It's A Start

Well, it was just once and it was just one mile but hopefully it'll be a tiny, little baby step in the right direction.

It was very hard to head out to Striebel Pond yesterday. The more I don't exercise and the more weight I gain, the worse my muscles ache - top to bottom - all day everyday. But I reminded myself that the longest journey begins with the first step and also that I had no idea what my favorite swan couple was doing this year.

When I was halfway through my mile walk, I spotted them and I could see that they had babies again. As I got closer I could see that I wasn't the only one who was lazy this Spring. Mr. and Mrs. Swan only had three babies.

Even though there were only three, it was a beautiful family and hopefully I'll be out there to keep close track of progress.

Also, I spotted these wildflowers that made me wish I'd walked prior to Beth's last You Capture. I definitely would have added them to my post.

So now I know I'm ready to do something about my failure to maintain the last few months. I just don't feel like it. The Sisterhood is starting a challenge tomorrow. It's a team thing and it involves a Boot Camp. Wow, not only am I failing in the motivation department but right now my body aches just from living. I'm pretty sure a boot camp would be beyond me BUT something reminds me that I won't know until I try.

And I do owe that to myself, don't I?

True Confessions Tuesday

This is the continuation of my really getting back on track. The beginning was when I joined the Sisterhood's latest challenge Spring in2 Action.

When I joined that challenge I also joined the push-up challenge. I knew that was a bit of a stretch for me because I'd been having some pain in my left arm and shoulder for almost a year and I was finally going to physical therapy for it which I knew might end in surgery. But I went ahead and joined for two reasons:

1. I had to either check that I was buff enough and didn't need it, or that I wanted to look better for summer. That was really no choice at all.

2. And, despite the pain I'd been experiencing, it didn't seem to get worse when I did push ups so I saw no reason to not continue

Now, of course, I've dropped out of the push up challenge and I'm struggling to hold on in the weight loss challenge. The day after my surgery my weight was up 9 pounds. Wait! Was I looped out on pain medication? Could that be right? It was. Fluid retention was a side effect to my anesthesia. It's been coming down slowly but surely ever since but, ouch I'm still not back to where I was before Wednesday's surgery and tomorrow is another weigh in.

So there you have it - all of my excuses. Here are my confessions.

I have not been counting my points. I haven't gone crazy eating terrible things but I haven't been very conscientious either.

I have not embraced the #mbm on Twitter although I know I should. There have been times when I've made those good choices and writing them down would be therapeutic and help keep me on track.

And I haven't been drinking the water that I know is so vital right now.

So right here and now - I vow to turn those last three things around.

Point Counting
#mbm when appropriate
Water water water

And next week, I hope to be back to my dedicated, motivated self.

Holiday Hoedown Check-In: Week Four

It's been a rough week for me as far as fitness and weight loss are concerned. I'm very happy to report that I lost 1.4 pounds but I'm not sure I deserved it. Since I did lose it though I have to give most of the credit to the Weight Watchers new PointsPlus program. I have so enjoyed my clementines and bananas and grapes and those are the tools that get me through until the next meal.

I know I could have done even better but I was sick for a good part of the week and when I'm sick I delude myself into believing that tasty, fatty foods will comfort me.

Now my overall assessment is that I can eat a pretty fair amount of food as long as it's the right food. I snack on pretzels at night and still limit myself to one 100 calorie cake pack.

I'm stoked that because of this challenge, I'll go into the holiday week a little lighter than I would have. By now the gain would have started because the baking has started. I'll admit I overindulged on the first batch of cookies that I made but then I forced myself to reign in my temptation and mail far more cookies to Iraq than Iraq could probably eat in a month.

I wish I could say that I exercised more but with my sinus infection and bronchitis beginning, I've kind of had a setback exercise wise. I at least hope to do some shredding everyday this coming week and maybe even give the EA Sports Active 2 a try.

I think I'll set my sights on a drop into the next lower decade. If I can do that, I'll have a lot more holiday spirit than I do now - and I already feel pretty jolly. Ho Ho Ho

Holiday Hoedown Check-In: Week Three

Unfortunately I don't have much to check in about this week. I've been sick for most of the week and wrote about all my excuses and such yesterday.

I've barely exercised and over the weekend over-indulged more than I'm happy to admit.

I wish I could say I'm feeling great now and ready to hit the ground running for next week's check in but that's really not the case. I do feel I've turned the corner, however, and hopefully things will go up from here (except my weight of course which hopefully will do down from here).

Speaking of my weight, I was up .4 of a pound this morning. Considering my lack of exercise and 'feeding' my cold, I'm okay with that.

So onward and upward or downward as the case may be.

