Wednesday Weigh-In

Up another 0.6 tonight.
I need to REBOOT. Going on an all-tracking, all-focused, all-exercising resolution week. ACTION.

Winter break begins! (wednesday weigh-in, too)

The kids had their Christmas program tonight - and it was a adorable. Here are the boys singing their songs, and a picture of Char working on her gingerbread house, grumpily....

WW weigh-in: +0.6

Feeling: Good, despite the gain. I didn't track OR exercise this week. So, back on track. Hooray for Christmas!

Lesson Learned.

December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)
The best thing I learned about myself this year is that I am stronger than I thought. Not physically - I can barely open the kids' sippy cups - but mentally. I have willpower that I didn't know I had, and the strength to change my habits to lose the weight I want to lose. Going forward, I am going to keep using this strength to get healthier and physically stronger in the process. Screw you, sippy cups!
Reverb10

Wednesday Weigh-In and Reverb10.

Weekly Weigh-In: -3.6
Cause of losing 7.2 pounds in 2 weeks: The stomach flu.

Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

This prompt makes me a little sad. I, unfortunately, have done a bad job this year of expressing gratitude or appreciation to anyone or anything. As I have been getting healthier, I have also been thinking a lot about the other aspects of my life that I would like to improve. One of those things is, in fact, expressing gratitude for the wonderful things in my life.

I am quick to complain. I am quick to criticize. But I am slooowwww to praise some people and things in my life. At school, I am the praisemaster - positive behavior system? check. passing out those stickers? check. praising the kids for breathing? check. But when I am home, I forget to dole out praise to the boys that clean up without being asked (not often), that eat all their food (almost never) and that give their sister a kiss (once in a blue moon). I also forget to praise the other boy at home that I appreciate all he does around the house for me, for the kids, and for the dogs.

I have come to appreciate more things in my life - what I have, what I can do, the family I have created - but the outward ability to express my extreme gratitude to these people and things is something I need to work on.

2011 resolution? I think so.
Reverb10

11, 12, and 13 and a common theme.

December 11 – 11 Things What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

1. To ever throw up again. x11.

December 12 – Body Integration This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

I can tell you about how I felt out of control of my body yesterday when I threw up for the first time in 18 years. Otherwise, I can't think of a time I felt integrated with my body. I'm calling LAME on this prompt.

December 13 – Action When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

My next step is to invent a device that we can implant into people's bodies to stop them from throwing up ever again.
The end.
Reverb10

Party and Wisdom

Playing catch-up today with reverb10

Day 9: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)
People - Closest friends.
Music - Couldn't hear any music because it was too loud.
Food - A huge bucket of popcorn, random appetizers, and baseball and football cupcakes.
Drink - Beer for the grownups and water for the kids.
Clothes - Sports attire!
Shenanigans - Playing beer pong with the kids party favors.

Day 10: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)
The wisest decision I made this year was to start focusing on my health. So far, it's playing out well. I am down 28 pounds, eating healthier, and loving my exercise. Can't wait to see what next year will bring.

HEY-OH! Wednesday Weigh-In!

Holy shit, peeps! I was down 3.6 pounds tonight at my meeting! I am not sure why because I ate a lot this week - lots of hormonal eating, some alcohol fun, and I was OUT of those 49 extra points less than halfway through the week.

My activity this week was less than usual:
Wed - nada
Thurs- nada
Fri - nada
Sat - Girls on the Run 5K in about 40 min.
Sun - nada
Mon - 2 mile run and 40 min of Zumba
Tues - 530AM spin class

So I guess I can't say anything was right on this week - perhaps it is the new PointsPlus plan? Perhaps it is the fact that I don't want to spend 4 points on wine when it used to be 2 (sorry to break the news, Mom...) and so I only drank once this week? Perhaps it is because my kids have the stomach flu and I was feeling a little icky today?

We'll just have to see what next week brings and reevaluate.

Community

December 7 –Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)
I am so lucky at my job. Even if I complain that I don’t like the way things are going job/education/public school/meetingsoutthewazoo-wise, I am very lucky to have fabulous friends and coworkers there. Even when the day-to-day demands are obnoxious and I am feeling unsatisfied and unappreciated (90% of the time), I have this fabulous community to lean on, vent to, and share with. This is a rather new community that we have discovered this year because we all have young children and we get together often for playdates and parties. This has been an invaluable source of camaraderie and friendship for me this year. There are days where I don’t want to work where I work, but then I think of my coworkers and have second thoughts….
The community I would like to connect more deeply with in 2011? My family. Not just my immediate family, but all family. I feel like sometimes we are in such a rush to do trivial stuff that we don’t connect enough with our family. I mean, really. We see our extended family once per year. That’s crazy. Of course, distance makes it hard, but there is skype, and facebook, and the telephone. I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with family. And speaking of my immediate family, my husband and I need to do a better job connecting with each other as well. Someone find me some extra time, quick!
Reverb10

Make.

