I haven't taken a pic or weighed or measured myself for the last 3 weeks. I am 254 lbs. right now and have only worked out three times in the last three weeks. 

We are financially having some issues that requires me to work 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week just to make rent and keep the power from being shut off.  My husband's child support is taking 65% of his check because it had been set way too high from the beginning.  It was based on a job he had 4 years ago at $26/hr.  He has been making $10.50/hr. for the last 3 years, now and his child support takes $6.80/hr from that.  So, I have to make up the rest right now.  We had some assistance from our church for quite some time, but we wanted to cut that off because we really don't like being "charity" cases.

Things should be leveling out some since I will be getting child support coming in the next week or so for my 13 yr. old son since my 18 yr. old has joined the Air Force.

Life can be chaotic and we are hanging on the best we can.  We barely live paycheck to paycheck and do not have any savings to fall back on.

I've been eating compulsively again for comfort and for the caffeine boost in many cases, just to stay awake and alert for my work.  Hence, the couple of lbs. weight gain.

I'm still so tired, no days off for some time, now.  I need time to recoup once things level out for us.

It's been almost 6 months and I am 25 lbs. lighter still.  My weight is still 251 lbs., measurements are still the same as last week.  I have lost motivation to work out because I am getting busier with my work and bringing more income in.

Here are my comparison pics:

I gained 1 lb. this week, so I am at 251 lbs., had a lot of ice cream.  I also worked out, however, I get to cut the ice cream out and only eat it on cheat day, which is today.  I cheated a lot this week, so no progress.  It's understandable, though.

Here are my comparison pics:

My measurements today:

neck:  14 1/2" (no change)
upper arm:  14 1/4" (up 1/4")
chest:  42 1/4" (no change)
waist:  34 1/2" (no change)
hips:  50 1/2" (no change)
thigh:  32" (no change)
calf:  18 1/4" (no change)

So, if I really want this, I get to continue to work for it.  I have been lazy since we have moved and since I have been feeling better.

I am way off track from making my 125 lbs. in 52 weeks.  It has been 22 weeks and I have shed 24 lbs.  It's summer, so accelerating my progress is in line with the mood of this season.

Exercise, exercise, exercise, and stay on track with my eating!

Hokay...take a deep breath...

Today was my first day back to the gym since I first got so sick.

AND I FEEL GREAT!

It's time to get more serious.  I have been floating from week to week, just getting by and not working out and maintaining my weight.  I find myself cheating a little more each week and this week I gained 1 lb.  I am at 250 lbs. again.  Here are my comparison pics:

Okay, I found my camera, so I was able to take a pic today to compare to the first pic I took at 275 lbs., here are the comparison pics:

So, I pray and plan to have an even better week this week.  I have started to plan out my workouts again in my planner.  I look forward to it!

Well, I couldn't find the digital camera to take a pic yesterday, we were finishing up our move.  I should be able to locate my camera by next week's check in.  I did manage to take my weight and measurements.  My weight is now 250 lbs, so down 1 lb.  My measurements are:

neck:  14 1/2" (no change)
upper arm:  14 1/4" (no change)
chest:  42" (no change)
waist:  34 1/2" (down 1/4")
hips:  50 1/2" (down 1/4")
thigh: 32" (no change)
calf:  18 1/4" (no change)

I am feeling a lot better.  Getting over this cold, got my voice back last week, was able to resume some work.  I expect I will be cleansing my body from living in that last house.  It may take some time to "purge" the old ick out of me that accumulated from that sick house.

I expect that I will be feeling a lot better and getting my energy back so I can REALLY get back to work!

I still weigh the same and my measurements are still the same as last week.  Here are my comparison pics: 

It's the end of the 17th week and I have just about given up on the Body For Life Challenge this rotation. We are in the process of looking for a new house and packing and moving.

I have still shed 1.5 lbs., which makes me 251.5 lbs., now.

