Knew it!

Tipped the scale at 154 this morning, no change from last week, though after the weekend I had I should be thankful it wasn't a worse reading. Work's beginning to get really insane again as we approach the end of another quarter at our much loved financial institution, fun! Which means if eating less doesn't help, the stress sure will.

Tune in again in two weeks, next weigh in is on February 10th.

Miss Piggy

Ugh. Not so sure about tomorrow's weigh-in. :(

Jeff and Michelle spent the weekend at us and I've basically been feasting for the past three days. Michelle made this awesome cream cheese/chocolate ball served with cookies, I think I put away quite a few pieces of that. Too many pieces that is. BUT I did have fresh fruit, granola and yogurt for lunch today so maybe, just maybe 153 isn't toooo much of a stretch.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Weigh-in #1 - one pound lighter.

I guess it's a good thing that I didn't set the bar too high, my goal for the first two weeks was one measely pound. Jumping on the scale this morning, it was mission accomplished! Whether that has anything to do with the fact that I've been sick these past few days I'm not sure, but either way I'll take it. :)

So as of today, 154 lbs. The next weigh in will be on January 28th, target weight for that weigh in is 153 lbs.

Things that I still need to work on include upping the water intake, still struggling with that. I'm also planning on eating out a lot less, in addition to reducing caloric intake this way, I also wouldn't mind putting even more cash towards my savings during these very uncertain times.

I'm thinking about picking up a pedometer, wonder how close I am to a target of 10K-15K steps per day, I'm guessing not very close... but maybe using a pedometer would give me an idea of where I am and help me try to add additional steps in, whenever possible.

There's also been some recent developments in my family's health history that concerns me. Decreased kidney functions as a result of high blood pressure and diabetes (even with medication and diet to control both of these and remarkable progress in keeping them under control the kidneys have been compromised) is a major one for me, and one that hit pretty close to home. If that doesn't kick start striving for a healthier lifestyle not sure what else would. Other problems, albeit somewhat less critical ones, that have raised their heads recently include acid reflux and gallstones. These can be controlled with diet and the stone that was found in a family member is a silent stone so at least all is well on that front.

What health changes are you making in 2009?

Nutritional Changes - Week 1

Five days until my self-imposed weigh in... still eating whatever I'd like, that includes chocolate and fresh fruits and veggies. Also, continuing my commitment to push the plate away when I feel full, nevermind how tasty it is, if I'm full... I stop eating.

Haven't done too well in the water department, still need to find a way to make myself voluntarily down 6-8 glasses a day.

I've picked up some Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil Capsules
My parents made me take this stuff as a kid - I figured I'd add them back as part of my drive to become even healthier this year.

I've decided to keep blueberries on hand at all times, they are high in anti-oxidants... and don't taste half bad, though I will say I much prefer strawberries. Speaking of anti-oxidants, I grabbed a bottle of POM Pomegranate and Mango juice yesterday at the grocery (after initially balking at the price for about two minutes). Haven't tried it yet, but will tomorrow.

Kev and I also wanted to incorporate good old fashioned Quaker Oats into our diet, I mean our parents gave it to us as kids but we really haven't had it since, so tomorrow morning he's making me breakfast, we didn't get the instant stuff so we're hoping the time and effort that we put into making it the old fashioned way pays off. And if at worse case scenario we hate our little concoction tomorrow, then I can try to get creative with it. I found a Banana Bread Oatmeal recipe that looks yummy and I'm sure there are tons of other recipes out there.

My short term goal for the first weigh in is one pound. Five days to go, we'll see how I do... even if I don't lose that pound I'm so proud of myself for the many changes I've made to try to eat better.

Wish me luck!

Of grandmothers and great-aunts

I'd blogged a while back about Auntie Mavis visiting us for a weekend, and of her visit coinciding with Gran's birthday. Here they are enjoying breakfast with us at Cora's. Love this pic. These are two of the dearest souls on the face of this earth and we love them dearly.

Striving for a healthier lifestyle Part 2

The last time I blogged about wanting to achieve a more healthy lifestyle, and my hope to drop a few pounds in the process, was back in August of 2008. At that time I was down about 17lbs.

While hoping to be down even more before the holidays, things didn't quite go that way - when does it ever? :)

Instead I've gained back about 2lbs and have now settled at around a 15lb loss altogether. My goal now for 2009 is to either match or beat that 15lb loss. In order to hold myself accountable, I plan to do a weigh-in every two weeks and update my blog with my current weight.

If I'm brave enough I might even take a pic of myself wearing the same clothes at each weigh-in. If I can lose the bloat face and the gut by the end of 2009 I'll be a happy camper.

My plan is to continue with my portion control efforts while still eating whatever I want and to continue drinking lots of water. And while this isn't a resolution of any sort (it's more of a goal set since 2008) I do hope that I don't fall off the wagon, I truly want to be healthier in 2009.

Happy New Year everyone!