Holiday Hoedown Check-In: Week Two

Right off the bat I'll admit that this was a tough week challenge wise and I'll also admit that I got lucky. Or did I just reap the benefits of the tough workouts that I've been doing? Either way, I'm okay.

With company coming and a house that needed a lot of preparation, I had to forego my exercise routine starting last Wednesday morning. Yikes! I will say though that on Tuesday and Wednesday I got tons of exercise - it just didn't count because it was housework. But I was active - my was I active!

Santa's Little Losers had six members here almost the entire weekend. We had big and smart plans too. Everybody was to bring their dumbbells so we could shred together and we planned at least a couple of outings at Striebel Pond. But I guess we forgot who we were. We forgot that we get together so seldom that we stay up late at night talking and laughing. We forgot that we like to have special beverages for our entertaining pleasure. And we forgot that the kids get up early and one of the special treats about staying at Grandma's is setting up a table and eating breakfast in the living room in front of the TV. (That's right - the shred TV.) Not that it mattered - because none of us was in any shape to shred or worry about it. Mainly we were just too tired (wink wink) which is one of the things I'm going to address in the next month's effort to stay on track.

So the shred fell by the wayside. We were also planning outings at Striebel Pond but although we didn't have snow, we had cold and wind - big wind that made the cold even colder and the idea of walking in it pretty much an anathema.

I have to suspect though that the rigors of keeping the house tidy with fifteen people staying in it and the exercise accumulated while shopping on black Friday helped to offset our exercise shortcomings.

Most of all I think gaining some muscle mass to replace some fat mass helped me get through the weekend despite my will-power weaknesses.

I ate pretty much what I wanted. I didn't bother too much with things I don't love like turkey which I usually feel obligated to eat but I did indulge in the things I do love and that I only have the opportunity to enjoy two or three times a year - yeah like cheesecake.

And for someone who steps on the scale about 30 times a day, I avoided it altogether this weekend. (I really don't think I had time to be stepping on scales. lol)

And Monday morning I had gained almost 3 1/2 pounds. Ouch.

A couple of other things happened Monday morning. Weight Watchers started a new system called Points Plus which I love love love and which gave me a fresh start in a system that I was getting altogether to familiar with AND I got right back into shredding and counting points (did I mention that I love the new system?). And today.......I posted a loss of 1.4 pounds. Woo and HOO!

In years past I would have looked at that gain on Monday and then pretended I was going to do something about it pretty soon and before I knew it, it would have been part of me going into Christmas week where I'd be sure to pack on a few more pounds and then I would have lamented how frustrating it is to gain weight when I was pretending to be so weight conscious. Yeah. That was years past.

Thanks, Sisterhood, for making this a brand new kind of year for me. One where I was able to indulge and get right back into sensible Mary mode.

Holiday Hoedown Check-In: Week One

This really is a challenging time to start a challenge but I guess that's what's good about it. If we can get through the holidays in good shape we'll be way ahead of the typical holiday season when some estimates have us gaining as much as five to ten pounds in just four short weeks.

So far I've done far better than I have ever done during the week before Thanksgiving. I even started the week shredding and walking every day, but that regime fell by the wayside after four days when I felt more and more pressured by the many things I needed to do to prepare for the holiday weekend.

I ended up weighing 2.6 pounds less than I did last week at this time which is over a pound less than I weighed at the end of the Shrinkvivor challenge.

All in all I'm happy with these results although I feel somewhat intimidated about what the week will bring. I know my intentions are good. I just hope I discipline myself enough to survive the week unscathed by the Thanksgiving Thunder Thigh demon.

True Confessions Tuesday

My true confession today is that I'm thinking more about family, Thanksgiving, and getting everything ready than I am about fitness and weight loss. Thanksgiving is a big holiday for me. The only thing that keeps it from being my favorite is that the whole family can't be here. But a lot of them will be here so right now it's all about priorities.

The thing is I'm okay with this. All my life, there are going to be holidays and special events that take precedence over everything else and maybe we just need to exercise damage control - or like April said here - discipline.

Although I vowed to shred and walk every day, I've run out of time. But I'm still shredding.

And maybe I'll eat mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and some other traditional Thanksgiving entrees on Thursday, but I'll be aware of what I'm eating and how much.

So it's good that I'm still counting points and I'm still trying to remember my water intake. I'm even thinking about ways to modify some of our Thanksgiving recipes to be more healthy.

But ultimately I'm going to enjoy the holiday and I believe I'll enjoy it more because it won't be a day of ridiculous over indulgence and lethargy - thanks to my accountability to the 'Hood and Santa's Little Losers. Go team!

No matter what, I'm going to come out of it healthier and happier than I have in many, many previous Thanksgivings.

