Someone Called Me Skinny

I followed the 5-pound weight loss of last week with a 1.6-pound gain. I wasn't too upset this time. Stress can wreak havoc with weight loss, so I'm expecting things to settle down soon.

I've been eating less and less protein lately. I've been making huge bowls of salads and grabbing a bowl or 2 for meals. I found out at the nutrition class this past Tuesday night that I'm supposed to be eating 7-9 servings of vegetables a day. YIKES! I'm barely getting 3 in. But, yesterday and today I think I got them in.

This current bowl of salad includes the big bag of cut up lettuce, carrots and purple cabbage. I added mushrooms, tomatoes, celery, and red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Gosh, it's so delicious that I had to have 2 helpings today for dinner. That was after I had a chicken ensalada at Alamo Cafe and a baked sweet potato for breakfast. So, I definitely had enough vegetables today. Of course, it's 11:22 pm, and I'm starving.

We had a going-away party at Alamo Cafe today for my son who is moving to Pennsylvania. "We" included my ex, my daughter and her husband and baby, my sister and brother-in-law, my son and me. My dad and my ex's wife weren't feeling well, so they couldn't make it. It was a nice chance to visit since the funeral a week ago. It's still painful to have a gathering without our special little guy. We all miss him so.

When we were leaving, I hugged my brother-in-law who called me "Skinny." OMG! I thanked him for noticing and saying something. He said it was obvious.

The photo on my work ID is terrible. I never liked it, and I can't wait to replace it. A friend said I should get a new one now. But, you know, I'd rather have people look at it for whatever reason and be surprised when they see me in person. Like Jim Rohn said, I'd rather look better in person than in my photo. I remember when I was a Mary Kay consultant I went to a convention, and when Mary Kay entered the stage, I was shocked at the little old lady she was compared to the photos we saw of her all the time.

Today I had so much energy. I went from room to room putting things that had gathered around the house in their proper places (or at least in the proper room) I organized my Toastmaster stuff, filing away the manuals I completed for Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), and organizing the manuals I'll use to work on for my next DTM. DTM isn't the end. I know several people who have 5! I'll cross the stage May 4, and I'm hoping to have several family members and friends there. I don't think it costs anything to be there for that part of the conference. It'll be at the Airport Hilton, and I can't wait! I've already paid for my conference ticket. I hope I can find the receipt! (?)

I found some paperwork in my Advanced Communicator Gold packet that got me really excited. They are training materials for 3 leadership modules. They are 90 minutes long. I'm going to see if I can incorporate them in 3 Toastmaster meetings, doing 30 minutes in each meeting. First I have to get the packets. I've been planning to teach leadership, and this is exactly what I was looking for. It's been there all along, but I never noticed them. When the student is ready, the teacher will come. How many times have I heard that, and how many times has that happened to me? As a matter of fact, when I started getting serious about earning DTM, I met someone who said just the right things to get me going. Together, we did several out of Toastmasters projects where I could practice speaking to totally unfamiliar audiences where I could complete the professional speaker speeches. I may ask him to cross the stage with me. I also want to ask the person who suggested I join Toastmasters for extra credit in 1991. I think I'll wear the dress I wore to my daughter's wedding - IF it still fits in May. It may be too big.

I've reached a couple of major goals, and I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm being pretty ruthless about taking large clothes out of my closet and getting them ready to give away. I'm keeping a top and slacks that I wore before I lost weight. As a matter of fact, they were my weigh-in clothes the first couple of months. I washed clothes earlier this evening, and I put several items in the dryer hoping they'd shrink because they are getting too big.

One of my goals was to lose enough weight so my grandson could sit on my lap in the race car at Chuck E Cheese. He and I would race together with him struggling to sit on my lap and turn the steering wheel while I took care of the pedal. And I struggled to feed the baby. Now that I have a lap again, feeding him isn't as difficult.

I definitely look and feel better - even if I do say so myself. I never had this much motivation after this amount of time with any other weight loss program. I'm surprised and pleased. I've been doing this since September 7 - 4 months and about 3 weeks! Yea me!

Topsy Turvy

I was so excited to be below 200 at my first weigh-in after the new year. I worked hard to follow the plan and to get back on track. Losing the 2 extra holiday pounds was enough incentive to make me want to do more. I followed the plan and really cut back on meat the next week. I could feel a difference in my body and how I felt. Again, I couldn't wait for weigh-in day.

Then, my (our) world crashed on Tuesday, Jan. 15, when we lost my grandson. None of us had an appetite. I wasn't hungry at all and didn't even think about food. The next day, all sorts of food showed up with offers of condolences. Of course, I went for the worst items in the box of pastries. Then my daughter called me out. She caught me each time I ate something that wasn't healthy. When I went to weigh in last Thursday, I had lost 5 pounds! How amazing! I passed my next goal of 195. For the first time in 20 years (I think), I weighed less than 195.

