I am Thankful for Randomness

For those of you that know me, know that I am pretty talented about jumping from subject to subject.  I realized that this trait was genetically inherited.

I am going to cut to the chase: This post is most of the random stuff I am thankful for...I got inspiration from all my Facebook Friends declaring their thankfulness each day during the month of November.  Well, even though I know I can find 30 things to be thankful for, I don't think I can remember to post one a day...so here it is in random order:

1. I am thankful for my daughters.  They have taught me a type of love I did not know existed, to slow down, to be proud, to be more grateful, and to appreciate the things around me.  I look forward to their hugs and kisses.  They motivate me to be a better person and to better my health.

2. I am thankful for my family.  Each member in my family has helped me develop into the person I am today.  I learned to be random, strong, persistent, loving, respectful, and caring from them.

3. I am thankful for the friendships I have developed in my hometown.  These are friendships that still grow over time.  I appreciate how when I go "home" I can get together with one of these friends, and we pick up right where we left off.

4. I am thankful for my "girls".  These girls came into my life around my freshman and sophomore years of college.  I love the dynamic of our group.  They are like family to me.  I hold dear the special memories I have with each one.  Whether it is becoming one of my first friends in college (I would have spent the whole semester keeping to myself in English class had you not introduced yourself to me), the time we spent together during one of my summer internships, eating cookies while complaining about boys in my dorm room, working on projects for class, or the nicknames created for me.

5. I am thankful for Weight Watchers.  Thanks to WW I feel so much better than I did a year ago.  I have more energy and knowledge to lead a healthier life.  It is wonderful to have a sounding board to help overcome your obstacles and celebrate your successes.

6. I am thankful for the YMCA.  There is so much I could say about how I love the Y.  I love the welcoming atmosphere.  The entire staff is friendly and encouraging.  The staff in the childcare center are wonderful with the kids, and most of the time remember their names.  The Y has also helped me become healthier.

7. I am thankful for the way my body is changing.  Yes, I would like my waist to whittle away faster, but I am seeing definition in places I have not seen definition in a very long time.  My face and neck are a lot thinner.  I actually love a picture taken of me over the week end.

8. I am thankful for one of my "girls" encouraging me to find a church.  I think she realized how spiritual of a person I am, and how that aspect of me has been neglected.

9. I am thankful that I found a church quickly.  The first time I went to the church I chose, I saw WW members at the service.  The next time I went, I sat next to my one of my daughter's teacher.  The pastors are welcoming and give interesting sermons.

10.  I am thankful for my dog.  She is there for me when I have a bad day.  She is always excited to see me. 

11.  I am thankful for having a job, so I can provide for my family.

12. I am thankful for my JS momma friends.  Thank you, for opening my mind to so many things over the past 7 years.

13. I am thankful for having fun co-workers.  They make the day a lot more enjoyable.  Most days they help it go by faster.

14. I am thankful for girls week ends.  It is so refreshing to have a dedicated week end to catch up each month.

15. I am thankful for chocolate on of my few vices.

16. I am thankful for willpower.

17. I am thankful to live somewhere where there are four seasons.  Each season has something special about it that I enjoy.  In the spring I love witnessing the rebirth of nature.  In the summer I love seeing green grass, green trees, and beautiful flowers.  In the fall I love watching the colors of the leaves change.  In the winter I love (and hate) watching the snow fall.

18. I am thankful for the internet. I appreciate all the information I can access at my fingertips.

19. I am thankful to have clean water to drink.

20. I am thankful to have access to healthcare. 

21.  I am thankful for sleeping children.  It gives me time to unwind and get a few things done around the house.

22. I am thankful for having a washer and a dryer.

23.  I am thankful for having a dishwasher.  I despise washing dishes by hand.

24. I am thankful that I realized that reading for pleasure is pleasurable.  It helps me unwind and get through cardio in the fitness center.

25. I am thankful for social events.  I love talking to people.

26. I am thankful for a the friends who let me vent.  With out you I would be a big stress ball.

27. I am thankful for all the words of encouragement I have received in my life.  With out them I would not be where I am today.

