~ALREADY MONDAY?~

 Is it already 3:00 on Monday?  No way!  Ugh.  

Isn't it crazy how some days just slip away from you?  I have a tendency to gauge the success of my day by how much I've gotten done by noon.  

Well today must be an EPIC FAIL DAY because except for letting my Miss Mollie Dog out and going to physical therapy NOTHING on my growing to-do-list has been scratched off.

I remember when my children were young and we were always hustling and bustling somewhere.  Sometimes I miss those crazy days when I truly understood my role as a "MOM".

Gosh...I miss them a lot sometimes...

Anyway...my bed is unmade (got up late!) and I haven't even thought about dinner.

I love that eating out is always an option excuse for ME when my days spin out of control...

But...since my Mr. AGP Man and I are back on low-carb eating dining-out is difficult for us.  The steroid injections I was given late last year assisted in helping me pack on about 20 pounds (inactivity too!).  My guy has gained about 15 [elle bees].  He said it was from 'sympathy eating'.  (ERRRR...)   Anyway...my goal is to lose it all by mid summer.  We'll see!  Either that or I'll have to purchase new clothes.

  Yesterday I did finish the sign you see at the top and was thrilled when one of my long-time customers (going back to the old eBay days!) purchased it.  Thank you K.L.  Signs are all the rage right now, no-doubt because of the Fixer-Upper Show.

I'm bummed it's coming to an end.

Aren't you?

One last thing...I've been away for so long I'm wanting to join in some link-parties.  Can any of you tell me the best or most informative/exciting ones going on right now?  I'm having trouble navigating all the changes that have taken place in the blogging world since I've been gone.

Big hugs and huge thanks!

Love to you...

Rebecca

   

