Sunday, January 30, 2011

Good Morning & Happy Sunday!

Hello to all my Friends!

Its Sunday and we are up & at em here. Got up @ 7am, went to mass @ 8am, came home & made a yummy breakfast for myself & the family of French toast....mmmmmm delish! I used egg beaters, cinnamn & vanilla as the "dip" and the family had theirs on reg bread and mine was on a lite bread that only has 1gm of sugar & 14gms of carb for 2 slices. Topped it off with some sugarfree syrup and some unsweetened almond milk and I am a happy camper here! I usually eat 2 slices of Trader Joes sprouted wheat bread for breakfast & unswt almond milk every day M-F so it is a treat to have something different on the weekend. I went to breakfast with my sisters yesterday and I had a ham & cheese omelette with an english muffin for breakfast. It was sooooo good too! I LOVE breakfast!!! It is hands down my favorite meal of the day!! So tomorrow it will be back to the grind and I will be eating my sprouted wheat toast again.

I keep looking at these jeans that I have on and I am just amazed at how much bigger they are getting. It is so dang cool to see that happening. The butt is a bit baggy and the front is also baggy. I havent been able to wear them for eons and lately, they are my "go to" jeans. They are my Levis that I have written about in previous posts. They are an 18 Reg. I have a pr of 16 Regs in my closet and I can get them on & zipped but they arent comfortable enough just yet....10 more pounds and I will be wearing them and I will take a new updated photo in them. Levis do have a smaller cut to them, in my opinion. Lee jeans are way more generous. I keep thinking to myself, you are 7 1/2 #s away from being in the 180s. I seriously cant remember when I was last in the 180s...it has been well over 10 yrs. I cant wait to be there...and then the 170s...then the 160s...and then the 150s!!! I have decided my first goal is to hit 160, then I am gonna go for another 10# off and I think I will be happy with that. I look pretty good at 160, so I know I will look very good at 150! My focus is in the next 2 weeks to lose another 5# and hit my goal of 10% off. I am gonna try really really hard to do it but no matter where I end up, anything will be good with me. The upcoming cruise has me a bit nervous, but I know how to make good food choices and the last cruise we went on, I didnt gain anything, just stayed the same so I am hoping for that again. I want to have a good time and enjoy myself. I am not a drinker so I just have to contend with the food. I beleive it will all be ok. I plan to do some sort of activity every day and they have a really nice walking track on the upper deck of the ship so I think I will do some laps in the sunshine with the sea breeze blowing in my face.....(sigh) cant wait!!!!

So its off to the grocery store for me today and I am supposed to have 2 of my MK clients stop over for a quick facial this afternoon. I really would just like to do nothing and lay around but I am back to work tomorrow and I need to get provisions for the week or the natives will be grumbling that we have no food.

Have a fantastic Sunday!!!
Love & belief
Sherri

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Saturday...weigh in day!

Hello friends!

Well, today was official weigh in day for me and I am down another .8#....not quite a pound this week but I will take it. Official weight was 197 even.When you add in the 1# of clothing I had on, it is a decent week. Bottom line is, every little bit adds up. So Jan wasnt a fantastic month as far as weight loss goes, only down 2.8# this month but its ok. I am just gonna hang in there & keep pressing on. Slow & steady wins the race and Lord knows, this is as slow as molasses! I am down a total of 21.5# from my highest weight of 218.5 last March. My clothes are feeling looser and I feel good knowing that it IS going to come off this year! I cant wait to see what size I will be wearing by Easter time!! I am certain I will be in the 180s for sure, maybe even the 170s. Thats a very exciting thought and really gives me the fuel to keep going. I am imagining myself looking thinner and that is something I havent been able to do for a long time because I have been overweight for such a long time, I dont know any different.

So thats my day today. Went out to lunch with my sisters today and we chatted for 3 1/2 hrs So fun and I have the BEST sisters ever!!! I wouldnt trade them for anything!!

Have a fantastic weekend my friends!!
Love & belief
Sherri

Friday, January 28, 2011

Thank goodness its FRIDAY!!!

Good morning friends!!

Well, finally Friday has arrived!! Woo hoo!! I am off work today until Monday so I am gonna enjoy my long weekend. I slept in til 7am today (yeah, thats a big deal here to sleep in til 7am...I usually get up between 5:30 & 6am every day) and man did it feel good!! We leave for our cruise in 2 weeks so I am going to head to the mall today to do a little shopping for it. Not like I need any new clothing, cuz I dont, but I want a few new things and maybe a little coordinating jewelry from Charming Charlie to go with it. If you are ever near a mall with a Charming Charlie store in it, make it a point to stop in. OMG!! They have the best costume jewelry and everything is $15 or less and usually includes a necklace AND matching earrings!! They have every style & color imaginable too!! It is a jewelry freaks dream come true, and I am a tried & true jewelry fanatic!! I have so much costume jewelry it isnt even funny, but I always have room for more!! lol!!

