DAY 85

Today was pretty uneventful. But the night got really exciting when my sis and her hubs arrived! I was going to twist her arm to do Pilates with me but I've been battling another migraine since late this afternoon. The caffeine and excedrin migraine pills aren't touching it. So, a not so successful day with the workouts or sticking strictly to my points.
I tell ya, nothing's ever easy!! :)
Signing off...

DAY 84

JUST finished 20 minutes of Pilates and 125 crunches. My legs burned a little more than usual tonight so that's a good thing. Probably because I haven't been on the treadmill in a few days. Oh, I miss you treadmill! I'm sitting in the middle of a pile of laundry that needs to be folded and still have a few other household management items that need to get done before bed. I had a Russia team meeting tonight which went great, it just made for an extra long day.
When "George" is in town for 5 days (ladies you can guess who I'm talking about!), I eat the world. So today was a day of constant eating. I wasn't going to MAKE time for Pilates but so thankful I did!!
Starting tomorrow through the 8th will be more difficult for me to stay on my workout plan because family will be in town but I'm determined to at least do Pilates as much as I can.
Tomorrow, April 30th, marks the day back in 2007 when I started my very successful Weight Watchers journey the first time around. All I have to do to get inspiration is look back at pictures, thumb through the oodles of "skinny" pants in my closet and think about how amazing I felt when I lost those 23 lbs. I truly felt more free than I ever had before in my life. Great inspiration and encouragement for the current quest I'm on!
Sweet dreams....

DAY 83

Another gorgeous day! The kids and I had fun on our friend's trampoline this afternoon and took a little walk in the woods and up and down the street. Sad to hear rain is on the way for the next few days.
I've been an eating machine today and didn't have it in me to workout tonight. Today was a wash but a new day's coming and I'm going to keep my head up.
Night, night.

DAY 82

I'm up way too late so I'll make this short and sweet. Gained a stinkin pound since last week. Can I just chalk it up to muscle?? :) My clothes are fitting better but I know I'm retaining a little water because it's just that time again so while I'm sad about the unsuccessful weigh-in, I'm not going to let it keep me down.
No time for the treadmill tonight but I did do 20 minutes of Pilates and 125 crunches.
Pushing on....

DAY 81

My workout was a bit of a fluke today. Brit's really into my Pilates videos lately, I think it's because of the resistance bands (I have 5 and they're all bright colors). Even baby boy got down on the floor and lifted his legs when I put the DVD on! Ha! It's so cute to watch both of them move around and try to mimic Maury Windsor's moves! So I was able to do 15 minutes of Pilates followed by 150 crunches. Chris still hasn't made it home (his shift technically ends at 4:30 on Sundays) so I probably won't make it on the treadmill tonight.
I took the kids to Pinkerton for a picnic lunch and some good ole playtime outdoors. We had a blast and even saw some good friends there. So thankful for this gorgeous weather!
Tomorrow is weigh-in day so I'm hoping for the best. We'll see!
Ready for the new week ahead! My sister and bro-in-law come in Thursday night and we can't wait!!

DAY 80

Only 10 more days on my 90 in 09 commitment! I can't believe I'm so close and yet I won't be stopping when day 90 hits. My goal is continue blogging daily as this has been a HUGE blessing! The accountability has been great.
Today was a gorgeous day and so fun! We spent some of the afternoon at the downtown Franklin Main Street Festival and of course ate lunch at our fav restaurant in Franklin...Merridee's! I got the fat free cinnamon rolls....only 3 points on WW and they are to die for! Then we had church this evening and Cracker Barrel afterwards.
I walked on the treadmill for just over 50 minutes and burned 450 calories! As has been the case for the last few weeks, I went over my points again today. 20 points a day just doesn't cut it, people!!
I got into a weeding out/organizing the bonus room kick late tonight so I'm making myself go to bed now! Otherwise I won't be much fun to be around tomorrow!
Ready for a new day....

DAY 79

I put on my "skinnier" jeans this morning and when I walked down the hall my hubs gave me a very sweet, trim comment and it made my day! I'm telling you, that will make a girl fly!! Thanks babe!