28. I am thankful for my husband.  With out him, I would not understand my strength or have two beautiful daughters.

29. I am thankful that I am 29 give or take a few years. 

30. I am thankful to each of you who read and are inspired by this blog.

Transformation

I admit I have fallen off the weight loss wagon several times.  I have brushed myself off and gotten on (after a period of time).  I follow the adage of, “Fall down 7 times, get back up 8 times.”  This time I am attacking it from a “living a healthy lifestyle” mindset instead of an “I will lose weight” mindset

Last night, I was reflecting on how much I have changed since January.  For example, working out was a chore.  It is now something I look forward to doing.  If I do not exercise as often as I am used to, I feel blah.    I am more conscious of what I am putting into my body.  I do not eat as many treats as I once used to eat.  With each change, I noticed improvement in my life.  These changes keep motivating me to move forward in a healthy direction.

These changes did not happen overnight.  They happened over time….time that, at times, seemed to drag on FOREVER. 

New habits take time to develop.  Be patient with yourself and your goals.  You will get there.  You will transform.

Seeing Progress

I have a problem with Weight Watchers.  Everything I tried on this morning was too big.  I almost didn’t have anything to wear to work today.  My pants don't stay up.  My before children clothes are loose.  I need to go shopping.

I have about 20 more pounds I want to lose.  I have been trying to pick things up on clearance or at thrift stores to get me through.  I think this is a good point to "Check In" on my progress since January.  See my weight chart below:

Look how much I have lost in my face alone:

Ah-Maze-ing Updates and Randomness

I had an ah-maze-ing week end two week ends ago.  My friends from college and I get together about this time every year for a "Girls Week-End".  I was so excited to see them, because the last time I saw them I was about 30 pounds heavier.  Well, and to catch up on what has been going on the past year (that we have not been able to follow on Facebook). 

I was conscious of everything I put into my mouth.  I did indulge, and I made sure to get in activity points before and after the girl week end.  Afterall, every girls week end we manage to go to a candy shoppe.  The past two have included wine tasting.  I think all but one has included looking at art of some sort.

I have rediscovered thrift shops.  I am still trying to get over my issues with them, but I am just over halfway to goal.  I could not keep my pants up.  It was getting annoying to keep yanking them up all of the time.  My issues with thrift stores is that I have to try on everything before I buy it, you have to sort through everything to find what you might be looking for, and even then you can come up empty handed.

People are really starting to realize the weightloss too!  I hear it everywhere I go :).

Last night, I received an e-mail from a friend/fan.  She recently joined WW, and had some questions.  I am sure I could make this a separate blog post, but I really want to share with you parts of my reply.   I think they could help more people.  Here are my reccomendations and advice:

My number #1 tip is to think: "Baby Steps"  This is a lot to take on at once. I only incorporate 1 or 2 new things into my lifestyle a week. 

Etools is great. My first recommendation is if you have a smartphone: download the Weight Watchers App (it is free) and the Weight Watchers Scanner (also free). If you have an ipad there is a Weight Watchers kitchen app (free) that houses a lot of recipes. The phone app, takes away any excuse to not log my points, because I always have my phone on me.

In regards to eating out and drinking: the smartphone app is wonderful. There are tools in there that can guide you on what to eat and drink. I love me some pizza. You can build your piece of pizza in the app and it will tell you the points. Diet pop is 0 points. Lighter colored alcohol is less in points than darker. Light beer is not bad points wise. I would alternate between beer and water at the bar. (Perk: less chance of a hangover). If you go over your 49 weekly points you can fall back on the activity points you earned during the week. If you know you are going out, come up with a plan. I use eTools to roughly plan what I will eat and drink. I don’t always stick to it, but I stay close. Like I may say 2 glasses of wine, but really have 3. I keep track. The cool thing with the app is that all your friends think you are texting.

Get a pedometer.  Track any and all activity. Cleaning house and yard work count, too! WW also has this device called ActiveLink. You can hook it to your pants or shirt, wear it all day, it logs your movement, and you plug it into your computer for it to read. It will tell you how many activity points you earned and shows opportunities for improvement. It is waterproof. One of the WW support staff accidently threw hers in the washer, and it still works. I don’t have activelink because it is an additional fee each month.

At one of my first meetings there was a lady who just became lifetime. She reached her goal for the second time through WW. She said the first time she lost 150 pounds. The second time around she lost 20 pounds. Anyway, she said the first time she struggled losing the last 50 pounds. This time she struggled losing the last 5 pounds. Keep in mind everyone struggles your 50 may be my 5. After 10 months I am finally able to recognize a plateau earlier on. I hit one in April (which also happens to be my birthday month…a lot of alcohol and cake was consumed). It took me MONTHS to realize I need to switch it up. At the end of July I started seeing results again. I am approaching another plateau. I know I need to change it up again. Looking back at my logs helps with this. I can see patterns and I learn a lot from them.