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin) Reverb10

You know my creative self has made some shit this year. But the last thing I made was this football toss game for the boys' birthday party this weekend. The kids actually LOVED playing it, as silly as it was! I'll give credit where credit is due, too....Todd helped me color some of it. Some. :)

Part 2 of the prompt today is about what I would like to make in the future....and I have a definite answer for that. I started a t-shirt quilt when I was pregnant with the boys. THEY ARE FOUR NOW. I need to finish that pig. For real.

Let Go.

December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley) Reverb10

Here are a few hints of what I have let go of this year.....

What do all of these things have in common???? Here's another hint:

Got it now?

Wonder

December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

Short answer? I didn't.

Long answer? I can't think of a single time this entire year that I purposely cultivated a "sense of wonder" in my life. Usually, wonder is brought on by outside forces, so asking how I cultivated my own wonder is interesting to me. I may have made my children wonder a few times, but a time where I made myself wonder? Maybe I am misunderstanding this. Nah, I don't think so. I'm out for this one.

We are 4!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE MOST WONDERFUL BOYS ON EARTH!!!!!

Moment

Losing

December 2 Writing.What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?(Author: Leo Babauta)

I decided to tweak this one a little bit, because I am not a writer of anything more than this silly blog, so instead of the word “writing” I am changing it to “losing.” What do I do each day that doesn’t contribute to my losing – and can you eliminate t? Every day I do 2 things that don’t help me lose the weight I want to lose.

The first one is drinking water – or not drinking water, as is the case here. I do not get anywhere near the recommended water intake for Weight Watchers (or any other weight loss program.) I probably drink 2 glasses of water a day, unless I am working out, and then maybe 3. I have a water bottle sitting next to me the entire day, I just don’t drink it. Part of the problem is that I am always teaching, talking, or doing something else, and taking the time to stop and take a swig doesn’t ever occur to me. I need to fix this. Any suggestions?

The second thing that is not helping me LOSE is my attitude toward mornings. I need to get out of bed, get on the bike, and get it over with. I have trouble fitting in my exercise in the afternoons/evening, so getting my fat butt out of my warm and cozy bed to do a workout would be the best solution. Do I do that? Nope. I need to, though. But I’m so tired! Any suggestions?

One Word and Wednesday Weigh-In

Over at Reverb 10 there is a challenge - of sorts - that asks bloggers to commit to answering 1 question a day. I am intrigued, so I signed up. Here is the first question:

December 1 One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

My 2010 can be encapsulated with the word: WANT. I have begun working hard to change my health, my family's health, and my professional goals so I picked the word "want" because the first 3/4 of the year I spent wanting to do these things, but didn't have the motivation. When the end of summer rolled around, I realized I had to fix things in my life. And so I started and I am motivated to go the distance.

One year from today, I want my word to be: GOAL!

Wednesday weigh-in? Not so much.....I gained .6 - the first time I have gained since October. Also the first time I was drinking a massive amount of alcohol for days on end with family.......time to regroup and get it done next week.

Thanksgiving wrap-up

Had a fun Thanksgiving week with family! Here are some pictures of the boys' first time bowling, for their birthday:

Here is baby Charlie in his favorite location at Gaga and Papa's house: We had a little party for the boys with strawberry cupcakes and fun birthday glasses:

Pretty girl Charby at Thanksgiving dinner:

Courtney and baby Charlie: Miss Beautiful Beads:

More twins!

All the gorgeous cousins posin' with their princess dolls:

Wednesday Weigh-In and Charms

I got 2 bright and shiny charms to add to my 10% keychain today - the 16 week charm which means I have been in attendance that long....AND....the 25 pound charm! I hit 25 pounds today, and I am thrilled.