I forgot to mention this yesterday but I got into a pair of pants 4 sizes smaller than the big girl pants I've been wearing for the last 6+ months! I'm on the way down, friends and it feels oh so good!

We had Moe's with some great friends tonight and then had a date on the couch watching a movie after the kids went down. Took a day off on my workout and did great on my points until our movie date when I splurged and ate some Colby Wheat Thin crackers.

I read this quote on a friend's page today and seems so fitting.

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."~Mary Anne Radmacher

Inch..inch...inch.....

DAY 78

The day started early with a foster care board meeting that went so great. God revealed Himself in so many ways. I knew it would be a late night because I do a Bible Study with a dear friend Thursday nights so when I got home from work, the kids played in the bonus room while I walked on the treadmill for 35 minutes. I'm so glad I made the time today. The kids loved it! I need to do that more often to ensure it happens. I just feel guilty coming home and then not spending time with them when I've been away all day. But I'm talking with them and interacting even while I'm on the treadmill so I have to remind myself that I'm doing this to become healthier for myself and my family. The eating plan went pretty good. It's so strange but I'm not even missing sweets that much. Huge for me!
Hubby's home and I'm so excited to have him home the next two days!
Ready for the weekend!

DAY 77

Not a ton to report today. Did good on my points and got in a 45 minute walk on the treadmill (burned 515 calories!) and did 125 crunches. YAY! Made a fruit salad with Brit; played Little Einstein's Bingo game; gave Kia a bedtime bath and watched American Idol with Brit. Sad to see Lil and Anoop go home! That's about it for today.
Early morning foster care board review meeting in Columbia so I need to get some rest.
Still inching....

DAY 76

It's been a super long day. I'm now enrolled in 8 weeks of Foster Care classes in Columbia so I got home late tonight and have just been chilling with Chris on the couch for the last 45 minutes. No workout for obvious reasons...there's been no time! But before I left for class, Brit asked to do Pilates with me so I got about 10 minutes in! Ha! A little is better than none, right? So my left leg got a little workout. I'll have to even it up tomorrow! I went over my points today. Eating on the run can be difficult. I was able to fit into a smaller size pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear since I've had them. Definitely encouraging!
Night, night friends!

DAY 75

Waking up with a migraine is never a fun way to start the day or the week for that matter but it's nothing that a little coffee lite frap at Starbucks couldn't help! Seriously, that's my "drug" of choice when it comes to combating migraines and it always does the trick. Thank goodness they're only 2 points for a Tall!!
Happy to report that I got in a 45 minute workout and burned 462 calories and managed to do 150 crunches on the exercise ball. Plus, I did well with my points today. Ah....finally!
My sis and I are still competing for the most pounds lost by May 4th so I've got to step it up a notch! I want a new shirt from Ross! Ha!
Calling it a day.
Pressing on toward the goal....

DAY 74

I'm reeling right now from a stressful afternoon and suffering from a what will probably turn into a migraine. Nonetheless, the kids and I enjoyed some time with a dear friend and then spent the rest of the time out grocery shopping. The kids usually do a good job in the stores but with getting in and out of the car in the rain and no naps and then a rushed dinner it was hectic to say the least. I lost my cool, not a proud moment.
Since this blog is about me being honest, I didn't do a good job of counting my points today and didn't get my workout in. Tomorrow's weigh-in will probably reveal the tough week I've had. The closer I get to the 90 day mark, the harder it is for me to stay on track. BUT, as of earlier in the week when I re-committed to no desserts, I'm holding fast and haven't had a one!
Going to rest my weary head and catch-up with my sweet hubby.

DAY 73

Hooray! It felt so good getting back on the treadmill today. I got in a 30 minute walk (burned 355 calories) plus I mopped, vacuumed and cleaned the house so I know I burned a few extra calories! A good, productive day. We met some dear friends at Moe's for dinner and enjoyed an evening of yummy food and good conversation.
I counted points today but keep going over and have been everyday this week. Don't think I'll have a great weigh-in Monday but I'm much more aware of what I'm putting into my body and will continue to track. I was cleaning out an old purse today and found my food journal from 2007. I started WW on 4/30/07 and by Sept 07 I had lost 23.5 lbs! Great motivation to stick with the plan....I know it works!
Night, night...

