February Progress Report!

By Andrea

This has been a really fun month on here, and each member has contributed to the rising energy on this blog. Therefore, it seems fitting that we take a minute to realize just how successful we have been!

February has been a record-breaking month for our group! (Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back). In the past twenty-eight days we have:

Put in 27 hours and 10 minutes of exercise

Lost 7.8 pounds


This is a HUGE success! I’m so excited about and proud of our progress and dedication.

Let’s see if we can beat ourselves in March!

I have to admit it...

This has been a failure day for me. I hope the rest of you have done better. In my defense, I typed nearly 100,000 characters today. That is probably not much compared to what some people can do, but that was a lot for me. The energy had to come from somewhere, and my own fat cells just would not give it up!

Weigh-In Day!

Here's a cartoon for weigh-in day, just in case we need a little humor to lighten things up! Andrea and I have been searching these out and plan to post one each Monday if we can.

There's a grain of truth in this, even when it makes us laugh...
Any cutting back from what we have been doing is progress, so let's give it our best shot this week!

Happy Birthday, Jeanette!

You'll have to let us know after spending time lifting those weights: the biceps that now hang beneath the arm in middle age -- do they surface to the top again with exercise or do they just continue to swing low only with more bulk?

Happy 55th!


Jeanette's answer --

Thanks, Carol-Ann! I have had a very happy birthday. Funny thing, I don't feel any older than I did yesterday!

This afternoon I used my new age of 55 to my advantage!

The phone rang, right when I was in the middle of busy kitchen cleaning. Riiinnnggg.... "Hello," I said politely. A man with a slight accent answered, "This is Tom from the Delightful Research Company [or some name like that]. I have some questions to ask about what you watch on TV." Without pausing for breath, he rushed right on. I'm sure experience has taught him what will happen if he stops to gasp for air! "Is there a female in your household between the ages of 18 and 54 [note that he said 54....54!] who could answer my questions?" I just could not hold back the glee in my voice! "No, I'm sorry! The only one here in that age group is disabled and would not be able to answer any questions!!" Now he could breathe! "Thank you for your time. Good-bye!" Click! ... Yippee! That was easy!

Thus I have embarked on life as a senior!!

(Sagging biceps? Flapping upper arms?? Swinging wings??? Of what dost thou speak, dear sister???)

An Encouraging Story!

Thanks to Andrea, Anthony, and Paula, our little blog has some new life! I think the exercise log may have a lot to do with it. Since our son Trent moved out on his own, we have an empty room in our basement, so Barry repainted it, put in a new light fixture, and moved our exercise equipment in there. We have the treadmill in one corner, and next to it is the HealthRider. Then there is the weight bench with every imaginable size of weight that can be added to the bar. So now I have no excuse, not even bad weather!

Andrea enjoys watching "The Biggest Loser," and she sent me this link. What an amazing story! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Ali Vincent's Story

If Ali can do it, so can we!

(Thanks for the link, Andrea!)

Ooooops!
Sorry to any who may have seen, but I posted on the wrong blog!
Ha Ha!

I was working on the telling of my love story for Valentines Day and had clicked accidentally on to the Winners Blog instead of MY blog! Post removed!

Hope you all are successful with your weight loss and exercise! I'm still 10 pounds above my goal and am wondering whether or not it is worth the effort to try to go the last 10!

Here we go!

Happy weigh-in day!

I got on the scale this morning... covered my eyes... took a deep breath... and squinted down through my fingers... Yes, just as I thought! Over this long food-filled break I have taken, I have definitely lost ground. But things could have been MUCH worse, I know. So I am feeling encouraged. And I hope you are, too.

With this new start, I am trying a different approach. I have set my goal weight at 10 pounds less than my weigh-in today. I am only trying to lose 10 pounds right now. When I get there, then I'll decide what to do about the next 10 pounds.

This last week, as I have been doing my medical transcription work, I have had to chuckle several times over the thoughts the doctor just cannot keep out of his tone of voice... "The patient's weight is up a WHOPPING 33 pounds since his last visit!" I grin, but I can identify with that patient. It is much easier to go up that whopping 33 pounds than down, isn't it! Let's make sure we are moving in the right direction!

Suggestion for this week: Try to make some food substitutions. This is not about starving but about making some healthy changes. Last week when I went to the store, I bought some mangoes, something I don't usually get. Several times since then I have found that one of those cut up and eaten piece by piece at my desk as I work is a really satisfying alternative to snack foods. I am going to try a different fruit next time I am at the store.

A Little Bird Told Me...

...that there are big happenings over here at the Winners blog! Just to look at it, you won't be able to tell just yet, but there will be some new additions to our sidebars, and I'm feeling pretty excited about it!

We have been struggling along, each of us fighting our own battles. Through this blog we have tried to join forces and work together, but our failure (what a nasty word!) has been really discouraging, not to mention the extra pounds we are still carrying around.

So... as you already know if you have been keeping up with us, Andrea called us back into action. She posted comments here, and every Monday morning a message from her popped up in my email: "Are we in?" I have to admit that I looked around at all of us and didn't see anyone responding, so I half-heartedly and without much confidence took a timid step forward and raised my hand! "Okay, Andrea, let's be a team of two," I said!

Last week, I cut out all the over-abundance of sweets that have taken over since the beginning of December. That was tough! Then this week I started writing down most of what I ate so I could try to get a handle on it. Second tough week. The lady at Wal-Mart must have wondered why anyone needed that much gum! I'm not sure the scales are showing anything yet except for the horrendous backsliding I have been doing, but I do feel a bit better and less achy.

Then imagine my excitement yesterday morning when my phone rang! It was Andrea! "Guess what?" she said after our pleasantries were over. "Anthony wants to come on the blog with us!" Anthony is Andrea's boyfriend, and he has thrown down the gauntlet with his claim that he is going to beat us all at weight loss!! I am so pleased that he is going to join us! But I know I am no match for the two of them on weight loss, so it took the next thing to REALLY lift my spirits!

Another email popped up in my inbox...from Andrea!

GUESS WHAT???!!!???!!!!

I have been recruiting, and my mother has agreed to join us! Attached is a very flattering picture taken of her at my graduation :) She says that she weighs in on Saturdays, and I am guessing that she will either tell you or me to post it for her. I really wanted her to join so that you two would have some support and accountability. You know, during those way-too-delicious-to-say-no Sunday lunches you put on every week or the calorie-laden Monday nights, you two will be able to join forces and help each other. AND even exercising for a mere 30 minutes together would be no problem!

I'm excited for our revamp of the blog!

"YES WE CAN!!!"


Now I am REALLY encouraged! Today Paula, Andrea's mom, called and asked if I wanted to walk this evening, so we put in 30 minutes of brisk walking around the neighborhood, and we made plans for a regular exercise regimen. (I'm afraid my legs will not like me in the morning, though!)

In the next few days, we will have new faces on the sidebar. So if anyone else would like to make a new start along with us, come and join in! And if you can, convince a friend to be your partner and join us, too. That just might make all the difference!