Things I did right last week include eating at home and drinking more water. While it wasn’t necessarily by choice, I ate almost all of my meals at home last week. The snow started to melt on Friday and we picked up Jack in the Box. I can honestly say that I did not enjoy it as much as anything I had eaten at home during the week. Home cooked food just tastes better (thanks John). I am working on decreasing my soda and increasing my water intake. Since I ran out of my favorite diet Mountain Dew half way through the week, I had less soda. I also made the effort to fill up the water more often. I still have a long way to go on this, but I made progress last week.

Areas that need improvement include snacking less, eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising more. For some reason I feel a need to have a snack in the evenings. Usually I am not hungry at this time, but still want something chocolate. It is an unhealthy habit that I’ve had since childhood. Also, I have been grabbing a piece of chocolate here or there during the day. This week I will cut back on both. We didn’t have any fruits in the house last week and the only vegetables were frozen. The snow has melted and groceries delivered, I will eat fruits and more vegetables each day this week. No more excuses, I will exercise at least three days this week. I may start slow, but I will start for sure.

Unfortunately I cannot lose all of my weight overnight as I would like or even all 250 lbs this year. I can and will reduce my size by at least 25% or 95 lbs (one of my three resolutions for the year). I’ve lost 7lbs so far and have 88 more to go. I will do it!

It’s Monday, so I fill finish this post with some fun short answers from Kenlie’s “Friend Makin Mondays”.

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com (and here if you’re so inclined) so we can all see your FMM questions and answers.

FMM: Short Answers

1. Mac or PC? Both, I have a PC which I use the most and Mac Air (thinnest laptop ever!) which I use when in front of the television.
2. Do you paint your own nails? No, usually my nails are bare.
3. Beach or mountains? Both, although I would not be comfortable at the beach with my current size.
4. What’s the title of the book you’re currently reading? The Confession by John Grisham
5. Do you dance? Only in the comfort and privacy of my own home
6. CNN or Fox News? Fox News is our default station.
7. Do you ride a bicycle? Sadly I haven’t rode a bike in years due to my obese frame.
8. Do you get a yearly flu shot? Yes, my employer provides them on-site each year.
9. Best movie you’ve seen in 2012? I haven’t watched that many movies yet in 2012, but two that I enjoyed were The Kings Speech and Paul (hilarious movie).
10. Do you prefer to workout at home or at the gym? At home, because I am too self-conscious to go to the gym.
11. Last airport you were in? Seatac
12. Married or single? Happily married for 13 years and counting
13. iPhone or Android? iPhone
14. Do you prefer to be in pictures or taking pictures? Please don’t take my picture.
15. Favorite brand of sneakers? I’ve always liked Nike, but currently wear Brooks Go-2 series.
16. Do you like snow? Love it
17. Do you have/want to have kids? Want but may never have
18. Summer or Winter? I love all four seasons.
19. Do you know how to swim? Yes, I am a great swimmer if I do say so myself. However, I haven’t been in a swim suit since 1998 and won’t be again until I lose a lot of weight.
20. Do you prefer to shop in store or online? I do most of my shopping online, except clothes.

Due to the snow, we still haven’t received any new groceries and are eating our way through the freezer. We haven’t had the opportunity to eat out or bring in food all week. Chicken has been the main protein this week, with the occasional fish. John mentioned yesterday that he was having red meat withdrawals. I don’t think I am necessarily missing the burgers or meat, but more the cheesy gooiness or fried aspect of the types of food we are used to eating. Like I mentioned in a previous post, this weather is helping our diet. I am expecting a weight loss this Sunday.

While I kind of miss the fried or cheesy foods, I am thankful for this unplanned opportunity to stay away from them. A week is not long enough to cure me from my old/bad habits, but I hope it is helping. It will take discipline for me to stay away from this food once the snow melts. I’m up for the challenge though, as I plan to make the last days of January healthy ones.

The plan for today is to drink more water and eat less chocolate. I’ve run out of my supply of Diet Mountain Dews, but still have other soda in the house. Yesterday I snacked more than I would have liked, so today’s mission is to stop and think before reaching for the chocolate. I know I can do it and now I just have to prove it to myself.

How’s the weather in your neck of the woods? Are you as happy as I am that’s it Friday? I am looking forward to cozying up to the fireplace and watching some movies this weekend. What are your plans?

Due to the snow and no new groceries John and I are forced to eat at home. The weather is actually helping us eat better. Breakfast was not my favorite almond poppy-seed muffin at the cafeteria; instead I had half of a whole-wheat English muffin topped with a slice of ham and egg. Instead of a plate of cheesy Mexican food or take-out burgers for dinner which we might have picked up on our way home from work, we had baked Tilapia. Dinner was healthy and portion sizes were correct. I’m not full, but that’s okay. Hmmm, I didn’t mention lunch. Alright, I will fess up. I had some Ruffles and onion dip. Not a wise decision, but I don’t think it has blown my entire day. Tomorrow’s food should be similar without the onion dip.

That’s all I have to report for now. I feel satisfied with my actions for today. How about you?