When I was back in school, 1990-2000, I gained 10 pounds a year for the first 7 years. I was so busy with school and my family that I didn't even realize it. Once I did, though, the weight gain stopped. But, by then, I was at 220. Over the next few years, I slowly gained 22 more pounds, and that was while dieting!

I feel like I finally have a lifeline and a healthy way to lose weight. This plan will not only make me slimmer, but it will make me healthier as well. Thank you "D" for telling me about Perfect Solutions.

Since last Thursday, with everything topsy turvy, I tried to eat healthy with the food choices that were presented. Sometimes, I ate without even thinking. I did have a couple of brownies to compare Bill Miller to "gourmet" and found both lacking. I have to admit that I didn't just have 2 bites then throw them away as PS is trying to teach me. I ate the whole thing. They didn't taste as good as I expected - kind of waxy and tasteless. So, unless they're absolutely the best in the world and homemade in the future, I'll pass.

Constipation became a problem again. I gained 4 pounds over the weekend, and I attributed it to the constipation. Because it's been a problem and Cecilia counseled me about it, I followed her plan of limited protein and lots of fruit and veggies, with much relief. Of course, I immediately hopped on the scale to see if this relief presented itself as a 5-pound loss. But not so. Oh well, I do feel much better.

Tonight is our nutrition class, and I'm really looking forward to that. We'll take a field trip to HEB to learn how to shop. Since I joined PS, I really only shop the outside perimeter of the store, fruits/veggies, lean meat, and almond milk. Of course, I HAVE to have coffee and the paper and household products. But I don't go down the majority of the isles. Once my son moves, I won't even have to go down them at all. Have I said this before, or is this deja vu?

Thanks for being a part of my life and lifestyle change.

Success

What is success?

Lately, success for me has been accomplishing what I set out to do - whatever that is.

Thursday, success was getting back to below 200. Now that the holiday eating is past, I feel good things are ahead. I just have to watch getting back into bad habits. My next goal is to be at 195 (by next Thursday?) Cecilia handed out an eating log to write down everything I eat this week so we can discuss my success and how we can improve upon it. Well, this morning (Saturday), I remembered the log! Now I have to find it!

I sometimes stumble around through life as if I wake up to a new world every day. Yesterday is in the past, and I don't seem to connect yesterday to today. Did I miss something in school or life training? I think my son is getting worried about me. Although I do have problems with remembering names, and sometimes words (I take Ginko Biloba twice a day!), I'm still lucid, competent, and intelligent. You know, I think moving to another is harder than he expected. He's worried about me. But, I was fine when he lived in El Paso, and I'll continue to survive alone.

Another success -- having an empty nest again. I marvel at how God works. This time last year, my son was pretty down. He searched for jobs for several months (years) with no success. Somehow, he reconnected with a high school friend, and they renewed their friendship. Next thing I knew, he was going to visit them. Then a few months later, they bought another plane ticket for him to visit again -- and then again! Now they want him to move there, so much so that they bought the plane ticket AGAIN!

During those months (years) of job hunting, my son discovered Listia.com, an auction site to buy and sell items (from your junk drawer, junk room, garage) using credits. He was able to "sell" some of his no longer used stuff and use the credits to buy gifts and things. After a year or so of monitoring Listia and marking auction items that didn't fit in the category they were listed in or knowing the item was bogus or whatever, Listia offered him a job as a moderator. He doesn't get paid in cash, he gets several thousand (30 to 80) credits that he can use to buy gift cards or items. Now he's a level 2 moderator, so he gets paid even more credits. He was able to get everyone on his Christmas list a nice gift this year, and it was all because of Listia. That boosted his self esteem by leaps and bounds. The next step is actual money!

We see good things for him. He's enrolled in school, moving to a state that doesn't require bilingual skills, and he has a couple of brick & mortar job possibilities. Huge successes for him.

We have been going through the house gathering things (and large clothing) to sell in a garage sale to clear the clutter and help get some moving cash for him. We "opened shop" at 8:00 on a cool, cloudy, misty Friday, and it was about 9:30 before we had our first customer. She bought 2 items for $1.10. WOW! I spent $17 on the garage sale permit, so we were still $15.90 behind. By the end of the day, though, we had $70 profit (success). Today, it's raining, so I'm hoping we'll have die-hard garage salers out, especially because we're splitting the profit today.

He had his Explorer for sale, initially for $2000, then for $1200. Everyone who asked about the truck initially asked "What's wrong with the truck?" When he said it didn't reverse, everyone offered $600 (half the price). I suggested he change the sign back to $2000 so everyone might offer $1000 ;O). By 3:00, he sold the truck to a young couple who is expecting a baby very soon and in need of another vehicle for $600 cash. I'm disappointed that he didn't get the $1200. I think if he wasn't so worried about selling it before he leaves in 3 weeks(!) he would have been able to get at least $800. But, it's sold and gone, and he's relieved - another success. Now my house looks larger without the black Explorer in the driveway. Plus the sense of security with having a vehicle in the driveway is gone.