At one of my first meetings there was a lady who just became lifetime. She reached her goal for the second time through WW. She said the first time she lost 150 pounds. The second time around she lost 20 pounds. Anyway, she said the first time she struggled losing the last 50 pounds. This time she struggled losing the last 5 pounds. Keep in mind everyone struggles your 50 may be my 5. After 10 months I am finally able to recognize a plateau earlier on. I hit one in April (which also happens to be my birthday month…a lot of alcohol and cake was consumed). It took me MONTHS to realize I need to switch it up. At the end of July I started seeing results again. I am approaching another plateau. I know I need to change it up again. Looking back at my logs helps with this. I can see patterns and I learn a lot from them.

My biggest advice is break down your goal. I know you think you have a long way to go, but if you should follow WW principles to celebrate each milestone (every 5 pounds lost, when you have lost 5% , 10%, and 20% of your starting body weight). Reward yourself with a nonfood treat (get your nails or hair done, etc). In your weight record on-line you will see stars for every milestone your reach! I rarely thought, “I have 58 pounds to lose.” I keep focusing in on the small milestones. Now I have 24 left to go. Actually, I am focusing in at 1 pound to lose, because it puts me at 35 .

The holidays are coming!

I feel like I am one big ball of stress lately.  As a matter of fact, I have been trying to write this post for over a week.  The girls are both in Girl Scouts and Cheerleading.  I am leading one troop.  Work is stressful.  Home is stressful.  Now, the holidays are right around the corner.  Oh, and I have a girls week end coming up too (before T-day).  I love the food Thanksgiving and Girls Week end bring. 

The girls week end is not stressful - it is quite the opposite.  It just maybe the distraction I need from all of this choas.  Girl time, yummy food and wine.  I am sure that will be a post in itself.  I love the memories my girls from college and I have made getting together annually.  Oh, and the reminicing about the good ole days....

In our WW meeting this week we were challenged to make a challenge for ourselves each week to help us lose weight prior to T-day.  It could be anything as long as it fits into the goals of getting healthier.  My challenge to myself was to try a new strength training work out.  Ouch I hurt today.  I found an arm work out on pinterest and let's just say, I thought I was doing a good job of working my shoulders...but my delts do not agree. 

Over the next 8 weeks and the 8 weeks after that, I am going to challenge myself to keep challenging myself to become more physically fit and lose more fat!

One random thing: I read in a Shape magazine - Pinnersice - when you spend more time pinning exercises on pinterest than doing the actual exercises.  I do not do this, but the above strength training work out I posted, I found on Pinterest.

3 milestone/6 weeks

Tonight, I hit another milestone.  That is 3 big milestones in 6 weeks.  6 weeks ago, I hit 20%/20 pounds.  A few weeks ago I hit 25 pounds.  This week I am down 30.8 pounds.  I had to have my leader repeat my loss to me twice.  I could not believe that I lost over three pounds this week.  I know I worked hard, but was unsure of how that would show on the scale as my diet has been iffy.

Last week, I logged a lot of miles on the cardio equipment at the gym and with my dog.  I also have been ramping up my strength training.  Pinterest has been a great source of exercise inspiration.  I have found different exercises to do at the gym to minimize the monotony. 

The great thing about WW meetings is that you get to hear and see the trials, tribulations, and success of other members.  Every week there is opportunity to ask questions and gain solution and insight to any issues you are having.  Every week, we celebrate loss.  This week there was a member who became lifetime after losing 93 pounds.  Another member was celebrating 90 pounds of loss too.  As I was leaving, a lady sitting near me said, "Congratulations on your loss.  30 pounds.  Wow!"  I replied with, "15 is a big deal too.  How amazing that must feel."  I love going to meetings and seeing how I inspire others and how I get inspiration from others.

Starting Out on a Fitness Journey

***I am not a fitness expert***

My husband has decided to start exercising more regularly.  He asked to accompany me to the Y on Friday.  He admitted to me that he had no clue what to do.   I asked him what his goals are.  Basically, he wants to improve his health.  At this point, I have no idea what to tell him to do, because I do not have any personal training experience.  I became really frustrated, because I am not an expert in this field.  I do not want to lead him down a wrong path.  I kept thinking that men’s bodies are so different than women’s bodies.  Heck, from woman to woman there are differences in what will work.

