not giving up!

The woman who can

drive

herself

f u  r   t    h     e      r

once
the effort
gets

<   painful   >

is the woman

who

will

win!

It's been a struggle lately...

but I don't want to give up. 

I could use some

inspiration

and a few

prayers! 

~Thanks!

motivation

incentive

inspiration

drive

enthusiasm

impetus

stimulus

driving force

I'm listening to this...

hoping it'll help keep me

motivated

to fit into this... my LBD

{little black dress}

What's helping to keep

you

motivated

to

lose weight

today?

accountability and moderation are key

Last week

at my Weight Watcher's meeting,
I volunteered to take home the class journal.

You see, I need accountability.

I don't know if anyone will really even look at it,

but it helped to commit to keeping track of everything

I put in my mouth.

The week before I'd lost .6 and the week before 1 lb.

After choosing to be really acountable,

I lost 3 lbs. for a total of 33.6.

YIPPEE!

I've also found myself thinking a lot

about the quote in my last post.

Instant gratification

has become such an expectation in our world today,

and I see entitlement as a

c u l t u r a l

way of life.

Well...I'm finding that living a life of

moderation:
{living within reasonable limits and never to excess &
with self-restraint in the face of temptation or desire}

is what I really want.

I know that when I wake up in the morning

after staying within the limits I set for myself

I feel

so

much

better!

It's not easy!

{And I still give into temptation more often than I care to admit}.

But I wore a dress to a wedding this weekend that was

3

sizes

smaller

than the last dress I wore!

Yeah...that feels

a

lot

better!

what do I really want?

~*~

The chief cause of

failure
and

unhappiness

is trading what you want

most

for what you want

now.

~Zig Ziglar

~*~

presentation

This is a Hea!thty Choice Chicken Parmigiana Dinner.

My husband's lunch.

Very practical.

"Why dirty a plate?"

This is my lunch.

It's the same dinner with an upgrade!

It's still 7 points on WW, but somehow

so much more satisfying!

He said his was good,
but I'm certain mine was better!
It's all in the presentation...
ya know?
:)

I wish potato chips were considered a vegetable!

I really wanted to trade my

Wachusett potato chips

for a bag of

"Lay's Classic,"

~MY FAVORITES~

to eat with my 1/2 sandwich for lunch.

I L.O.V.E. Lay's potato chips! I think I love them more than chocolate, cake, and cookies!

But I decided to check the Points Value.

As it turns out, the Lay's have twice as many points!

There's a 1/2 oz. more in the Lay's bag. But the comparison between

grams of fat was amazing! {7 grams of fat in the

Wachusett brand compared to 15 grams in the Lay's!}

I opted for the Wachusett chips!

I think I deserve a BRAVO sticker at my next WW meeting, don't you?

beginning to feel momentum

START.SOMETHING.POSITIVE

Momentum can be difficult to establish.

And that's what makes it so valuable.
Because once you have it going in your favor,

momentum can be hard to stop.

With momentum on your side,

small efforts can bring

big results, and those

big results

can lead to even

bigger

ones.

Yes, momentum takes some effort and commitment to put into motion.

And it is very much worth the trouble.

Take the time and make the effort to start something positive.

Even though, in the short term,

it would be easier and more comfortable to just do nothing,

look past those immediate concerns.

Look ahead to that point where momentum kicks in,

and consider the value of putting it to work in your favor.

Then

get up,

get going,

and get to work

on

building that m o m e n t u m.

Start something positive, and create some valuable m o m e n t u m .
You'll be able to ride that momentum
as
far
as
you
can
imagine.
~ Ralph Marston

I'm beginning to feel the momentum...

down 26.6 lbs.

I think I can ...

I think I can...

I think I can...

2 months in

january ---------------------> march

loss is gain!

I have had a few slip ups,

but I'm learning to forgive myself and move on.

I'm down 20.8 lbs. as of my last weigh in.

YIPPEE!

I though I'd share my daughter's recipe for

low point croutons.

They really are delicious and guilt free! Not only is this bread delicious

and ONE POINT for TWO SLICES...

but I make croutons with it that are

as delicious as they are guilt free. :)

Cut up the bread into 16 pieces.

Put them in a container that closes tightly.

Add a teeny tiny bit of vegetable oil

and then garlic powder,

salt, and pepper.
Cover and shake

for literally 5 minutes.
The more you shake the less oil you can use

because the more it spreads out between all the little pieces.

Put the pieces on a cookie sheet and
bake at 450 for about ten minutes

or until they're nice and brown.
It's fool proof and so yummy.

Even non-dieters love them.

Crystal and a friend are administrators of THE FITNESS FOODIES group on Facebook.

It really is a helpful place to share recipes and encouragement.

Check it out !

choices

Given the choice, which would you choose?

This?

OR

this?

The pink ruffle cake is courtesy of google images.

I chose a Red Velvet mini bar from WeightWatchers.

