**Days 392 - 396**

Last day of the month, so it's time for this month's final weigh-in:

Same as last weigh-in, so that goes to show you that I'm still not doing all that great.  I mean, maintaining is okay, but if I was doing all that I should be doing I would be losing.  I continue to struggle.  I've, definitely, been in a funk allowing negative thoughts to roam through my head:  I still have 97 pounds to lose, which seems impossible to me.  I'm turning 40, so just face that fact that it's not gonna happen.  I don't have what it takes to get this done.  I don't know why I've been letting these thoughts get the best of me because, deep down, I know it's not true - losing 97 pounds is not impossible, and lots of people 40 and older have done it, and I do have what it takes.  I just need to get some of my confidence back.  I need to take more action.  If I'm going to talk the talk, I need to walk the walk, and I need to do it now.  I ask myself all the time - what am I waiting for?  What?  I have no idea.  I really, really don't.

Anyway, I may have been sidelined for quite awhile now, but never once have I, completely, given up, and I won't.

Plans for today:

Breakfast:  Protein shake and fruit
Lunch:  Salad with tuna and a yogurt
Dinner:  Chicken Breast and veggies
Snacks:  Celery, red peppers, pineapple, Wasa Rye cracker
Exercise:  25 min. jog outside and 30 Day Shred
Water:  120 ounces

Have a great week!

**Days 389 - 391**

I haven't been in the mood to blog because I haven't had much to blog about.  I'm not doing bad, but I'm not doing great either.  One day I'll exercise, but I don't eat as good as I should.  Then another I'll eat good, but I don't exercise.  So, that's how the last few days have been going.  I have to do better, but when I'm not doing all that good it's hard for me to blog.  I hate coming on here to talk, talk, talk about what I need to do because really it's just blah, blah blah - know what I mean?  All talk, but no action.  No one wants to listen to that, so I'll be back in a couple days to blog about more action!

**Days 386 - 388**

I bought myself an early birthday present:

I've been wanting a Garmin watch for awhile, but I didn't want to pay $220 for it.  I found a used one on Amazon for $155, so I decided to grab it!  Now, I realize I haven't been doing any jogging outside lately - I've been being a baby about the weather, but I'm going to stop using that as an excuse, and get out there.  I can't wait to use the watch tomorrow!

I decided to do the 30 DS Shred tonight - I forgot how much I love to hate Jillian!!  

It's going to be a good week! 

I'm so behind on reading blogs, so I'm sorry I haven't been around to offer support, but I'm going to try to catch up, right now!

**Days 384 & 385**

Weigh-in day, and it's a good one:

It's a little blurry, sorry, but that's a 4 pound loss!  So, it's not the lowest I've been since I started this weight loss journey last year, but I'm, definitely, moving in the right direction, again!  

I haven't taken progress pictures in a long time because, well, there hasn't been any progress, in a long time.  The lowest I've been is 215, and I hope to be there again SOON, but I'm not going to take progress pics until I lose a total of 50 pounds, which is 23.5 more pounds.

I'm feeling more determined than I have in a long time.  I lost that feeling for quite awhile, but it's back, and I'm working really hard to stay in a good groove for myself and my family.

Have a great weekend!

**Days 382 & 383**

I did great with my food and water yesterday - 1250 calories and 96 ounces.  I did not exercise, and I have no excuse - I was just plain lazy.  Unacceptable.

I did exercise today:

No, not a long workout, but I burned 225 calories, and I was dripping sweat.  Seriously, this workout kicked my butt - I did interval training (3.6mph-4.5mph).

I was a little low on my calories today (1159), but I was right on with my water (96 ounces).

I'm, actually, looking forward to my weigh-in on Friday - I know I've lost weight this week!

In 16 days I'll be heading to Florida - so excited!!

In 14 days I'll turn 40 years old - NOT so excited!!

**Still Day 381**

My friend, Jen, posted this on her FB page - I had to steal it!

**Days 380 & 381**

I didn't exercise over the weekend - shame on me!!  But I watched what I ate, and I drank lots of water.