What am I doing that is working?
-Exercising a lot. I do the stairmaster, I have been running, and I love going to spin class. Last week I earned 35 activity points.
-Following the WW plan. Staying on my points is key.
-Pre-tracking. If I pre-track my day, I don't eat anything that I didn't already type in. This has been good for me and keeps me in check mentally.
-Talking about it. I talk to my friends and family about my progress and what happened in meetings, etc. And I blog!
-Going with friends. This helps us all motivate each other. I was out of town for today's meeting and the first person I called with my news was my friend Anna, who has been doing this with me since the beginning.
-Choosing healthier foods. I'd rather eat a sweet potato than 2 oreo cookies - this is a big change for me. Yes, i still want the oreos....who doesn't....but I would rather choose the more satisfying potato 9 times out of 10.

I have dropped 2 pant sizes and 1 shirt size. It's exciting and motivating.

You can do it, too!!!

Photo credit

Wanna see my allergy pictures???

So, the results of my peanut testing is.....drumrolll.....inconclusive! Hooray!

I need to get a blood test to confirm, but as you can see from my reaction to the skin prick test....I am either allergic to all nuts or not allergic to any nuts! Exciting, yes?

Wednesday Weigh-In

Down 1.6 this week. One of these weeks, I'm gonna gain, I know it!

Weight Watchers is unveiling its new propoints plan the week after next. I have been checking out European blogs to see what people think - it looks like a lot of feedback is positive, so that's good. Tonight our leader asked us if we accept change willingly, sort-of accept change, or don't accept it well at all. I think I am in the middle, and if I continue losing the weight, then I will be happy with the change. We shall see.

Next week I am supposed to earn my SAS Charm (I don't know what that is....) for continuing to go without missing a week for 16 weeks! I can't believe I am doing this!

Eating 6 biscuits for dinner was not on the plan.

I feel like I come to my blog to celebrate my successes with my weight loss, but I am neglecting a side of my journey that should also be shared!

Mistakes Happen.

Everyone makes mistakes now and then, especially people like me who have been eating too much for a long time. My problem has been mindless eating, which is when I eat for no reason - not because I am hungry, not because I am stressed....just because it is there. Last night I gave the kids their dinner and then sat and ate 6 biscuits with grape jelly. Big biscuits.

Today has not been very on "point" either, so I will need to do some big workouts the next few days to make up for it. I have eaten all of my extra points already this week. I am planning on going to spin class tomorrow morning and Monday night, then doing a run on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hopefully weigh-in Wednesday won't be a gaining one....

Benefits of losing 10% of your body weight....

1. You lose 10% of your body weight.
2. You get a nifty key chain at weight watchers.
3. You lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
4. You have more energy.
5. You get a strong sense of "YES I CAN"
6. You have a decreased risk of some other diseasy crap.
7. Others can tell that you have lost weight just by looking at you.
8. You can motivate others to make changes because it is working for you.
9. You can make your facebook status say, "10 percent, bitches!"
10. You feel happy! :) :)

Weigh-In Wednesday (one day late)

I hit the big 20 pound mark last night! Woo hoo! I'm super excited. I lost 1.8 this past week. Then last night Anna and I went out and ate delicious shrimp, rockfish, and chopped salad. (Mamere, you and I will definitely be going to this restaurant when you come for Christmas) after our meeting.

Last night's meeting was kind of a bore - all about metabolism. Yawn!

Today was a HUGE moment for us. A friend suggested we go to the gym together and let her kids play with my kids at the kids' room. I was really nervous, consdering this happened last time. The boys and Charlotte played for an hour and had such a great time, they didn't want to leave. This is an outstanding acheivement - to be able to go to the gym with them is a major thing for me. I am so excited.

Halloween! Halloween! Trick or Treat! Our costumes can't be beat!

Vampire Charlotte for school Halloween:

Before heading out:

Trying to keep up with brothers:

After:

my three monsters

Henry and his lips:
Charlotte and her vampire smile:

Owen and his 'stache:

Weigh-In Wednesday

Down 1 pound this week!
I wasn't expecting a loss this week because I ate like a freaking pig on tour this weekend with my high school students. We went to Harrisonburg and stopped at Kline's Ice Cream Bar (I had to, it's a JMU tradition!) and had a HUGE ice cream cone. Delish. Totally worth it, too.
Hopefully some fun pictures of the weekend coming up.

You will not even believe the amount of catching up we have to do.

A while ago, there was a carnival in our neighborhood. So we went, and the boys loved it. Here are some shots of that:

Same weekend, we went to a Pumpkin Race - the boys did a dash and Todd did a 5K.

Different day, adorable Charlotte outfit at the park:

This week the kids got to go to a pumpkin patch for their first field trip! Here are some pics of that: