Hello?

Hi Girls! I don't know if anyone is still out there ~ I've been away far too long. I thought I'd send out an update and see how you're all doing anyway.

I have had so much change in my life. I have not continued any type of focus on me and my personal goals but I am a lot happier and down a few pounds because of it!

I quit my very stressful job and took a new, part-time teaching job that I'm really enjoying! Things have also been heating up with my daughter's dream of becoming a recording artist and we've taken trips to NYC and Boston to meet with producers and take voice lessons w/Steven Tyler's vocal coach. It's all been quite the whirlwind. Dan and I are trying to decide whether or not to let her tap into what little we've put away to help her w/college to invest in this career.

This summer I was crazy busy working w/for Sean's soccer coach. He runs a soccer academy and clinics and I do all his paperwork. I love it! We had a horrific tragedy the first day of sessions though when one of our players dropped dead less than an hour into the day. It was heartbreaking for all. The whole summer helped me put my life into perspective and when I went back to work and came home crying on the 3rd day of teacher meetings, I realized it was time for major change!

I came home looked online for jobs, applied for two and got called for an interview 10 minutes later! The rest is history and I've not been this much at peace in years!

I hope you are all going strong and doing well. Take care and if you feel like checking in, I'd love to hear what you're up to!

Christine

Motivation Cancelled

Well with the reunion three weeks away they decided to cancel it.!! We were informed that we will combine with the class below us and have a big one next year. I am pretty sure that they couldn't get it together on time. oh well. Now I guess I have another year to get into great shape. I am bummed though.

Summer Time

Yes!! Summer has finally found WA coast...this means I can hit the beach and walk. I am on a good track right now. Sammy how has it been going? I hope well and good. Any changes on the scale? I know you start school again soon and will be really busy but just know that you can always count on me when you need to vent.

Have you ever heard of Sparkpeople?? It is a FREE online diet/fitness site that has tons of advice ,recipes, fitness stuff...ect. It is an awesome site, in a way it's like face book but for health. You should look into it. I just joined and I love it!! If you do join, look for me. I am Oceanrose1

Udate

Hey there ladies. Time fro updates! Well I am trying to go low carb. It is really easy and I feel better. I don't need all that wheat crap. I eat clean 95% of the time. Small tweaks and it is working. I am down a pound.
Oh and my blood tests came back normal. YEA!!

Sammy- How is it going? Did you reach your 5 lb June goal?

I am back!

SO I will be turning 20 in August and I had honestly thought that I would be at my goal weight by then...yeah sadly not going to happen. However I am back on the band wagon ladies. I am going to my second physical therapy appointment on Friday and I am pumped. I love my PT lady and she was so sweet. Number 1 thing she stressed the most about keeping my back pain free was to lose the weight. So with the friendly advice I am ready to get it together.

For the past 3-4 weeks I have been very proud of myself. Although my eating habits have been atrocious I have been stretching every night. I was doing yoga for two weeks straight and my back started to hurt so I slowed down and started to just stretch. SO far so good! You know when they say that in regards to exercise repetition once you pass the three week mark it will usually become a habit. That's what I'm hoping for! That is my way of strength training and building strong lean muscles. I just need to work on my cardio and eating habits. What else is new? haha So I am back to walking the park and walking at home with those videos. My goal is to just do 30 minutes a day of activity or just be active as much as possible. Keep you fingers crossed for me ladies. There is no way that when I reach my 21st birthday I will be unhappy with my body. Unacceptable! haha We have all been so close to our goal and for some unknown reason we give up when it's just beyond our reach. Not anymore!!! We can and need to do this!

I currently fit into a size 16 dress and swim suit! Yup not okay! Hopefully by the end of summer I can get back to a 12. I wish I could just wake up in the morning and be skinny but that is not going to happen, and I know that it's going to be a struggle! I will literally be fighting for my life but it will get easier in time. Plus it's worth it :). So here's to summer...may it bring new hope and sexy new bodies!

Goal's for the end of June: 4 pounds lost, membership to gym, constant motion, and stretches every night/day.

I've missed you guys!