Only one point!

I hope I have a loss this week.

Making progress...

Since I (re)joined Weight Watchers I have lost 15 lbs.and my daughter has lost 12.8!

Thank you so much for your encouragement and prayers!

It means so much!

BEFORE

I'm joining Weight Watchers with my daughter today.

 I'm already a lifetime member, actually.

To achieve lifetime member status I had to reach my goal weight

and maintain the loss for six weeks...

and I DID IT!

{I think that was back in 1973.} 

Well, today's a new day!

This is the day the Lord has made;  let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Psalm 118: 24

Would you say a prayer for us?

please?

God's grace is sufficient...

It's been awhile, I know, and I want to thank Christine for checking up on me while I was MIA.

Sometimes life takes you in directions that you haven't quite anticipated and the plans you've made are interrupted for a time.  In spite of that, I have managed to lose about 5 lbs. since New Year's Day.

God's grace...

I have not given up on my NewYear's Resolution.

But I have been preoccupied by life events.

I have not given up hope that this is my year for success.

With God's continued grace...

2 Corinthians 12:9

preparing to change

**The moment one definitely commits oneself,

then Providence moves too.   ~GOETHE

I've got to

really

WANT

this. 

It's not enough to just make a decision. 

My brain has three parts I need to get on board with this if I'm going to be successful. 

The first part is pretty much with me. 

This is the instictive/involuntary part of my brain that controls things like breathing and heartbeat. 

It does what it needs to keep me alive.  :)

The thinking brain is where I made the decision to make the changes necessary to reach my goals.

So far so good.

It's the emotional brain I've got to keep in check.  It's in this limbic system that my brain decides whether something is good or bad, safe or dangerous, pleasant or painful.

So, from what I understand, it's this part of my brain I need to convince that

the

 changes I'm making

are

GOOD!

So, the idea is to

"Allow the power of your creative thinking (found on the right side of your neocortex)

 to percolate over the next few days. 

The more you can find what's fun and enjoyable about what you want,

the more your emotional brain will cooperate."

THIS YEAR I WILL...HOW TO FINALLY CHANGE A HABIT, KEEP A RESOLUTION, OR MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE...by M.J.Ryan,

OK.

Reasons this decision is FUN enjoyable GOOD:  Let's be reasonable! :

1. Healthy food makes my body work & feel better.
2. I'm happier when I stay within the limits I set for myself.
3. I want to move with greater freedom.
4. I want to will enjoy getting dressed in the morning!
5. I will be able to buy clothes I like instead of just clothes that fit.
6. I will be able to find something to wear for any occasion.
7. I will enjoy getting dressed up and going out on those occasions!
8. I will be a better example to my daughters, grandchildren, and students.
9. I will be able to enjoy a day at the beach without feeling self-conscious.  (Now THAT would be FUN!)  and,
10. It would be fun to imagine my after picture with an asterick that says, *Results not typical !

 I guess that's enough to "percolate on" for now!

 **May Providence move in me!

 

new year's day 01.01.10 the plan

Star light, star bright I wish I may I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight...

I wish I was thin and pretty...

Do dreams that you dare to dream

really

come

true?

 *

For as long as I can remember, every time I saw the first star appear in the sky, that was my wish.

Well, I've passed my 50th birthday, and I'm about as far from thin as I've ever been.
But I am not without hope that there's still time for me to live the life I've always wanted.
I know that it's going to take more than hoping and wishing to make my dreams come true.
It'll take WORK.preparation.motivation.determination.and PRAYER.
There's been a sense of my life being on hold waiting to lose weight and then I'll begin to live.
 I don't want my life to end without having realized my dreams. 
So, starting today, I will begin reading THIS YEAR I WILL...HOW TO FINALLY CHANGE A HABIT, by M.J.Ryan,
KEEP A RESOLUTION, OR MAKE A DREAM COME TRUE...
and blog what I glean to be the main idea of each chapter.
This isn't the only change I hope to achieve in this new year.
I think the excesses in my home are reflective of what's going on in my head.  I pray that this blog will help me to sort out what's really going on and get a handle on other areas of my life as well.
I'll find my audio tape of Does This Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat? to listen to on  my commute to work. And I'll read It's All Too Much both by Peter Walsh.
So, the plan for now is:
Read at least one chapter each day of
This Year I Will...
 It's All Too Much
and listen to,
Does This Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?
during my commute.
Cut back on fats and add foods with greater nutritional value.
Take Alli before meals,
and take time to
read my Bible
and
PRAY.
If you'd like to join me on this journey,
click on FOLLOW
and maybe we can
encourage
each
other.
In the first chapter of This Year I Will... Ryan reports that
"approximately 45% of us make New Year's resolutions, but only 8% succeed."
Here's to being part of the 8% for 2010!

Happy New Year!

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand...and melting like a snowflake. 
Let us use it before it's too late.
~Marie Beynon