Well today I found this amazing site through google god love technology.  I am a mature student with a tweenage daughter at home.  Because of the added time spent on my behind in lecture halls and my nose always in textbooks i have gained 48 pounds in three years.  I have currently become more active but my tempttions are great due to a love of cooking.  I have researched many great substitutes for bad desserts.  I am really interested in having the support of people like myself who are committed to making a change.

131.8 this morning.  I really want to start weighing myself once a week or once a month, rather than every morning! It's so encouraging seeing the numbers go down though. . . when that is actually happening. . .

Today I had yogurt with a few almonds for breakfast with some green tea and honey.  For lunch I am having popcorn and a diet coke, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do for dinner yet.

My main goal for right now is to cut out these after-school  binges.  I teach high school, and my last class of the day is awful.  I tend to go home and make myself feel, um, better by eating. . . even though I know that it's not what I need or good for me.  I'm trying to think of different ways I can break this cycle I'm in, but it is really hard!  I've been reading a book that says if you feed your body at a certain time every day, it starts to expect getting fed at that time, and I think that is what has happened to me.  I just need to go a few days without eating TONS of food right after school and then eventually my body will be used to not eating then.  Hopefully that will lead to less snacking and three meals a day instead of two really small meals and a huge after-school binge. . .

After school I am going to run a few miles, then I have to teach two yoga classes and an abs class tonight.  Thursdays are awful for me.  Way too much going on, and I'm going non-stop from 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Oh, by the way, goals:

I want to get down to 110 eventually, but it is kind of on the lower side of healthy for my height. . . It may actually be considered underweight, not sure. I should look into that!

For now, I just want to get UNDER 125. I've never weight this much in my entire life. Ridiculous.

here it is, the thursday before the big trip...two days until we head out on a road trip across these great united states (or at least across a couple of them). 

we are driving to kentucky, from california.  then up to indiana and then back to california.  we are taking a full car-load, traveling in a party of 8.  This includes my two stepdaughters and a fiance, my three kids under 6, my husband and myself.  we are all going out to meet my husbands family for the first time (well my husband has met them before).  he had been estranged (courtesy of his ex-wife) from them for 20 years.  i found them on the internet last fall....and very soon afterwards this trip was planned.

so not only do i get to meet my inlaws, for the very first time, looking as i do.  but i am going to be on a road trip going through some of the most amazing bbq states known to man while doing it.  and i cant figure out a way to justify packing my scale (what do you mean honey, don't most people pack a scale when they go on family vacations?)

i worked sooo hard to meet my mini goal (which conveniently was set right before we left), but now i'm terrified i am going to come back 20 lbs heavier than i am right now, and i will have to fight through each and every single one of those lbs again. 

i know, the advice is, "just eat healthy and you will be fine."  but healthy is hard to do when everyone around you is chowing down on some of the most delcious looking bbq ribs in the entire world.  i just...i foresee a problem.  i guess there isnt much i can do about it, save not going into the restraunts (which, with my three little ones...isnt really an option).

sigh.  i think i would just feel so much better just knowing i would be able to weigh myself while i was gone.  that way i could reign in my desires easier, once i saw that number escalating.  or, i suppose, it could work in my favor....i could go a little easier on myself if it didnt jump as fast as i fear it will (which isnt bloody likely).

i still dont think my husband would understand.

My weight is down again today, and I'm feeling good about myself.  The calorie counter on here is a real help in realizing what I'm actually consuming in a day, and how much I need to consume in order to reach my goals.  I WILL REACH MY GOALS!!!!  I CAN AND I WILL!

McDonald's and Weight Watchers: Numbers Don't Add Up, but Pounds Might

Weight Watchers (WTW) and McDonald's (MCD) have teamed up in New Zealand to create three meals that carry the weight-loss program's seal of approval: a chicken wrap, a six-piece McNuggets order and the classic Filet-O-Fish. All three combos come with a water or diet soda, and the McNuggets and Filet-O-Fish also come with a side salad.

The partnership is made possible by "a number of significant and positive changes to our menu over the past few years," Mark Hawthorne, managing director of McDonald's New Zealand, said in a press release, citing several of the chain's moves, including its healthier frying oil and its decision to reduce sugar in its buns and sodium in its dipping sauces. Said Emma Stirling, nutritional advisor for Weight Watchers Australasia: "Our philosophy at Weight Watchers is that all food can be part of a healthy, balanced diet, taking into account portion control and frequency."

