Summer Is Flying By!

AUGUST 3, 2009

Wow - It's been six weeks since I last posted. July was a whirlwind because I was in summer school with the student I work with during the school year. It's amazing how just 3 hours a day can really suck up a LOT of my time and energy.

The good news is, I continue my weight loss. I know, I haven't posted any pics yet. REALLY I'm going to get to it. This afternoon from my Desktop I will post some before pics and some nowish pics.

I haven't been able to purchase all the products I would like to assist me in my weight loss journey but using just the Spark and the Catalyst has helped me keep on track. I'm not dropping weight quite as fast, but still I have energy and do NOT have cravings. I'm avoiding most sweets except on occasion. For me this is huge. If I can have an occasional sweet treat (pie, chocolate, ice cream) then I am good. When I feel deprived of those things, I tend to binge.

I have finally finally found a forever program that will keep me eating moderately, with plenty of energy and feeling satisfied. WHOO HOO

Victory Dancing!!

I am SO excited to report to you all, that I went shopping today and had a GREAT time.

Usually, I hate shopping. None of the clothes are cute, everything looks like a mumu - unflattering and huge, and always in flourescent colors that draw attention to the fact that I am NOT svelte.

Today - I went shopping for a wedding. I pulled two of my girls from school so they could help me. They kept pulling clothes that I would shake my head and say "no way - won't fit". Cute - love it - won't fit.

My precious 16 year old finally said "MOM TRY IT ON NOW!!"

I did - it fit. A whole pant size smaller. Not just "if I suck it in I can make it work smaller" but zipped and buttoned perfectly with no struggle smaller. The top is gorgeous - When I'm dressed, haired and made up I am having my girls take a picture of me and THAT will be my first progress pic posted here!!

WHOO HOOO - doing the victory dance - la la la la la la la la la la la.

Products I've used to get me here:
Advocare Spark, Catalyst, Herbal Cleanse, Slim, Slam

Spark and Slam are a vitamin B based energy drink. The help me maintain my energy levels without crashing.

The Herbal Cleanse just helped my body get rid of toxins from eating unhealthy for so long. Gentle, but effective. My body is now able to utilize the nutrients better.

Catalyst helps my muscles retension. It also helps to control my appetite, which gives me the extra "time" to evaluate my reasons for eating - am I REALLY hungry? NO?? Oh - what AM I then?

Anyway - I'm thrilled!!

Connections Regarding Food and Emotions

The last couple of days have been interesting. Stressful, sad and really stretching me.

So, without going into a lot of detail, a friendship that I had thought was strong and would last forever came to an abrupt end. I had made post on facebook about mouring the loss of relationships - which I am and was. She assumed it was about her. Instead of calling or emailing or even facebooking me for clarification, I was unfriended and dismissed. I emailed her, called and left messages, etc. and finally she responded. It was not pretty. It was sad and vitriolic and shocking.

What does this have to do with my weight loss? Well - my relationship with food has been one of self-medication and dousing my feelings with yummy treats. This has been most of my teen years on. I used to go home from school and make a cake mix just so I could eat the bowlful of batter. This, when I was teased and made fun of for not being "like" the other kids. (This started in 6th grade). That cake batter was way more friendly to me than most of the kids. It tasted good too. Thus began a very destructive relationship with food.

Eventually I got some friends, and my self-medication changed from food to drugs and alcohol. Hmmm, well - at least it kept me skinny.

Once I was married - I stopped drinking and using drugs - and guess what returned? Yup - that wonderous, amazing, good tasting food. This time, I could hide the food as medication all in the name of being a great cook and a good baker. (Yes, I learned to actually get the cake baked or the cookies cooked before I ate all the batter). You know, gaining weight seems to be acceptable when it is "caring for your family".

SO - When my friendship deteriorated right before my very eyes this week, what was my first inclination?? YUP! The good news is this: While I stood staring at the freezer, eyeing that ice cream I thought about what I was about to do. I really thought about the hard work I've put in the last few weeks, the excercise, the food plan that is more than adequate and quite delicious, the clothing fitting better. I DIDN'T EAT THE ICE CREAM!!!!

For yesterday, and today, I am allowing myself to be sad, angry, sad, angry and a little depressed. For today I am going to deal directly with my feelings of inadequacy as a friend and how I could have done things differently or better to try to preserve it. For today, I am concentrating on the whole being of who I am, not just the weight loss part.