True Confessions Tuesday

A few weeks ago I started a new feature on my blog called Looking Back Tuesday. I loved the idea and I forgot all about True Confessions Tuesday. When I remembered, I was still okay with my new feature because reading my true confessions probably really isn't all that interesting.

Now I realize something else. True Confessions Tuesday wasn't designed to be particularly interesting to you. It was designed for me and anyone else that needs to take a close look at where we're faltering, why we're faltering, and how we can get some support to stop the falter.

So here goes.

I finished the Shrinkvivor Challenge on a giant high. What could be more awesome than winning the Ultimate Shrinkvivor title - and I hate to say it, but especially at my age.

We were on vacation during vote week but thanks to my new laptop I was still able to network and pester every person I've ever known to vote for me. And, best of all, I came home only .4 of a pound heavier than when I left. As you young sisters say, Woot woot!

Since then, I've done some good and some bad - really pretty bad. I came home and shredded the very next day. Then I skipped two. Then I shredded five in a row, skipped one and I'm back in it again. Really, that probably doesn't seem that bad BUT I never would have missed when I 'had my head in the game'. NEVER! And guess what. Now it's a bigger struggle every day to make myself do it than it ever was before. I seem to have lost my edge.

Then, the eating. Slowly but surely I've slipped away from my eating ideals. I've told myself little fibs and secrets like"I better eat this between challenges because after Wednesday, I won't be able to". Or, "now that I have more muscle mass, I can get away with eating a little of this oh, and a lot of that".

The thing about it is, I've kind of gotten away with it a little bit. I've gained but I haven't gained during this interlude like I have between previous challenges. I think I may have hurt myself in other ways though.

First of all, I can't seem to move beyond the middle of the second level, circuit two of the shred. I'm stuck and this morning it occurred to me that it was easier to progress when I was shedding a little weight each day instead of adding a little.

And I think I've stretched my stomach. Is that possible? Now I'm hungry all the time. When I had my head right, I really never felt terribly hungry and when I did feel the urge to eat I fed it with vegetables and grapes. Now those hungry feelings are resulting in more little fibs and excuses .... and secrets.

I won't go into all the wrong things I've eaten. But I'm confessing that when we start this challenge, I've managed to take my previous success and turn it into an uphill battle in the Holiday Hoedown challenge.

I just hope I've got the fortitude and determination to get my head back in the game.

Just a note: I finished yesterday's post saying "The good feeling overrides everything though because we're all happier and all tasks are easier in the glow of knowing that, at least for awhile, everybody is exactly where they should be." About a half hour after I published that post, my second born Army son called me from Hawaii. For those of you that don't know it, he should be in the DC area with his family. That boy does a lot of traveling!

And another note: I'm moving the 'looking back' feature to either every other week or another day of the week. I just haven't decided which yet.

I Won! I Won! I Won!

When the Shrinkvivor challenge began back in September, I looked at that awesome list of prizes and thought, wouldn't it be great...... But I knew I didn't really have a prayer. I knew there would be young, motivated, hard-working women (and men) who wanted those prizes just as much as me. And I knew that my age would be deterrent. Or at least I thought it would.
What I should have realized was that my age (and being retired with no children at home) would allow me the time to rock the mini challenges which would help keep me and my tribe from being eliminated. So many things came into play in the last seven weeks that I feel like it took a 'perfect storm' type situation to make me come out on top.

My first stroke of luck was my tribe. Tribe Blue or Blue Babes Burning Booty hung together and supported each other from the beginning to the end. We had tribe mates so awesome that even when they were exiled, they checked in and encouraged those of us still surviving.

And the better we did with the mini challenges, the better we did with the weight loss. Those girls at the 'hood have learned the hard way all the tricks and motivations that helped us become thinner and healthier. And all those challenges provided motivation that still keeps me stoked and determined to reach my Ultimate Me.

I think the biggest hurdle may have been becoming one of the seven finalists. After that, the winner was determined by votes. When I read, in the beginning of the challenge, that votes would determine the Ultimate Shrinkvivor, I felt my odds were slim. But what was I thinking? I have six internet savvy children. I have nineteen grandchildren and at least four of them went on Facebook and encouraged their friends to vote for me. (What kind of wonderful grandchildren post about their grandma on Facebook!) In addition to my own large family I come from a really large extended family. I have cousins all over the place and after this year's reunion, I got a lot of their email addresses and started pestering them to help me. I found email addresses of old friends and I wasn't shy about pleading for their votes too and one of the most awesome things about this last week has been hearing from people that I haven't heard from in a long time. And then there were blogging friends like Bacardi Mama who have supported and encouraged me from the get-go. I also have a daughter who's a popular blogger and she did an awesome and generous post about me. With all this support and love, I realize now, I had a great chance!