Today, I had a really hard time getting myself to exercise, but I did it:

I feel so good after a workout, so I need to remember that the next time I don't want to exercise!

Calories today:  1346

Water:  90 ounces

I want to send a big congrats out to fellow blogger, Tim!  He met his overall goal weight today (actually beat it by a pound!), and has lost a total of 71 pounds!  I'm so happy for you, Tim!  So inspiring!!

**Day 379**

Well, Mis S. had a good idea to help me with my scale dilemma - she suggested that I weigh a dumbbell, or a bag of sugar, to make sure my scale is accurate!   Well, I hadn't even thought of that - duh!  Easy fix!  Thank you, Mis S.!!  So, I weighed my dumbbells (a 10 pound and a 5 pound), and my new scale is right on:

So, I do weigh more than I thought - I like my analog scale much more!  Ha!  But, like I said, the most important thing is that my numbers start dropping.

Well, I'm off to burn some calories by cleaning my house from top to bottom!

Happy Saturday to you!

**Day 378**

So, I weighed-in on my analog scale first thing this morning (just to show you the difference between the analog and the digital).  On the analog scale I was:

Back to 219 (last week showed about 216.5), which I don't get because I was so darn good this week!  Well, except for Wed. with the burger, fries, and cafe mocha. So, on the analog scale (which I used for weigh-in last week) I'm showing a 2.5 pound gain. :(

Now, get this - here's what my new digital scale showed:

Damn it!  AND I started a weight loss challenge last night at a friend's house, and her digital scale put me at 233!!  Double damn it!  So, this just goes to show me that all scales are not created equal - not even close!!  BUT I'm not going to stress over it.  My new digital scale is the scale I will be using for my home weigh-ins, so that's the weight I'm going with for today, and, all that matters, from here on out, is that the number starts going down!

Only 20 days until my Florida trip, but I'm not worried - I'm going to kick butt.  I know, I know - you have your doubts, but stick around! :)

Have a great weekend!

**Days 376 & 377**

Yesterday didn't go so great for me, but I only have myself to blame.  I started with a good breakfast - a bowl of Cheerios, and fruit.  And I had plans to get on my treadmill since I wasn't going to the gym, BUT I never got on my treadmill.  Then I skipped lunch, and by dinner I was starving.  We had some errands to do, so we decided to head out to do them, and go to dinner.  I had a big, fat burger, and some fries.  And then I got a Caribou Cafe  Mocha after dinner.  So, basically, I spent my whole day making poor choices.

I, finally, bought a new digital scale yesterday, and, well, let me tell you the analog scale I used for my last couple of weigh-ins is way off!!  It's MUCH friendlier than the digital scale - MUCH!  It is an old scale, but I had no idea it was so inaccurate.  I'll be using the new digital scale from now on for weigh-ins, so tomorrow's weigh-in will show a gain, for sure, but it is what it is.

Today was a much better day!  My dad and I went to the gym this morning, and I did:

Incline Elliptical - 30 min.
Treadmill - 20 min.

My eating was good, and I drank plenty of water.

I haven't been doing any running or strength training, so I need to work out a plan for getting started because I really need to do both, so I'm going to work on that for next week.

I'll be back in the morning for my weigh-in!

**Day 375**

This morning we hit the gym, again:

Regular Elliptical - 15 min.
Incline Elliptical - 20 min.
Treadmill - 15 min.

So, 50 minutes of cardio!  I was sweating my butt off when I done, and my legs are already sore!

Question:  Do you keep track of how many minutes you work out, or how many miles you do, or how many calories you burn, or all of the above?  When I go to the gym I only keep track of how long I work out because I usually do more than one machine, and I would never remember, exactly, how many miles I did, and how many calories I burned on each machine (my memory is crap!), BUT it's kind of bothering me that I don't know, exactly, what I've done.  I guess, I shouldn't worry about it.  I'm working out, and that's all that matters.

So, I've been noticing something at the gym - ALOT of people put their treadmill at a really, really high incline, hold on for dear life, and then walk at a medium pace - and they do this for the whole workout.  Is this the new thing?  Are they working on strength?  I've never seen this before, so I'm curious!