 

~~~~~~~~~~~FORTY POUNDS LOST~~~~~~~~~~~ My Journey of Weight Loss

Heads Up!

This post is about changing my life one pound at a time...  Even though I hope you'll stay, if hearing or reading about losing weight isn't your thing I give you permission to exit this bloggie right now...

No hard feelings.

Promise.

(OK...In response to your emails I've included a before and after picture at the bottom!)

For those of you who've decided to stick around I first have to say this one thing.

Change us hard.

Really HARD!

Really, Really, REALLY HARD!

But...it can be done

IF you want to change badly enough!  It takes a lot of work and can take a really long time...

BUT...YOU CAN DO IT!

So, change is hard!  We all know it!  But, so is living in denial.  Untruths in any form lay a foundation of pure destruction and I know from experience that doing so leads to great ruin.

Three little words to remember here...

Tell the truth.

If you get three more then you can add...

All the time.

And so, I'm going to begin by saying this. 

When I was a little girl I wasn't heavy.  I wasn't overweight, thick, chunky, large-boned or (forgive me) fat.  I was definitely on the "small size" in regards to body-type and distinctly remember measuring just shy of 4' 10" when I started 9th grade.  I was 89 pounds.  Somehow since the age of 14 I've managed to reach the whopping height of 5' 4".  I'm a medium boned person so ideally I should weigh between 116 and 145. 

I'm going to skip a bunch of the hum-drum stuff and get right to the point.  After 32 years of marriage, the birth (and raising) of two kids, jobs, stress, life pressures, and the consumption of way too much food and making truly poor nutrition choices, etc., I gained weight.  Not to the level of obesity mind you, just lots more than I should have.  Unbelievably I was 40 pounds heavier than I was the day I married my beloved.

Last December I went to my family doctor because I just felt crummy.  I was sluggish and unfocused and was tired all the time.  I had just turned 52 and blamed most ALL of how I was feeling on the "M" word growing older.  When I got on the scale I was taken back shocked out of my head by what it read.  I was quite sure it was lying broken misreading my actual weight.  Incredibly the numbers showed I was only a few pounds less than what I had been at 9 months pregnant with both my children (who are now 29 and 26).

After sobbing consulting with my trusty Dr. Doug (our doctor of almost 10 years now) I asked for advise as to what the BEST plan out there was for losing the weight AND MORE IMPORTANTLY getting healthy both mentally and physically.  I wanted no part of diet pills or drinks...  I wanted to focus only on exercise and eating right...it was as complicated simple as that!

His heartfelt reply to me is what we all hear...

EAT RIGHT and EXERCISE.

I asked about Nutri-System, Jenny Craig, South Beach, Adkins, Weight Watchers, etc.

His response was this...

"All the programs you've mentioned have their benefits, Rebecca!  But until you get it right in your head that behavioral change is needed in your life none of them will work.  None of them!

Trust me!  Get it right in your head and everything will fall into place no matter WHAT program you choose."

After doing lots of online research I settled on returning to Weight Watchers.  I tried WW once before with some measurable success, but returned once again to my old bad habits (celebrating around food has always been my downfall!)

Feeling empowered by admitting to myself

I needed to change

(you can't change what you don't acknowledge)

I began Weight Watchers just after Christmas of 2010.  I opted to do ONLY the ONLINE PROGRAM as going to scheduled meeting and weigh-ins was NOT and never will be for me.  I'm sure they are GREAT TOOLS for some people, I'm just not one of them.

I knew I had to do this on my own.

And so...with lots of fear combined with steely determination I began my weight loss journey.  Initially I set a goal to lose 30 pounds but halfway through my program I upped it to 40.  Last Saturday (my private in-home weighing day) I reached my goal.  Since December 27th or 28th I've lost 42 pounds

and today I weigh 130.

Losing the weight took me almost six months.

(My Mr. AGPMan also followed the WW program and has lost about 30 pounds and still has about 15 to go!)

I'm not sure exactly what it was that clicked for me.  Part of it was growing older and no longer feeling good.  Part of it was admitting I needed change.  Part of it was that I didn't recognized my face in the mirror.  Part of it was that I missed my focused brain and high-energy activity.  Part of it was about getting healthy and not wanting to get heart disease or diabetes.  Part of it was seeing people I love get sick because needed life-style change was ignored.  Part of it was wanting to see my children grow old and being around for all our future grandchildren.

For those of you who are needing and/or wanting change I encourage you to

GO FOR IT!

I feel better than I have in over 15 years and I'm so thankful to God for helping me take that first step.

Here's ONLY MY FACE!  Too shy to show the rest!  Sorry!

 December 17, 2010

June 8, 2011

Yes...change is hard...but it is soooo worth the effort!

PS:  To those of you who commented and asked about exercising...

Yes!  I exercise!  At least 4 days a week I ride my stationary bike and I walk 2-3 times a week 3-4 miles!
(IT FEELS GREAT, TOO!)

Love to you~

~~~AND JUST WHAT WAS I WEIGHTING FOR??~~~

 ~NEW CLOTHES ARE COMING!~

Yesterday while jabbering away about Shabby Cottage Chic Easter Eggs I mentioned that I had recently lost 25 pounds.  I do believe I received more direct emails about this than any other subject of late.  And so today, I'm going to try and answer all your questions about how I lost the pounds in hopes you will be inspired to deal with your own weight issues.

~I PEDAL AWAY EVERY SINGLE DAY~

According to information I found at WebMD, I've never been in the obese category.  For this I'm profoundly thankful.  Losing any amount of weight and keeping it off isn't easy!  Since my argument for years and years has been that I only needed to lose a FEW pounds, it became commonplace for me to 'excuse away' the excess weight  I had gained over the past fifteen years as something that 'just wasn't a big deal'.

~MR. AGPMAN IS LOSING, TOO!~

Well~last Christmas I caught the FLU and it landed in me at my Doctor's doorstep.  I had avoided stepping upon Dr. D's scale for some time, but after seeing a few photographs taken of me last September at a friend's wedding I figured it was time to face the music.  I knew I'd packed on some unwanted pounds, but imagine my shock when I watched the numbers on the scale climb to an all time high!  I was sick and near faint and trust me when I tell you it wasn't from the Flu. 