At this point I can't say enough about the Sisterhood Of Shrinking Jeans. At 64 years of age, they changed my life. I feel so much better about myself and about my future. I kind of feel like that at this age, if you're not going uphill, you're going to be going downhill and the girls at the 'hood kept me on that uphill trail. They still do!

Of course, I have to thank all our sponsors. I truly have never seen a more beautiful bike than that Beach Cruiser. I gasped the first time I saw its picture.

I've already talked about how useful the Lands End gift certificate will be but it's not just a gift certificate for clothes or products that moves me. It Lands End! What a great place to shop for sportswear and outerwear that will help keep me active this winter and all year round.

I just went to the Fitness Coffee website and I cannot wait to try these coffee products. Coffee and I have a lifelong love affair and with fitness factored in, it's going to be amazing! In the same vein is Click Expresso Protein Drinks. If there's one thing I have a hard time getting enough of, it's protein. In this weight loss journey, I've discovered many wonderful low fat, low calorie options that I love but very few of the ones I've discovered have much protein. And I need protein for my exercise routines!! Now I know where I'll get it.

I'm also excited about the EA Sports Active workout system. Although, I love/hate Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, I know that I need to change it up a little bit and with winter coming, a new indoor routine is even more vital. I can't wait to try it out!

Finally I can hardly wait to get my Bornfit Tee and my Miraclebody jeans.

So thank you to each and every sponsor and I hope everyone will frequent their sites and try their products. Without them, this challenge wouldn't have been as awesome as it's been!

And thank you again to the Sisterhood of Shrinkingjeans. You've all been amazing! Without your encouragement and advice and awesomeness, none of this would have happened.

But my biggest thanks go to everyone that supported me, voted for me, and networked for me. Without you, I would be a grateful-for-my-progress finalist but not the winner that's feeling exhilarated and motivated to continue! This has truly been a life changing journey and I feel like I've only just begun.

Shrinkvivor Challenge Check-In #7

Really? Check in #7 already? When this started, we had eons ahead of us to accomplish every kind of wonderful thing. And now it's flown by and almost over.

The bad news is that it's almost over.

The good news is that I feel like I've accomplished almost every kind of wonderful thing. I've learned so much and come so far that just writing this makes me feel exhilarated and happy!

Oh those mini challenges (or should I say many challenges!). So much to learn. And so very helpful. I didn't know that water was that important. It wasn't until Bacardi Mama and I shared the same disappointing weight change, that I started to realize that water really does make a difference and that maybe, just like our body holds onto weight when we screw up our metabolism by starving ourselves, our body also holds onto water when it thinks there's not enough coming in.

I learned that, not only is it healthy to eat fruits and vegetables five times a day, doing so leaves less room for other, not so healthy foods.

I've learned that exercise isn't just for when I'm in the mood. Exercise is a lifestyle. You do it regularly and I learned it because I'd rather die than let down a whole team of people. So, I found out I could get out there and move even when I thought I was too tired or didn't have time.

This Sisterhood is a beautiful place. I've been so happy here and I've been so successful. Finally I got my mind right and my body followed. Don't get me wrong. I've got a ways to go but for the first time in eleven years, I believe I'll get there.

I only lost .4 of a pound this week. But it's okay. It's in the right direction and it doesn't signal the end of my weight loss journey. It just says I didn't do as well this week but I know I'll do better next week or maybe the week after. It's a marathon - not a sprint. And thanks to the Sisterhood and all the support of its members, I'm in it for the long haul.

And I walked over 30 miles - just barely but WOO-HOO!

By the way, I didn't earn the shopping trip that Mr. Right promised me if I lost twenty pounds by the end of the challenge (I still have a week to do it right?) but I was right. My prize is the new, smaller, more fit me.

Shrinkvivor Challenge Check-In #3

It's been a rough week in this challenge for me. After my easy-breezy 6.4 lb weight loss last week I was feeling very pleased with myself. Sure, I knew that this week would be more challenging but I also knew I was committed to doing everything right! Almost everything that is.

I think I rocked out the fitness challenge by averaging over 100 minutes of true fitness exercise every single day. And I stayed faithfully within my Weight Watcher points. Now I wonder though if I was a little too faithful. I only dipped into my weekly points a couple of times; and one day I even failed to use 4 of my daily points. I think I cheated myself by not eating enough.

Why would I make that ridiculous sounding statement? Because I got stuck. Truly stuck. The day after the weigh in my weight went UP and I've been struggling ever since. That's probably why I went a little overboard on the point counting. Weight Watchers tells you over and over that you've got to use all your points to keep from slowing your metabolism. I guess I thought I knew better.