More than just the scale

Wow not working out and ditching my diet for a while really made a surprising difference in my body and not just the scale going up. I noticed more flab especially in the legs. My sleep and digestion were not good, I was tired and grumpy. So I got up and went to the Y this morning. I only did 30 mins on the elliptical..not great but something. My lungs definately were weaker.
I plan on walking my dog tonight. It is summer solstice and beautiful here so I have no excuse not to and besides he will love it.

Sammy how are you doing? Any motivation change? Christine are you still with us? I know times are tough for all right now but lets try to keep our heads up ladies.

Sammy are you out there??

Hey Sammy sorry I let such a lapse of time go between posts. I have been slacking on my diet and exercise. Haven't been to the Y in a week!! I need to get off my butt and do it! I am so disappointed in myself. Tomorrow I am going to get up and go. I have to.

How are you doing Sammy? Lots better than me I hope!

Periods and Personal Training

So I think that my 3 lb weight gain last week was related to my PMS. This week I am back to where I was at before. I always thought that you weigh more during your cycle not before, but my doc says that you start retaining water the week before as your body prepares for the trauma (cycle). Grand! so it's a two week head game. The older I get the worse the periods are.

Anyways I fought the urge to stay in bed this morning and went to the Y. I didn't want to but I felt better after a workout. I set up an appointment with one of the trainers finally to talk about this plateau I seem to have hit and adding strength training into my routine. I hear that lifting weights will help take off some inches. I do this already sometimes at home but thought why not get tips from a pro. At least I know I won't ditch out on it at the gym if I am already there. Home is just too easy to get distracted you know?

WFT!!??

Okay so I have been going to the Y and workin it. How the heck did I gain 3 lbs in one day. I mean I know my eating has been off but WTF? Sammy I have been thinking back to what you said a time ago about it being 80% what I stuff in my mouth 20% exercise. I really need to stick to that rule!!!

It's been a long time

Hello ladies can I just say I have missed you both. I mean that in un-creepy way okay. haha

It's been awhile since I've posted and let me tell you a lot has happened. I am doing really well recovery wise and my back is getting stronger. The downside is I gained my weight back...talk about a blow to the gut literally. haha I am no longer on weight watchers because my subscription was up and I haven't been to the Y in a long time to go swimming so my physical activity has decreased significantly. My eating habits have gotten pretty bad also so I put myself back to where I didn't want to be. I am 187 pounds!! It's horrific I literally cried my eyes out when I saw those numbers. So needless to say I am rather upset with everything so far and I feel terrible lately.

However I have new inspiration and a new drive. I go back to school at my local community college this Fall, we are moving at the end of the month,  learning to drive, looking for a job, and I have a boyfriend with a size 32 waist. I know I don't know how that happened either haha. Plus I took before pictures yesterday and I was disgusted. I've never looked so big! So my goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of the month.

I am currently making a personalized fitness plan, and diet based off of my lifestyle and needs. I'm determined to do this. Especially since I only have till august until my life gets really hectic again. I will like to post at least once a week as well. Wish me luck ladies I need it haha. Hope you are all well!

Aloha

well I am back from vacation and wishing I could just move to Hawaii. I ended up feeling pretty comfortable in my skin when I was there. The pictures still show a chunky girl though but I am not going to worry I am just going to focus on being healthy, exercising 4-5 days a week and I know eventually the weight will come off. Hopefully in time for my HS reuinion
I totally dumped any kind of good eating plan and also my workouts while over there and it is going to be hard getting back into the swing of things but I have to do it. It really is not a choice.

My dad has his check up for his heart next week. I hope it goes well, he has lost 30 lbs so far. He is supposed to lose 30 more by July. This really makes me think about how glad I am that I have started a healthier lifestyle.

Weekly update schedule

Okay, so I've not been posting, my back has been keeping me stationary on a more regular and frequent basis lately. Work is stressful and depressing. Our financial state is in trouble - especially when I look at college payments for my son in 16 months. I've been in hiding.

Here's what I've done though. I faced the bills/budget and laid it out there for the family. The kids need to know where we stand and that if they want to continue with things as they are, they're going to have to sacrifice elsewhere.

I've started cleaning/purging/filing my office space and been giving my daughter voice lessons so that I can begin private lessons again soon. I have been dragging my feet on getting fliers up and such - I'm giving myself 2 weeks for that.

