Time flies when you're....having fun?

Well well well.  It's been almost 2 years since my last post.  Funny how things work out.  

Let's do a quick recap: the last post my (now) H and I had just gotten engaged, we were about a year out from the wedding and I was excited about #sheddingforthewedding.

SO:
We ended up getting married May 8, 2015.  About 5 months later.  In premarital counseling, our officiant recommended moving it up because we were already behaving as a married couple so why wait?!  (NO WE WERE/ARE NOT PREGNANT). 

That ended up being awesome because the date we chose in January '16 we ended up being covered in 12" of ice and snow.  We're in the south, so as you can imagine we were under a state of emergency and bread and milk were nowhere to be found.

I managed to maintain my weight to fit in my wedding dress, but *BARELY*. You know those commercials where they show women doing every kind of acrobatics to fit into a pair of skinny jeans?  That's what I felt like.  NO BREATHING FOR YOU.

After we got married, I gained almost 20 pounds.  Ya know being happy (YAY we're married NO MORE WEDDING PLANNING) and all that.  :)

Pretty much maintained that for a few months.  Not trying, just so happened the number of calories I was eating was the maintenance calories for that weight.  Around 2500/day if I remember correctly, which I probably don't. ;)

It's easy to get caught up in the weeds and think that in over 18 months, literally nothing got accomplished.   But when I stop and think, a lot did happen, and most of it good, it just wasn't weight related.  

I'm now on a new journey and I will post more specific updates with all the new stuff coming soon.  

OH and did I mention we got a second cat?!?!?!  Coco (the original baby) on the right, Sebastian (the new baby) on the left.  They get along like they're out of the same litter. <3

Until next time,
:)

Another new year

Short version: School, stress, school, graduation, gained weight.  Okay, we're all caught up on the last year.  Cool beans.

Now that my fiancee and I are engaged (WHEEEEE!), a little motivation switch flipped and I thought, good grief, I don't want to look like this in wedding pictures!!! (Vein, but whatever works I guess).  

We're looking at about a year engagement so that leaves me about 6 months (or 4 if I really push it) before wedding dress shopping to get moving.

It's. ON.  #SheddingForTheWedding

Until next time,
:)  

I'm too excited to come up with a title :)

Well I had my Weight Watchers meeting tonight, and I LOST 3 POUNDS this week!!!

I had an inkling too.  I can tell when I feel smaller and I feel pretty good.  I *might* even be close to a size down.  Close.  I'm happy with the results of my hard work this week and can't wait to see what next week holds!  Hopefully more baked potatoes! :)  Um, now that I know how to cook them hehe.  mmmmmmmmm

Until next time,
:)

Having an accountability partner makes everything so much easier

My first time in Weight Watchers I remember there being a lot of discussions about things your spouse or accountability partner can help you with.  And I remember always being a little wallowy about it. At the time I lived at home, and while my Mom was kind of my accountability, it's hard to have that kind of relationship with a parent.  There's always that dynamic that Mom's telling me what to do...with that said, I do deeply appreciate what my Mom did to help me.  

This time around my boyfriend, Leigh (yes, same name :), and I are getting healthy together.  We're each other's accountability.  And it is SO helpful!  We usually share what we ate that day and I'm more likely to make better choices so I can brag on myself.  Just sayin'.  :) I've come to figure out that with a couple of staples, it can really be simple to eat healthy.  We joke because my boyfriend is the chef of the relationship.  I'm more fly by the seat of my pants.  He'll make some really awesome fancy dish that's SUPER yummy but my cooking skills can't touch.  My approach?  Put olive oil, salt, pepper on potato.  Put potato in aluminum foil.  Put potato in oven.  Take out 1 hour later.  Put stuff on it.  Eat.  