DAY 72

We let Brit stay up late to watch Kung Fu Panda (Kia's Easter present) and after about 20 minutes of negotiating to get her to take some cough medicine, it's 10:15 and I don't have it in me to workout. URGH! 3 days without being on the treadmill and I'm discouraged. Every night it's been something....it's a hard balance. Finding time to workout when I work all day and then it's usually 9 (unlike tonight) before Brit's settled into bed. And the last few nights have been family time. I've got to come up with a better plan. Early mornings are hard but I might have to re-think it. Thankfully the weekend's here and I usually always get time on the treadmill Sat and Sun because I can let the kids plan in the bonus room while I walk. A nice set-up.
I counted all my points today but of course went over. These days are getting harder and harder.
Regardless of my discouragement, I WON'T give up!

DAY 71

I know this is a weird way to start a blog but I had the most amazing salad at Mellow Mushroom today for lunch and it's low in points! It's actually a Make Your Own Salad with spinach & spring mix, mushrooms, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles and Herb Vingaerette dressing. De-li-cious!
Chris didn't get home until 8:45 tonight so at that point I had NO desire to get on the treadmill for 45 minutes. He's worked the past 10 days straight so we haven't had much hang time so I've really been missing him and chose to talk and hang with him. I hate missing my workouts because I've seen so much progress as far as toning since I've stepped up the workouts.
Back at it tomorrow!

DAY 70

Ok, so I've decided that it's NECESSARY for me to fast from desserts again. It's only been 3 days since I've been back on them and I just can't handle it. Sadly, it seems like it's all or nothing with me. I had such a healthy WW friendly meal at my friends tonight (a yummy low points Spinach salad and Spaghetti) but totally bombed when I got home. These darn chocolate candies are the death of me! So, tomorrow I will start fasting again from desserts. I don't know how long but at this point I think it's the best. I'll be going on vacation with my family in a few weeks and I KNOW Mom will have lots of sweets around that will be so tempting so it's better if I just make the commitment now to rid them from my life. Plus, they're eating up my points when I could be using those points on healthier, more satisfying foods. Today was back to back until 10:45 tonight so I didn't get to workout.
I've got to keep focused on my quest. I fear these pits and don't want them to become habits for me again.
Praying for strength...

DAY 69

The night is good....watching an Erin McCarley video with my hubs, just got off the treadmill (walked 50 minutes, burned 525 calories and did 125 crunches), had a wonderful evening with dear friends and their precious kids.
My friend invited us over for dinner and I knew she was serving lasagna. I was really concerned about not hurting her feelings but I knew if I ate the lasagna I had no way of counting my points and I'd go over. So, I brought a Smart Ones Baked Ziti (still Italian so I could at least fit in and not make a big deal about it) and pulled her aside to tell her about my plan and that I didn't want to be rude by eating something different. She was totally supportive and I was able to stick to my points. Yay!
I will be SO relieved when the easter candy in our home goes away! It's so tempting. I typically don't buy lots of candy or junk because I don't trust myself around it. We had our last post-Easter egg hunt tonight and Brit came home with a basket full of chocolates. For all my chocolate loving friends, come on over! :)
Inching....

DAY 68

This morning's weigh-in wasn't pleasant. Sadly, I gained back the weight I lost last week but it's a mystery to me because I'm still able to get into smaller sized pants. I'm back on track and counting my points and guzzling water! I just got off the treadmill and burned 500 calories and did 125 crunches on my exercise ball. I did have some sweets today but was able to use some self-control, as opposed to yesterday!
Moving ahead...

DAY 67

What a glorious day! He has RISEN! We had a delightful day talking about Jesus and how He gives us new life. We dyed more Easter eggs; made and decorated cookies; visited a sweet friend and premie in the hospital and enjoyed Easter dinner with our family. The Veggie Tales "Easter Carol" DVD is excellent and explains the Easter message so beautifully.
Regarding the weight loss quest, I would say SABOTAGE was the word of the day. Today marked the end of my Lent fast. I've been fasting from desserts for the past 40 days. I started the day counting my points and allowing myself some sweets but by the end of the night, I was stuffing my face with goodies...hiding in the kitchen after dinner eating sweets. This is the first time in 67 days that I've reverted back to my old habits, habits that are NOT part of my goals toward FREEDOM. I confess this to you and ask for prayer as I start a new day tomorrow. I WILL get back on my WW plan tomorrow.
Praying for strength....

