A year from now you will be glad you started today

I had seen this saying on Instagram in July of 2015.  I thought of it many times over the next few months.  I am so thankful that in December 2015 that I started Weight watchers.  I am not where I want to be, but I am not where I was.

Meredith Andrews "Soar"

Meredith Andrews "Soar"   (please click the link to take you to the video)

As I prepared for the St. Jude race and also dealing with things going on in our lives, I have been claiming the verse Isaiah 40:31.  I heard this song last night and it really touched my heart.  It was beautiful.  I hope you enjoy it.

St. Jude 10K

When I first started weight watchers in December of 2015, I would get short of breath just walking to the parking garage.  I ended up doing water aerobics for exercise.  Fast Forward to this year and I completed the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend 10K.  It was a great feeling.

Part of Team Turtles

The rest of Team Turtles.  Of the 4 of us, we ALL 4 started a weight loss journey in December 2015.  Not all the same route, but we all started at the same time.  We have lost a combined total of 300 pounds and we all completed this race together.  So proud of Team Turtle.

The news posted this photo of the starting line.  I think they said 22,000 people raced.

People were starting to line up.  We were at the back.

It is hard to see it, but the Memphis M bridge is in the background.

I love the St. Jude logo painted on the street of the praying hands of the little child. 

We stopped on Danny Thomas Blvd to take a pic with the hospital as the backdrop

My sister came out to cheer us on

There were great signs out.  I loved one that a boy held in the St. Jude campus.  It said "Run Faster, I am Freezing"!!!

We did it!

Proud moment

I wanted to sleep with that metal. 

Jersey Boys and a little Before and Now of us

My husband and I went to the Orpheum Theatre last night to see my favorite show EVER "Jersey Boys".  My daughter took this photo of us and I wanted to share it with you.

Although he is not an official Weight Watchers, he knows all about points...ha!  He has made some changes, we eat healthier at home, he walks with me some, he is making better choices eating out.  I am proud to say that he has lost over 30 pounds.  

I would not be where I am today without the support and encouragement of my friend and family and also my Weight Watchers family.  It really is better together. 

Continuing on the Weight Loss Journey

I have not posted in a while, not because I quit Weight Watchers (I have trudged along going to meetings and working the program), but because my weightloss had stalled.  I got to One-derland and maybe celebrated too much, but I hit a plateau or as I thought a brick wall.  For 8 weeks or so I have lost and gained the same 2 pounds over and over.  I have had to miss my regular meetings because of work, been on vacation and been out of our routine.  I would love to blame it on the loss of the WW Community Website, because I miss it dearly, but in the end, it is all me.  I am the only one who can do this.  I have just not found my niche in social media to find my cyber WW friends.  

The key for me has always been to plan, prep, pack and track.  I did just that the last 2 weeks.  I discovered low fat Reddi Whip this week and sugar free jello and it is Dee-Lish!  plus it takes me back to my Granny.  She and Pawpaw Pinky had red jello after every meal for dessert.

We celebrated Austin's birthday last night and he was so sweet, he said "Look at my skinny momma!!! I have never gotten my arms around you before".  Talk about a non scale victory!

So..................drum roll please.............to date, I have lost..............

There are still alot of marbles in the "pounds to go" jar.  I am not exactly sure if that is where I will get.  Those marbles represent the pounds to Weight Watchers goal for me.  My doctor feels a more realistic, although higher goal, would be more maintainable.  I go back to the doctor in November and we will see.

My goal for this journey was to become healthy.  I have to work at least 25 more years.  I also wanted to be able to buy clothes from the regular ladies section of the store, not at Catherines "Stout Shoppe" as it use to be called.    I am at that place now, and I feel so much better.

Bowling with WW Friends

Our Friday morning Weight Watchers group decided to get together and go bowling.  We had so much fun.  It was funny that we got together to go DO something, not just go out to eat dinner.  You can plan an activity that does not revolve around food.

Who would have thought back  in December when I was so scared to walk into that meeting that I would find such sweet friends that are a great encouragement to me.

New Clothes

I have REALLY struggled the past few weeks, up - down - maintain. At todays WI, I was up - AGAIN!!!! Ughh! I decided that instead of getting down on myself, that I would look at how far I have come and i WILL finish this journey. I decided to take the birthday money daddy gave me and pick up some clothes and scrubs that actually fit. I was pleasantly surprised at the size :O) It seems funny to reward myself on a week that I had a gain, but really what I am trying to do is get my head back in the game. I am not a failure because I have struggled the past few weeks. I am totally worth it. I have rocked it for almost 9 months and it is time to push myself back where I know I need to be. This is me in December 2015 and then today. Down 60 pounds.

Gotta get back on track

Missed my weigh in today, I was feeling poorly, but plan to go weigh in tomorrow morning.  I have had a tough week staying on program with us going out of town last weekend and hosting 2 retirement receptions at work, then this weekend is my grandson's birthday and then my birthday dinner as well.  I have gotten my "carbohydrate addict" self into high gear.  Isn't it funny, after not having really very much sweet, or very rich for so long, how quickly those cravings come right on back once we indulge????  I tried to track every day this past week, even when I went over my allotted points, but when I went over my weekly's, I just quit tracking.  I have got to get it together!!!!  I have come too far.

