spunky1nky

Somehow, I dropped TWO POUNDS yesterday, and that puts me at 11 down.  There is something about getting to double digits that really makes a gal feel productive, and to know that I am that much closer to my goal is a fantastic way to start the week. 

I have done this once before, and at that time I dropped 60 pounds, but it was years ago, and I don’t remember how I felt when I crossed the “10 pound” threshold, but man, does it feel good this time.  I am older, so the weight is leaving MUCH more slowly, and I really needed this boost to make it seem less hopeless.  Thank heavens for the small markers that keep me going.

Mini goals are the way to go, and I probably should have put mine a little closer than the “20″ pound mark, but I really didn’t expect the loss to be this snail-like.  Dang slow metabolism.  :)  At least I know that I won’t EVER gain it back because it has been infinitely harder to lose this time.  9 pounds from my mini-goal (and that will put me about halfway to goal.)  It now seems possible.  Thank GOD.

I am officially down 9… NINE IS FINE!  I am one pound away from a double digit loss, and I’m not even the STOCK MARKET.  It’s slow goin’, but 9 lost is far better than 9 found, you know?

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement.  It sure does help me more than you know.  And now that I am back at work (as school started back a little over a week ago), I don’t really have time to eat anyway… but I am actually packing my lunch daily, so that helps.  Haven’t visited the snack machine AT ALL, and I haven’t touched any of the donuts and goodies that the PTO always loads in the teachers’ lounge the first few days.

I am feeling stronger than ever with watching what I eat.  I had forgotten how much easier this diet is after the first few weeks, but now I am not even tempted. WOOHOO!

As of this morning, eight.  That’s all I’m sayin’… eight. 

I will NEVER understand this.  I had to go to a “back-to-school” retreat for the teachers at my school this past week for 2.5 days.  I knew what awaited me, so I planned ahead and took low carb snacks with me.  Sure enough, big breakfast buffet, donuts and cookies for snacks, country cooking for lunch and dinner…  (We were at a state park.)  Well, I stuck to my diet 100%.  I had only scrambled eggs for breakfast (NO biscuits, hashbrowns, or French toast, mind you.)  I drank water until I thought I would puke.  No sweet tea for me.  I had the salad bar for lunch AND dinner…  4 salads in 48 hours.  No mashed potato yummies, no rolls, no dessert… I didn’t TOUCH the Reese’s cups and Hershey’s minis on my table… I only had my low carb snacks…   and I even went for a hike each day with a friend.  Yet I GAINED almost 2 full pounds.  I am so ticked and discouraged.  Why did I even BOTHER?  I felt good for sticking to it, but DAMN… some RESULTS of the POSITIVE variety would have been nice.  Grrrrr.

I know I have been MIA… It has been the week from Hades.  It was the  last week of summer school, and wow, what a week it was… No time for ANYTHING, and that’s for sure.  On the up side, I am down 6 now.  It feels GREAT to be in the next decade of numbers on the other side of the scale.  Thanks for all the encouragement!  Missed you guys, too. 

Okay, so I haven’t been hitting the gym quite as much this week as I had planned.  Let’s be honest here:  I have been either in class or studying/writing papers practically every moment of every day, and that is NOT an exaggeration.  I even wake up early to work on homework, after, of course, having stayed up late to work on homework.  I had an exam, a paper, and a huge project this week.  6 credit hours in 5 weeks is not an easy task… 

So I WAS at the gym the other day, and when I pulled in my parking space, I immediately wanted to turn around and leave.  Then I remembered what got me through those days the first time I lost the weight, and I thought I might share it with you in the event it might work for someone else.  See, typically when I was at the gym, I would do about 45-60 minutes on the elliptical, followed by about an hour on the treadmill, and many days the cardio would be followed with some strength training on the weight machines.  So on those days that I really just did NOT want to be there, I would tell myself, “Okay, just go in, and you do NOT have to do all that work.  All you have to do is walk a couple of miles on the track.  That’s it.”  And then, once I got in there, that is really all I would do.  I didn’t make myself do more.  It was an easy day, but not a useless day.  And, it made it easier to go the next time. 

By the way, I lost another pound this week…  Down 4 now.  Going to the gym… thank God I don’t have class on Fridays, and thank God even MORE that I am heading into my final week of summer school. 

All the work paid off this week…  3 down!  I am so excited.  Makes the frustration (and PMS) seem much more tolerable, to be honest.  Thanks to all for the encouragement.  Guess I will celebrate at the gym because watching that number fall is like a drug.  Three, I say!  (I hate exclamation marks with a passion and feel they are overused, but I just can’t help myself today.)

Did I mention THREE? 

Anyone ever used it to aid in weight loss?  I am NOT the gal who will sit in one just for fun, or for some random “relieve stress and tension” reason, but if anyone has seen results from it, gimme info?  My gym has one (well, it has the steam room AND a dry sauna), so I would consider…  Gracias!

Okay, so Sabotage Queen, my neighbor, doesn’t realize that she is merely strengthening my determination.  We went to dinner last night, which, quite frankly, should have satisfied her.  Instead, she WHINED because I didn’t eat the rolls and butter, didn’t finish my salad (too much dressing, and it was way too rich) and because I ordered the 6-oz steak instead of the 10 oz… oh, and I had mushrooms instead of the loaded potato.  Here’s my question:  Since I don’t give a FIG what she eats, why is MY diet of such vital importance to HER?  The more she tries to get me to eat un-Atkins-friendly junk, the harder my resolve to stick to it becomes.  Backfire, honey.  :)  BAM.

Okay, so I was hard core Atkins and queen of the gym about 3 or 4 years ago, and I dropped so much weight…  I was in the best shape I had been in since early college years, and I loved it.  I wasn’t tired, short of breath, or chunky.  *sigh*

 Then a raving psycho took over my work environment and nearly destroyed everyone in her path, including me.  I was too freaked out every day to go to the gym or to worry about anything other than survival and hoping that I didn’t cry hysterically in front of my students (as some of my coworkers did) and, as a result, my medical people medicated me.  It was absolutely necessary, but now that I am working in HEAVEN, I have a gob of weight to get rid of all over again.  I swore I would never let myself get back in this situation, yet here I am. 

I know what it takes to get it done, and now that I am free of meds and mentally ready, it’s time.  I know that it will be infinitely harder this time, as I am older and I have already DONE this once, but I am determined.  Any and all motivation and support would be much appreciated, as I am, as usual, basically on my own for this.