I've been taking Sean on college visits so that he's on track and realizes what it's gonna take to get him where he wants to be.

I've picked up a happy knitting project and vowed to not buy anymore knitting anything! I've got to use my entire stash before I can buy anything else.

All of this has also made me start craving healthy foods and this past week I've been more careful about eating better. I am going to call the doctor to make an apt. to find out what the heck's going on with my back. I'm living on iburpofen or Alive these days and it's got to stop.

I just downloaded Pride and Prejudice on my iPod so I'm going to try to elliptical it for a bit later today.

I will try to post every week - at least once - I'm even scheduling it into my calendar so that I don't put it off and never get to it! Sorry for being lame and vacant.

Update

well I have made it to the YMCA more mornings than not for the month. The scale has not moved much more than a pound or so but I feel good about myself and I swear that I am losing inches. I don't feel like a huge hog in my swimsuit. We are leaving on Sunday Morning early early, and have planned alot of very active things to do on vacation so I will be getting in some exercise. When I get back I plan on doing the Fit Focus that comes free with my Y membership. They will take my weight, BMI. and my goals, then they will show me what to do to get to those goals. They check in with you every so often to keep you on track. I figure heck it's free so I might as well do it.


So how are you ladies doing with your fitness goals? Or just life in general? I would love to hear from you!!!

Train wreck

This past weekend my sisters and I went to see Pat Benetar in concert. She , as always was rockin'. I danced my ass off but ate and drank way too much. I basically drank as many if not more calories than I had burned all week at the gym. Not good considering I leave for vacation in two weeks! Then I totally skipped the gym this morning. Guess I really have to watch it for the next two weeks!! Sammy how are you doing? Christine are you still with us busy bee?

Workin' it

I have made it to the ymca every day this week. YEA!! Doing intervals on the elliptical buring avg of 450 calories a 40 minute session. I plan on adding in the shred three to four times a week for sculpting starting today. I will shred on the weekends and probably tues/thurs. That way I am working my body 7 days a week but not overdoing what I am capable of. My diet has been good this week minus the handful of sour patch kids I gobbled down last night. mmmm sour patch kids...yum. According to self.com my happy weight should be 149 lbs. I weigh 169 right now. I have lost 30 lbs since last May!!! I can't beleive I was up to 200 lbs. NEVER AGAIN. I went through my old clothes that had been put away in a trunk last night.(mainly summer clothes from my skinny days) Almost all of them fit again. WOO HOO!! It's been a few years since they have fit. Which is great because I am too poor to buy anything new for the trip. So I am super excited. Glad I kept them. How are you ladies doing? Sammy still walking and swimming? Christine are you out from under the snow yet? Decided on that career change yet?

HULA

Well we just decided last night that we really need a vacation...we usually go camping/roadtripping but have never just went somewhere to relax, So we are going to be going to Hawaii on may 1st. Neither of us have ever been and I am super excited but also I am really nervous about this weight I need to get off. I mean I wanted to look good for my HS reunion this summer but I had no doubts about that timeline. May 1st is only one month away!! Any quick loss schemes besides starvation you ladies know of???

Update

Well the scale hasn't budged but I have been sticking to my workout plan like glue.....eating plan is still a hit and miss. I just love food so much, I do eat healthy all week long but I seem to go bonkers on the weekends. Any advice ladies?

Boys suck...

Okay Molly Rose I commented on your last post about how I was so excited about this new guy I'm seeing...talk about a major disappointment. Needless to say he is no longer in my life hahahahaha. The only thing I can really do is laugh at this point. ;) I have learned a valuable lesson in the dating department and I am way more determined to lose weight. lol

I have no idea where I am right now on the scale but I know it's not budging. So I am going to amp things up. Try to do the walking videos at least 4-5 times a week, swimming twice a week, and just keep walking with my mom. My eating habits have been very off lately but I am getting back on track with WW. I will lose this weight no matter what! I am so grateful to you ladies. I am glad I can come on here and talk not only about my weight loss but about my failed romantic life haha. You ladies are the best. Lets lose some weight!

Focussing on gratitude.....maybe that will help?