Got on the scale this morning and it still hasnt budged....waht gives??!! Gosh, I am getting so dang frustrated here!! Perhaps I need to get even more diligent. Maybe I need to go to "Rosies BFC Bootcamp"! Lol...just kidding Rosalie!! But you are very diligent in what you eat and look at your results....fantastic! I was really hoping for at least 5# off before the cruise but time is ticking and its not looking too good at the moment. I feel like I want this weight loss so badly but my body just doesnt want to cooperate with me for some reason. I feel like I have been really careful and working very hard to make good choices and I have been very true to my program. (sigh) Well, I am not giving up because if you quit you never know what was waiting for you....and I know that THIS IS MY YEAR!!!!

Here are some pictures of me that I took today wearing my capris that I wore over the summer last yr.
          I was amazed at how big they are now!! They were a perfect fit to snug at times.Yay!!!!!
                                                                            

So Im gonna keep it short & sweet today. To all of my friends who visit & comment on my blog, especially Kasey, Rosalie, Lindsey, Diana, Lisa (who might I add, I am missing hearing from! Hope you are doing ok after your surgery) thank you! I always look foward to hearing what you all have to say!!  I do think we should definitely figure something out where we can all get on a conference call to chat. I feel like I have known you all for years and I love our friendship!!!

Have a wonderful weekend girls!!

Love to all and 100% belief that we can do this!!
Sherri

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Oh Dear....Daffins is in the house!!!!!!

Hello girls!
Well I was having a great day today, until I got home!! I walk in the door and my husband says to me "Hey, my boss sent me a 2# box of Daffins chocolate for Christmas!" Ok, first off, uh...hello Mr Boss...Christmas is Dec 25th! Did we forget or did we get a nice discount on the candy in Jan?? (haha, being a smarty pants here!) And second, OMG!!! Have you ever had Daffins chocolate? It is nothing short of AMAZING!! Oh, and to top it off....ALL NUTS!!! Can you say OMG OMG OMG!! (lol) Sorry, but I think you get my jist . Ok, I will now enter the confessional...."Bless me fellow dieting buddies, for  i have sinned"...Can I just say, without even thinking, I opened that box and whipped 2 pieces of candy in my mouth like nothing doin! It was...it was...oh my it was fantabulous!! Sorry, I know, I know...I shouldnt have done it, but it sucked me in lie kryptonite!!! Oh, and after dinner, which was some grilled chicken and a few oven browned potatoes.....didnt I go upstairs and pop a few more in without thinking again!! Good gracious!!! What the heck??!! So my hubby is gonna have to hide the box, lock it up, something like that because I cannot be trusted to be in the same room with it!! I can honestly say, there is no other chocolate that does it to me like Daffins chocolate does. Ok, I will stop now because you are probably all thinking to yourselves, Poor  Sherri has gone loco!! I feel bad about doing it now, but other than the 5 pieces I ate, I really had a very good day and all is not lost. We are all human and sometimes slip ups will happen. Just gonna move onward & upward & let it go.

So how was your day? Mine was very good. Work was good and like i said, I was on plan and ate well. I hope you are all doing great and had a good day too!

Keep on keepin on!!
Sherri

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Mixin it up here!!

Hello to all of you!

Well, its Tues, and I got on that dang scale this am after being very good for days and it hasnt budged so I am thinking its time to mix it up here and get the scale moving downward again. Many of you know that I have been following Weight Watchers plan since Dec with my sister and have done very well so far, however, I am going to kind of implement a bit of what I know from BFC and start paying closer attention to sugars & carbs and see it that shakes it up a bit and gets me in losing mode again. I feel very frustrated this month because I really wanted to be closer to 189 before my cruise in 2 1/2 weeks and so far I havent moved too far from 197 this month. I went to the gym on Sunday and did the elliptical for 40 minutes and am paying for it these past 2 days with a flare up of the achilles tendonitis. I am thinking the elliptical is not "achilles friendly" for me anymore which really bums me out. I would give anything to not have it but I know there are others out there who have worse things going on so I wont complain. I am blessed to get out of bed each day, for the most part I really have no major health issues to contend with other than a bit of depression & hypothyroidism. So I am counting my blessings.

So far today, I have had 1/2 c egg beaters (0/0), 1 1/2 oz chopped ham (0/0), 1 oz light cheddar cheese (0/0) made into an omelette and 2 slices of Trader Joes sprouted wheat bread toasted (0/1 for 2 slices) I also had coffee with cream and 1 c. unsweetened chocolate almond milk (0/0) . Im thinking about a turkey wrap for lunch and not sure what else....Im not too hungry so thats pretty good.

Well gals, have a great Tuesday.....and keep on keepin on!

Sherri

Monday, January 24, 2011

Im Inspired!

Hello to all my "peeps"!

Wow!! So much inspiration going on here!! To Rosalie on your 80# loss and the pictures you posted.... amazing stuff girl! You truly are living the BFC and my goodness, it shows! I think you need to write to Jorge and send him some pics. You may be in the next book or as an online "loser" (you are a winner for sure!) And to Lindsey for losing 8# this week...awesome!! Geez, I have to say, seeing this all just inspires me to keep going! Thank you girls for sharing your successes with all of us. I cant wait to be standing in my favorite jeans like Rosalie and holding them out like that! Oh yeah...its goona happen this year!! My weight has been kind of holding this month and as disappointing as that has been, I believe the true proof is in the way my clothing feel. I know I have said this in previous posts, but it feels so good to wear stuff I havent been able to get in to for YEARS!!! So many things are now baggy on me and it just feels great! I put my usual scrubs on this morning (size XL) and the pants are just so darned big on me, but when I go down to a large, they feel a little snug to me and I would rather them be a little big and pull the drawstring tight & roll them down at the waist then to have my pants hang on to every lump & bump. Its like showing your panty lines....there aint nothin pretty about panty lines!! Another 10# and I feel certain that I will be in a smaller size pants. I wear a Large size top in our scrubs and that too is getting big on me but like I said, I am gonna wait for another 10# loss to go down to a medium.

