50 for 30 - Week Skinny Jeans

A few years ago, I knew I had gained weight when these size (none of your business) jeans did not fit anymore.   Stubbornly, I had worn them much longer than I should have and I had the muffin top to prove it.  One day though, I stopped wearing these jeans, and put them in the back of my closet. 

These jeans have survived numerous closet cleanings.  Every time I saw them I would think, "When I lose the weight, I'll wear those size (none of your business) jeans again!"

In October, I tried those jeans on as motivation, and I've been trying them on every time I lose five pounds.  When I got discouraged, I pictured myself looking all awesome and fantastic in my size (none of your business) jeans.

So one day last week, I tried on my size (none of your business) jeans...AND THEY FIT!

Well, let me clarify. 

If by "fit" you mean I was able to get the jeans buttoned after inhaling very deeply, and once I got the jeans buttoned I couldn't technically exhale or really move my legs because of the tightness of the jeans.....then yes, the jeans "fit."

In the brief seconds that I had the jeans on, I proudly looked at myself in the mirror. 

I had done it.

 I was wearing my size (none of your business) jeans, and one thought was running through my head. 

I don't even like these jeans!

They did not even look good.

The only thing I really liked about the jeans I had been dreaming of for three years was that they were size (none of your business), and no one else can even see the size tag!


Talk about a let down!

I'm still trying on the jeans so I can see how much I'm losing, but I've decided now that sizes in clothes is relative.  From now on, I'll just focus on what looks good on me. 

Weight Loss since last check-in-  1.9 pounds

Total Weight Loss - 23.6 pounds

50 for 30 - Week #I have no idea

If anyone ever tells you that losing weight is easy one of three things is going on...

1. They are one of those people who have been blessed with a freakishly high metabolism that when they simply stop drinking Cokes they lose 10 pounds. They were the winners in the genetics lottery.

2. They are on a late night infommercial for a magical diet drug. In this case though, the phrase, "Losing weight is easy," is usually followed by the long list of side effects with include temporary blindness, seizures, and weight gain.

3. They are lying

Losing weight is a marathon. I've been at it since October, and sometimes I lose sight of my goal. Here recently, I have hit a plateau...Okay. I call it a plateau, but that's a stretch. Really, I'm just not eating like I should. (Curse you day after Valentine's 50% off chocolate!!!)

 I have been hovering around 20 pounds lost for about 2 months now. This week though, I feel like I got a reset. I got that nasty stomach bug, and food wasn't nearly as tempting as it has been. I've been refocusing this week, and getting my act back together.  That 30th birthday is just a few months away, and I've got to get working!

  Total Weight Loss - 21.7 pounds (I guess I can thank the stomachbug for the 1.7 pounds.)

Random Acts of Craftiness #8 - Weight Loss Jars

When I did Weight Watcher's a few years ago, I went to the meetings. One of my favorite parts of the meeting was at the end, when the leader would pass out the gold star stickers. These gold star stickers were for anyone that had reached a 5 pound milestone that week (5,10,15,20.... pounds). Everyone would clap as the person's name was called out, and it was my favorite moment of the meeting.

I saved all my gold stars in my weigh in booklet. Now that I am doing WW online, I really miss those gold star stickers. (Yes, I require the same motivation as a potty training toddler.)

As soon as I saw this on pinterest, I knew I had found my motivation tool. I looked around my house to see if I had the right container, and ended up using some of my old canning jars from my collection.



I used two bags of glass filler from the Dollar Tree, and made a label for the front (just like my pantry labels). I put 50 little glass marbles in the pounds left jar.



Then I took out 17 marbles and put them in the pounds lost jar. I felt so accomplished as I took those marbles away from the jar of 50.



Every week after I weigh in, I will be able to take some marbles and move them to the pounds lost jar (hopefully). That's almost as good as a gold star sticker.

50 for 30 - Week #14ish

I haven't posted any 50 for 30's for a few weeks because I haven't been able to weigh in at my doctor's office. I've been keeping an eye on my weight with other scales, but it wasn't official.

After a few weeks, I had a moment of truth yesterday, and it wasn't pretty...at all. I weighed in and I had gained back 3.9 (no, I will not round it up to 4) pounds! Honestly, I really shouldn't put the exclamation point at the end of that sentence because I wasn't surprised. I did not exactly watch my points over Christmas.