And while I rocked the fitness challenge I can't say I did well on the non-fitness challenges. Despite the fact that I thought drinking so much water the week before made a dramatic difference, I couldn't seem to find the time to get it all in every day this week. What was I thinking?

And I failed the non-fitness avoid-fast-food-at-all-cost challenge dismally. The day before that challenge came out Mr. Right was working late. He suggested I go to Taco Bell rather than make something for dinner because he knows I like it and find it fairly Weight Watcher point friendly if I make smart choices. I said no - we'll go tomorrow night when you're home to which he replied, "it's a date". As soon as I heard the challenge, I emailed him and told him no fast food. His response was, "It's a good thing Taco Bell isn't fast food!" He's a funny guy for sure. And we went to Taco Bell - twice in the past week. Since then I've researched my go-to favorite - chicken soft taco with nothing but lettuce and I can't find a definitive Weight Watcher friendly point amount. Some say 2.5 some 3 some 4. I guess Taco Bell isn't as good of a choice as I thought.

So, although I did great on the fitness, I didn't do so well on the non fitness challenges. And I certainly didn't do as well in the weight loss category. I did lose though. I slept in - sometimes that helps for me - and tipped the scales 2.6 lbs lighter than I did last Wednesday morning.

I'm happy but realistically, I'm afraid this coming week is going to be even more challenging than last.

Shrinkvivor Challenge Check-In #2

What a week it's been! I knew I had my mind right for this challenge. I'd been working on my mental attitude ever since I heard this was coming. I asked myself questions like, "Is this how I want to look for the rest of my life?". And, "Is food - what kind, how much, how often - really the most important thing in my life? Really? Is that it?"

I knew what the answers were of course but I'd never really addressed my eating problems in that way and so brutally before. When the challenge started, I was ready.

I made myself a list of disciplines.

1. Bed by midnight.
2. No Quakes or Cakes
3. Shred Daily
4. Walk Daily
5. Weight Watchers Meetings Weekly
6. Fruits and Veggies on hand at all times
7. A glass of water every hour and fifteen minutes

Of course a couple of these changed a little. It's hard to be in bed by midnight when Mr. Right works until eleven some weeks but during these weeks I get to sleep late. I probably should have made that one that I'd get at least seven hours of sleep a night.

And the glass of water every hour and 15 minutes changed when the Shrinkvivor non-fitness challenge became drinking about 95 ounces of water a day. That system worked much better. For the timed water drinking, if I missed a glass, it was just missed. For the total ounces system I was able to get it all in no matter what.

Also, I changed the no Quakes and no cakes discipline a little. The Quakes were my nemesis and they're out but I do allow myself one Hostess 100 Calorie Strawberry Cake pack per day.

I've followed my weight watchers points religiously, shred level one every day and even dipped my sweaty toes into level 2, walked a minimum of 3 miles a day, and attended my first Weight Watchers meeting. Even when out of town this week for a couple of days I managed to get in every shred and every walk. This was due in part to a very supportive daughter who even went on my walk with me.

So what did all this dedication get me? Drum roll please. I lost 6.4 pounds this week. I'm so stoked! When I started the last Shrinking Jeans challenge I did almost as well the first week but I was a different person mentally back then. When I realized that I had gained so much after the end of the last challenge and before this one started, I knew it was time for a real change. And I think I've made that change. It's not as much in my body as in my head.

I think I see a shopping trip in my future

I'm No Great Cook But .....Yum!

Last weekend when I went to the grocery with our house guests, Anna and Noah, the trip was pretty much focused on items necessary to ensure their having the best visit with us EVER. But my eyes wandered a little when I passed the meat section and I saw some giant, beautiful porterhouse steaks on sale. That was the good thing. The bad thing was that even with the nice, deep discount, they were still $17.00. My thoughts ran like this: Mr. Right has been working so hard lately and, although I've tried hard to make sure he doesn't have to do anything at home, he still deserves a special treat. I felt very sure of myself BUT I stilled called him to make sure he thought it was a good idea too.

I bought them and Monday evening when just the two of us were here I thought to grill those steaks. I'm not much of a cook and I'm certainly not much of a griller. I've just kind of figured out a system and used it even though it didn't make a lot of sense. So Monday I looked online for grilling times for porterhouse steaks and started my project.

I stacked my coals and lit them. Normally when the flames die down and the charcoal turns white, I spread it around and get ready to grill. This might explain why my fire loses heat before my meat is done. This time I waited for the fire to die down but started spreading the coals as soon as they were about half white - sometimes even less than half.

Then I seasoned the steaks and put them on the grill. Twenty-one minutes later I took them off and they were awesome!