Hi Ladies! Sorry I've been out of touch for a bit. I am still trying to climb that wicked wall out of my funk. I think this past week of warmer weather and sunshine did it - or at least got it started. I've been down for the count for two days with lower back pain, and last night I slept about 1 hour! I called in today and went back to bed. I woke up at 11am! I guess my body was trying to tell me something.

Anyway, I bought an eliptical from a co-worker and it was delivered on Thursday. I am about to use it for the first time - as long as my back holds up through it. I have also started working out a plan B for getting out of my toxic work environment. It's scares the living daylight out of me to be thinking of career change at 41 with two kids a year and two away from college. ugh.

Anyway, I am vowing to find at least one thing to be grateful for each day to help me continue moving in the right direction. Today, it's you two! :)

Back in the game

I think that I really enjoy the YMCA this time around. I have met some inspiring people there already and that is encouraging. My home and work life is becoming a downer for me I am so overloaded and I am at a major burn out. I don't know what is going on in my relationship, it's like 8 years is just slipping downwards to dark. I am so worried that it could become full on depression. I am really trying to focus on the positive right now and the only positive for me is that I am finally feeling comfortable in my skin, for the first time in a long time and nothing and no one can take that feeling from me.

Sammy I promise that I will post some pics soon...my sisters and I are going to a concert soon and we went last year around the same time so I will be sure to post last years and this years so you and christine can see the change. I really owe you both a big thank you. This blog has helped my so much. I am so thankful we have this...Christine THANK YOU. Sammy THANK YOU.

Day light savings...change of plans and time

Well I am so fed up with waiting on getting my elliptical. I am joining the YMCA again instead. There is more to do and how often will I really get up and use an elliptical at home. I have a friend who wants to meet me there(YMCA) 2x a week and then I want to go on my own 3x a week. It is litterally right across the street from my work, like I can see it from my office. I can go workout in the morning and go to work from there. It is sort of expensive...$46 a month. But you know what I spend that a month on stupid stuff I don't need like food. So I am going to make it work. I need to get this last 9 lbs off by May or I have failed myself and my goal. May will be one year since I started this journey and I want to have reached my goal by then.

March Goals

Hey there ladies. Sammy you have set yourself a very attainable goal for March. You CAN do it! I am sure you will. If you need motivation then think of your heart...it's a muscle and it needs to be worked to stay healthy. Keep at it Sammy, I know you are still recovering so focus on safely exercising. How are you doing with the walking plan?

After Feb(total bust) I need to really get on it. I shoveled and spread gravel over the weekend and boy what a workout!! I am so sore and that sucks because my job is physical. I still haven't gotten my ellpitical because living in a small city when they are out of stock, which they are, you have to wait 14 days before they get more in so I have lost a week of planned running on it. Pooh! I hope they are in today. It has been raining so no walking since last week. Really could've put that elliptical to good use! My sisters and I are going to see a concert on April 15th and I want to lose about 5 pounds before then so...My March thru April 15th goal is to lose 5 lbs. That would put me only 4 lbs away from my goal weight. Then it's on to toning it all up hopefully in time for summer, and the big reunion!!

How is everything?

Hey ladies how is everything. Everything going well? What's your goal for March? Mine is to lose two pounds!

Not doing to hot

Hello ladies I hope all is well.
I'm unfortunately having a hard time being motivated these past couple weeks. I have not been tracking my food on WW and I haven't been very active lately. I feel so down and I am frustrated with myself. I really want this to work and yes I have slowly improved some of my eating, but I still feel like I'm not doing enough. I haven't lost any weight last week and so far I have only lost 5Ib. Sunday's weigh in is not looking pretty. I can use some advice from you ladies. Anything would help :).

How are you ladies?

How is everyone doing? I hope all is well!

So I am having a hard time with weight watchers. haha I am not tracking anything anymore but I am way more conscience of what I am eating. Whenever I eat instead of tracking my food I chant to myself "what would weight watchers do" haha. I still use the food counter as a reference but I am kind of doing my own thing. So when I go out to eat or get fast food I get what I want but I scale it down. I don't get the chicken nugget meal with fries at McDonald's anymore. I chose instead to get the hamburger happy meal with apple slices. It settles the craving and is not going to completely throw me off track. I have lost about 6 pounds so I am happy and I am way more active. It makes me aware of myself.  Also my mom jumped on the band wagon and she is being active with me and eating better so she's a great support.

