vacuumed, etc. Holes in the walls (from hanging pictures) have been filled and some painting to do. Dust in closets need to be cleaned out. Those rooms have basically been used for storage for years. I’m pleased to be getting it all done. I’ve thrown out about seven HUMONGOUS bags of trash already too. Man, I need to really work on NOT keeping everything that passes through my hands or I will end up becoming a hoarder. I’m a frugal New Englander for sure, LOL. Can’t throw anything away that is still in good shape and still has life left in it. LOL.

Suggestion of the Day: I’m really not sure what to mention for a suggestion today. Okay…I got it….when you are working on really big projects in your house don’t forget to eat throughout the day to help keep your energy level up. It’s easy to get very involved with what your doing but eating will keep you from feeling so tired and will help you to think clearly too. Remember to keep yourself hydrated too, that is very important. Dehydration can make you feel really tired too. So, go on…get started on that project you have been putting off. You’ll feel better for getting it done and over with.

Have a SUPER weekend everyone!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 73

Catherine Gray — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:17:08 +0000

Day 73 of My Weight Loss Journey and I totally forgot to weigh myself this morning. Been way to busy with other stuff in the house. We are having a really nice dinner tonight…baked chicken, steamed broccoli and rice, yummy! I got a lot done today that included a lot of heavy lifting, which I like to call exercise, LOL. Hopefully, because of it I will have a weight loss tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Because I’m on vacation for another two more days I get to spend the weekend with my husband for a change, even though we have a TON of things to do around the house. We are taking on two roommates and are getting their rooms, and the rest of the house, ready to accept them in. What a LOT of work!! 30 years of crap stuffed into this house. You’d never know only two people live here, LOL. Well, it’s a good excuse to get rid of clutter and crap we never use. It’s been fun finding things we forgot we had though, like Christmas!! LOL.

Suggestion of the Day: Don’t discredit housework and yardwork as forms of exercise. Scrubbing, lifting, digging, etc., are all forms of exercise and it adds up over the course of your day. So, get out there and prune those tree branches, dig holes to plant flowers, clean out the garage or basement, whatever, just keep it moving!!! I realize it’s still winter in some parts of the country so basements or garages are a good place to start and you’ll get a jump on your Spring cleaning!

Have a SUPER day everyone!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 72

Catherine Gray — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:51:36 +0000

Day 72 of My Weight Loss Journey and no weight loss. I did eat some Shepherd’s Pie for dinner tonight and it was freakin’ delicious!!!! I’m Irish and it’s St. Patrick’s Day today…so I’m entitled, LOL. I have no guilt at all about it either! It is the ultimate comfort food and I’m totally ready for a nap now, LOL. The Shepherd’s Pie was made by an Irish co-worker (who’s actually from Ireland) of my husband’s and he had him bring home some to me too, knowing that I am also Irish and would appreciate it…which I did, very much.

What about you? How do you handle holiday eating on your weight loss plan? Personally, I don’t get hung up on it, not that I go crazy either, but I don’t deny myself anything that I want on a holiday. Holidays are supposed to be filled with happiness and create happy memories, and often center around food, so I can’t see making myself miserable on a holiday by being really strict with what I eat. But, that’s just my opinion.

Suggestion of the Day: Again, my opinion….don’t beat yourself up if you want to try some of the really yummy foods offered during a holiday celebration. I feel you will only feel annoyed the entire time trying to avoid foods that you really want to taste. So, just take very small portions of the foods you want to eat so you don’t over do it. If you are the type to feel really guilty afterwards than maybe you should avoid them…no sense beating yourself up later about it. But really, there aren’t that many holidays throughout the year so enjoy yourself!

Have a GREAT day everyone!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 71

Catherine Gray — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:22:56 +0000

Day 71 of My Weight Loss Journey and I didn’t even bother to weigh myself today. With all of the stuff on tv about Japan and all of the crap I have to get done in my house this week I never even gave it a thought until just now. I can always weigh in tomorrow, right? LOL.

I’m feeling a little bit better than I have been the past few days, not 100% but getting there. Still taking my multivitamins and I really think that helps. Been eating fresh foods too, which also helps. Oh, and LOTS of water!! Water is a good thing when you aren’t feeling well. Helps flush out the yuckies, though I don’t recommend water on an upset stomach.

Well, I am still keeping my calories in the right numbers but haven’t started working on increasing exercise. I’m not feeling good so there’s no point in that right now as I don’t have enough energy to do it. Once I feel better I’ll work on it though. I have too or my weight loss will continue to be excruciatingly slow. On the up side?? I have not gained back any of the weight I have lost and that is great in itself!!! So the weight loss may be slow but at least it is still losses and no gains! That, my friends, is progress! Half of the weight battle is NOT gaining it back.

Suggestion of the Day: Weight management. As I said, half of the battle of weight loss is NOT gaining back the weight. Once you get to your goal weight don’t go back to old eating habits or you’ll gain it all back and some. Keep a daily eye on your weight so you can stay near that goal weight. A flucuation of five pounds isn’t bad but I don’t recommend going higher than that. If you see you have gained five pounds over your goal weight you must take immediate action to get it off. It is my opinion that the longer you keep your body at that goal weight the easier it will be to maintain that weight, so long as you don’t go back to old eating habits. Don’t forget to continue to pay attention to your portion control!

Okay everyone, have a GREAT day!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 70

Catherine Gray — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 12:51:41 +0000

Day 70 of My Weight Loss Journey and I lost 1/2 a pound, LOL. Better than nothing but sheesh, it sure is coming off slow. I know it’s from not getting enough exercise. I’m thinking it’s time to talk with my doc about depression medication. I recognize the symptoms and should have talked with my doc last year about this. Plus, I’m still sick so that isn’t helping the past few days (though is not an excuse for the past month, LOL). Anyway, I’ll figure it out. My grand total weight loss so far is 26 pounds. I don’t feel good enough to be very excited, LOL.

Suggestion of the Day: Keep yourself healthy….take a multivitamin, eat your veggies (including dark greens), try not to touch your face so you don’t accidentally catch someone else’s illness, and most of all….smile. Remember to be happy, to stop and smell the roses now and then.

Have a GREAT day everyone!!

Cathy Gray

My Weight Loss Journey…Day 69

Catherine Gray — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:00:09 +0000

Day 69 of My Weight Loss Journey and I haven’t posted the past few days. I haven’t been feeling good and I still don’t. Don’t know what’s going on but I feel like crap and I’m super tired. I’ve been sleeping pretty much the entire day. I’ve got a million things to do and struggling really hard to get them done because I don’t feel good. Need help from the hubby to get this all done.

No weight loss yet but I’m expecting some as I have no appetite at all. So, that’s it. I really don’t have the energy to say anything more. Sorry, no suggestion today. I’m not up to it.

I hope you are all feeling great and hope you have a great day too!!

Cathy Gray