Here they are just before I removed them from the grill and after I had cut a wedge out of one of them to check for doneness.

Can you believe the size of the tenderloins on these babies?! And those tenderloins absolutely melted in our mouths. That's mostly what I ate of mine and the rest went into Mr. Right's lunch for the next day.

Here's one of them next to the flashlight I had to use to see what I was doing. We tend to eat late and that coupled with the sun going down too early, made for challenging grilling.


So that's it for my most successful steak grilling ever. Except for one little confession. I knew I was going to join the Shrinkvivor Weight Loss Challenge on Wednesday and I always think I have to eat wrong right up until the diet starts.

The next meal is my favorite, low point, delicious diet meal - broiled pork chops.

Mr. Right loves pork chops and I've always browned them and then cooked them in a little water with the lid on but no more. Now I've learned to broil them and they are delectable!

First I spray them with a little no fat olive oil and then season them with salt and pepper. I toss them on the broiler pan and put them on the second to the highest level under the broiler. I watch them pretty carefully to make sure they aren't overcooking and when they start to get brown and the tiny bit of fat on the edges gets crispy, I turn them over. This is after only a few minutes. Once they look browned and a little crispy around the edges on the other side, I remove them and cut one to check for doneness. Here they are:

I calculated the point value of each one based on the calorie and fat content listed on the package and they came out to 3 little Weight Watcher points each. That, with a 3 point baked potato (baked in the microwave in a baggie with a tiny bit of water and an opening in the bag) comes out to a 6 point dinner. Of course I had green beans which are no points and I added spray butter and 2 tablespoons of fat free sour cream to the potato for an extra half point.

This is the best, low point dinner ever. I could eat it every night and it takes about fifteen minutes to throw together.

It almost eliminates all my excuses for fast food.

Shrinkvivor Challenge Weigh-In #1

I am super excited today. It's the first day of a brand new challenge over at the Sisterhood. It's the Shrinkvivor part that I'm excited about - not the first weigh in.

The first weigh shows that I've gained back a good portion of the weight that I worked hard to lose in the Down and Dirty in Thirty challenge. I'm not happy about that. I think it was caused by a combination of things - one of which was knowing that this challenge was coming. But mostly it was my lack of self discipline and that's the part I'm going to try to change.

I did get on the scale with a new attitude though. I thought: this is the last time I will EVER see this weight. And then I went to the Sisterhood post for the day and saw that Christy had written "pucker up those lips and kiss that number good-bye! Take a picture of yourself kissing that number good-bye. Take a picture of yourself, too. For posterity. Because you’re never going to see that weight again. It’s all down-hill from here!" which is exactly where my resolve is this morning.

I intend to really work this challenge. I've got lots of new resolve and a whole list of disciplines that I intend to abide by faithfully for seven weeks.

This challenge is based on the Survivor reality series and has tons of amazing prizes for two people but I'm not expecting to win either one. My prize will be being part of a great team and the mini shopping spree that Mr. Right has promised me if I can reach my goal of losing 20 pounds. It's a huge undertaking and will require the greatest discipline but maybe lots of discipline is what I need. I've just got to quit thinking of weight loss and getting fit as something I can do halfway.

So I'm ready to start again only this time I'm better prepared and my mind is exactly where it needs to be!

True Confessions Tuesday - Sep 7th Edition

Right off the bat I have to admit that my confessions include more than just the weight loss sabotages that the Sisterhood encourages us to confess. I've gone through a stage lately where I've had nothing to blog about. Even after I remind myself that ultimately this blog is a diary/journal for me, I've still got nothing.

Apparently this has begun to bother me more than I realized. You see there's a blog that I like to read called Toadmama's Interstitial Space. Don't worry, I had to look up interstitial too and I'm still kind of vague about what it means. The important thing though is that Toadmama's blog is interesting and full of really beautiful pictures.

The connection between Toadmama's blog and my angst at having nothing to write about manifested itself in my dream last night. In my dream, having nothing to say on my own, I just went to Toadmama's blog, took pictures of it with my camera, and then displayed them in my blog as if it were my post. It still cracks me up when I think about it.

And I'm surprised to see that the pictures display pretty well in my blog. If you're looking for an entertaining site, visit http://toadmama.com/ Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

Now on to my real confessions.

I knew that our Team Challenge was a biggy for me but I really didn't know how significant it was. I lost eight pounds over the course of the 30 day challenge and it was fun being part of a bigger effort. This is driven home to me by the fact that the minute it ended, my inspiration ended too. I've been very self indulgent and and unmotivated.