As I was walking in to work this morning, one of the girls from scheduling said to me, "you're losing weight, arent you"? She said "I can really tell in your face." It really made me feel good to hear that...finally!! I think when people start noticing your weight loss is when it really becomes a catalyst to propel you forward. For some reason, I seem to always show my weight loss in my face first, then it seems to go in the legs and butt and then the belly. Sheesh, lets get rid of some of this back fat too for petes sake....yuck! It is really on my nerves these days!! But I know, it will come off in time and I am riding this out and going to work harder this week to show a nice loss! I am so close to hitting 10% of my body weight off ...I am about 5.5# away from that and they say when you lose 10% you are on the road to good health. I am on board with that thought for sure!!

So thats the "thoughts du Sherri" today. I hope you are all off to the start of another great week!! Keep on Keepin on my friends!! Sowly but surely, we are getting there!

Love & belief!
Sherri

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Its Thursday...sorry Ive been away...

Hello to all my "sisters in skinny" !

Well, I juest realized I havent blogged in a few days. Geez Louise, what a busy week!! I have worked every day (Im part time so I usually have a couple days off a week but not lately.)  and I am going in extra tomorrow, which was my day off,  for a few hours to help out. We have been so busy at the surgery center and although I would give anything to just sleep in tomorrow I didnt have the heart to not volunteer to come in for a few hrs to help my co workers out. There is nothing worse than having a short staffed crazy day! Our Director of Nursing thinks we have plenty of staff...she is living in a bubble...oh wait, thats her office! lol !! Shes a nice lady but she doesn't have a fricken clue about anything anymore! I think I am the youngest person in the recovery room and I applaud all my co workers who are in their mid to late 50s, some of them are in their early 60s and they work full time and bust their butts every day. I love the girls I work with so much and I would do anything for them. I am so blessed to love my job and the people I work with! I never feel like I drudge into work. The worst part is getting up early.

So anyways, enough of that! So lets talk diet. Ive been  super good this week and have been disappointed every day that the scale has said I am up a bit. What gives? When I weiged myself last Sunday I was down but today, up 3#!! I think I am retaining water lately and working so much has kind of interrupted my normal "elimination". Lately I have been getting home later than usual and I am STARVING when I walk in the door and I have no decent food in the house. I went grocery shopping last weekend, but seems theres nothing to show for it....I hate it when that happens! I think I am gonna have to go tomorrow sometime. Its getting ugly!! I feel fat too. My jeans feel tight for some reason and I dunno, I just feel like here we are Jan 20th and I am nowhere near the weight loss I wanted to be at this month. I hear many of my fellow bloggers saying they feel like they are stalled in their weight losses too and I hate to say it, but I think I am in the same boat. Not my intention....I have been trying , as I know all of you have been too, but its not budging this month. I really wanted to be down closer to 189 before the cruise but that is just shy of 3 weeks away and I am not seeing the numbers changing much. (sigh) Oh well...gotta just keep on keepin on!!! I know I need to exercise more but I am so tired when I get home all I want to do is sit because we are on our feet constantly and my tendonitis is usually really fired up by the time I get home.

Well girls, we just need to pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off, and push the restart button! I know that I am . I wish the weight would fall off like it did in Dec...but that was a terrible way to lose it. The stress diet isnt a good diet to be on.

Hope you all are doing great! Keep on pluggin and hang in there! We will make it!!
Love & Belief
Sherri

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Post...Bathing Suit Edition...Uggh!!

Hello to all my bloggin buds!

Good evening friends! Today was a great day! I ate very well, totally on plan and I have been having fun going through old clothing in my closet and trying on things I havent worn in a while. Man it feels good to wear them again!! We are going on a weeklong cruise in less than 4 weeks and I am trying to be diligent to get as close to 189 as possible before we leave. I got on the scale this morning and lo and behold, didnt it say I was down another pound this morning!! I got off the scale and did the fist pump and a "yessss!"!! So if I can have 4 very focused weeks, I think I can get there if not pretty darned close. I know that I will probably gain a few pounds and I am ok with that. We have spent alot of money to go on this and I am not going to deprive myself, but I absolutely wont go overboard either. I never do the midnight buffet and I dont eat after dinner at all. I try to make good choices at my meals and there are healthy options as well as reducced calorie entrees & desserts that are delicious. Every time we have done cruises in the past, I have made it a point to get to the gym and do at least 1/2 hr on the treadmill or elliptical and this time will be no different. I am taking my workout clothes and on the days we are at sea, I will be in the gym for sure. When we are on land, it is usually filled with so much walking etc, I look at that as my activity for the day. Our last cruise 4 years ago I maintained my weight...didnt gain an ounce and that is what I am hoping for again. I think I can pull it off.