It is a very slow process but I think this is what I needed. Before I was so intense when I wanted to lose weight and I think that set me up to fail. The routine would become old after awhile and I would just give up. I really didn't understand this vicious cycle until I did WW so I am grateful to them. The weekly weigh ins also give me a big push in the right directions when it comes to weight loss. I keep wanting to see lower numbers and it definitely makes me want to work harder.  I still slip up now and then mostly with sweets and second servings of food but it happens lol.

As for my workout routine I have good news. The doctor has given me the okay to start stretching. He gave me 10 stretches to do at home twice a day and I started yesterday. They are a mix of yoga and pilates type stretches. It is rough ladies haha I haven't stretched or worked out since November 2010!  So I am hoping with those stretches, some swimming, and walking the park it will lead to good things. Okay one last thing those walking videos I posted by Leslie Sansone are awesome. I do the 5 min one before my stretches and I try to do the longer one when I don't walk. Try them out they are fun.

Again I hope you are both well and I would love to know how you are both doing in your endeavorers.

IT CAN"T RAIN ALL THE TIME

IT CAN"T RAIN ALL THE TIME...this means two very different things to me. One is just what it says, although here in WA it's been trying to. I can't wait to have the warm sun on my face when I walk instead of whipping wind and rail/hail mix. And March still has to come in like a lion!!!

IT CAN'T RAIN ALL THE TIME... also means that things get stormy sometimes but we can't let that get us down. Maybe we're broke. Maybe we're hurting. Maybe we're stressed. Maybe we're pudgy. We're alive! Things will always even out or get better. The sun will shine, just maybe not today. If we stay strong and keep our goals in focus then we can't fail.

Confession Time

Okay, so I haven't been focussing on my health and fitness goals AT ALL for January or February.

Truth be told, I've been in a bit of a depressed state. My job is horrible, my finances are a mess because the more unhappy I am the more I spend. Luckily, at some point in my life I switched from stress eating (so my weight has maintained since my weight loss in the summer) to stress shopping, but now I've made a mess of things. I'm not behind on anything (except some medical bills) but I am back to living week to week financially and it's adding even more stress. It's a horrible cycle and I can't seem to get out of it.

I have always known myself to be a 'starter.' I have many interests and many projects started - way more than I have projects that I've finished. I think I used them as a way to avoid reality. It is feeling like right now, I'm out of control and it's making me sick.

Over the next few days, I'm going to try to set some little goals for myself in the areas of health, fitness, financial, work, and projects. Even that list seems overwhelming right now but I am 41 for God's sake! I've got to figure out how normal people do it! I might just make a broad goal for March and then break that down into two-two week time frames. When I'm planning for school, I always start with the big picture and plan backwards and that works so maybe I can figure this out!

Maybe you'll regret my moving this to a more private space, because there might be more for you to listen to than just my positive cheers! Sorry.

Short Month...Good or Bad

February is a short month, in a way for me this is good since my goals go by month ( And Feb has been a wash for me) I am ready to start March. However is is bad since I could have gone full board all short month. Oh well no sense in dwelling on it right? I still have ten days to really go for it.

Valentines Day

Well today is Valentines day and you know what that means...Candy Candy Candy. Oh, and love!!! Hope you ladies have a good one and give yourselves permission to splurge. I just ate a red velvet cupcake!! Yummy

I only have ten pounds t go until I am at a "Normal" BMI. February has been rather hard for me to keep on a good eating routine. I am walking at lunch though and have been talking to my sweetie about jogging together when the morning hours become lighter. How are you ladies doing? Sammy give me the WW update..still loving it? Christine? How are your fitness plans/goals going for you?

Welcome to the new spot! May it be filled with great inspiration!

Hi everyone! I hope you like the new spot and that it's not too terrible to have made this switch. I just couldn't stand explaining the thing to everyone over and over again. I've also had some folks stop keeping in touch because my original blog turned into something else. I'd really stopped posting about the knitting projects and now I'll have that space back too.