The one thing I've done pretty well is Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workout. However, in all honesty I think it has more to do with the physically fit part of it than the weight loss part. Everyday I'm amazed and pleased with myself that I'm 64 and can do the first workout. That didn't stop me from skipping the weekend because I thought of some excuses but yesterday morning I got back on track again.

And, in addition to eating badly, I've neglected my second phase workout which is a photography walk at Striebel Pond. (No wonder I don't have anything to write about.)

So, I'll put on my big girl pants (the ones that used to be a little bit to big for me) and try to get back in the groove using all the tools that the Sisterhood of The Shrinking Jeans makes available too me.

Here's to a brand new start!

Down & Dirty In 30 - Weekly Check In

Today's check in is much easier to write about than last week's. I'm posting a loss of 1.8 pounds and I feel like I'm on my way again.

Somewhere inside me I think there are weights where we tend to get stuck. And maybe those weights are where we spent a lot of time on our way up the scale. For some reason our bodies got used to being here and they fight to stay here. Either that or psychologically we begin to believe subconsciously that that's where we belong. Some people just call them plateaus and that's what they are but I'm going a step further in looking for a real reason for the plateau.

Whatever it is plateau or falling off the weight loss wagon; reason or no reason, I think I've just worked my way through a level where I was stuck and now that I've broken through, I'll see some consistent losses - at least for three or four more pounds when I'll reach the next weight that I stayed at for a long, long time. We'll see.

Also, I must comment on a couple of my weight loss tools. The first one is Jillian Michaels' Shred. Because of various excuses, good and bad, like the reunion or the 2nd great grandson's out-of-town birth, I haven't been consistent with it. But I've done it 5 times in a row, then about 3 times in a row, and now 3 times in a row again. And, guess what! I got all the way through today! How awesome is that! I won't say I jumped rope with big jumps and I certainly won't say that my push ups would pass Army muster, but I will say that I did the whole workout without taking a breather. Yeah!!!!

Last night I tried the Tworkout for the first time and I am sad to say that the exercises that were assigned were well beyond my capabilities. Maybe there should be a beginner Tworkout and a seasoned exercise buff Tworkout. Also, although I thought I signed in correctly, none of my tweets made the Tworkout grid so I felt pretty disconnected throughout.

So, back to the future. A good week ahead. Another try at the Tworkout. And maybe doing the Shred Beginner level all the way through for seven days before moving on to Level 2.

And most importantly, right now I weigh almost two pounds less than I did last week at this time which feels really good. Thanks, Sisterhood!

Down & Dirty in Thirty Challenge - Weekly Check In

It's a good thing we have weekly check ins so that I can slap myself to wake myself up. What have I been doing? Aside from all my excuses errrr confessions yesterday, I guess I haven't been doing anything. At least nothing positive for my weight loss effort and definitely nothing consistent.

The kids are here but they're leaving today. With them leaving, I'll also be heading to Michigan to share in the birth experience of my second great grandson. I'm so honored and I wouldn't miss it for the world. But, it looks like a giant excuse in the making from here. I'll think that shredding would be too difficult and that eating conscientiously wouldn't add to the fun. So normally I would cheat.

Right now I'm challenging myself to not cheat. I'll pack a couple of flat bread sandwiches which are good and amazingly low in points. I'll take a few vegetable and fruits. And I'll get in a walk every day. I'll be back next week to report my progress.

And next week, I promise. There will be progress.

Down & Dirty In 30 - Second Check In

What a week this has been. Of course I loved every minute of it...until Monday that is.

We had house guests this weekend which I love the most. Unfortunately we tend to stay up late, have a glass of wine or beer and eat some snacks. Then the next day I'm too tired to be smart in my eating so I cave here and there. We also had a birthday party Saturday with the best cupcakes EVER. We went out to eat Saturday night to a place that's renowned for their hamburgers and fries. Sunday was the family reunion where I scarcely ate any of the catered meal except ..... everyone brought a dessert and, oh my, I didn't resist.

I was pretty contented until Monday morning. Sunday night I pretty much knew what I had done but I didn't weigh myself so I didn't really know if you know what I mean. When I weighed myself Monday, I felt sick. I'd let myself down but worst of all I'd let down my team of Lowdown Dirty Losers.

So for two days I dug in. Back to diligently counting points and exercising like crazy. Yesterday I mowed our long grass with a mower that had a broken self propel feature. I did the shred and walked - all in brutal heat and humidity. I watch my points and last night made the ultimate sacrifice for my team.

Mr. Right went to Taco Bell and instead of even indulging in their Weight Watcher friend Fresco style choices, I made flat bread sandwiches with extra lean ham and tons of lettuce and tomatoes. I accompanied this meal with a half cup of grapes. And I tried not to notice what Mr. Right ate.