Once the garage sale is over, everything we earmarked for it is going to Goodwill - TODAY! Another success is being able to give things away.

I plan to put my workout equipment in the garage to free up a room for a guestroom. It's crazy to have a 4-bedroom house with only room for one bedroom, and no room for my grandkids.

I have other plans also. My son's room is in the "front" room of the house, which is an odd room. It's been everything for the past 33-1/2 years. It was the dining room, then the play room, then the office. It was a library of sorts when my son moved in. Now it's his bedroom. We moved the library into a small bedroom, and he moved in the front room. This arrangement offered privacy for both of us.

Once he moves out, I want to add built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases in the front room to make it an official library with room for a baby grand piano in the middle in front of the window, set up a guest room, and general overhaul everything.

Sticking to my plan

When I weighed in and found I only gained 2 lbs on Jan. 3, I was disappointed that I didn't stay with the plan and be that much farther ahead. Then I celebrated and managed to gain a bit more. Since Friday, I've been following the plan. Now I think I'm almost back to where I was on Dec. 21.

The good news is I'm wearing one of those pairs of slacks that have been waiting for me for a few years! I think I bought them 6 years ago when I got down to 207 or was it 2007 and I was down to 206? I'm confused.

We spent Saturday cleaning out the garage, collapsing boxes, pitching trash, and setting things aside to sell in a garage sale this weekend. Then, we went through the house looking for more to sell. According to weather.com, Friday will be nice, and there's a chance of rain Saturday. We're starting Friday, so hopefully, Saturday won't be needed.

We also set up the DVD player so I can Zumba in the morning. I have to run by HEB on the way home this evening because I completely forgot to get salad stuff and the frozen blueberries and cherries that I use in the smoothies.

I realized this morning that when my son moves out Feb 1, I'll be completely alone for the first time since 1977 when I got married. What an odd feeling. I've had a spouse, kids, and/or pets with me since, and it'll be weird to be completely alone. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I may find a stuffed animal that I can pet and talk to. I'll put it by the back door so I can trip over it when I get home like I did with the dogs and Sox.

This month we're busy preparing my son (and me) for his move to York, PA. He's just about completely packed. We're shipping his stuff via Greyhound bus because it's the cheapest. He'll be at the house for them to pick it up, and his boxes will arrive right after he arrives in York. It's bittersweet. On one hand, I'll miss having his company; on the other hand, I can't wait to have the house to myself. I'll be able to make noise in the morning, come and go as I please without having to worry about him worrying, and I can listen to the radio, motivational/inspirational CDs, or read in the evening if I don't feel like watching TV. There are so many things I've depended on my son for since he's been here. He's strong, so he's done ALL the heavy lifting, he's smart, so he's helped me figure out some logistics in the house, and he's been my go-to guy for hooking up any electronics, cable problems, changing light bulbs. He's been the person to meet with repair guys, take out the trash, empty the dishwasher, drag those huge bins to the curb. Dang, I'm going to miss him.

I bought my first Kindle book and put it in the Amazon cloud so I can read it from anywhere - at work, on my tablet, on my laptop or my desktop computer - maybe even from my phone. I'll have to check into that. I bought Skinny Thinking, and it has already helped get my mind straight. I'm about 1/4 of the way through the book, and I can't wait to read more.

And I thought I didn't have much to say.

Temporary Lapses

I made a conscious decision to eat things that weren't on my plan. Having the plan during the holidays helped keep me from going crazy. But I decided to take a few days off.

For the most part, I followed the plan except for tortilla chips. My daughter had some nacho flavored tortilla chips at her house. Although they were stale, I helped myself to them. She wanted to help me, so she threw them in the trash. You don't know how much strength it took to leave them in the trash. That was Monday.

New Year's Day my son and I went to Alamo Cafe, and I ate my usual shredded chicken ensalada. This time, I ate more than a basket of tortilla chips with salsa! My son couldn't believe what he was seeing. Oh, and there was the non-fat cafe mocha, no whip with a slice of banana/chocolate chip cake that I got from Starbucks on the way home. Then at 10:30 pm, I remembered the black-eyed peas and got back out of bed and had a helping. There is no way I will begin another year without black-eyed peas. I tried it one year, and it was a horrible year. The next New Year's Day, I ate 2 cans!

Then, last night, my son got out some chips, and I helped myself to several handfuls. Actually, I quit right before I made myself sick.

Today I'm back in control. I'm having grilled chicken with cauliflower and tomatoes, and an apple and orange for snacks. I had 1-1/2 eggs with fat-free cheese and salsa for breakfast. Tonight we're trying a parmesan chicken recipe I found.

My stomach is not feeling too good, which is expected considering what I did. I fully expect to show about a 5-lb gain today. But, that's OK. I met my goal of weighing less than 200 by Christmas, and I'll get right back to that weight in a week and then move forward from there.

Happy New Year!