Here are my comparison pics, the first one at 275 lbs., and then today at 251.5 lbs.:

upper arm:  14 1/4" (no change)
chest:  42" (no change)
waist:  34 3/4" (no change)
hips:  50 3/4" (no change)
thighs:  32" (no change)
calf:  18 1/4" (no change)

So, I shed 1.5 lbs., but nothing showing in measurements.  I had still been recovering from being sick, so I did not go to the gym at all this week, but still made a lil progress.  I am back to the gym tomorrow.  It's gonna feel SO good!

Okay, so I was sick this week...this house we believe is a "sick" house, we have been sick more than we have been well since we have lived here.  I still shed 2 lbs. this week, so I am now back at 253.

My comparison pics:

I was working too hard this week, and not getting to the gym but once.  We were low on funds and couldn't buy the whole grain foods and lean proteins, so I gained 2 lbs, plus it's my premenstrual week...argh...

I am 255 lbs., now.  Here are my comparison pics:

Wow, motivation has lagged this week, but I still made it to the gym 3 times and did some heavy weight workouts.

I gained 1 1/2 lbs., so I am now at 253 lbs.  It looks like it may be muscle fiber gain because I still shed some inches.

Here are my comparison pics, the first one at 275 lbs, and today at 253:

Here are my comparison pictures from the first day to today, I shed another 2 lbs. this wee:

So today marks the end of 12 weeks, 3 months into my journey.  It's the second week of Body For Life and I have a late start.  I am only one more day away from finishing my antibiotics from having a bad case of strep throat. I think I caught it at the gym.  I didn't clean off the equipment BEFORE using it and so.....I caught strep and have had a 10 day lay-off to get well.  I hit the gym hard tomorrow, though.

Here are my pic comparisons, the first was at 275 lbs. when I started, the next is today at 253 1/2 lbs.  Over the week, I shed 2 lbs.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I joined the official challenge for Body For Life and worked out hard on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and did SO good, then I contracted Strep Throat on Friday.  I am on antibiotics and have a layoff from the gym, mandated by the doctor.  What a way to start Body For Life.

I am now 255.5, the day before I'm suppose to start my period!  That means I shed 3.5 lbs this week.

Okay, my pic this week compared to the very beginning:

Okay, I have been feeling SO sick with diarrhea and upset tummy yesterday and today, but I still managed to get a pic and take measurements.  My weight this morning was up a little bit at 259 lbs., a gain of 3.5 lbs.  I took a break from the gym this week because I wanted to ramp up mentally for tomorrow, starting Body For Life.

Okay, now that the Biggest Loser challenge is over, I have been a little lackadaisical in getting to the gym to work out.

So, I am joining the Body For Life Challenge officially starting Monday, April 4, 2011.  It is a 12-week challenge that I signed up for at http://www.bodyforlife.com for free.  I downloaded all the tracking info and printed and I have a pretty pink binder I have put it all in.

I will be taking my before picture in a bikini (yikes!) and in 12 weeks I take an after picture.  The challenge ends June 29, 2011.

I will still be taking weekly pics to post here and keeping notes here on my progress.

This whole time I have been following the Body For Life eating plan, just not the workout plan.  I have it, though and I am re-committing myself to getting to the gym 6 times a week.

The eating part I have down well, just not the exercise.  I have been shedding 1-2 lbs. a week with 1-3 workouts a week, just imagine my progress at 6 workouts/week.  I can expect 2-5 lbs. per week consistently, I think.  That is what the personal trainer said, anyway.

I am now in a size 17-18, down from the 22-24 I was wearing 9 weeks ago.  *Sigh*  I have come far, and I still have 106 lbs. to go.

Okay, so I weighed in at the gym for the Biggest Loser Challenge and I did OK.  Considering what I have contended with over the past weeks, I have done really well.  I have shed 18.5 lbs.

Here are my comparison pictures, my first pic compared to today:

Okay, after the week I had, I'm surprised I made any progress.  I worked out once on Monday and then my Mother got really sick and in the hospital.

So, here is my first pic from 8 weeks ago, then today:

I worked out once this week so far, and it's already Friday!