Here we are half way through with the first month of the New Year and I haven’t much to show for it. I am still struggling to “get started”. I’m referring to starting to eat healthier and being more active. I’m just not doing it yet, or at least not to the extent I would like. I continue to eat bigger portions than I should and more starchy carbs, fat and protein than I would like. Fruit and vegetables have rarely made it to my plate. I am frustrated with myself, because I know what types of food and portions I should be eating but am just not doing it. Don’t get me wrong, the first half of the month hasn’t been a free for all. There have been times where I’ve eaten sensibly or resisted a treat. Still, I can and need to start doing better. But how?

The key word for this week is improvise. We had made some plans for a few meals this week and scheduled a grocery delivery for Sunday. In preparation and as usual, we emptied the fridge of the expired foods (mostly fruits and vegetables). Well it started snowing Saturday afternoon and an hour before our scheduled window on Sunday, the grocery store called to reschedule the delivery for today. More snow fell and today they called to cancel our order. I feel like the grasshopper that didn’t stock up for winter. Nevertheless, we will improvise. We have plenty of chicken, fish and vegetables in the freezer. I’ll sit with John this evening to make a rough plan of meals for the next couple of days as we’re expecting more snow through Wednesday.

Because I want January to be a success, I will do better this week. I will try to be more active each day and make better choices. Snacking has been a problem lately, so I will work on that this week as well. How’s your month going? Here’s to a better week for all of us, whether you’ve done great so for or not so great.

Some more good news is that I can hear! This afternoon I went to the ENT where the doctor used suction to remove the clog. There were a couple of moments of pain, but they were brief. The doctor did both ears and my hearing is incredible now.

Not much else to report today except to say that I could be doing better with my portion sizes, water and activity. Tomorrow is another chance to improve.

Yesterday was weigh-in day and I weighed 379 lbs. I am not happy that I maintained, but I am grateful that I didn’t gain. This will not be acceptable next week however. There are many reasons that I did not lose weight last week including eating out more than twice, larger portions, not drinking enough water, and not exercising. My total walking step count for last week was 13,327. No that is not a daily total, but the weekly total. Since I usually aim too big and fail, I will make some more attainable goals for this week. They are:

• I will eat at least one serving of fruit and vegetables each per day (sadly I rarely do this)
• I will drink at least 64 oz of water each day
• I will walk at least 20,000 steps this week
• I will exercise at least 15 minutes each day this week

Sure these goals look like small potatoes, but considering that I am not doing any of them currently they will be challenging for me.

An update on my ear…I still cannot hear out of my right ear. Last Wednesday’s trip to the walk-in clinic where they irrigated my ear twice has not helped one iota. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with an ENT. I hope they can fix the problem.

I plan to make this a good week. Hope yours is a great too. Now, something fun.

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: www.alltheweigh.com (and here if you’re so inclined) so we can all see your FMM questions and answers.

FMM: Getting To Know You
1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday? Staying home and doing whatever I want which is usually computer time and watching television/movies with husband.

2) List your top three favorite TV shows. I watch too much television so it is hard to pick. Reality favorites are: Survivor, Biggest Loser and Top Chef. Non-Reality: Dexter, Shameless and Modern Family.

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them? Easy one, I one rather take the picture. I am horrified whenever a family member sends me a picture of myself or worse posts in on facebook.

4) Why do you blog? Mostly to have an account of my weight-loss journey. However, I love the community and knowing that I am not in this quest alone. Reading fellow bloggers successes and struggles helps my learning to live healthier.

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…
• Facebook
• Foxnews
• Google reader
• Amazon
• iTunes

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be? Neil Patrick Harris, is this guy funny or what?

7) List a few of your favorite snacks. I need to learn to eat healthy snacks, rather than Hershey Kisses and Red Vines.

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind? No, but I would like a dog someday.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without? Computer, iPhone and honestly my television.

10) What’s your favorite drink? Diet Mountain Dew, but I would like to drink less of it.

11) Do you enjoy cooking? I don’t cook. For the last eight to nine years, I really haven’t cooked much. I’m not exactly sure why. Of course, laziness has to be a big part of it, but I think there must be more. This year, I hope to start cooking more. In fact, tonight will be the first dinner that I have cooked my husband since I don’t know when. I’m making Pork Chops and something.

12) Do you have children? No.

13) What are your favorite hobbies? I spend too much time on the computer to have a hobby.

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing? I am painfully shy. There are two reasons for this, one is my weight and the other is that I worked for a bully (female) for several years where I was afraid to say anything for fear of getting my head chewed off. I haven’t quite yet recovered and now rarely speak up. I’m afraid I will sound stupid.

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change? I would like to be healthy.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress? I like too many and it is always changing. Ben Stiller, Clint Eastwood, Matt Damon, Geoffrey Rush, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman…

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week? Too soon to say.

18) Do you live near your family or far from them? My sister lives about a mile from me, the rest of the family is at least 325 miles away.

19) List three of your talents. Driving, laughing and being honest.

20) What is your greatest attribute? I have common sense.