~I ONLY WISH!~

I'm not sure what to call that moment of distinct clarity.  I can only say that over the years of gaining and losing, gaining and losing more weight than I can say that I finally decided that ENOUGH was ENOUGH.  No matter what I was going to get myself back down to a healthy weight and nothing and no one was going to stop me.  I was stunned and totally disappointed in ME and I couldn't believe I had allowed my life to control me instead of me controlling my life.  I've seen firsthand what obesity and heart disease can do to people I love and vowed to never fall into that often preventable trap if at all possible.

~FEELING YOUNG AT HEART~

And so...for me this new and fresh journey began with being totally honest with myself.  I mean...I've heard all my life that you can't change what you don't acknowledge.  I first had to admit that I needed to lose 35-40 pounds and NOT the 10-15 I constantly complained and whined about.  The next thing I did was join Weight Watchers Online and I'm totally crazy-happy with their new Points Plus Program!  Although I totally understand there are people out there who need outside motivation to stay on track with a weight loss plan, I am not one of those people.  I'm happy to do the program within my own home...no weighing in public, meetings, etc.!   My motivation was simply that I was tired of feeling sluggish and crummy as well as not recognizing the person staring back at me in the mirror.  I also secretly knew that if I jumped on the Weight-Watchers-Wagon there was a good chance my Mr. AGPMan would do the same. I was spot-on in my hopes of him joining me, too!  My guy is down 17 pounds and looking and feeling great!!!  HANDSOME AS EVVVVAH!  I'm soo proud of him!

There you have it!  As of a week ago I've lost more than half the weight I hoped to lose!  I have about 15 pounds to go to reach my goal weight and trust me when I say I feel the happy dance coming on!  For me it's been all about getting healthy...the side benefit is that I have a great excuse to get some brand spanking new clothes and even shoes.  Even my feet have SRUNK (not kidding!).  Trust me when I say~ if I can do this then you can do this!

 YOU CAN!

Love to you from...

The Ever Shrinking

 

~OREO SIN~

 OK Peeps!  Here's the skinny...

 

On the rare occasion my Mr. AGPMan is out of town I never share it publicly for obvious reasons.  So...all this week while I've been snowed in here in my La Chaumière de Briarwood I've been alone.  My guy left the morning the winter storm hit and since Monday I haven't even attempted to leave our home!  I hunkered down all by my lonesome, but truthfully have nearly gone totally stir-crazy bonkers INSANE while waiting for my hubby to return!  This Cali native doesn't do so well when she can't get out and about...  Friday night and the return of my "He Can Do Anything Man" couldn't get here fast enough for me!

  Midday yesterday I found out that my Baber's plane was probably not going to make it home on schedule.  He's been in Washington, DC, on business and it was his flight to Dallas that was in question.  :(  Bummer!  BUMMER I SAY!

 Anyway...if you've been a reader of my blog for any time at all you know I started Weight Watchers a couple days after Christmas.  I've been doing awesome (AWESOME I SAY) and LOVE LOVE LOVE their new Points Plus Program (and I'm down almost 20lbs).  When my hubby told me about all the canceled flights I nearly died!  So-o-o-o-o-o-o-o...in a moment of weakness

I Ates-Meez-A-Chocolate-Dipped-Oreo-Cookie 

and I'll have you know that single little confection just cost me five big ones (Weight Watchers Points)!

   Now...that may not mean very much to you but when you're only allowed to consume twenty-nine points per day (not including Flex Points) blowing five of them on ONE MEASLY NON-FILLING COOKIE is crazy-stupid!

 Somebody slap me, pleeze!!!!  Good thing I don't have a weakness for truly worldly-type pleasures.  My sincere disappointment over not seeing my hubbs last night could have led to my total demise!

 

So I ask you...do you think an extra 15 minutes on my exercise bike was enough to absolve me of my Oreo Sin?

  

Love to you from the ever shrinking (and healthy-bound!)