My Mother had become really sick over the weekend and I called an ambulance on Tuesday to take her to the ER and she had pneumonia and a bladder infection.  She has finally been released and she is staying with us to recover.

I really haven't been able to get to the gym since.  I have had doctors, home health, etc., to deal with.  I have lost so much work and pay this week, I am so stressed out I feel like crying every time I turn around.

However, I did take a peek at the scale this morning and I have shed 1 1/2 lbs. this week so far.  My cheat day was Wednesday because I was at the hospital most of the time and had to eat what their cafeteria had on hand.  So, on Saturday, I will just eat really good, take measurements and weigh in on Sunday.

*Sigh*

Things will get better and I will be able to get back to my regular routine.

I finish my Biggest Loser challenge next week and we find out how much total weight and fat I have shed on the 24th. 

I will be starting a new challenge with Body For Life the first week in April.

My measurements today compared to last week:

neck:  14 1/2" (no change)
upper arm:  14 3/4" (no change)
chest:  43 1/4" (no change)
waist:  36" (no change)
hips:  52 1/4" (down 1/4")
thigh:  33" (no change)
calf:  18 3/4" (no change)

It might help if I did my measurements today compared to when I first started measuring 5 weeks ago:

neck:  down  1/2"
upper arm:  down  1/4"
chest:  down  2 1/4"
waist:  down  1"
hips:  down   1 1/4"
thigh:  down   1"
calf:  down 1/4"

to total 6.5 inches gone!  I'm also down 1 dress/pant size!  woohoo!


I have had a hell of a day, though.  My baby is STILL sick and coughing, crying all the time, teething with 3 molars coming in all at once.  My mother fell twice in the last week and I had to take her to the hospital this morning and she is now staying with us until her broken tailbone heals.

I feel torn in so many directions.  My husband and my 13 year old son are wanting attention, too.  I also started a new job, although I work from home, it's still demanding.

I feel under a lot of stress and the cravings started to come on today and I resisted them.  Stress gets me into the funk of impulsive eating. I get to deal with the stress a little bit differently, now.

I'm very tired, very sleepy.  My baby is finally sleeping better since we propped his mattress up a little bit so he isn't coughing all night.  Tonight should be a much better night's sleep.

Been watching the scale too much this week.  Felt discouraged earlier this week and felt like binging on Wednesday.  I drank a chocolate protein shake, but that didn't curb my sweet tooth.  Soooo, I ate a small piece of chocolate cheesecake and didn't feel guilty about it at all.  It is PMS time, starting my cycle in a couple days.

I had a hard workout on Thursday, burned 53 calories in 5 minutes on the exercise machine that is the hybrid of a stairmaster and elliptical.  It kicks my arse!  My knees pop each stride, but it's not a painful "pop".  I decided to go to the regular elliptical and burned 515 calories in 40 minutes!  That was way better than I have ever done since I started.

I had wanted to be under the 260 lb. plateau I had reached all week, and today...YAY, I am 259 1/2.  I have also shed 2.5% bodyfat in these first 7 weeks.

Tomorrow is "cheat day"...hmmmm, I wonder if I will feel like cheating.  Probably as I'm suppose to start my period and there are usually cravings that come right along with that!

It's the end of the 6th week, here are my pics.  The first one is when I started this, and the second one is of today.  I shed 2 lbs in the last week, making a total weight shedding of 15 lbs. in 6 weeks, so far.  That makes me 260 lbs., still not under 260, which was my goal this week.  I just get to be a bit more patient.

I went to the gym only once this week and had a great workout.  So great it injured my right foot and my plantar fasciitis flared up, so I couldn't go to the gym the rest of this last week.  The pain has eased up since yesterday, so I will go to the gym tomorrow and see how it goes.

It was my goal last week to get myself under 260 by today.  It didn't happen.  I am still at 262, only 2 lousy lbs.  My favorite pair of snug jeans I just washed and they are NOT snug anymore, they are loose.  I may out shrink them in the next couple weeks.  I have other jeans I can wear when that happens.