I blame my mother! She made no-back cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, sausage balls, coconut bon bons, peanut butter balls, some other kind of butterscotchy thing, and homemade hot cocoa!!! I'm not kidding! She was making so much candy I was looking around for the oompa loompas!

I guess it wasn't all my mother's fault. Maybe most of the blame lies with me. When I go to Georgia, there are so many things I have to eat barbque, brunswicke stew, banana pudding, Zaxby's, and tea cakes. Because I don't have these delicacies where I live, I eat them like a squirrel storing up nuts for the winter.

I have no self-control, and I gained back 3.9 pounds, but the good news is, I can always try again. That's where you can help me! If you've been losing weight since New Year's could you let me know how much you've lost and how awesome it is and how great you are feeling. I'm serious! I need some motivation and encouragement today!

Week #14ish - 3.9 pounds gained

Total weight loss - 15.6 pounds

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

50 for 30 - Week #10

Who decides to lose weight just a couple of months before Christmas? It's not my smartest move, but there would have always been an excuse. I'm the queen of excuses.

It's been 10 weeks since I have started and I am at 19.5 pounds lost total. Originally, my goal was to lose 1.5 pounds a week, and I'm a little ahead of that.

This really is a marathon, and I'm thrilled with my progress. I'm so glad I got fed up 10 weeks ago. I'm hoping to cross the 20 pound mark next week. What a great Christmas gift to myself!

Thanks for your support and kind words. You have encouraged me so much in this journey.

Week #10 - .5 pounds lost (It's not much, but I'm happy with it!)

Total weight loss 19.5 pounds!

50 for 30 - Week #9

Remember, last week, when I may or may not have had a melt down over losing 1.8 pounds when I felt like all my work deserve more. If you don't just scroll down. It's the post below here.

This week I have been sick. Sick as a dog sick. After my last episode, I decided to go to the doctor as soon as I started getting sick. The doctor checked me over again, and said, "I think it's pneumonia." I just looked at her, and calmly said, "Again, you THINK it's pneumonia!"

She believes because of my recent breathing/asthma issues a small cold blows up into something big. Now, I am going to a pulmonary doctor over the next two weeks to find out for sure and for certain if it's asthma and how to control it.

While at my doctor's visit, I did my weekly weigh in. Last week, I was shocked at how little I lost. This week I lost 2.8 pounds...ReAlLy?!? I ate poorly and didn't track my points on Weight Watchers because I felt so bad. 2.8! I couldn't believe it. I guess being sick must burn the calories, but honestly, I don't need to lose weight that bad. I'll just stick to eating right and exercising.

Week 8 - 2.8 pounds lost

Total weight loss 19 pounds! woohoo!

50 for 30- Week #8

Well, it's been a few weeks since I posted on my 50 before 30, but never fear I have still been losing.

In Week 5, I lost 1.4 pounds for a total of 12.6 pounds lost.

In Week 6, I lost 1.8 pounds for a total of 14.4 pounds lost.

In Week 7, I didn't weigh in because it was Thanksgiving.

For the past two weeks, I have been packing, lifting boxes, unpacking, and cleaning. I wish I could tell you I had a wonderfully pleasant attitude throughout the whole process, but I didn't. I hate moving with every fiber of my being. However, I took great consolation in the fact that with all the extra work, I must ReAlLy be losing weight. In fact, I told Shad on several occasions, when I was particularly cranky, "I better be losing weight because I'm working my butt off." (Pardon my strong language.)

Yesterday, when I went to weigh in, I was excited. Finally, after two weeks of hard work, I was going to see a pay off. I was expecting 5 pounds, I did work my butt off after all.

I stood on the scale and awaited my prize...1.8 pounds lost. ArE YoU KiDdInG Me!!! I worked my butt off, and 1.8 pounds is barely a pinky toe! I sulked out of the doctor's office, and pouted the whole way home.

I know it's my own fault for setting my expectations too high, but c'mon that's all I got for all the work I've done!?! I didn't even go nuts on Thanksgiving. As I write this, it's all still a little raw. Can you tell? I guess I went a little overboard with the exclamation points. Well, there's always next week. (Did that sound sincere?)

Week 8 - (a measly) 1.8 pounds

Total Weight Loss 16.2 pounds

50 for 30- Week #4

I have lost weight before, and the worst thing about losing weight is gaining it back. I got used to everyone saying, "Have you lost weight?" "You look great." Then one day, people stopped asking that question.