After stewing about it for a couple of days, I remembered my many attempts at a healthy lifestyle.  When we were engaged, I joined the YMCA our community.  They had a new member service where you got so many free consultations and a customized work out plan.  The trainer I worked with then said she likes to start all the fitness newbies to commit to 30 minute cardio sessions 2-3 times a week.  After a month, she will evaluate how you are doing, meet with you, and incorporate strength training to your work out program. I did discuss this with DH.  He agreed to do 30 minutes 3 times a week.  I encouraged him to meet with a personal trainer at the Y.  I should have introduced him to the one I used. 

I had a friend as me how I determine what to do when I work out.  Well, it has been an evolutionary process.  I started just taking classes.  I tried all the ones I thought I would like.  Even, some that I thought I would not like.  If I couldn’t make a class, I would go to the fitness center and use the stationary bike.  I didn’t see any progress, so I took advantage of the fitness consultation.  I learned how to use more equipment and the weight machines.  The trainer showed me how to do new exercises.  I stuck to the things she showed me for awhile, as I was intimidated by stepping outside of my comfort zone.  Mind you this was only a few months ago.  Remembering that time is now helping me see my husband’s point of view.  “Slow and steady wins the race,” after all.

Lately, I have been getting exercise inspiration from Pinterest, SparkPeople, and magazines.  I set a schedule that I kind of follow.

Monday: 60 minutes of cardio

Tuesday: Water Tabata

Wednesday: Off

Thursdays: 45-60 minutes of cardio/strength training

Friday: 60 minutes of cardio

Saturday: 45 minutes of cardio followed by muscle tiring strength training.

Sunday: 60 minutes of cardio

If I miss a day, I don’t dwell on it and move on.  I try to be conscious that I don’t miss too many days in a row, so I don’t regress too much.  I have come so far, having muscle definition I never had before, and I don't want to lose it!

Feel Good Friday

I had a rough start to the week on Monday.  I felt anxious, furious, nervous, and scared all within a two hour period.  I hate being vague, but they are over things I don't care to get into now.  I am sure one day I will reveal the events of this day.

I could dwell on the three bad things that happened to me on Monday, but I am chosing to think about the things that make me happy.  Here are things that make me feel good:

• Feeling good about a video of myself.  I still see myself as ginormous, but the video made me realize I am not as big as I think.
• Laughing uncontrollably over insignificant things.
• Knowing I am down 25.4 pounds since the beginning of this year!
• Making a difference and positively affecting someone else's life.
• Random Acts of Kindness
• My new work out addiction.
• Being called out in Water Tabata by the instructor for 'the harder she works the bigger her smile'.
• My WW Leader mentioning that I should become a leader when I reach goal.  A little over 30 pounds to go :)

Random Thoughts on Music

I have heard and seen differing opinions from people in regards to listening to music to work out.  For as long as I can remember music has been what I turn to when I need to be grounded.  It has helped soothe my anger, kept me joyful, and pushed me through a work out.

A dear friend told me that when she started a running regime she listened to music while running, but by time she was running marathons she found listening to music while running to be distracting.  She could clear her thoughts solely with running (exercise).  I feel I have come to this point.  Sometimes,  I feel a need to tote my iPod with me to the Y, because listening to it when I don't want to work out distracts my brain from thinking thoughts like, "How much time do I have left?", "I really don't feel like doing this.", and "It is not like anyone will know if I stop early."  Other times I feel like it is in the way, and the best way to kick my butt is with out the background noise of music.

I don't have a good segway to the next paragraph (back story), so please accept my apology.

People say that they don’t make music like they used to, and refer to the decades of their youth as the best music.  I was thinking that today.  I like to listen to music from the 80s and 90s.  Many songs I have positive associations with.  There is a whole bunch of songs that remind me of my BFF from Middle and High School.  When I hear them, I think “This was a driving down the road song.  K and I liked to listen to it in the car.”  Or “K and I would listen to this when I would stay over night at her house.”  Then there are the ones from college (which is more late 90’s/early 00’s).  Sometimes, they make me laugh.  I can imagine listening to them in our dorm rooms, apartments, classrooms, etc. and the things we were doing.  I think this is why when I first started hard core working out I coped with listening to music: it made the experience more bearable for me by allowing me to think of positive events in my life while doing something that felt awkward and unpleasant.