By that philosophy, following the program by eating at McDonald's isn't as strange an idea as it sounds. Weight Watchers dieters measure food consumption on a point scale that permits them to eat between 18 and 40 points of food per day. The three McDonald's Weight Watchers meals, according to Weight Watchers New Zealand, are each worth 6.5 points.

Check the Labels

But American Weight Watchers should be careful if they visit a Kiwi branch of McDonald's. Calorie and fat counts differ slightly between the two countries, and the Weight Watchers equation is different, too. In America, the Filet-O-Fish has 380 calories, 18 grams of fat per serving, and 2 grams of dietary fiber, totaling 8.7 Weight Watchers points. A six-piece order of McNuggets has 280 calories, 7 grams of fat, and 0 grams of dietary fiber, yielding 7 points (excluding dipping sauces, most of which add 0.7 points).

The chicken wrap is more promising. American McDonald's' don't sell the Kiwis' seared chicken sweet chili wrap, but our grilled chipotle barbecue snack wrap has 260 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 1 gram of fiber: 5.75 points. But add a salad, light dressing and a diet drink, and the points rise to 6.75 points for the chicken wrap, 8.7 points for the McNuggets, and 9.7 points for the Filet-O-Fish -- all a far cry from New Zealand McDonalds' claim of 6.5 points.

But McDonald's New Zealand's nutritional information site lists the seared chicken sweet chili wrap with a whopping 374 calories and 10 grams of fat, the Filet-O-Fish sandwich with 330 calories and 15 grams of fat, and the six-piece McNugget meal with 269 calories and 19 grams of fat. Any differences between New Zealand's nutritional statistics and ours don't account for the apparent difference in point counts.

Different Countries, Different Points

Why are the point counts lower in New Zealand? One reason may be the calculation. The American equation factors in calories, fat and fiber, but Weight Watchers Australia & New Zealand uses the U.K. points equation, which doesn't factor in fiber content. Instead, it uses a proprietary variable to represent portion size, which injects some uncertainty into the Weight Watchers equation.

McDonald's and Weight Watchers New Zealand representatives acknowledge the difference between the two equations but decline to explain how they calculated the portion-size variable. And because that number determines the ultimate points calculation, it's impossible for us to verify the accuracy of the McDonald's point counts.

TVNZ reports that McDonald's paid Weight Watchers an undisclosed sum for its endorsement, a deal that's reminiscent of a 2007 campaign in which McDonald's paid the Australian Heart Foundation about $275,000 (A$330,000) to approve of nine McDonald's' meals. The message seems to be that, when it comes to deals between Weight Watchers and McDonalds in New Zealand, the most important variable may be the sum on the check.

Taken From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/mcdonalds-and-weight-watchers-numbers-dont-add-up-but-pounds/19381721/?icid=main|aim|dl5|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyfinance.com%2Fstory%2Fcompany-news%2Fmcdonalds-and-weight-watchers-numbers-dont-add-up-but-pounds%2F19381721%2F

In my previous post, the results from a recent blood test revealed that I have a Vitamin D deficiency.  My doctor immediately prescribed Vitamin D to take with my meals twice a day.

This revelation led to some Google searches on Vitamin D.  After conducting some general research, I discovered that people with  Vitamin D deficiency are at higher risk for certain chronic diseases and ailments such as-

• diabetes
• heart disease
• rickets
• osteoporosis
• certain cancers
• obesity
Source: Global Healing Center

Also, lack of vitamin D not only reeks havoc on a person's  physical health, but mental health as well.  In Norway, a three year study was conducted on over 400 overweight or obese patients. Participants that had lower Vitamin D levels (<16/ml), displayed higher levels of depression than those who had Vitamin D levels greater than >16/ml. Source: Vitamin D revolution

After reading these different articles, I had to ask myself how long was I Vitamin D deficient and how much of an impact did it have on my weight?  Also, could it be the key to help me keep the fat off and regulate my weight?

A  number of studies have been conducted looking at the correlation between the lack of Vitamin D and obesity.  While the studies can not say for certain if lack of Vitamin D actually causes obesity, people who are obese do lack vitamin D.  Also, patients who increased their Vitamin D intake loss more weight overall than those who did not (note: these patients were also on a very low calorie restricted diet).  The reason for the weight loss?  It could be that Vitamin D also plays a significant role in regulating a person's blood sugar.  Source: Science Daily

If you have struggled with weight all of your life, it may be worth your while to have your primary physician conduct an extensive blood test to measure your levels of Vitamin D.  If your levels are below 20/ml, then you may have a Vitamin D insufficiency.  Anything under 15/ml is considered a deficency (mine measured at 10/ml). 