DAY 66

It's day 66 and I pretty much bombed today. Went WAY over my points! I still wrote down everything I ate so I was aware of how many points I consumed but for some reason I've gotten off track this week. I refuse to let these set backs keep me from moving forward so I will keep my gaze fixed ahead and continue to pray for God's strength as I keep tracking ahead. I was going to workout tonight after the kids got down but it was almost 10 before we got Brit in bed. We let her stay up for awhile to hang with Daddy since he worked late tonight.
As we said in Church tonight, "He has risen and I WILL rise up!"
So excited about the resurrection day tomorrow!

DAY 65

I was so grateful to have the day off and spend it with the kids! We did some errands this morning and then hunkered down in the basement bathroom under a mattress for awhile waiting for the Tornado warnings and storms to blow over. Thankfully, our immediate area didn't have any damage. We had our neighbor friends over this afternoon and the kids had an Easter egg hunt IN the house! It was so fun!
I was able to walk for an hour on the treadmill (woohoo!) tonight but sadly, I didn't eat the best today. I still counted points but I just ate more than my allotment. Not sure why but I felt like I was emotionally eating today.
I'm looking forward to the Easter service at Church tomorrow night and talking to Brit more about the meaning of Easter. She loves waving her "palm" branch when we read the Easter story!
Off to spend a little R&R with my hubs before we call it a night!

DAY 64

It's been a long day....started it out with a sick little boy around midnight and then backed into Mimi & Papa's car (for the 2nd time!) this morning! Not a good start to the day. Needless to say, I'm anxious to spend a little time with Chris before bed. He's been working late shifts so I'm trying to readjust to our new schedule.
I definitely ate a lot more than usual today....kind of cranky and need an attitude check. I still wrote down all my points and killed some water. No workout today.
I'm going to call it a day and pray tomorrow with the kiddos is MUCH better!
Cranky in Franklin!

DAY 63

Just getting off the treadmill (literally!) to type this post and head to bed. I walked on the treadmill for 50 minutes and burned 455 calories. WW is going great! I haven't had any trouble remembering to count points and keep track. My sister and I are seeing who can shed the most pounds before our mini-vacation at the lake in early May. The winner gets to pick out a new shirt from Ross! A girl needs all the motivation she can get!
Haven't seen Chris all day; he went straight from work to a meeting so I'm anxiously awaiting his arrival before calling it a day.
One more day of work before my 3 day weekend with the kids (Chris works straight through until NEXT Thursday!).
Another step forward....

DAY 62

Feeling much better today but still have NO desire to workout. My motivation level is zilch. But the WW journey is going great. The foods I'm eating seem to be more filling and yet the portions are MUCH smaller than I'm used to. I'm continuing on with my water intake which seems to be helping. Not much else to report today.

I read this on the 90 in 09 website about making wise choices and thought it was worth sharing.

"Decide you want to get well. The most important issue you will ever face regarding your health. The greatest power you have is in the palm of your hands, so choose wisely."
This tip is from "Empowering Your Health" by Dr. Asa Andrew

In need of a boost of energy!

DAY 61

Off to a better start today but still not feeling 100%. Now Chris is feeling like poo and he starts a 10 day shift tomorrow. Please pray for his health!
I have GREAT news! I lost 4 lbs since last Monday. Now tell me Weight Watchers doesn't work? HA! I feel great and have lost a total of 10 lbs since February 5th. Ten more'ish to go!! Skinny black pants here I come!
Hubby treated us to Pei Wei tonight...one of my favs and I discovered that the Kids Teriyaki Chicken bowl with brown rice is the perfect portion and only 10 pts. I added a glass of sweet tea to top it off.
I was going to do Pilates tonight but still feel weak and don't want to push it so I finally uploaded Brit's b'day pictures on FB. It's 9:40, watching a little more of the Carolina game with Chris and then heading to bed shortly.
Another baby step forward...