So, this is my bathing suit edition as you saw on the heading.All I can say is there is only one word for bathing suit shopping.....UGGGHHHH!!! I absolutely despise having to try on bathing suits let alone sport one in public for cryin out loud! I know there are people who are way bigger than me wearing swimsuits in public and all I can say is Kudos to them for being so brave. So anyways, I have a bathing suit that I bought 4 yrs ago for our last cruise. I bought it online and it is ok. I paid almost $90. plus shipping for it...ouch but when you are a big girl, you gotta shop in the big girls catalogs. So yesterday, I was in Sams Club shopping and didnt they put out a table full of bathing suits advertised as "SLIM SUITS"!! Well, you have my undivided attention now!! And they are $29.98 each....what a bargain to boot!! So I start parusing the table and there were 2 suits that caught my eye. They both have the cute black swim skirts (not too short, not too long and in black.Always slimming..I like that! Dont want the Granny ones that go down to the knee now!) The one top was a bright floral print with a black background(very pretty) and the other was a cobalt blue & black circle kind of print. The blue one was halter style and I like that look so I bought that one. As you know, with Sams club, there are no dressing rooms so you have to take them home to try on & return if you dont like it. (a pain in the rump for sure!!) So I get it home, try it on and yikes!!! Talk about plunging neckline!! A definite NO!!!! So I returned it and got the floral one and it looks decent. Ok, tell me this, what gives with back fat? Man, I hate that!! I need to do some exercises to get rid of it cuz it is just nasty! Anyways, it is what it is and my husband told me it looks nice on me and he is not one to dish a compliment often and my youngest daughter also said it looked nice so I think I am alright to show myself in public in it. I still wont like it, but hey...who cares, right? I wont know anybody and I am certainly not looking to impress anyone so whoop de doo!!! lol. I got a great bargain for $31 plus change.

Ok, not to ramble more about my clothing ordeal, but here is my dilemma. My dressy capris from the summer are too big now and I dont think they will have any out in a smaller size by mid Feb. I did find one pair of black capris in a sz 16 and they fit but that limits me to one pair for the cruise. I have a pair of white ones that I love and I havent tried them on since summer, but they were a little smaller cut than my other ones so I may be able to get away with them too. I do have a couple of other ones that are smaller, they are 16 Regulars but they are still somewhat snug and with the salt water etc, I may get bloated a bit so Im thinking the other 16s will be the ones to take. As far as shorts go, geez...not sure what I am gonna do!! My shorts were kind of roomy on me over the summer so I know they are gonna hang off of me. I have lost 4 inches on my waist and 4 inches on my belly since then so I am sure of it. I am hoping the stores decise to put summer stuff out early. Heck, they were putting valentine stuff out Dec 26th so one can only hope, right? I do have to say, on one final note....it feels sooooo soooo good to try this stuff on and see it fitting so much nicer, not hugging all the bumps & lumps. I know I have a long way to go, but I have to say, the whole big clothing thing is really really a great thing!!!!! I cant wait to go shopping when I hit my ideal body weight!! I have a nice lump of $ stashed away in a secret bank acct and I am gonna get an entire new wardrobe with a chunk of that money. And I am gonna be buying size 10 jeans, thank you very much!!! :)

Well, I am sure you are all tired of reading my rambling so I will wrap it up for tonight. Thanks for listening.

I would also like to send Rosalie my condolences as she and her family cope with the loss of her dad. My heart goes out to you my friend ,and I am so very sorry for your loss. I know that it is a relief that he is no longer hurting and you take comfort in knowing he is most definitely with Jesus now. I am here for you if you need an ear or a shoulder. ((Hugs)) to you....

Have a great Sunday Skinny sisters and a great start to your week!

Love & belief always!!
Sherri

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Update...Saturday weigh in...

Hey all....

Well, as good as I was this past week, the scale didnt refelct my efforts. On my scale this morning I am down 1.5#. On WW scale, by the time you factor in the clothing, I was only down 0.2....BOOOOO!!! Oh well, I am looking at the bright side....the past 2 weeks I had substantial losses and it has to catch up sometime, so I know next week will be a rockin loss!!! I worked alot too and didnt exercise but 1x this week so I know that too is a factor that comes into play.

Swim meet this afternoon for my youngest daughter....I will get my sauna treatment in! lol. Have a great weekend my friends!!

Love & belief!
Sherri

Friday, January 14, 2011

Hooray for Friday!!

Hello friends!

Well, here it is...Friday...FINALLY!!! What a looooooonnnnnggg week this has been!! Glad that its over. I am tired and need a day off! My "dogs" (feet) are a barkin and I had a horrific day at work today! I had Pediatric pts with another nurse and we had 11 kids to care for post op. At one point, we had a room full of kids and they were ALL crying!! I though I was gonna start crying too! It seems if one starts, they all follow!! My room was quiet and then all of a sudden, they brought in 2 kids within minutes of each other and in a few minutes it was nothing short of chaos and screaming! I love kids but let me tell you, when they are coming out of anesthesia, there just isnt anything fun about it. I didnt get a lunch today and I ate a tangerine & yogurt at 2:30 pm while I was catching up on my charting. I did have a nice dinner of grilled chicken, 1/2 c brown rice and some green beans. It was delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it while sitting down! It is such a treat to be sitting down....just sayin......