In the upcoming months, my doctor intends to do another blood test to see if my weight loss and intake of Vitamin D will yield an improvement in my Vitamin D levels. 

For more reading on Vitamin D, check out the links below:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/10-foods-containing-vitamin-d/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611142524.htm

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/depression.shtml

Hi I am brand new to the site and blogging. So if I don't reply it isn't because I don't care it's because I am trying to navigate the site. It might take a little time. With that being said, here is my blog.

Tired - tired of dieting, exercising, counting calories, tired of being tired. Tired of losing the weight, keeping it off for years only to have it creep back up. Tired of fighting urges to eat. Tired of being fat, not wanting to go to the beach (my version of heaven). GET IT I'M TIRED NO MATTER WHAT DIRECTION I GO IN. I am so confused I don't know what I want.

Every morning I wake up and say I will get it done today. Every night I am not exercising once again, every night I'm eating more than I should. Yet inside I can't give up or the 60 pounds I have to loss will be 150 pounds within a year. I feel like I am falling off a cliff in slow motion into a bottomless pit and there is not way but to scratch my way back to the top.

I can't do it alone. I don't have it. I need support. I know it. That is why I am here.

The last time I was this weight 210 and got down to 150 I did it with an on-line support / chat room. I kept that weight off for 5 years. I have always had to diet I started weight watchers at the age of 12 I am now 50 and want to be fabulous. I have great support at home just not inner motivation. Hubby loves me no matter what, yes it is a blessing but not much for motiviaton.

Okay I am rambling now so I will leave my fatigue in your hands if any "buddie" wants to help me pick myself up and make me accountable one day at a time I am looking for some support and am willing to give it. Thanks.

This is all completely new to me, never done something like this before but i have faith that it will do me a lot of good.

Being a teenage girl, I want to remember these years as my happiest. I'm generally confident, and wish that was the case with my body. Ever since I quit the school teams due to pressures of school work and up and coming a levels, my weight has been really hard to control, and I think I have used stress and other issues to try and convince myself that its not my fault.

And you know what? Sometimes, its just better to be realistic, and own up to it. And its scary and I'm sure I'll get demotivated and feel like none of my hard work is doing any good at times, but hopefully it will be worth it.

I want to look back at my prom pictures, and my holiday pictures and be satisfied that I looked great, happy and confident.

I'll be damned if the powers of dairy milk and ben and jerrys are going to stop me!

So, to the next couple of months...!

xxxx

Has this ever happened to you? I got on the digital scale this morning and it registered 11 pounds lighter that the last weigh in!! WOW, I thought that is too good to be true! So I reweighed and I was right, it was too good to be true!!

That is why I only record my weight change once a week, because the weight can fluctuate so much from day to day and even throughout the day!

I'm feeling good about myself today.  I had a good work out yesterday, and this morning weighed myself and I am down one pound since yesterday morning.  Every little bit helps.

Today is my birthday and I know there will be food. Why do we always need food to celebrate? There isn't a single event that passes without food being involved... even when the event is a funeral - there is food. So, today I turn 44. My mother is taking me to lunch at Red Lobster. You know... the place with the cheddar biscuits. Sure, I could tell the waiter to not even bring them to the table, but where is the fun in that? Afterall, it IS my birthday! I already have in mind what I will get to eat - coconut shrimp, the appetizer size. My mother mentioned salad. Where is the fun in that?

Tonight my daughters, sweethearts that they are! will be making me a dinner of Chicken Parmesan. I found the simplistic recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website. If you are trying to lose weight - DO NOT VISIT HER SITE!!! ((lol) So... I will be eating lunch out, dinner at home full of calories I don't need. I am pleased that lately I find myself able to stop eating before I become bloated and uncomfortable, having that ability is great - especially when there's Birthday Cake!

Diet? I will start tomorrow. I promise!!!

Well I am taking two positive steps today.  The first one is to blog and post my daily goal. Personal life has challenges just as everyone's and at the moment I am feeling sorry for myself.  I am allowed to do that until the end of this blog post, then I must reframe each negative comment positively. 

My daily goal is no snacking after dinner.  Step 1 complete.   My second step was to start connections on this site.  I had sent some emails and gotten responses.  I will need to email back after work.  I did join a team which is a big part of what I was searching for on this site.  Now to start making good use of that feedback and support.

MRV