The Power of One Challenge

I just found this awesome challenge over at Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  This challenge actually started yesterday and ends February 23rd.  As my weight has not gone down, but has continued to creep up since I have started this blog, I have decided I may need a little more incentive.  As of right now the Wii is working and I have committed to going to bed by 11:00pm, so I can wake up early to read my Bible and exercise.  Of course this all depends on when Hannah decides to wake up to nurse. Some days she sleeps later than others so I get more exercise in.

I have also committed to limiting my blog time in the new year.  I have to focus more on the children's lessons.  During the winter, which of course is the duration of this challenge, I will try to get some gross motor activities going with the girls. We especially enjoy dancing to Raffi and Tabitha's new music toy.

So, I am again starting out.  This time at the following weight: 257.3.

Re-Starting Out

I was so upset when the Wii Balance board decided to stop working back in August when I planned on starting this weight loss/get healthy/turn my life around journey.  Getting out to walk was just not always possible.  And when I have to take the girls by myself, Tabitha needs to walk so I can't go as fast as I need to go to get a decent workout. Imagine my delight when we realized the rechargeable batteries were failing to get a full charge and that is why they were not working in the board anymore.

The other day Steven and then Harold used the Balance Board (with brand new batteries) to work out.  The next day I tried to use it and the batteries were dead.  Yes I was royally ticked off, to put it mildly.  It seemed like everything was working against me to try to lose weight.  Long story short, we charged the batteries and for the last two days I have been waking up in morning and exercising for about 45 minutes.  Just that little bit makes me feel like I am accomplishing something.  And I feel better physically.  Not as stiff because I am stretching and not on my behind all day.

I was so pleased today when I checked my weights from the past year and realized I am only 2 pounds more than I was a year ago (granted I was 4 months pregnant at the time).  I was also surprised to realize I have only gained 5 pounds since my weigh in after the baby was born in April.  No weight gain would be best, but that was definitely reassuring that it wasn't more.  Granted I have gained since my last post.  Sitting on the computer, no exercise, snacking during the day and while preparing meals, eating after dinner still and ice cream cones galore (though we have gotten better about that, we had been eating one a day. It became less of a treat and more of a routine.) have been the major contributors.

So I am going to re-start out at a weight of 253.8 starting yesterday.  Let's see what I can accomplish with the Lord's help.  I would like to lose 5 pounds in a month, hopefully more, but I want to see what I can do, before making too high of a goal and regretting it.

Starting Out

It starts innocent enough.  A bite of a cookie, a handful of chips, a sip of soda.  But the result can leave me feeling quite guilty.  One snack leads to another, one more bite turns into many more bites.  It tastes so good, why would I have to stop?  I'm sure there are others out there with the same problem, but I need to do something about me.

Yes, I had to gain weight.  I was pregnant, the growing baby needed nourishment.  Granted not all the food choices I made were the best for the baby. It's hard when only certain foods are appealing.  I also got into the habit of snacking before bed.  If I didn't I would wake up weak and nauseous because I was hungry.  Poor hubby, I got him into eating soft pretzels with muenster cheese before bed.  Now the only problem is, I am having a hard time getting out of the habit of snacking before bedtime.  Snacks, my downfall.

Unfortunately, blogging is another downfall.  Our computer is so slow, I am constantly sitting here taking double or triple the amount of time it should take to post a blog or visit other's blogs.  (A big reason I can't get  to everyone I would like to on linky's).

I had lost a decent amount of weight after Hannah was born.  Unfortunately I have gained it back in the last few months (Hannah will be 4 months old this week).  I have finally decided I have to do something about this weight problem.  I need to have energy to keep up with the children.  I want to be here for them for a long time.  So I started with a few easy to keep changes to improve my health.

1- No snacking after dinner (though I do allow myself dessert)
2- If I plan to get on the internet sometime during the day, I need to exercise for at least half an hour.
3- I need to get better sleep.

And of course, after I make up my mind to do something, something goes wrong to impede my progress.
The no snacking after dinner is going well.  Though I do still snack between meals.
We have had the Wii Balance Board with the Wii Fit, and then Wii Fit Plus when it became available, for a year and a half.  Two days ago it started acting funny.  And today it won't even turn on.  A little bit of a bummer when I was going to do my exercise routine on the Wii Fit.  I was really down at first, thinking how unfair it was.  That was Monday, when the board was still working intermittently.  So, I decided I wasn't going to let it defeat me.  I started my routine and wrote down everything I was doing and how long each exercise should take.  Today, when it wouldn't even turn on, I exercised anyway.  Now the only problem I have is not knowing for sure how I will weigh in.

Well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  For now, I need to record my embarrassing starting weight.  The most I have ever weighed.  When I started my weight loss journey several years ago, I started out in the 230's.  I had gotten down in the 170's.  Now, after getting remarried and having 3 more children (for a total of 6) I am starting this new weight loss journey at 253.5. Ouch.  I still need to decide what my goal is.  I know I have over a hundred pounds to lose, I never planned on gaining back all I had lost before, and now I am even heavier than before, without a weight loss/Bible Study group to be accountable to.  That is why I decided to take a closer look at Kris's blog: Eclipsed and her weekly weigh in.

So, here goes my journey, to turn my life around.

Hoping I never look like this again.