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But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Weigh-in Wednesday: SDoS wk 5

Sisterhood of the Shrinking JeansDown 0.4.

I really thought it'd be more since I was considerably lower on the weekend and have controlled myself quite well again. (Only small snacks and only on two evenings!!) I guess the loss earlier was probably due to a slight, medication-induced loss of appetite. It's apparently hard on the digestive system, but fortunately I was given what seems to have been very good advice and the side-effects have been kept to a minimum. I haven't noticed anything since Saturday.

And exercise has been virtually non-existent in recent weeks because of all the rain and the pneumonia, but I mowed lawn for an hour on Monday afternoon ~ without coughing a single time!! I have a couple more hours of mowing to look forward to yet this week, providing we don't get much rain, so this week, I could get some good miles in if the forecast is wrong! My lungs seem clear enough to handle the sudden surge of physical activity, so I've got no excuse now. (well, except for the constant downpours, of course...)

My in-laws are coming out tomorrow night and staying till Sunday afternoon, so controlling how much I eat and WHAT I eat will be a little more challenging, but I think I can handle it.

Frisbee 1

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Weight-in Wednesday: SDoS wk 4

Sisterhood of the Shrinking JeansMan, I tell ya, I am gettin' really tired of being sick!

This past weekend my cold had a resurgence ~ or I caught a new one without having fully gotten rid of the old one ~ and I've spent the last four days pursuing various vain efforts to soothe an incredibly sore throat. The glands in my throat are swollen to the point of popping and my ears and sinuses are STILL plugged.

We're goin' on THREE WEEKS already, and yes, I'm FINALLY seeing the doctor right before noon today. I don't believe in going to the doctor for coughs and colds, BUT... I detected two large white spots on my right tonsil yesterday. No more messin' around.

Anyhoo.... as a result of all this nonsense, I've been too tired and/or out of it to care much about meals. And swimming lessons are still wreaking havoc with the supper hour this week, so once again, both factors are reflected in my weight. But I'm still down by 0.8, which means I've lost 4 lbs in this challenge already! I'd hoped to be a little further, but considering my health over the last 3 weeks and that it's been raining and too wet to walk/run most of the month, I'm happy.

And, there are only 3 days of school left and then the girls and I dive into what will hopefully be a healthy and active summertime routine!!

Frisbee 1

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Weigh-in Wednesday: SDoS Wk 3

Sisterhood of the Shrinking JeansI didn't lose this week. I gained. It's only 0.4, but it's amazing how much of a set-back that is in terms of TIME-SENSITIVE goals!!

I was a little disappointed that I hadn't at least stayed the same, especially since I know I did well with portion control and allowing my stomach to growl between meals. Despite it being that T.O.M., I did none of the frantic gorging that often seems to accompany that week. In fact, I believe I snacked in the evening just ONCE this last week!!! Pretty proud of that, actually.

But I've also been sick for the last week and a half. Which explains not really caring WHAT I ate, even if I controlled my portions and snacking impulses relatively well. It also explains the lack of exercise ~ normal breathing alone has been challenging enough! I did mow lawn twice ~ which amounts to a combined total of 3.5 hours of pushing a mower ~ and go for one or two 2-mile walks. So maybe I didn't do too badly in that area either!

So I'm not too unhappy with the little gain, mostly because I know it didn't come from a lack of self-control for a change!! But it is going to make my goal for this particular challenge a little more, well...

...challenging!

Rock Climber

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Weigh-in Wednesday: SDos Wk 2

Sisterhood of the Shrinking JeansWell, I'll admit it: I did even WORSE sticking to the plan this past week.

For the first half, anyway. I'm still having a real problem with evening snacking. Actually, evening GORGING is probably a more accurate word for what transpired on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.

By Thursday morning, I felt so disgusting that it wasn't a problem at all to do without food 'til suppertime. (I switched my week around a bit so that my kids wouldn't see me starving myself fasting) Not only that, but I was incredibly disgusted with myself when I stepped on the scale for the "fun" of it, and discovered that in just 48 hours, I'd packed on 2.8 lbs!!! I was heavier than my starting weight 2 weeks ago!! Ugh.

Needless to say, I desperately needed to be very self-disciplined for the rest of the week. I managed to pull off a loss from last week, but once again, it could have been SO much more impressive if I'd been sticking with the program the entire time!

Technically, I lost a total of 4 lbs this week, but because almost all of that weight got packed on AFTER last week's weigh-in, it only amounts to a loss of 1.2 this week. And I know, I know, you're going to say, "Hey, a loss is a loss ~ you did great!" but I know I failed at controlling myself until I got desperate.

Don't get me wrong ~ I'm thankful for the loss, but moderation is never going to be a habit if it only happens out of desperation!

In my Bible reading this last week, I came across a sentence in Ecclesiastes that kinda pricked my conscience a little: "The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." (Ecc. 7:18b, NIV) So in other words, bingeing, and then starving to counter the effects of the bingeing, is evidence that I am not completely under God's control.

Definitely something to chew on this week...

Eating Pie

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Weigh-in Wednesday ~ SDoS wk 1

Sisterhood of the Shrinking JeansWell, there was a surprise waiting for me on the bathroom scale this morning! A GOOD surprise, for once!!

I think I only exercised once ~ a 2-mile walk on Saturday evening.

And I had at least 3 days were I didn't and/or couldn't stick to my eating plan this week ~ which, considering it was my first week back ON the plan, isn't a great start!! I COMPLETELY abandoned the plan on Friday and Saturday due to an unforeseen, 2-day solo trip to a city 7 hours away for a funeral.

This trip ended up including a 41st anniversary dinner with my parents at The Keg. After the pre-entrée salad and hunk of bread, I REALLY didn't need a gigantic, stuffed, baked potato and half-cow grilled to perfection...

But I ate most of both anyway.

I ALSO didn't need any dessert.

But dad was goin' a little crazy on his anniversary, and who was I to refuse? That would have been a horrible affront ~ their one and only child refusing to join the celebration!!

Photo from Shermans Food AdventuresFortunately, he ordered three spoons and only one piece of Billy Miner Pie. OH. MY. GOODNESS!

And I'm not even an ice cream-lover!

Anyway, now where was I....?

Oh yes, the surprise:

I'm DOWN 2.4 POUNDS!!!

I can only imagine how much better I'd have done if I'd stuck to the plan!!

And without last night's bingeing...

Fat Woman 3