So as I sit here, I am trying to think about what I want to talk about tonite. One of the girls at work has been having lots of Dr. visits lately and I said to her today, "Mary Jane, this is not the way to start out the new year! My goodness, you have been to the Dr. every day for the past 2 weeks!" She pulled me aside and told me that she is undergoing testing so that she can have a lap band placed in the next month or so. She told me that she literally has had to have every organ sonogrammed and if any come up abnormal or if her gallbaldder had stones in it (hers doesn't), she would have to have it removed before she can have the surgery. She said everything has come out good so far and she hopes by spring to have the surgery done. She is quite heavy and has trouble walking due to her weight so I do hope this helps her, but my goodness....I found it unbelievable that you had to go through so riggamarole to have that done!! I know that lap band and gastric bypass are big surgeries with many potential complications and I have met alot of people who have had gastric bypass, and many of them are starting to gain their weight back. It isnt permanent weight loss and many people I have seen who have had it, dont eat well at all. They continue to eat junk food and make poor choices in fueling their bodies and in the long run, I havent seen many long term weight loss stories. They dont educate them well enough on what they need to be eating and the poor nutritional habits continue and they end up no farther ahead than when they started. I know this isnt with everyone. I have seen some long term success stories but the majority has been the latter. Anyways, I am happy that I have found my happy medium in doing weight watchers and I have been very diligent in tracking what I am eating, as well as making good nutritional choices. I feel better and I dont feel deprived at all and I feel like this has become a good lifestyle for me and one that I can maintain. I have been on so many diets that deprive you and all you do is dream about eating those things. I remember doing LA weight loss, which was a VERY restrictive and EXPENSIVE diet I might add (over $500 + their nutritional bars that were loaded with carbs & sugar!!)Not to mention, they tried to get you to buy something every time you walked in the door! The counselors didnt live the plan and couldnt relate when you gained or stayed the same. I remember getting lectured by this one "counselor" and it really put a bad taste in my mouth about the whole program and I dreded going to weigh in because I thought I was gonna get chewed out for eating something wrong, etc. They would go over your diary and circle in red what you were doing wrong...like you were in school or something!  Isnt it funny....they are no longer in business. Hmmm...go figure!

So I guess what I am getting at is, no matter what plan you follow, you have to find YOUR happy medium and something that is not only DO ABLE for you and a plan that will fit your life. The BFC is a great plan for sure, and so many people have been successful on it....but I felt a bit deprived on it and realized that it just wasn't a good fit for me. I will continue to plug away and  no matter how long it takes me I know that my goal of hitting 160 by my 45th bday in Sept is going to be a reality this year! If it takes me longer...well...so be it then!  Its a weight loss journey and I am going to enjoy the scenery along the way as well as the bumps in the road that I know will come along too. My mom always said, "you didnt put it on overnight, you arenet gonna take it off overnight either". So true! We just want it to go away NOW...but it isnt easy but I am finding, is well worth the effort! I am 20# lighter because of it.

I am proud of all my  "skinny sisters" that are in our blogging group and I love that we are all supportive of each other!! It feels good to know we arent alone, isnt it? Well, thats my 2 cents...for what its worth!
Tomorrow is my weigh in day....not sure what its gonna be but I am hopeful. I havent been able to exercise much this week due to working so much  and my foot has been bothering me, so we shall see what unfolds. I will update you all tomorrow. I am hoping for a pound. I would be happy with that.

I think I am going to watch the movie "Enchanted" tonight. It is such a sweet movie and it is one of  my favorites!! Its a Disney movie but It is sooooo cute and has a sweet storyline. If you havent seen it, rent it! Plus, Patrick Dempsey from Greys anatomy is co starring in it so theres some eye candy for your viewing pleasure! (wink, wink!)

Happy Friday my friends!
Love & belief!
Sherri

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday Evening Post...

Hey there Skinny Girls!!

