Walking My Tushie Off

Last week 10/10 through 10/17 I walked 25 miles. I started going for a 3.5 mile walk each night with my neighbor across the street. I went every day but Saturday, but walked twice on Sunday. I had a great result on the scale on Saturday morning. I am going to keep this up. My new goal is to lose another 15 pounds by the end of the year. I'm currently at 42.6--hurray!

I Think I Finally Get It

I've been doing Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Plan since the beginning of the year, and I've lost over 25 pounds, which I'm really proud of. The first two weeks of May I wasn't enthused about doing any exercising. Instead I focused on painting our kitchen and second living room. The week of May 16th I kicked myself into gear. Monday night I did the WW Punch! workout DVD and went for a 2.3 mile walk. Tuesday morning Marshall and I went for a 1.5 mile walk. Thursday night we jogged the majority of our 1.5 mile neighborhood "track." Friday morning I did Punch! again before work. Needless to say, my exercises for the week focused on muscle toning and cardio.

This morning at my weigh-in I went up .2, and to be honest, it don't bother me because I knew that it meant I had increased my muscle mass while at the same time loosing fat. My meeting leader Pam is helping all of us overcome our behavior of letting the "little black box" or scale determine if we had a successful week as a fit and healthy person in the fat burning mode. I finally experienced what she has been stressing.

I am going to continue walking, jogging, and Punch! (kickboxing) DVD because I want to strengthen and tone my muscles. I want to fit into smaller pants. I want to wear tank tops and not even think about how my arms look. I want to get a bathing suit for my trip to NC for when I go to the beach. Even if I don't see my weight change very much over the next few weeks, I hope I can celebrate the positive physical changes I'll be seeing.

Early May

On Saturday I reached my 10% goal, which is 10% of my starting weight with Weight Watchers. I was so relieved, but I've been working really hard at trying to make it. My reward is a horseback riding lesson (now I have to save up the money to actually do it)!

On Sunday, Marshall and I participated in Austin's 5K Bun Run (#95 on 101/1001). We just walked it; I had no intention of trying to run, lol. We were part of my Weight Watcher's group (which had the most team members by the way!). I need to find out if my WW group is also doing a 5K somewhere for WW's Walk-It Challenge May 22nd. I would do that one as well.

This week Marshall is studying for three finals on Thursday. His last one will be the following Monday, then he will be done with school until late August. He's decided that returning to ACC, the local community college, would work out just as well as him continuing at TSU. ACC has the same classes; he can drive to campus; and he wouldn't have a $40 bus pass each week. I like the idea of him getting home at a decent hour as well. :) This past semester he didn't get home until 10:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I have Memorial day off of work, but I won't be taking any vacation until mid-August when we go to Oregon for a long weekend. Work will keep me plenty busy I'm sure. I just have to remember that we're going to have lots of fun at the end of the summer with our trips.

Marshall's parents have started their multi-month bike trip to Alaska. We probably won't see them until July at the earliest. They are going to have a great time. We'll be hearing stories for months to come. :)

At the end of the month, my only nephew turns 1! I can't believe it. Marshall's mom's side of the family is about to welcome another grandbaby this year. He should be born within the next 2 weeks. I will have a new little cousin born in October on my Thiele side. Babies, babies--it's not to think about them. Marshall and I have decided that if we've achieved our list of goals by the time I turn 26, we'll start get the ball rolling on the kiddos. Big smiley face.

Made a decision

I'm going to start taking prenatal pills in January 2012. ;D

Bike Ride!

I bought a bike at the end of February, but hadn't found the time to remove the tags until this past Saturday. Marshall and I went for a bike ride, which we have never been able to do before! I need a more comfortable seat (here I come Amazon...), and then I'm sure I'll be out on the trail more often. Owning a bike was one of the tasks on my 101/1001 list. Here are some other updates: 1. I've donated $25 worth of non-perishable food items to our local food bank for 8 straight months now. September will make it 12. 24. I've now tried 3 different flavors of ice cream at Amy's Ice Cream. My goal is ten. My latest was chocolate cheesecake, which was quite delicious! 42. So far I've lowered my BMI by over four points in 2011! 64. I've made 49 notes for my husband to find. I need to kick it into gear if I am going to make it to 1001! Others that are coming up very soon: 49. Go horseback riding (which is my reward when I lose 10% of my starting body weight with Weight Watchers). 66. Read the Freakonomics books (rented from the library 4/17/11).

20 Packages of Butter and an Island

Strap 80 sticks of butter to your body. Sounds like fun, huh? Find a way to not let the butter melt though as you carry it around for 3 years. Ok, now you can take them off. That's where I am with my weight loss so far--I've lost 20 pounds!

I have lowered my BMI by 4.3 points since my wedding at the end of July. If I follow the plan and get some great exercise in this week, I'll reach my 10% lost goal in 2 more weeks. By the end of May, I will never see the scale read over 200 pounds ever again.

This is how I feel right now. I feel like a woman who keeps paddling towards her perfect island, the place she has always wanted to go and be forever. I have this image as the background on my computer as well as a printed picture on my wall at work. I see it constantly, and this image is my reminder to "keep paddling." Coasting along will eventually get me to my island, but if I keep going strong, I'm going to get their faster. Most importantly I will be satisfied with how I acheived my goals.