I worked out on Monday and had a great workout.  I ended up hurting my foot and have rested it for 2 days now.  I am back to the gym tomorrow.

I am working on getting under 260 by Sunday's weigh in and measurement taking.

Okay, I made it to the gym today!  Woohoo!

I burned almost 600 calories in 50 minutes, I am getting better.  I can go longer and at a higher intensity on the elliptical.  I am stepping up my workouts, now, so I get the most out of them.

Tomorrow, I do my legs and abs weight workout.

I am still cooling down from my workout.  My face is bright red and I am soaked with sweat.  Hungry, time to make an eggbeaters omelet with spinach.

So, my progress for this week has been pretty good.  I think I am finally getting past the cold I have had for 2 weeks, now.  Here are my pictures, the first one is the day I started on this new eating plan and exercising, and the one next to it is today, 5 weeks later:

I sneaked a peak at the scale this morning and it read 261.5, what?  That means that I have dropped 4 lbs. since Sunday?

My goal was to get under 260 by next Wednesday, with this kind of progress, I think I just may do that.

I was feeling down again yesterday, ready to give up on everything and eat some lasagna with tons of cheese on it.  I had a relapse of my cold and my sinuses are congested and I haven't made it back into the gym but once this week.

I didn't eat the lasagna, instead I ate a chocolate/peanut butter protein bar.

So, when I got on the scale this morning, I was dreading no progress.

Yay!  Because I keep feeding my body protein every couple hours, I am maintaining the muscle fibers I have built in the last 4 weeks, which is burning some of this fat even though I have had a layoff of 3 days from the gym.

Okay, it's been a week and I was really sick still and didn't go to the gym for over a week, now.  I am pretty much over the cold, now.  Last week I was fooling myself into thinking I was getting over the cold.  It is gone now, no more coughing and sneezing and runny nose.

So, here is my pic from when I started a month ago on the left and then today on the right:

Beginning my 4th week, here is a comparison of my first pic when I started vs. my pic today.  I am now at 267 1/2 lbs., which is a gain of 2 1/2 lbs. since last week.  But wait...it's not FAT!!!  woohoo!

Tomorrow is the end of the 3rd week.  I have been quite sick with a cold and congestion and haven't been to the gym in 3 days!  I have been feeling a bit better today, so I will get back to the gym on Monday.  I am still eating very well with today being my cheat day. 

My husband and I are planning to go to the Olive Garden tonight for our Valentine's celebration.  Boy, am I glad it's cheat day!  I hope I am feeling up to it by 8:00 p.m.  The last couple nights I have taken NyQuil and been ready to go to bed by 8:00.  We will just see how I feel.  I know my husband would be up for anything or nothing, he is SO awesome like that.

I weight in, take measurements and take a pic to post tomorrow.  We will see how I progressed, if any, this week with it being such an off week for me.

My first measurements to use as a starting point are:

neck:  15"
upper arm:  15"
chest:  45 1/2"
waist:  37"
hips:  53 1/2"
thigh:  34"
calf:  19"

We will see on Sunday how I progress throughout the week.  I will post my measurements along with a new pic every Sunday.

I also went to the grocery store today and checked my blood pressure.  A couple weeks ago at my doctor's appointment where I was determined to have high cholesterol at a count of 250 (under 200 is considered healthy), I also had high blood pressure of 160/90.  It had never been that high, EVER.  It is now 125/75, so it's improving drastically and quickly.  the 125 is considered borderline, but the 75 is at a healthy range, now.