Back to working out and listening to music.

Sometimes, I while listening to music on a piece of cardio equipment I catch myself dancing.  I wonder if people think I should really be in a Zumba or Hip Hop Hustle class or if I am even alright.  I am sure I look like a fool when I am dancing on the elliptical trainer.  But really, think of the extra calories I am burning looking like a fool.  Most of the music on my iPod is from the 90's.  I find myself reminiscing about the good ole days while working out, which makes the bad work outs more bearable.

What do you do to make your work outs more bearable?

Confession

Confessions: I am having a really hard time writing this blog post.  I started writing about how I haven't been good at keeping up with my weekly goals for the past two weeks...I am just not feeling the topic of talking about goals.

I would like to talk about motivation.  Remember how I said I hit the 10% mark a few weeks back?  That signified, that I lost over 20 pounds.  I about cried on the scale (I am sure some of you are envisioning the weigh-in on the Biggest Loser right now).  It has really kept me going, because I realized I have/had less than 5 pounds to go to reach 25.  25 is a big milestone for me.  It is actually one of my mid term goals. This week's grand total is 23.2.  1.8 to go.

This week, it is my goal to lose the 1.8 pounds.  I have been going to the Y a lot.  Even one of the trainers commented that I am there a lot.  This girl has goals, and if I have a snowball's chance in ____ at reaching them, I am going to be working out and eating right for my body as much as possible.

Changes for the better

Wednesday, was my youngest daughter’s birthday.  We went to Rainforest Café for dinner to celebrate.   My ILs came, and MIL brought a giant chocolate chip cookie.  I had a small piece.  DH also purchased a cake from for her birthday (no realizing his mom was bringing a cookie).  Last night, we cut into it.  Again, I had a small piece.  I love sweets, so it did take a lot for me to not serve myself the sized piece my eyes demanded.  I have come a long way in this journey with willpower and doing what is right for my health.

DH has been giving me a hard time about the amount of time I work out.  Here is a recap of what I do:

Sunday: 60 minutes Cardio/10 minutes of Core

Monday: 60 minutes Cardio/10 minutes of Core

Tuesday: 45 minutes Water Tabata

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: 45-60 minutes Cardio/30-45 minutes full body weight training

Friday: 60 minutes Cardio/10 minutes of Core

Saturday: 45-60 minutes Cardio/30-45 minutes full body weight training

This past week end, I was at the Y in the fitness center, I was talking to the personal trainer I worked with at the end of June.  She asked if I was able to get my husband to come (as she always does).  :( I told her no, and that he questioned what took me two hours to do at the YMCA. She replied with, "2 hours is pretty standard around here."

Tonight, during my work out, I was reminiscing back to when we joined the Y in March (not quite 5 months ago).  When we registered to use the on-site daycare, they said that we were allowed to use the daycare for a total of two hours each day.  I remember thinking, "Who would work out for two hours in one day?" like it was very painful.   5 months later and sometimes I wish I could work out more than 2 hours some days.

I am truly amazed at how far I have come.  8 months ago I started to be more mindful over what I eat.  I have gone through phases where I didn't think I needed to track my PPV, and would be disappointed on the scale.  Exercise is my new addiction.  Again, if I do less than 6 work outs a week, I don't see any results on the scale.  I have realized how beneficial being in control is to my new lifestyle.  Nothing happens by chance.

10% and Gaining Control

First things first: LET'S CELEBRATE *I met 2 mini goals this week*  1. I lost another 5+ pounds (actually 6).  Weight Watchers celebrates every 5 pound weight loss in the meeting (but really at the scale you celebrate any loss - even if it is .2).  Never let my leader hear you say, "I only lost ____."  She will lecture you on a loss still being a loss.  After all, that is less you have to lose to reach your goal.  Are other WW leaders like that?  2. I have lost over 10% of my starting body weight.  I received a key ring to celebrate.  My leader talked about using the key ring as an anchor along my journey.  I have been vocal with her over my struggles with my journey.

I am 4 pounds away from my next mini goal of 25 pounds.  Once I reach that I will get token to add to the key ring I earned for reaching 10%.