When I reach my island, I'm going to enjoy having pictures taken of me and being in home videos. I'm going to be in the best physical shape I can be. I'm going to be ready to be a mother. Marshall is going to be able to give me piggy-back rides. I'm going to be able to run a 10K. Hopefully I will also be able to not be on medication any more either. :)

When I really want to know what I should do about a situaiton or how I should feel, I ask my subconscious, which often pops a picture in my head. My consciousness interprets it, and I trust it is correct. That is another reason why I like this picture so much.

Grumble Grumble

I just received a letter in the mail from a company that I was trying to get a life insurance policy through. They decided not to insure me because of (my less than one year) history of anxiety, labwork, and my medical file from my PCM. I hardly think my managed anxiety is going to be the death of me within the next 20 years. As for my medical file, in October 2009 when I went in for a general physical, the doctor's office called me back a few days later to tell me that some count in my liver was too high. I was told not to drink alcohol, which I rarely do, and not to take Tylenol for pain relief. Next time I went in, bloodwork came out fine. Marshall is going to help me figure out who I need to call to get the specifics. If there is something else that is obviously more serious, creating cause for this rejection, I would like to know what it is.

Grumble, grumble.

Before the Dawn

This week my WW goal has been to exercise more because I know that activity can make gradual changes and have dramatic results. Monday night I did a 50 minute Pilates DVD. Afterwards Marshall was my personal trainer, and I did 25 minutes of strength training. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I have gone for a walk from 6:00-6:45am. Then I shower, and get ready for work. I'm going out again tomorrow too. I'm going to try to walk every morning Monday through Friday. I like the alone time and being able to just focus on myself. This also means that I need to be going to bed earlier too, which is a plus. I'm really happy. :D

Breakfast--yum yum

Hi. Meet my breakfast! It's a two egg omelete with 1 oz of sliced deli ham with one slice of pesto pepper jack cheese, topped with fresh pico de gallo that I made. It is very filling, and when accompanied by a sliced up green apple, well, my morning always gets off to a good start.

Since joining Weight Watchers, I have been focusing on eating small portions of food that are more filling. It's nice to eat a little 2 PointsPlus fiber bar, but you'll be hungry shortly there after. This breakfast has really helped me stay fuller for longer where I only have to bring one snack to work (besides my lunch).

I'm trying new recipes from the WW website; both Marshall and I really like them. Tonight I'm doing a turkey and vegetable chili that is going to last us the rest of the weekend. If you're not in need of a plan like I do with WW, it is still a good habit to discover what foods really make you feel satisfied, which ones taste good but leave you wanting more, and those that do not benefit your body at all. I have no doubt that your body will respond well with your new choices.

Health Update

I had another successful week with WW. I'm down 6.8 pounds in 4 weeks. I only have another 4 pounds to go until I hit my 5% body weight loss goal. I'm also going to participate in Austin 5K Bun Run on May 1st. I'll walk and jog it, and am looking forward to being a part of this event. Marshall is going to go with me. :)

I'm seeing great results in Marshall from his efforts put in at the gym multiple times a week. His upper arms feel rock hard to me! He's feeling better about himself, and is so glad that I suggested we start going back to the gym.

Cats still chase each other while playing, so they're getting their exercise too. :) Everyone is happy in the Reeske household.

Getting Closer

I've lost 5 pounds in since my doctor's appointment on December 17th! I'm so excited. Also this week, I did a 7:36 mile on the eliptical machine; my goal is 7:30--I'm almost there! I couldn't contain myself and had to post. :D

Gambling on Progress

Someone thought of doing a weight loss contest at work to see who can lose most percentage of their way from now until April 4th, when everyone will weigh back in. 16 people signed up, each of whom contributed $25 to the pot. That's $400 to the winner!

Most of the players are guys, and there may only be 2-3 ladies including myself who are participating. I think I have a good chance at winning for two reasons: 1) I'm on a program (Weight Watchers) that has me so motivated, and I won't slack off; and 2) I don't have extra responsibilities like kids who have to be driven in all different directions for sports, etc. I'm going to the gym for group classes at least twice a week, hopefully more often in the near future. I weighed in on Saturday and lost 1.8 pounds (!). If I can keep up this rate, I will lose about 9% of my body weight by April 4th.

Wish me luck!

One Single Resolution

On December 29th I joined Weight Watchers. I've promised myself so many times that I was going to lose weight. Well, now I am taking control and making myself successful. My final decision was a phone call to my mom, who has done WW over the years. She said I would do great at it. It was just the boost I needed.

I went to my first meeting yesterday. The leader brought up the topic of what makes a good resolution. She said it should be positive, specific, within one's control, and a good fit with your life. I didn't write down my resolution on the notecard during the class because I really wanted to ponder what I really wanted to accomplish. I was thinking about it the rest of the day.

I think this is it: I want to lower my BMI through tracking points via weight watchers and email my best friend about my exercise results every day. It's positive, something I can accomplish, and is going to fit in my new lifestyle. I could make it more specific by saying what I want to lower my BMI to, but I don't know a realistic number, so I'm leaving it open ended.

I was weighed at a doctor visit on December 17th, and two weeks later I had lost 1.8 pounds. What changed in those two weeks is I went to two group classes at the gym each week, plus eating healthy. Just knowing I've lost weight has given me a huge confidence boost. Marshall is very proud of me, and I'm very proud of myself.