**Still Day 374**

Questions from Debby:

-  TV show you never miss:  The Biggest Loser.  I know the weight loss they have is not realistic in the real world, but I still love the show!
-  Favorite author/book of all time:  Too many authors and too many books to pick just one!
-  If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?:  Anywhere sunny with a beach!
-  Favorite color:  I can't pick just one!  
-  Your most annoying habit:  I'm a procrastinator!  
-  Homeschool or public school:  Homeschool!  
-  Sunshine/Rain/Snow/ favorite weather:  Sunshine, but, sometimes, I love the rain!
-  Big Purse/ Little Purse/ Diaper bag/ No bag?:  Big purse
-  Favorite exercise?:  Treadmill
-  Favorite drink?:  Iced Tea 
-  Are you afraid of dying?:  Yes, I don't want to miss anything!

**Days 372, 373, & 374**

How was your weekend?  Mine was pretty good.  My dad dragged me to the gym on Saturday morning at 8am (thank you, Dad!) - the gym was packed!!  I hate when it's crowded!  So, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, and then got the heck out of there.  I didn't work out on Sunday.  My eating was, for the most part, good over the weekend - yes, I could have done better, but I could have done much worse, too!

We were back at the gym today - I did 15 minutes of weights, 25 minutes on the treadmill, and 20 minutes on the elliptical, so I had a good workout.  My calories were under 1300 today, and I'm working on getting the last of my water in for the day. Today was a good day!

So, I've been tagged by Rochelle!  Thanks, Rochelle!

The rules:
1. post these rules.
2. you must post 11 random things yourself.
3. answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post.
4. cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
5. go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. no stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

11 Random Things About Me:
1.  I love ketchup on everything - eggs, chicken, fish, hamburgers, hot dogs - EXCEPT for french fries!  I like my french fries plain.
2.  I hate talking on the phone.  Actually, it's a bit of fear.  I will avoid talking on the phone, at all cost.  I love email and text - best inventions, ever!  So, don't call me.
3.  I decided to homeschool my eldest daughter just one week before the start of kindergarten - best decision ever! My girls are now 11 and 8, and it's going great!
4.  I'm addicted to Cafe Mochas from Caribou Coffee, which is really, really bad, since I need to lose 100+ pounds.
5.  I was a nanny for 6 years, and I loved it!
6.  From a young age, I wanted to be a singer and an actor, but I didn't have the guts to tell anyone, or to go for it.
7.  I was a competitive swimmer for ten years.
8.  My friend and I were kidnapped by a church minivan during our spring break on South Padre Island.  We thought it was a taxi, but they were religious fanatics who drove us around for an hour talking to us about God!
9.  My mother almost named me "Rainey".
10.  I got a tattoo when I was 18, and a little drunk.  Worse - I took my 16 year old sister with me, and she got one, too.  Needless to say, my parents weren't too happy.
11.  Since birth I have lived in 12 different houses - 7 with my parents, and 5 with my hubby.

11 Questions:
1. What would the opening line of your autobiography say?  "This is my life....or what I can remember...the early 90's are kind of a blur..."  Ha!  I don't know - this is a hard question!
2. What is your favorite alcoholic beverage - or non-alcoholic if you don't imbibe?  Chocolate Martini
3. What is one thing that you would never want to change about yourself?  My strong sense of empathy
4. What is the one characteristic about other people that you simply cannot tolerate?  Narrow-mindedness
5. Name a time when you felt extremely proud of yourself.  Right now.  I'm proud about how I'm, finally, fighting my obesity.
6. If you could relive (and make -over) a year of your life,  what year would that be and why?  I'd re-do my 16th year of life.  Why?  No comment.  Sorry.
7. Is there a particular unusual ritual or routine you do in the exact same way absolutely everyday (something other than brushing your teeth, for example)? If so, what is it?  No rituals or routines - nothing interesting, anyway
8. What is a talent you do not have but wish you did?  I wish I could draw, but stick people is the best I can do.
9. Build your ideal person. Fill in the blanks: I'd want the hair of     Sofia Vergara     , the face of   Mila Kunis        , the body of    Selma Hayek   ,  the brains of   my husband   , the talents of       my daughters          , the sense of humor of      my friend, Julie     , and the bank account of Oprah - ha! 
10. What do you feel the the worst thing is about trying to lose weight?  Staying motivated
11. What song best defines where you are in life right now?  Stand Back Up by Sugarland