I also found a list of foods from a Prevention Magazine article that are purported to lower LDL cholesterol substantially, and raise HDL (the good fats that flush out the bad LDL).  That list is:

Oats (eaten daily) / 5.3% reduction in LDL in 6 weeks
Red Wine / 12% reduction in 3 months, I think it said
Salmon and Fatty Fish / raise HDL by 4%
Raw Nuts at 1.5 oz. a day / 9.3% reduction in LDL
Beans like Black, Kidney and Pinto / 8% reduction in LDL
Black Tea / 10% reduction in LDL in only 3 weeks
Dark Chocolate / raise HDL a good 24% in 12 weeks
Heart Healthy Margarine like Promise Activ or Benecol / 35% reduction in LDL
Raw Spinach
Avocado
Garlic
Olive Oil

The last four they didn't list the study/test group percentage, but it looks like how I eat!  We will see what my blood cholesterol shows after 3 months of eating right and good like this.

I am still not making progress on the scale.  My foot stretches are helping the Plantar Fasciitis, but today it really hurts and I am suppose to work my lower body, so I will probably skip the gym today and give my foot a rest and resume tomorrow with the lower body work out.

Okay, so I was reading up on foot pain so I could manage my workouts better.

What I found out is that I have Plantar Fasciitis.  This is where the ligaments and tendons in the arch of the foot have small tears from pressure and they cause swelling and inflammation, which, in turn, causes the pain in my foot pad and heel on my right foot.

I looked up ways I can make it heal and I found some stretches that I can do.  They seem to be working as I am getting some immediate relief and my cardio workout today wasn't as bad on my foot.  I do have to lay off the treadmill as it has some hard impact on my foot, which has been the main cause of my pain.

So, no treadmill, only low or non-impact machines like the elliptical or incline cycles.  I can still get a good workout and rest the arch of my foot at the same time so that it can heal better/faster.

I am really looking forward to my cheat day on Saturday.  It's the Saturday before Valentine's Day and my husband and I are going to Olive Garden, yummy!

OH, and I finally bought a cloth measuring tape.  I will be measuring by tomorrow and posting my first measurements here.

I have worked out 4 times this week instead of 6.  My right foot has pain on the foot pad again, limping around.

I gained 2 lbs. this week, but have been very strict with the eating plan.  I had good weight workouts, so I am thinking the muscle fibers being developed are adding weight faster than the fat is shedding.  I shed 1/2 lb. by the end of the week, so I am at a 10 lb. total shedding, so far since I started.

Still not bad, but not what I was hoping or planning for.

I feel a little discouraged.  I had my "cheat day" yesterday and really didn't eat much sweet stuff, except the creamer in my coffee.  I find if I do, I don't feel very good.

Here is my weekly picture for comparison:

I worked my arms, shoulders and back yesterday, very sore today!  I did a cardio today and am staying steadfast with my whole grain and lean meats eating.

I was very tired for my cardio today, but I got on the elliptical, anyway.  I feel good now, but the workout wore me down some, but not like my very first cardio workout.

I haven't lost any more weight, so I'm thinking of taking weekly measurements of my neck, arm, chest, waist, hips and thigh. Then, I am thinking of recording them so I can see how much progress I make in inches, as well as weight and body fat percentage.

I just need to find my cloth tape measure!

Okay, checking in on my official blog post here like I promised.  It's been a week, and I am beginning my 2nd week.  I had my cheat day yesterday and I really didn't cheat much, just had some margarine on my whole wheat english muffin and some catsup on my eggbeaters.

Oh, and 3 cups of coffee with hazelnut creamer...yum!

Back on track today.  Here is my weekly photo compared to my starting photo, not much of a difference, but I see a new light in my eyes.  My belly looks like it has shrunk just a little bit.  Not very noticeable, but I am on my way.

I just got back from the gym.  I had them weight me and measure my bodyfat percentage.

I started out at 46.7% body fat.  Wow...  *eyes rolling*

I am now at 44.8%.  That's 2% body fat drop in my first week, with a 10 lb. total weight shedding.

The personal trainer told me that I can look forward to perhaps shedding 20-30 lbs. in my first month and 5-10% body fat drop.

I rested well last night, no workout.  So, when I got to the gym today, I was sooo ready to get my first leg and abs workout going.  It felt really good to get on the machines today.  I think my legs and abs are my favorite body parts to work out.