It paid off. I lost 1.4 pounds this week. It doesn't sound like much but considering where I was Monday morning, it's huge.

Our team, the Lowdown Dirty Losers is still going to rock this challenge! Where there's a will there's a way and we've got the will!

Down & Dirty In 30 - First Check In

It's that day again. Check in Wednesday. It used to be Weigh In Wednesday but, so that no one was left out (like those of us not currently trying to shrink), it's now Check In Wednesday. For me though, it's definitely Weigh In Wednesday and I feel a lot different about it then the last Wednesday Weigh In that I did back on June 30th. I just read it over and boy was I in a funk.

Not any more though. I'm dieting sensibly and exercising extraordinarily! And best of all, I'm feeling great about it.

What's responsible for this complete turn around? Not surprisingly it's the Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans. The newest challenge at the Sisterhood has me thinking and acting like a new person. It's a team challenge and, if you want, it's combined with Jillian Michaels' workout DVD - The 30 Day Shred.

This challenge started on Sunday morning and since then my scale says I weight 4.6 pounds less than I did then. Wow! I can hardly believe it. It's a combination of going crazy on Saturday which upped my weight even more than it already was, sticking religiously to my Weight Watchers points, and exercising. And I don't just exercise once a day like I used to where I would go for long walks at whatever pace I chose. No, now I do the Shred in the morning which I know boosts my metabolism because I don't cool off for literally hours, and then I walk in the evening which I think is another metabolism boost. Since I hadn't been walking regularly at all since I fell off the wagon for most of July, I started at one mile on Sunday, one and a half miles on Monday, and last night I walked two miles as fast as I could. And once again it took a long time to cool off.

I am so stoked. Our team, the Lowdown Dirty Losers is amazing. We're definitely going to rock this competition. I feel bad for everybody on all the other teams because the can't be on ours but I know they'll do great anyway. Just not as great as we will!

Normally I would now temper my excitement with the warning that I know this rate of weight loss can't continue, and how it will taper off big time, and all that negativity. But not today. So pretend you didn't just read that. Today I've got only one thing on my mind.

The Lowdown Dirty Losers are going to be the biggest losers of all!

True Confessions

This is new for me. I've read True Confessions Tuesday blog posts with great interest when they're posted by other confessors but I've never really felt compelled to join in. Now I really do have a confession to make - actually two.

I've been doing Weight Watchers for a couple of months now on an increasingly halfhearted basis. And that's what my results have been - halfhearted. I started out fine but then I guess I realized that I might be successful if I wasn't careful so I became a Weight Watchers faker. And I started losing a few pounds a week. Did I say pounds? Ummmm No. I started losing a few ounces a week and then sometimes I gained a few ounces. And I cheated and cheated.

Then the last couple of weeks instead of doing Halfhearted Weight Watchers I started doing Wholehearted Crazy. Let's see. I ate whatever fast food I wanted. I ate two boxes of Swiss Cake Rolls. I ate Hostess Strawberry Cakes like they were a health food. And then, just to make sure I fell flat on my face, I quit walking.

Nancy over at Bacardimama sent me an email designed to pick me back up and set me on my feet. She said that the girls in the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans were going to start a team challenge and maybe that was just what I needed. I thought she might be right and decided I would join in. And this is where my first confession comes in.

If I was crazy before, I became insane now. I guess I thought I needed a last hurrah. I even drank a bunch of beer which I had not indulged in for a long time. And in the sneaky back of my mind I thought that if my weight was inflated on the first day of the weigh in, it would give me an advantage in showing a loss. At least that was my excuse even though I thought it was kind of unfair. But the one I really cheated was me. If I hadn't put that last couple of pounds on, I wouldn't have to fight through those pounds now just to get to a true loss. That's my first confession.

My second confession involves the Shred that I posted about yesterday.

I was all pleased with myself for getting through it and talking about my jelly legs and sore muscles and stuff and I didn't even know. I didn't find out until today how much I cheated my way through. Of course, this cheating couldn't be helped. I've never done a real push up in my life. I just can't. So I faked my way through. I blogged that I pulled up short in the jumping jacks because I thought it was going to be a longer stretch. Today I found out that, although I knew exactly how long the second jumping jack stretch would be and I did stay with it, I couldn't maintain through the next phase. I had to take a breather.

The good news is that the push ups I faked today were a tiny bit better than the ones I faked yesterday. The breather I took today was farther into the workout than the breather I took yesterday. And I heard Jillian say a lot of things today that I didn't hear yesterday which made for a more intense workout. So it's progress.

And it's all good. I just hope it isn't as hard to get started tomorrow as it was today and deep down, although I think it will actually be harder, I know I'll feel even better about it when I finish than I did today. And that's huge!