I lost 30 pounds, and I was feeling great. Then we moved to MD, and I couldn't make it to my WW meetings anymore. I also started to cook every meal at home. Shad has a freakishly high metabolism, and he eats big portions. When I cook for him, I have to make a big meal, and somebody has to eat all of it. With all those excuses, I gained the 30 pounds back.

When I would see people I hadn't seen in a while, I knew the first 3 seconds they saw me they thought, "She's gained all her weight back." Sometimes, I just wanted to walk up to people and say, "Nice to see you. Yes, I have gained all my weight back."

After such a great victory of losing the weight, I had a hard time facing the failure of gaining it back.

Although, I may have failed at keeping the weight off, there is no rule that says I can't try again. I may fail again and gain it all back, but I can't live my life not trying just because I think I will fail.

Week #4- Lost 2.3 pounds!

Total Weight Loss- 11.2 pounds!

This week I passed the 10 pound mark, and I'd like to take a moment to remember those 10 pounds. Please take a moment of silence for those ten pounds.

Moment of Silence

50 for 30 - Week #3

Last week, I blogged about my harrowing experience on the doctor's office scale...OK...Maybe "harrowing" is a strong word, but humor me.

Once I decided to make a change, I knew exactly what I needed to do. Throughout adulthood, I have tried many different plans to lose weight. I've tried shakes, but I just ended up drinking the shake and eating a meal. I bought the Wii Fit Plus, and much to my surprise, you have to actually work out on it. I thought the pounds would come off just because I spent so much money on it. I worked out at the gym, and suddenly became "too busy to go" just a few weeks later. I set out to run a 5k. I think I made it 2 days, and about 500 feet. The only plan that has ever worked for me was Weight Watchers (I lost 30 pounds on WW 4 years ago).

Many people don't like the points system, but I, being a numbers person, love it. When food is a simple number, portion control makes much more sense to me. Also, with WW, I can eat the same meal that my family eats. I use the "Recipe Builder" tool to figure out how many points a portion would be.

Although I can't make it to WW meetings, I am doing WW online. (I love the WW app for Shad's iPod touch.)

I don't weigh myself at my house at all. If I weigh myself and I've lost, I will slack off the rest of the day. If I weigh myself and I've gained, I get discouraged. To solve this, I go to my doctor's office every Thursday for a weight check. The doctor's office doesn't charge for a weight check, and it gives me a uniform reading.

Week #3- 2.4 lost

Total weight loss- 8.9!
You'll have to excuse me as I do my happy dance...

50 for 30 - Week #2

Remember when I went to the doctor with the boys and it didn't go so great? The boys definitely made it memorable, but something else made that trip memorable the...

SCALE!

I have managed to avoid weighing myself since Collin was born, and I was good at ignoring the fact that my clothes were getting tight. Surely my dryer was just shrinking all my clothes. However, during that doctor's visit, I couldn't avoid it anymore. When I stepped on the scale, the cold, hard truth stared back at me in red glowing numbers.

Honestly, when I first saw those glowing red numbers (which I will not be posting on the blog), I thought, "Hold on...Let me put Collin down," but then I realized I wasn't holding Collin and every bit of the glowing red numbers was me.

Next, I had a moment of inner meltdown that was a mixture of sadness and anger. Some of those thoughts were...

"Hold on...Let me try that again without my shoes. My shoes have got to way at least 2...or 30 pounds."

"Seriously, there must be something wrong with this scale."

"I bet this scale wasn't even made in America. It was probably made in a country that uses the metric system."

"Why do these numbers have to be red. Why not a happier color like yellow?"

"That's my seven months pregnant with Brandon weight....but I'm not pregnant" (wail, sob, sob, sob)

In that moment though, thanks to the glowing red numbers, I realized I could no longer deny it (or blame it on my dryer). I needed to make a change.

With my 30th birthday approaching next May, I thought a great gift to give myself would be to lose 50 pounds by my birthday. I sat down and charted it out to make sure it was feasible in the time I had, and if I lose 1.5 pounds a week (average weight loss), I will reach my goal by my birthday. You know me. I had to make sure the math worked.

Week #1- 5.3 pounds lost

Week #2- 1.2 pounds lost

Total weight loss is 6.5 pounds.

Next week, I'll share what I am doing to make these changes, and I'll also share some pictures.