I am going to have myself a whole wheat Hawaiian Pita Pizza, personal size.  It's the Body For Life recipe and it's SO GOOD.  I'm hungry...lunch time!

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday for an annual checkup, papsmear, and a clean bill of health to continue my exercise and eating plan.

Most everything was pretty healthy, they took blood to check thyroid, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, etc.  They had a hard time finding a vein, I would assume because of the layer of FAT on my arms.  They had to use a neo-natal needle to draw my blood after 3 times poking me.  I wasn't happy.

I told the Dr. about my foot pain and my bursitis flare ups, as well as my new eating plan and exercise plan.  He said I'm doing everything right to shed the weight.  He also said that the weight is the main cause of all my minor ailments.  As I shed the weight, my ailments should go away.

I also have high blood pressure, which I have NEVER had before.  It is 160/92.  My normal healthy blood pressure is 115/70 and it's never been higher, until now.

I just got a call a little while ago from my Dr.'s office and they told me that my cholesterol levels are higher than they like to see.  My levels are 255 and they like to see under 200.  They wanted to prescribe medication immediately and I asked if there is an alternative to meds as I do not like taking ANY pills or medications.  They said yes, I can continue what I'm doing and in 3 months go in and get my blood levels checked again.

I plan to be 30-40 lbs. lighter by the 3 month mark.

Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out at my cholesterol.  I have NEVER had high cholesterol, until now.

Well, now I see that my careless and impulsive eating over the past few years has cost me dearly.  I am at risk of heart disease and heart attack, now.  I'm a little scared.  This new news adds a layer of urgency to the matter of shedding the weight.  It's not just a matter of the pain in my feet and my knees, it's a matter of LIFE OR DEATH.

I never thought I would be saying that.

My feet still hurt, my hip is in a lot of pain.  I am skipping the gym and doing a yoga workout tonight.  The rest days are just as important as the heavy workout days.  I think I may hurt myself if I go in tonight.

*Sigh*

I woke up this morning, free of headache since yesterday!  I think my body is adjusting to the new eating plan.

I felt like I injured my right foot doing cardio yesterday.  I was on the treadmill for 50 minutes and burned 520 calories.  The gym has a cardio theater where it's dark and there is a theater size screen and they were playing the movie 2012, it made the workout go by very quickly it seemed.

This morning I could barely walk.  My left hip and right foot pad are SO SORE!

I have a 1 year old baby boy and he weighs almost 25 lbs.  Since I have 125 lbs. to lose, that means I am carrying around the equivalent of 5 of my sons at once.  That's quite a burden on my joints and my feet!  NO wonder my feet are sore!

I hit the gym tonight and do my first weight training for legs and abs.  I hope the pain has subsided by then.

Woke up this morning with NO headache, woohoo!

I weighed myself again and I am down another 2 lbs.  My husband said that my chin has shrunk...no more double chin?  I haven't looked yet, but he said, in an admiring tone of voice that I am looking younger.

So, a total 9 lbs. since Saturday?  It's only Tuesday!  The personal trainer said the first week or two would probably be a substantial shedding of weight, then my body will level out and shed 1-3 lbs. a week.  But, I didn't think I would be down almost 10 lbs. in only a few days.  I know it's not all fat shedding, but it sure is going to be easier on my knees and sore feet.

I do my first weight workout tonight.  I will probably focus on chest and arms with a mixture of the machines and free weights.

I am getting on the phones to read cards for a bit.  Catch you all later!

I had my first workout, hit the treadmill for 45 minutes and the elliptical for 10, burned 500 calories and was drenched with sweat when I was done.

It wiped me out.  I got home and had to eat right away.  The headache subsided while I was working out, but came back with a vengeance.

I realized that I usually eat to get rid of any headaches.  I am hypoglycemic and headaches are a sign of low blood sugar for me.  So, I used to eat and eat until I was full and the headache would usually go away.

Once I ate lunch, I took a quick shower and I went to change into my regular clothes that were splayed across my bed and I ended up crawling into bed instead.  I was cold, and the bed was warm.  I wanted my headache to go away, so I took a nap for an hour.  Then, a couple hours later, I took another one-hour nap.  The workout really wiped me out!