I was thinking of what I wanted to write about tonight and thought I would share a real  life changing event for me that happened about 12 years ago but it was instrumental in my weight loss.
 I remember it vividly! In Dec of 1998, my husbands cousin Jack had open heart at the age of 53. He ended up dying on the table. It was so tragic! I had just had my daughter Rachel Nov 16th and it must have been around Dec 10th that Jack died. Anyways, I remember going to his funeral for the viewing. I remember I wore a beige sweater that covered my belly because it was still so jello-y from just having a baby 3 weeks prior and a pair of beige stir up pants with elastic waist. Even though Jacks passing was a tragedy, I was excited to wear this outfit because it was the first time I left the house not dressed in maternity clothing. Anyways, I had to drive about 1/2 hr to the funeral home. I got there and payed my respects. My husbands cousin Rosalie (sorry to our Rosalie ...you are nothing like this Rosalie!!) who is about 4'10" and about 98# soaking wet came up to me and said, and I quote.."You are such a pretty girl, if you would just lose some weight you would be so much prettier". I was speechless.!! I got in my car and sobbed the entire way home. I was so hurt!! Dont skinny people know that us chubby girls  are VERY AWARE of how we look and we are self concious about it? I mean, I just had a baby for heavens sake! I remember thinking to myself, "Im gonna show her...Im gonna get skinny"! I vowed that the next year, I would have a family portrait taken of us for Christmas and I would make sure Rosalie got the first one!! Well, it fueled my fire and I was a woman on a mission and I did exactly what I set out to do!!! It took me an entire year but I lost 52# in 1999. I went from 218# down to 166# and OMG I had palpable AND visible collarbones and I was sporting a size 10/12 (depending on who made it). By my standards, I was skinny for once in my life!! I will never forget it, Ole Rosalie sent us a christmas card that year and made a comment on how wonderful I looked & how thin I had gotten. A proud moment indeed where I said to myself...Mission accomplished! I maintained the weight loss for about a year, then steadily started gaining again. So where am I going with this??? I dont remember!! HAHA! No...Just kidding! I feel like I have been a ship lost at sea for so many years. I have been out in the ocean floating searching and searching for that port but never found it. I tried diet after diet after diet for years, only to get discouraged and disappointed when I failed at it. But this year, this time, I feel like I have found the lighthouse and my port is finally waiting for me to arrive!!!  Even though I havent had anyone say something as mean as what my husbands cousin said to me that day in Dec of  '99, I feel that same fire and excitement again that this is truly going ot be my year!! I feel HOPE again...I havent had HOPE in such a long time. I feel like I have a course mapped out, a plan...FINALLY!! Im not wandering aimlessly anymore! I have a purpose and a goal....and my ship is FINALLY coming in!! I feel it in my heart. I cant even begin to tell you how good it feels! I am going to have another family portrait taken in November and it will be our christmas card this year....and I am gonna look better than I have ever looked!!

I was talking to my sister yesterday(who is also my WW weight loss buddy) and I told her I feel different this time around. Before, I wouldnt think a thing about popping something in my mouth and justifying that it was ok. Now I am asking myself the question " what is more important to you...Eating this particular food or seeing the scale go down and getting into a smaller size?" I have been choosing the latter of the two when I ask myself that question. It is such a change of thinking for me!

Sorry that this was such a long post. I dont know what inspired me to write this but I felt I needed to share it with you. I have lived 2/3 of my life overweight and I dont want to live any more of my life this way!!

Well, I have rambled quite a bit here so I will say goodnite & sleep tight! Have a great day tomorrow!!
Thanks for listening.....
Love & belief!
Sherri

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Living Life~ Sunday Jan. 9, 2011

Hello all!

I have a really wonderful passage to share with you today. I bought this beautiful framed passage a few months ago. It hangs in an area of my house that makes me stop to read it each day. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do. It really sums up how I truly feel about my life.

                                                                      Living Life

Life is not a race~but indeed a journey. Be honest. Work hard. Be choosy. Say "thank you", "I love you" and "great job" to someone each day. Go to church, take time for prayer. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. Let your handshake mean more than pen & paper. Love your life and what you have been given, it is not accidental~ search for your purpose and do it as best you can. Dreaming does matter. It allows you to become that which you aspire to be. Laught often. Appreciate the little things in life and enjoy them. Some of the best things really are free. Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul. Take time for yourself~ plan for longevity. Recognize the special people you've been blessed to know.
                                                 Live for today~ Enjoy the Moment!

Thank you to all the special friends I have met through our blogs. You are all such great people with big hearts and incredible wisdom and kindness! I  feel blessed to have such wonderful supportive weight loss girlfriends! Thanks for being there for me!!

Love & Belief!
Sherri
p.s I tried on a pair of size 16M (not W) Levis jeans that have been hanging in my closet for, I dunno, FOREVER....well guess what??!! I can now zip them up!!!! I have been wearing an 18W for what seems like a lifetime and it is such a thrill to pull things out that have been sitting there for years and be able to wear them again!! They are snug and my sz 18M Levis (my favs) are still my "go to" pair for now (I wasnt able to wear those for about 6 yrs and now they fit perfect with a little room to spare), but I can tell you this my friends...it wont be long before I will be sporting those 16 Levis comfortably! Just sayin.....OMG~I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Weigh in Day!! Sat Jan 8, 2010

Hello to all my Skinny Sisters!

Well, had my official weigh in today @ WW and I am down another 1.8#, that makes a total of 15.2 lost w/ WW since Dec 1 and a total weight loss of 20.5# when I was at my heaviest last March, 2010. I am about 6# away from hitting my 10% weight loss.....I dont think I have ever hit my 10% with WW....ever...so that is pretty exciting stuff too!  It feels so good to be wearing my jeans again that I havent worn in I dont know how many years,to see my clothes getting baggy, to not have as many ripples & bumps showing and to just enjoy feeling a little bit lighter. I put my winter coat on today and noticed that it is really starting to get big on me too. When I got on the scale this morning though, it said I was up 3# since yesterday!! I was like....seriously?! How can you possibly gain 3# overnight? I have been sooooo good, following everything to a tee and exercising too, and then it dawned on me. It seems that every time I exercise before I weigh in, I am always heavier the next day. I did 2 exercise tapes yesterday and I am wondering if my body is just hanging on to a little extra water weight from doing them. So I waited til 11am to weigh in and the scale came back down. So note to self...not gonna exercise on Fridays. I really need to update my stats too! I have really laxed on that.