For my birthday, we are having family and friends meet at an Italian restaurant for dinner, not exactly where I would choose, point wise for a weight watcher, but our daughter is a waitress there and wants the tip money from the family...ha!!!  So I will have a grilled chicken salad, and skip the rolls.  My husband ordered cupcakes so at least they are portion controlled.  They are my favorite.  I know they are 23 points and that is OK.  I will savor every morsel. Hey, I only turn 50 once.

Here's hoping that I fare well this week and after the birthday festivities that things will get back to normal.

NSV at my daughter's school registration

Went with my daughter to register her for school. I had to, once again, sit in the dreaded school desk. Guess what I fit and there was room to spare. Yea!!!!! Plus I was able to walk up and down the stairs and up and down all of those halls while she found her classes, AND I was not embarrassed by how I looked, so hopefully, she was not embarrassed either.

Painting with a WW Buddy

One of my WW buddies @SuzieApple and I went to a paint party for some "Me Time".  It was so much fun!!!  It was nice to get together with a friend, do something fun and the focus not be about food.

I did it!!!

There are no words to describe how this feels today. I have watched every season of the Biggest Loser and have wanted this so badly and today was the day!!!!!

I can't even think about the next hurdle right now, I am just relishing how this feels.

I made it to Wonderland!! (One-derland!) I keep singing the John Mayer song "Your Body is a Wonderland" and my 22 year old son said Momma, I am not sure that is what that song is talking about ......oooo weeee!  So yea, maybe this is not the right song!!!  ha!!!  I can't get the tune out of my head, so for today I will sing it!!!

Anyway, I am so grateful that I get to share this with all of YOU!!!!!

Just Like Oprah's Christmas Give-away

As I have gone through these last 7 months on Weight Watchers, the community, groups, challenges, message boards, blogs, and even my own dashboard has been a great tool for me.  I loved seeing those little star rewards when I lost 5%, then 10% etc.  I also loved getting those little cyber tokens.  I know it seems silly, but it let me know that someone was thinking of me and giving me just that little bit of encouragement that I  needed that day.

So, today, I want this to be like Oprah's big Christmas Give-away that she use to have on her TV show.  She had all of her favorite things and she would give them away to all of her audience members.

For each of you I am giving you ALL of the Tokens!!!  I changed the messages on some of the tokens (although they may be too small to read).

Please know that I will miss the WW Community Boards, but I am glad you have found your way to this blog or are keeping up with me on the WW app Connect.

(((((Hugs))))

What a Difference A Year Makes

I guess a side effect of the wife being a Weight Watcher is that the husband loses weight too.  I am 58 pounds down, he is 25 pounds down.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Unstuffed cabbage

1 lb Laura's Lean ground round

small onion diced

1 can tomatoes diced (I used italian style or rotel) 

2 bags of slaw cabbage

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 tsp italian seasoning

1 cup water

Brown meat and onion, add tomatoes, water, seasoning and stir.  Add cabbage and stir.  Simmer 30 minutes covered.

1/4 of the skillet was 4 smart points.

Weight Watchers chocolate cupcakes

This is an old WW recipe.  It is YUMMY!!!

1 box pillsbury sugar free chocolate cake mix
1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup water

Mix together (it will be very thick).  Spoon into muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.  Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Each muffin is 3 smart points.

Missed One-Derland once again!!!

I went to my WW meeting today and once again, I am still not under that big number.  In fact, I was up 0.2 lb.  Not much, but still up.  ughh!!!  I think it is somewhat fluid this week because I can't get my wedding rings off.  I guess I just want to be under the goal so badly.  Not today.  I will keep on working my program and sooner or later, it will happen.

Anyone else ever feel like this????

Weight Watchers Community

I go to the Weight Watchers meetings.  I really like them alot.  I need the accountability.  Along with your membership, you get access to the online "tools".  One of the things that I have really enjoyed is the online community.  I have made some sweet online friends and have benefitted from their encouragement, ideas, food finds and wisdom.  Sadly, WW announced this week that in August, the Community is going away.  They are replacing it with the phone app called Connect.  It is very similar to Instagram and very impersonal.  For that reason, I am starting this blog.  I hope some of the others will do the same.   I will miss hearing from them several times per week.

I know that Sir Blogs Alot from WW community is starting a personal blog page as well.

If you want to follow along, you can either book mark this page, or follow by email and when I post something new, it will notify you. 

I hope you are all having a great week!!!

Progress so far

One of the many times I joined Weight Watchers this was 2011

Another time I joined Weight watchers, this was in 2012

This was December of 2015, the day I joined Weight Watchers for the last time..........I say the last, because I will reach goal and become a life time member.

Easter - starting to notice a difference in my face

haven't gone without sleeves in public for a long time

I was so proud of this top, I bought it at WALGREENS!!!!  Off the rack!!!! No dressing room

My official weigh in outfit for Weight Watchers for a very long time

This dress is a 1XL - I love it.  I felt skinny for the first time.

How can this 2XL pink top make me feel skinny???

This was when I could FINALLY see a difference

2 months prior, this shirt would not fit across the bust and arms at all

February 2016 - the day I started singing with Servants Heart

This was June 2016 after losing 50 pounds.