Doing ok so far...

Went to the neurologist yesterday. 

They weighed me and noticed that I have lost (according to their records) 26 pounds so far!

I am very pleased with how this us going of course...still a long road ahead, but quite an accomplishment, imho.

To be continued.....

Post vacation....

Vacation was a BIG success!!

I was able to mostly stick with the program and managed to lose a couple of pounds.

Total weight loss since the start of the new program =9 pounds....since before Christmas = close to 25 pounds!!!

Really starting to feel a difference now :-)

Ok, so I'm on vacation....

We're on vacation in florida this week.  This is only week two of my weight loss plan.  I will admit to being a bit nervous.

I am trying very hard to stick with the plan, but that kids hot fudge sundae wasn't....

Hope todays walking helps counteract the effect.

Been a while....

It's been a while since I've posted.

I have decided to try this again. I know, I know- I said I would do this before. Well, let's just see how this goes.

I am inspired to write because I am beginning a new and exciting journey. I have been struggling with my weight, I am sure I am not alone there, but I have lost some pounds in the past few months. OK, 15 pounds. I am happy about that.

I have a long way to go before I am where I need to be, but this is a good start.

We have a program at work where they do some testing and if you meet enough of the criteria, they give you a discount on your health plan premiums for the year. I met almost all of them...would have likely met all of them had I read the directions. Messed up eating when I shouldn't have before the testing.

ANYWAY.... Related to this same program, they are doing a study. It was supposed to be for people who flunked a certain number of the criteria (more than I did), but again, I didn't read it all the way through...(really need to work on that reading thing) before I applied.

I expected to be turned down immediately, but...

I was accepted into the study.

The study will include instruction on eating healthy, recognizing stressful eating and 'learning how to weigh myself'. Not so sure about this last one. I have always gotten buck naked and weighed myself at the same time of day. I am anxious to learn if there is something I am doing wrong. Inhale? Exhale? Weigh myself standing on my head? (ok, not realistic- and definitely not naked- I would suffocate because nothing would be holding the breasts in place!) Seriously- what's to teach??

I am excited to learn and - more importantly- to place emphasis on eating healthy. So far, all I have done is watch how much I am eating. I know I won't continue to lose weight this way- I need to increase my activity and actually pay attention to WHAT I eat.

The study runs 10 weeks and begins on March 28th.

Wish me luck!

Welcome to 2010

Here we go, a new decade beginning- 2010.

Funny- I don't really remember paying attention to the fact that it was a new decade since....hmm...well, since 1980 I think.

Oh, I know we all were obsessed with that new millennium thing- all worried about whether our clocks would explode and whether we would lose power and the world would end and such...(none of which happened by the way).

I think this year we are all anxious for the new decade. Not just looking forward to it but really anxious. The first decade of this new millennium has been a difficult one. We began innocently enough- simply happy our clocks were still working. Then came terror.

I don't think we had a real knowledge of terror until that fateful day in September of 2001. Those of us who were adults that day, and many of our children, now have a clear understanding of the meaning of the word terror.

The decade never had a chance to recover after that day.

We are all anxious for this new decade I think- it's a chance for a new beginning- we hope.


I- for one- would like to see things return to a time where we aren't so afraid all the time. I don't see that happening any time soon, but it's good to dream.


Then there's the economy. We are all struggling- I think it has to get better.

As for me- I plan to be better. I hope to be a better person, take better care of my family, my home and myself. The normal, bland New Year stuff.


I would also like there to be less of me, but we'll see how that works out. LOL


Till next time! Happy New Year

Merry Christmas World

Here we are again...another Christmas almost done.

This one was a bit harsher than others- less money, less time- we're not alone- no need to dwell on that depressing topic huh?

As I sit here with my youngest daughter watching one of my gifts- the DVD of "Julie & Julia", I imagine myself cooking my way through Julia Child's cookbook. Of course, I think again- can't do the seafood thing myself- yuck! But I would love the cooking part.

Cooking is such a creative activity. You can either start with a recipe or not. If you do start with a recipe, you can choose to follow it directly, or only a little...and you can change your mind and do it differently every time you make the dish. You can add your own personality to whatever you do when you cook. Then- you get to actually appreciate and enjoy the fruits of your labor. YOU actually get to sit down and consume your own piece of art.

The perfect artform- food.

Happy Monday

Hi-

Another Monday is done...one day closer to the big holiday. Woo Hoo.... I admit that was as half-hearted as it probably seemed as you read it. Sorry, just not feeling it yet. I will get there, I always do- just not there yet.

I haven't shared much information about myself. Let's start with family- that's where my heart is (a cliche, I know but it is SO true).

I am proud to say that my husband and I have been married 27 years. TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS! That's simply impossible- I can't be older than 27 years- how could I be married that long?? It's funny to think about now, but when those older people we talked to as newlyweds told us- the years really do fly by.

We have three children- a daughter 27 (don't do that math please!), a son 25 and a daughter 21. I am no longer the mother of youngsters. No longer can I say that I have teenagers at home. My children are all of legal age to drive a car, elect our president and legally drink alcoholic beverages.

I am no longer simply a Mother- I am also a Mother-in-Law. Our oldest daughter is married to a great man and has made us grandparents, not just once but she is working on giving us a second grandchild.

This brings me to Grandchildren. Can I mention Grandchildren? As any other grandparent will tell you- there is nothing better. You really can't appreciate them until you experience them. The sheer joy of raising wonderful children is un-paralleled; nothing can match that experience. The next best thing is your grandchildren. They are amazing. You get all the best, most fun parts of parenthood- the adoration, the unquestioning love, the fantastic kiddie hugs without having all the responsibility. You really do get to spoil them with all the fun things without having to do all the hard work- what could be better?

This does not come without a down side, however. You still have all the worry and none of the control. It takes a lot to figure out when to hold your tongue and let the new parents just figure it out on their own and wait until they are ready to ask for your opinion and help. You remind yourself- "You were them once and the little ones are amazingly resilient" You just need to let them find their way....and they do. Then you are back to one of the best times again- Watching your child become a parent- not just becoming a parent, but becoming a great parent. There is no greater sense of pride than being the parent of a good parent.

Our children have become so much more than we could have anticipated. All three have gone to college (two out of three are done, the third is a junior in college as I type). They make us proud every day with their knowledge, common sense and dedication. My husband and I came from very limited means- neither of us were educated past high school. We have scraped and clawed our way to try to give them the benefit of education and experiences. It seems to be paying off so far.

We are very fortunate.