DAY 60

I don't have much to report today as I've been sick with a viral infection and trying to get some rest. I did go to the Minute Clinic and got some OTC drugs. I've just been so weary and weak. Chris seems to be feeling the same way. We've been tag teaming with the kids today...he took Brit on a date day and they had a blast.
Still counting all my points but no workout today. Can't believe I'm already on day 60. Weigh-in day tomorrow.
Ready for a new week!

DAY 59

I'm so weary but I promised to post EVERY DAY so here we go! It will be short and sweet. Today was one of those days where I planned to be SO productive around the house (errands, groceries, cleaning, laundry, etc) and yet I didn't get half of the things crossed off my list. BUT, I did choose to take moments in between chores to push Brit on the swing and make pasteries with her new play doh set from Aunt Jordie, play with Kia (he had an hour melt down so that was extremely unusual and really hard - he did the same thing around the same time with Chris yesterday) and get caught up on a thousand thank you notes! It was fun and sweet and I'm learning to give myself some grace. I did, however, get 50 minutes on the treadmill (burning 500 calories!) while Kia was taking a nap and Brit was entertaining herself with My Little Ponies in the bonus room with me so that was a plus. I'm over my points for the week but I'm still keeping track of everything I eat/drink and using the points as a guide. I feel so much better about my body and have seen such a difference this week! Excited to see what the numbers say on Monday. :)
I've had the chills all night and now I'm starting to get really hot so I'm off to bed soon. I hear it's supposed to be 70 degrees here tomorrow in Middle TN and the possibility of SNOW on Monday! Can we say SICK?
One more step forward...

DAY 58

Today has been pretty fun! Brit had dance class this afternoon; we found out we're getting a NICE tax refund (so THANKFUL we don't have to pay this year!); we ran some errands in Spring Hill; did a little shopping in the Super Target (woohoo!); ate at Cracker Barrel and enjoyed some coffee at the Bucks! Yes, now that baby boy is home (hopefully forever!) we are enjoying a little Starbucks once a week! It tasted delightful!
Sadly, I think Chris and I are getting the cough and scratchy throat from the kids. We're both worn out and ready for bed and it's only 9PM on Friday night!
I had EVERY intention of getting on the treadmill tonight but I don't have the energy. I've been counting my points today but went over. It's definitely making me more aware of my portion sizes. And again today, I fit back into a pair of jeans I haven't worn since last fall!!! So encouraging!
Heading to bed soon...

DAY 57

Argh! So I got a little panicked with the tornado warnings and ate a snack before dinner that I hadn't planned into my points this morning. It took me over my allotment today but I didn't bomb and throw the whole plan out the window just because I had cheese and goldfish for snack! My old mentality was, if I can't do it perfectly, then the whole thing's a wash. Not anymore. I'm on a quest and I'm not looking back. Even tonight around 9'ish I REALLY wanted a Sprite and I almost caved but decided to drink water. (we typically don't have soft drinks in our house but we have some cans of soda leftover from Brit's party...sometimes they call my name!).

No workout again today...it's been a non-stop kinda day so I'm hopeful to make some progress this weekend and workout the next three days. I will say, I was able to get back into a pair of pants today that I haven't been able to wear since November!! That's always a plus! So I'm seeing results and feeling really good...and I'm not starving.

Bring on the weekend!

DAY 56

Today has been pretty full so it's been really nice these last 20 minutes to just sit and relax for a bit. I had a Russia team meeting this evening and feel so excited about the opportunity to go and serve there this summer. I was extremely resistant at first but God has completely softened my heart.
My plan was to get on the treadmill after the kids got down but my stomach's feeling weird so I'm sitting this one out tonight. Weight Watchers is coming along well. I had a Coke which added some extra points but it always seems to help my headaches. And if I had worked out, the extra points I used today would have been burned off in calories. Thankfully, I'm still tracking along and grateful for the WW plan.
Needing a little umph for tomorrow...