I pulled out my bathing suits (all in black might I add....go figure!) and tried them on this morning. They look ok, I suppose.... but I am thinking another 10# and they will look much better. We have our cruise in 4 1/2 weeks and I dont know how realistic it is to lose that much in that short of a time frame but by golly, Im gonna give it my best shot! I will take anything I lose in that timeframe and be happy with it. Even though they are just numbers, and they certainly dont define me by any means, it is so fun to see them going down instead of up which is what was happening all of last year. I fell like something has "clicked" for me this time and as I have said in previous posts, I REALLY KNOW that this time I am going to do it!!! I have never been more motivated and I truly believe that come Sept. you aren't gonna believe what you will see! I wanna look younger, dress in cute stylish clothing that doesnt scream grandma or have a "W" after the number , and I wanna look HOT for once in my life!!! I am starting to envision myself looking this way and I have never been able to do that before.

So thats my update for you all. I hope you are all doing great! Please be sure to post how your week has gone. Have a wonderful weekend and please keep in touch & be sure to say hello if you stop by to visit!

Love & belief!
Sherri

Friday, January 7, 2011

Friday Jan 7, 2011

Good morning friends!

Well, the feet are feeling great today! Woke up to little to no pain and I am walking normally. The things we take for granted....like walking without being in pain. Makes you appreciate the body God has given! I have abused it for so many years by being overweight. I am ready to make a change this year and take care of this body that he has given me by fueling it properly and exercising regularly. I dont want to have problems down the road like diabetes, heart disease, etc. So many of those problems are truly preventable. I read somewhere that diabetes is really on the rise! I believe the statistic I read was something like 46% of the population are affected by it. That is just crazy!!!

So anyways, I bought a new kickboxing tape last week and hadnt tried it yet so last night, I popped it in the DVD player & was going to just preview it and then I decided to give the moves a try. It was a really good workout and I was sweting in my pjs by the end of it. It was starting to aggravate my foot by the end so I didnt complet the cooldown...but I am ready to try it again today. It has weighted gloves  that you wear to turn up the intensity and the tape is really fun to do.

Got on the scale this morning and it says that I am down 2.5# this week! Yippee!! I officially weigh in tomorrow at WW so we shall see what their scale says. By the time you add clothing in, it usually adds on a pound. But I feel great and so motivated to keep going!! I havent been this motivated in years!!!

WEll my friends, a short post from me today. Not much else going on. Hope you all have a great day and be sure to post your comments. I love hearing from you!

((Hugs))
Sherri

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Thurs Jan 6, 2011

Hello again!

Well, I finally got a day off from work today and am just trying to regroup. That nasty intestinal flu is running rampant everywhere and we had 6 people call in sick on Tues and they have been out all week. It is such a nasty nasty bug!! Been working alot and my achilles tendonitis has really been causing me grief so I saw the foot Dr. this morning and he injected a fat pad area outside the achilles (you cant inject it directly or it can rupture it..ouch!) and it usually takes about 24 hrs to get relief but it usually works. The pain is so bad at times it wakes me up at night and I cant get  back to sleep. I am doing everything I can to avoid surgery, but I know down the road, it is inevitable. I have a huge bone spur on the back of my heel that constantly irritates my achilles tendon and he would have to literally shave the bone spur off. NOT looking forward to that at all!!! I will be crawling or in a wheelchair before we get to that point.  Anyways, I am once again on foot rest until Monday, so no exercise for me. The hardest part of this is, I really want to exercise but the pain is so bad, I pay for it with excruciating pain for days after. I think I am going to have to cancel my gym membership. I am not able to utilize it the way I did last year and right now it is wasting my $ to keep paying the $59/ fee. You dont realize how important your feet are until you have issues with them. It feels crippling at times as I hobble around some days. Oh well, not to moan & groan on you all....I know there are others who have it worse off than I do. I am grateful that I can get out of bed every morning. It is a blessing indeed! I have a few days off from work so I think not having to stand on my feet all day will really help.

So I have been very very good this week, following my plan closely but that darned scale hasn't budged a smidge! Grr!! I did have a substantial loss over Dec. of about 13# ( I think! It might have been more. I am having a brain fart at the moment) and I really wanted to get into the 180s by my cruise in Feb but Im not sure it is gonna happen considering I cant exercise at all right now. I have  a stationary bike but believe it or not it hurts to ride that too becuase it pulls on the achilles. (sigh) I am just gonna keep on pluggin away and do my best to keep the scale going downward.

I have a couple of 1 hour massage gift certificates to a really nice Day Spa in town and I think I am going to treat myself to a nice massage this week! My husband buys me one for bdays & christmas every year and I still havent used them. I think I have two 1 hour massages, and one half hour massage. A half hour is just a tease....Im going for the full shabang!It is a really beautiful place! They arent cheap but it is such a treat to pamper yourself there!

So thats my day here. Just going to hang out at home for a bit today and do some light cleaning & make a nice dinner tonite. My hubby wants goulash so thats what will be served. Its very cold here, about 26 degrees and there is beautiful light "christmas snow" falling outside my window. I really enjoy it when the house is quiet like this too. It just gives me time to chill out & enjoy the serenity.

Have a great day gals!!

Love to all!!
Sherri

Monday, January 3, 2011

Its Monday!