It sucks - I don't like being in pain. But it also is good.

Food may become something that keeps me going, fuel for my body instead of my default for making myself feel better. That realization makes the pain and sadness ok to go through. It still sucks though ;-)

Weiged Myself! The good, the bad and the ugly

I had to take my 11yo to the doctor for a follow up exam for a foot she broke in March. (she's fine now - cleared for full tumbling and dismounts at gymnastics...)

Anyway - because I am drinking TONS of water and other fluids, I needed to use the restroom. Behold - a scale!! I don't have one at home, but curiosity got the best of me.

I got on it.

The Good: I don't have as much to lose as I thought! "Only" 110 pounds instead of the 135 I thought!

The Bad: I am 110 pounds overweight!! YIKES

The Ugly: My current (as of Thursday) weight is 242 pounds.

Talk about motivation for getting busy and sticking to it~!!

It's HARD to keep going!

So, I worked out the other day - doing 100 YARDS of lunges on the football field. I started at one end of the field and lunged for 50 yards, walked around to the 50 yard line again, then lunged for another 50 yards. After that I walked another 2 laps (3/4 mile total).

MY LEGS HURT and YES I DO HAVE BUTT MUSCLES!!

Not to self: Pick up Advocare's Muscle Recovery before doing lunges again.

Yesterday, I worked my arms. Not so bad today - having 8 kids I use my arms a lot already. I am feeling it a bit where the "turkey flab" hangs, but not bad.

Here's the thing. I am excited to keep going with the exercise. The pain is worth it to me because I know that the results I am looking for are dependant upon me MOVING my body. Truly moving it.

I think today is Planks and Push=ups - ummm, well....It may be a day or two before I am able to type again...

www.advocare.com/09036295

My measurements (GULP)

So, here it is - the moment I've been dreading, but the moment I know I must follow through with. If I don't post it publicly, I won't be motivated to change the numbers.

The good news is that the numbers WILL change and they will be better. Tomorrow I start the intense workout phase.

So, here we go - uggh.

Biceps - 15.5 inches
Forearms 11 inches
Chest 52.5 inches
Waist 50 inches
thigh 25.5 inches
calf 17 inches
hips 53 inches

GULP!!

I will re-measure in about a month and see my shrinkage!

Revelations and Determination

Something I wanted to bring up here that I think is really important. My weight loss journey really started a looonnng time ago. It started waaayyyy back in 1976 when I started a new school as a 6th grader - a private school where the kids were all friends since Kindergarten. I didn't fit in. My uniform was homemade pants, and not the "cute" little pleated skirt the others wore, my hair was kind of blaahh- not blond, not a beautiful dark brown. I am pretty sure I was not a confident kid, instead carried myself as one who could be bullied - and I was. It was around this time, I decided I was fat and ugly. I wasn't fat or ugly, but I believed I was. Walking down the aisle during my wedding, I believed I was fat. (I'll scan a wedding photo soon - really, you can check it out yourself).

So, what is my point in all of this? It's that I think women (and maybe men too) don't see ourselves very clearly. We find some flaw and we (some of us) blow it out of proportion.

The challenge is how do we (I) see clearly? How can I see myself the way God sees me, the way He created me? I know He created me in His image. I know He has a plan for my life. Someone told me that I am "A daughter of The King". That makes me a Princess. Princesses are beautiful and graceful and elegant and perfect. I'm God's Princess, His Daughter. He doesn't see fat or thin He sees inside the eyes of the heart - the part of me that cries with others when they are in pain. The part of me who tears up with joy when one of my kids or their teammates do something great. The part of me who cries with my friend when she tells me how sad her husband is. The part of me who laughs at the right times too. I have been embarrassed by my tears. But that is who I am. From now on no apologies. I will cry with you, laugh with you, and often I will cry and then laugh at my silly reason for crying.
I also have responsiblity to care for the shell that God gave this soul. That's where I am now. Ready to care for the Daughter of the King.

It's Friday!

My Phase One nutritional supplements came today. I'm on a lunch break at work and I am SO excited to get home and dive into the package!! I'm not actually starting the cleanse until tomorrow. My daughter Meagan and I are starting together.

I have had so many people ask me about the products after reading my blog, I am going to schedule a conference call about them. I will post the time and 800 number to call when I have it set. I am thinking that we can get a "lean in 13" support group together. Many of us have more than a month's worth of losing to do and a group support team will help each of us attain our goals!