That was alot harder than I thought - took me forever to complete!
I'm not going to tag anyone because, honestly, I think, every blog I read has been tagged!
UPDATE:  I just saw that Debby, also, tagged me in her Sat. post!!  Sorry, I was a little behind on reading blogs!  Thanks for the tag, Debby!!!

**Day 371**

Weight today:

Looks like about 216.5 - I was 219 last week, so that's 2.5 pounds lost (swear, I'm getting a new digital scale this weekend - the analog is fine, but I miss having a digital one).  Anyway, I'm very happy with my loss!

My dad and I went to the gym this morning - I did 18 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the elliptical.      My cough is almost gone - I only coughed a few times while working out, so I'm very happy to be done with this chest cold!

I'm going to take advantage of this nice day, and take a two mile walk with my girls, so I'll be getting in a little more exercise before the day is over.

We leave for Florida in 28 days, so I'll be working my butt off to get lots of weight off by the time we leave!!  I need to lose a few more pounds to make sure this butt of mine fits in the plane seat!!

Have a great weekend!

**Day 370**

I, finally, made it back to the gym today - it's been awhile!  My dad went with me - we are going to start working out together.  I took it easy again today because I still have a cough and congestion in my chest, but I do feel better than I did yesterday.  I did 15 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the elliptical, and I worked up a good sweat, so I'm happy with my workout today.  My dad is picking me up at 8:15am tomorrow morning to head back to gym, and I plan on doing 40 minutes of cardio.  I'm looking forward to getting my workout done first thing in the morning!

I'll be weighing in before I go to the gym.  I'm hoping for a two pound loss.  Fingers crossed!

**Days 368 & 369**

This chest cold is getting the best of me - the coughing keeps me up at night, and I can't even laugh without breaking out in a coughing fit.  So, I didn't end up exercising yesterday, as I planned.  I did get on my treadmill for a light 20 minute walk tonight, but I kept it at 3.5mph because I didn't want to get all winded and end up coughing for the whole walk.  My dad and I are going to the gym tomorrow afternoon and I'm going to do, at least, 30 minutes of cardio.  My eating has been good, and I've been drinking a ton of water, so I'm hoping to see a good loss on Friday.

My 11-year-old daughter came to me crying this morning because she feels like her tummy is too fat.  She says she doesn't like what she sees when she looks in the mirror, and she said when someone takes a picture of her she tries to suck in her tummy.  She told me that she wants to be skinnier.  I told her that I understand her feelings, but that the most important thing is that she is healthy (not skinny), and that if she feels her body doesn't look or feel as healthy as she thinks it should then she needs to exercise, and eat better.  It's my fault she hasn't been eating all that well, so I feel really bad about that.  My whole family slacks off when I slack off, and when I gained a bit of my weight back my daughter did, too.  My family doesn't exercise as much I do, so I'm going to make a real effort to get them involved again.  It breaks my heart to hear my girl tell me she doesn't like how she looks.  So sad!  I'm going to do my best to help her through this, and the best way I can do that is to be a good example.

**Days 366 & 367**

So, I did good in 2011, not great, but good.  I'm ready to do great in 2012.  I'm going to kick ass in 2012.  Here are my goals:

• Lose 60 pounds
• Exercise 6 days a week
• Run 3 days a week
• Strength training 3 days a week
• Eat fruits (2 servings) and veggies (3 servings) each day 
• Drink 120 ounces of water each day
• Sleep 6 hours every night

Goals for this week:

• 5k training - Tues., Thurs., & Sat.
• DVD workout - Tues. & Thurs.
• Gym - Wed., Thurs., & Fri.
• Track calories
• Drink only water!

I still have a cough, and I now have a runny nose, BUT I am exercising tomorrow (Tuesday) - no matter what!!