I've realized that while I can't make the fancy dishes (um, that's what I have him for!) I DO have legit cooking ability.  I can make yummy things.  So THERE.  OK, I'll admit, I totally had to google how to bake a potato, and the first one came out awful.  BUT that's ok because the second...and third were SOOOO yummy!  Even Mr. Chef thought so (high compliment thank you so much)

I've also figured out I'm a GREAT accountability partner.  So much so that if I'm not careful I can be annoying.  I'm that person that will point out if you're doing something you explicitly said you weren't going to do.  I'll do it politely and in private, but I'm gonna tell you!  And I'd appreciate you to do the same :)

Until next time,
:)

You have to be okay with going against the norm

We went to a Chinese buffet, which is a minor trigger for me.  I LOVE Chinese food.  And all you can eat??  Aw yeah.  But I made game changing moves that helped keep me on track:

1.  I only got one plate of food.  Total.
2.  Half of my first plate was salad.  
3.  The other half was a couple things I cannot live without at a Chinese buffet: sesame chicken and an egg roll.  

I was full but not stuffed, and I was able to enjoy the buffet while staying on track.

BAM

Until next time,
:)

Hope and a safe place go a long way

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting last night.  When I walked in the group leader made me feel welcome, and didn't beat me up about rejoining (like I was in my head).  She welcomed me back and got me everything I need to get started.  

I forgot how safe I feel in Weight Watchers meetings.  How OK I am.  No one is there to judge me.  We're all in the same boat, and we're all there to support each other.  And boy what a difference that support makes.  You face a challenge, more than likely someone else has too and can offer guidance.  

The main thing I got from the meeting was hope.  I hit rock bottom, but I will reocver.  I am strong.  I will overcome the weight.  It will not end me.  

After the meeting I sat with the leader and went through the intro materials.  Even though she was busy and it was the end of her day, I got the impression she would have sat there all night with me if it would have helped.  

This morning I had scrambled cheesy eggs on top of low calorie toast with low fat cream cheese and a tomato.  Surprisingly YUMMY.  For lunch I had a morningstar farms sundried tomato basil hamburger patty on the sandwich thins.  And a tomato. Minimal effort for both meals, healthy and yummy.  I'm thinking baked potato for diner yummmmm.  Now I wish the weather would warm up so I can get back to my free outdoors exercise!  (RUNNING)

I can do this.

I will do this.  

I will overcome this.

And I will stop typing one sentence per paragraph.

Or maybe not. :)

Until next time,

:)

When you realize you're starting OVER

Four years ago, almost exactly, I stood on a scale in my doctor's office.  It was the highest number I had ever seen on the scale and I didn't know what to say about it.  Sure I could come up with excuses.  The medicine I had been on started a downhill snowball into eating myself huge (at least to me).  Bad relationships, good relationships, no relationships, all catalysts.  Living alone, having a roommate: catalysts.  I still remember the days when I could pop two bags of extra butter popcorn and eat both at the same time along with an entire bag of chocolate chips.  And not get sick.  

Back 4 years ago when I stood in my doctor's office I weighted 228 and he told me I was in danger.  Danger of all kinds of health problems.  High blood pressure, diabetes to begin with.  That I had to lose a lot of weight.  And fast.  

So I did, I lost almost 50 pounds in 2 years.  (yay!)

Then in the last two years the same catalysts arrived.  Bad relationship: check.  GREAT relationship: check (current one...).  Bad bad roommates, good roommates.  I had it all.  

A week ago, I stood in my doctor's office once again.  And the scale read 218.  My blood pressure was 148/88 for the second time in a week.  I do not have high blood pressure.  Or at least I didn't before I gained the weight back.  I'm sluggish and everything hurts.  I'm starting over.  

I just went online and renewed my meeting subscription.  I picked an Monday evening meeting I'll start attending tomorrow night.  It's on a night I'm not likely to have anything else.  

I read an article recently click here (opens in new window).  It's an eye opener.  I had one of those moments when we had family over recently.  There were pictures everywhere.  

So cheers to starting over.  And a new year.  Whee.

Until next time,
:)