Because, I have been struggling the past few months, I have been taking a hard look at my lifestyle.  I have been gauging things by what I “think” instead of actual.  It is everything from what I am putting into my body to how I spend my time.  It is now obvious to me that my perception is off.  I need more control over my life to be successful in my lifestyle changes.  Question: How can I gain control over my life?  Answer: Plan (If you fail to plan; you are planning to fail).

Cassie over at BTHR made herself a color-coded weekly calendar to help her adapt to a new schedule.   I did this in college to help with time management when I was a Resident Advisor working several part time jobs.  Taking inspiration from her, I am going to adopt a similar tactic in my life.  One obstacle: I am not a structured person.  My family life isn't structured.   I am going to try to add structure as much as I can, as I feel this will help me greatly on my wellness journey.  I think this will really benefit the kids.

I am going to plan my week out a day or so in advance.  I will allow for some flexibility, because we all know life happens (and can be unpredictable).  Below is how I plan to plan my weeks

• Time - I think I waste a lot of time, because I simply cannot think of what I should or need to be doing.  I think by giving myself a dedicated time on my calendar to my goals and other responsibilities I will be more successful in this journey as well as in the other roles of my life. 

• Activity - While I am planning my time for the week, I will schedule in activity.  Over the past three weeks I have noticed that I need to work out 6 times a week to see the results I want to see.  This is what works for my body, and what works for yours might be different.  I also know that I need to do at least 45 minutes of cardio in these sessions.  I learned this by tracking my work outs for the past month and comparing it to my weigh in results. 

• Meals - I have been pretty good about meal planning.  I plan my meals by coming up with 7 breakfasts (usually the same during the week), 7 dinners, the appropriate amount of lunches (in instances where there are not leftovers from the previous night's dinner), and fill in with snacks.  I do not assign a meal to a day and time.  This allows me to have flexibility if I only have a few minutes to throw something together or a child (husband included) decides they do not want a particular item for the meal.  I know what my PPV allowance is for each day and plan my meals to be within a certain range.  Currently, I have a 29PPV budget a day.  I shoot for 6-8 for brekkie, 7-9 for lunch, 7-10 for dinner, and the rest for my grazing snacks throughout the day.

In gaining control I need to give complete trust in the program/plan.  This is how I was most successful my first two months in Weight Watchers.  Leaving me to my own devices, systems, and cheats has lead me to do the scale dance far more than I want.  The proof is in the pudding :)





Taken 8/4/12

Over due update

I hope you all are doing well.  I have been super busy and have not had time to update :(  Please, accept my apology, because I have a darn good reason...my oldest daughter was the flower girl in a wedding.  It was such a good experience for both of us.  She can pull off the girly thing quite well.  She loved being a princess until the time of the reception.  Then she wanted to play hard.  Antoher good reason for me to be at the top of my game health wise.

Here is the update of where I am with my goals:

Work out 6 days:  I got back on plan and completed this goal.

Plan Menu: Check

Track: I tracked all but two meals.  That gives me a 94.3% success rate!  I will consider this goal met. 

Since the week end was busy with wedding stuff, I didn't focus much on my healthy lifestyle.  I didn't sabotage myself either.  The scale this morning told me I did good :).  At the wedding I had sensible portions.  I had a mini cupcake.   Oh, and a glass of homemade wine.  Yum.  Homemade Wine.

I didn't set any goals on Friday.  So, my goals this week will start Wednesday and go to Tuesday. 

I will schedule my exercise for the week.
I will complete 6 exercise sessions this week.
I will track my food the week. 
I will track my water intake everyday for the week.

My challenge for the rest of the month is going to be with meal planning.  Our budget is tight with birthdays, weddings, and back to school, so we are trying to cut corners where we can.  That means being more creative with what is in our pantry and freezer.

What is one of your  mini goals?

Check in

Midweek check on goals:

Work out 6 days:  I did not follow my work out plan for the week, BUT I am still on track.  I missed my Saturday work out.  Wednesday is usually the night I plan to be off, but my DH and daughters are at my ILs. 

Plan Menu: Check

Track: Check.  Although, one day this week I missed logging a meal, but I think that is pretty good for not logging for months.

This morning I weighed myself.  I was down 3 pounds from last week.  By weigh in time I was up .6.  I am so frustrated with my body right now.  I have been working hard and being mindful about what I am eating...