Hello to all my Skinny Sisters!!

How was your weekend? We had alot of fun. My husband turned 50 on Sat & I threw a little party for him to celebrate. We had family & friends over and it was just a great time visiting and we started bowling on the Wii...omg...so fun!! And can I just tell you, I was kickin butt!! My husbands best friend Joe was so funny. He was like, "Sherri, Im gonna be your manager when you go out on your Wii bowling tour!" Made me laugh to hear that!

So I have been reading all of your posts and my goodness...so many great things are happening to my BFC sisters! Diana is wearing cute little size 16 jeans now, Kasey is 22# lighter than last year, Rosalie is wearing a size 10 and has lost over 70#!!! My goodness....how awesome it was to read all of your blogs!! Sooo much to be proud of my friends!! I am also happy that this is the first year I didnt boo hoo on New Years like I always do, having a pity party of one with myself over the fact that I was the same weight that I was (or heavier) than last year. But not this year!!! I am 18# lighter than I was last year and I am doggone proud of that too!!

I went searching in my photos that are dowloaded and I found a picture from Jan 2, 2009 and a picture from Jan 2, 2011. OMG wait til you see the difference! I almost fell over when I saw the comparison!!
I thought that this picture was taken last year, but I wrote 2009 so I guess that was what I looked like then. All I can say is, my goodness, what happened to me that I let myself get so big? I am making positive changes in my life and I have vowed to myself that I will NEVER allow myself to get this big ever again!! I am embarrassed to post these pictures but it is what it is and I cant continue to go on seeing my weight through rose colored glasses. I am glad that I took these photos and I cant wait to watch me become the incredible shrinking woman this year!

I got my nails done tonight, and my nail girl, Julie and I were talking. She is also a spinning instructor at the Y
too  and she keeps encouraging me to get into a spinning class. It makes me nervous because I dont think I could last the full hr doing that. While my nails were drying, Julie and I and another gal Bridget were chatting about our weight. Bridget quit smoking in Sept and gained 20# and she said she wants to lose it. I encouraged her to join me and I would be her weight loss Buddy. I dont think her head is in the game yet, and we all know, that is essential to your success!! You have to want it! You have to get that fire ignited inside of you!! You have to have a driving force!! I have all of the above and for once in my life I really really believe that this year I am finally going to have my weight loss dream come true!!

So here are my pictures...what do you all think? Can you see a difference too ??

                      
                                 Jan 2, 2009         
                                         
                                      Jan. 2, 2011                                                                              
                                          
                 So here we are, Jan 3rd of a brand new year!
2011....I am looking forward to what you have in store for me this year!!

Have a great evening & dont stop believing!!
Love
Sherri

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Happy 2011 to all my Sisters in Weight loss!!

Well, here we are, embarking on yet another year! I can hardly believe where the time has gone. Today is my husbands 50th birthday. We are celebrating with a small family party. We will be on a cruise in 6 weeks and that is his big bday present. I cannot wait to go and get some warm weather & sunshine and some well needed R&R!!

My sister texted me this morning and said that this is the last year that we will need to resolve to lose the weight....and you know what? I actually believe it!!! I am proud of myself for the progress that I have made these last few months, even though some of my weight loss was not under the best circumstances. Regardless, it has given me the needed push to keep going and I feel so excited for what my future holds this year! I have been trying to lose weight for the last 10 years, no really, 10 years! I lost 58# in 1999 (it took me a full year to lose it!) and maintained it for almost a year and a half until May of 2000. I joined Mary Kay as a beauty consultant and found myself spending the time I would devote to my daily exercise had been pushed to the wayside and I focused alot on my business and less on me. Over the past 10 years, I had gained (embarrassed to say) 52.5#!!! I guess I got content somewhere along the lines and just didnt care anymore. I have resigned from my management position as of today with Mary Kay and I believe that it is what I am supposed to do. God knows the desires of my heart and I believe that in order to lose this weight I cannot have multiple focuses. I am ready to be back on the front burner again and I am ready to find Sherri again and I am going to enjoy every step of the journey!!

I remember when I lost all that weight , I could see and feel my collarbones. Mine are somewhat hidden now, I can feel them but cant really see them. I know when I get to my goal weight of 158 by Sept 25th that I will be looking great and have those collarbones showing. I have been envisioning myself skinny which I have never done in the past and it is fueling my desire to make this goal a reality!!

So my goal (I think I have stated it numerous times...sorry if I keep repeating myself!) is to lose another 40# by Sept 25th (my bday) and to not make excuses not to exercise. My January/Feb goal is to be in the 180s by our cruise mid Feb. I was contemplating cancelling my gym membership but I decided that I am  going to get back into going again. Its hard to do after work and when my feet are hurting but I need to do some activity and I have found that once I am dressed in my workout clothes & get in my car, there is no turning back and I always feel better for having gone. When I lost all my weight in 1999, I walked and did TaeBo tapes. It really toned me up and I was pretty darned thin, although I didnt think so at the time. But the photos tell another story!

So be sure to post your January Goal and your new years goal for yourself here and I will be cheering you on every step of the way!!! Heres to a GREAT YEAR!!!

Love & belief in us all!!!
Heres to making our dreams come true this year!!!
Sherri