Image via Google Images

This challenge is only a temporary change. I know that. I need to make long term changes and I hope to, but I need to start somewhere. So I will start with this. It’s all about making smart choices one meal at a time, one day at a time.

The first week of the New Year is coming to a close. Has it been a successful week for you? If not, why not? What improvements will you make in the coming weeks?

Eating was not on track. Because I didn’t plan anything for breakfast or lunch, I ate at the cafeteria. Muffin and scrambled eggs for breakfast tasted good but too many calories and more sugar than needed. Lunch was one of the better tasting meals that I‘ve had since being in this building for six years. It was bbq pulled chicken, potato salad and macaroni salad. Yes, all three were not the best choices. It was new, smelled heavenly and I was hungry/weak. Dinner was a no-no. We went out for Mexican. What’s worse is that we had a plan. We just didn’t follow it. Arrgh. I had too many calories yesterday, but not huge portions. I will find my way soon, so I am not going to beat myself up over this.

Today, I decided to work from home so that I could go to the walk-in clinic first thing in the morning. Since Christmas, my right ear has been plugged up and I haven’t been able to hear. I think John is just as tired of this problem as I am, since he has had to repeat everything he says three times. I’ve tried using Debrox drops, rinsing the ear with warm water and what I shouldn’t have – used Q-tips to try and dislodge a wax build up. If this is gross to you, skip to the next paragraph. These things did not work, instead they only irritated my ear more to the point last night it was absolutely throbbing. At the doctor’s office they told me there wasn’t much wax, but that it was pushed up against the ear drum. They tried twice to irrigate the ear and force the wax out. No such luck. I’m waiting for the Ear/Nose/Throat department to call and set up an appointment. Supposedly, they will vacuum the wax out. I just hope it is soon.

After having this blog for a year and a half, I have finally added an ‘About Me’ page. If you’re interested, you can check it out.

Happy Wednesday folks, we’re half way there!

image via positivesharing.com

The last day of my holiday vacation and I wasn’t ready to start increasing my activity. So I didn’t. Instead, I played on the computer, watched television, did some laundry and not much else. Well, I did visit my sister and two and half year old nephew. He is so much fun now. Playing with him does get the heart beat up for sure. Tomorrow, I plan to start exercising. I will start slow and build up, but I will start.

My eating yesterday wasn’t the best either. I consumed more calories than I would have liked and didn’t have enough fruits (zero) and vegetables (maybe ½ serving). I also snacked on more Hershey Kisses than I should have. Even still, I am happy that all meals were prepared at home.

2011 is done, vacation is over and it’s time to work on eating right and being more active. I need a plan. For this week, the plan is to drink more water, start exercising and eat meals at home or prepared at home. This weekend I will make a stronger plan for next week and prepare some lunches and snacks for the work week.

Did you have an extended time off during the holidays? Are you feeling the back to work blues? Well, I guess I will start weeding through the emails. Have a great day everyone.

My overall resolution for 2012 is to make my health my top priority. This means putting other activities aside and focusing first on doing what it takes to live healthier. Planning and preparing healthy meals at home and making time for exercise daily need to be number one priority and garnish my free (I still need to work) time above and before all other activities. Since I currently do neither of these things, I expect discomfort is ahead. That’s okay. Comfort has not been my friend. Comfort allowed me to grow to 379 pounds. 2012 is time for a change.

While living healthier is a nice goal, I need a specific target to work towards.

My 2012 resolutions are:

I resolve to lose at least 25% of my weight this year. More would be better, but if I can end 2012 with a significant loss rather than a gain, I will be moving in the right direction. 25% equates to at least 95 pounds.

I resolve to walk at least 50% more steps than I did in 2011. I was very sedentary in 2011 and my total steps for the year came in around 955K. This is an average of just slightly over 2600 steps a day. There were many days where I walked under 1000 steps a day. In 2011, I plan to walk at least 1,432,500 steps which is an average closer to 3900 steps a day. I’ve been carrying a pedometer daily for the past three years and know that this is an ambitious goal for me. It can be done and I look forward to working on it.

I resolve to lower my A1C to <=7.0% by the last third quarter of 2012. For those of you who don’t already know, the A1C Hemoglobin test reflects how I am managing my diabetes over the last two to three months. More specifically it measures what percentage of my hemoglobin is coated with sugar. My doctor requires that I have this blood test every three months. My most recent lab result (taken in December) was 8.9%. Whether it is done with insulin or just through the oral medications I am currently prescribed along with diet and exercise, my aim is to lower my A1C to <=7% by my September 2012 labs.

It’s easy to be optimistic that resolutions will be kept when we’re in the first days of the New Year. That is how I am feeling. I’ve let my high blood pressure and diabetes remain uncontrolled for too many years now. I am most likely causing damages to my body that I cannot yet see. I need to stop this nonsense and start working on becoming healthier. My husband is very excited about working towards our goals this year and if we work together I know we can do good things.

I plan to be more present this year, using this blog as a means to track my progress, triumphs and struggles. I look forward to reconnecting with past blogging friends and making new ones. Working alongside others and sharing our wins and losses makes this journey a bit easier as we can learn from each other. Best wishes for a great 2012.