Email me at Lammiesx8@hotmail.com for more information about getting started.

I will be (gulp) posting my measurements on Monday. Gonna get some help making sure I do them right so I can keep track of my progress. I know, I can see progress already in the way my clothes fit, but I want to be able to say "I lost XX inches from around my middle". It's the competitive side of me I think - I gotta have a "score".

May 27, 2009

Wow - When it rains it pours. In my case, it's a good thing. Saturday morning I will begin my Lean in 13 program. Next Monday, I will begin working out with a personal trainer! YIKES!! One of my co-workers is the Pole Vaulting Coach for the High School near here. He is excited about my excitement for my weight loss program and has offered to (FOR FREE) be my personal trainer along with another of our co-workers.

All I can say is Advocare - take care of my muscles 'cause I think it could be painful!! What's a plank? I think I can do a lunge...pull-ups? SPRINTS?? aiyiyi -

In for a penny in for a (loss of) pounds. And away we go....

Memorial Day

So, we took the family and some friends over to Moclips, WA on the Pacific Coast for the day. It's supposed to be a 2.5 hour drive. It took us bit longer. Darned kids and their potty breaks!! My son was in a car with our two youngest boys and another friend and her son. THEY had the bad luck - whew. Ticketed for speeding which they SWEAR they weren't, didn't take the right exit (never relay directions to a thirteen year old in the very back of the car), and in general had a tough time arriving.

Let me tell you it was a glorious day. The kids all went body surfing and/or body boarding. The water was cold, but not so cold that they couldn't get in. The dog discovered that she really DOES have retriever in her and for the first time in her 2 and 1/2 years went INTO the water and had a great time!

Why am I blogging on my weight loss journal about this? Well because something else happened that was very cool. First, I felt like walking so went down the beach maybe 1/2 a mile myself. I reflected on the greatness of the ocean, the beauty that God has for us in nature and just how cool my life is right now. My spiritual renewal time was awesome. I had the foresight to pack a myriad of balls and mitts and such this trip. My husband grabbed the soccer ball and I looked up from my chair and said "Self, you played soccer - go play pass with him". So I hauled myself up and we not only played pass, but RAN DOWN THE BEACH passing the ball back and forth. This is HUGE thing for me. I don't run - well, I didn't think I could run - but I DID run and we passed the ball back and forth and we had a blast. Within about 10 minutes, some of the kids joined us and we had a great time playing soccer on the beach.

Why is this significant? I am currently 130 pounds overweight. I have not had that kind of energy in years. Today - I can see that the weight loss is going to go well. I'm MOVING my body again, which is such a huge part of any weight loss program. And this morning, despite going to bed past 2 am and waking up at 7:45 - I have energy, I'm awake and ready for the day.

I'll post pictures of our trip later - and I'm gonna get my measurements taken too!

Watch me Shrink!!

May 26, 2009

So, I started this process a couple of weeks ago. I am determined to lose this extra 100+ pounds I've put on. After 8 kids and 27 years of marriage - I think I am ready to get my self back in shape and have a more active life.

OK, well my life is active - taking kids to baseball, soccer, jobs, school functions, cheerleading, youth group, mall shopping (I have 5 girls!!) etc etc. Not to mention working 5 days a week. I'm busy. I'm just not moving my body much.

SO that's about to change...well, it HAS changed already - but you are going to be able to witness the transformation, if you are so inclined.

2 weeks ago I started using Advocare. They have an energy drink called SPARK that is awesome. I added a product called CATALYST because I heard that people have actually lost weight just with these two products.

Guess what? I've lost a bit of weight, but I FEEL so much better than I have in the past several years I can't believe it! I have more energy, I'm not relyingon coffee to get my "ummph". I don't get caffeine headaches at all, and I haven't had coffee in 5 days! Another great benefit is that I'm not hungry in between meals. That's right - I do NOT crave chocolate, sugar or high carb snacks.

SO - on the 27th or so, I am getting my next step - called Lean in 13. An Herbal Cleanse, some other nutritional supplements that I will talk about later. I am going to jump start this old body into being productive in it's fat use.

Watch me as I shrink away into the Michelle Pfieffer body I know lurks beneath the surface. (OK, I may not be quite as tall, or blonde, or famous...)