The headache didn't go away.  I took some Tylenol and it has subsided.

I think it is caffeine withdrawals.  Yep, it will go away by tomorrow.

I am really tired, it's an early morning tomorrow, so I know, even with two naps today, I am going to sleep SO GOOD tonight!

I woke up with a headache this morning, dehydrated I think, and I slept real hard in one position too long.  I got up and went to the restroom...more colon cleansing!  I weighed myself just out of sheer curiosity and I am 268 lbs.  Down from 275, how can that be in 4 days?  I think it's my colon cleansing itself, getting all the sludge out.  That's 7 lbs. in 4 days!  Woohoo!

I drank 36 oz. of water just with my breakfast of egg beaters and dry toast.  The egg beaters are Southwestern style, so not bad.  I was still a little hungry afterwards, so I waited 1 1/2 hours and just got myself a protein shake.  I feel a little better.

I work from home for a psychic/tarot card line, taking calls and reading cards for people.  I can't get on the phones this morning because of the headache.  I will have to see how this afternoon goes.

I am so used to getting coffee with rich hazelnut creamer, at least 2 cups in the morning.  I have had none since Saturday.  I can't drink just plain coffee...ew.  That's probably another reason for the headache.  I'm sure it will subside in the next couple days as I wean myself off coffee.  I will still be able to have a cup on my 1 cheat day a week.  I'm good with that.

I'm gearing up to go work out in about an hour.  My first workout.

I will let you know how it goes.

Okay, so I joined the gym on Friday.  I had received a flyer in the mail and they were inviting me to join their "Biggest Loser" Challenge.  I kept the flyer for 2 weeks before I called them.

I mean, I was feeling like I was looking at the proverbial "elephant" that I needed to eat all at once and feeling overwhelmed.  I knew I needed to shed over 100 lbs.  That's almost a whole person! 

So, what was it that made me call?  A couple nights ago, I had a big scare.  I was watching a DVD with my husband and when it was over, I swung my legs out of bed and stood up...

AND I COULDN'T WALK...

Not for several moments.  My feet were in a lot of pain.  My husband asked if I was OK and I said NO, I'm not.

"I'm not going to be one of those people who have to sit in a motor cart just to get groceries, because I'm too fat to walk!"

He held onto me as I stood there and cried.  My feet had been in a lot of constant pain for some time, now, because of bearing the weight of my body.

The next day, I called the gym.  I am now enrolled in their Challenge.  I weighed in at 275, which the personal trainer said I have 125 lbs. to shed in 56 weeks.

Yesterday, which was Saturday, I found the Body For Life eating plan I had followed 6 years ago and I went shopping for whole wheat grains, lean proteins, protein shakes and nutrition bars.  I loaded up the cart with what looked like bodybuilder's food.  I guess that's what it is!  I sure don't look like a body builder, though.

Today, I started eating according to the plan and had to use the restroom 4 times!  This clean eating is really cleansing my colon!

Here is a picture of me today.  I plan to take a picture every week on Sunday and post in my blog here.  I am going to report to all of you for the world to see, my progress and setbacks at least once a week.

So, today's eating was a challenge. It being my first day and all. Although I wasn't hungry, I was acutely aware of when I felt the urge to snack and piece on different things throughout the day.

I felt like eating some of the cheddar cheese we gave the baby...I felt like grazing on the left over barbecue roast beef that everyone else ate for dinner.  I was going to grab a piece of left over pizza for a snack after lunch!  All these were impulsive thoughts that I normally would have just followed and not had a second thought.  Everyone in the family had a bowl of ice cream after dinner.  I sat there and watched...and it was hard.

I got my sweet tooth satisfied an hour later, though, when I was able to eat a chocolate chocolate chip nutrition bar!  It actually was really good, and I'm not hungry.

So, I learned a lot about how I had been eating over the last few years, very impulsive and emotional eating.

But, a good first day overall!