I'm Still Trying!

Well, my last weigh-in I lost 4-1/2 lbs., for a total of 30-1/2 lbs. so far.  I cheated a few times last month, but I always get back on track.   I'm feeling so much better.
I have a long way to go yet, but I know I can do it.

Uh oh!

Okay, so I had two Werther hard candies today......so what?

The Weight is Coming Off

I got weighed in the 23rd of August and lost another 10 lbs., making my total so far 26 lbs.  Since then I have lost more, but I will post my loss when I get weighed in on September 20th.  I took one day to cheat a little, since it was so hard to watch everyone eat during vacations down here.  I didn't cheat bad....just had a peanut butter sandwich and a piece of cake.

I'm feeling good....knees don't hurt hardly at all......it's still hard, but I feel it's worth it.  I miss pasta and bread.  I miss fruit.  I gave up diet soda since it has all those chemicals.  I'm starting to exercise a little.  I feel healthy.

It's Going Good

Well, I've survived the Cookie Diet for Two Months now.  The last time I got weighed in (two weeks ago) I had lost a total of 18 lbs.  I've lost another 4 or 5 since then (or maybe more, not sure), but my clothes are getting bigger every day.  It's a good feeling.  It gets really hard to stick to it when I'm around the grandkids, who are eating fries, burgers, ice cream, you name it.....but so far the worst I have done is maybe steal one fry and one small bite of pizza (oh pizza, I love you and miss you!!!!!!).
If I'm by myself I have no trouble sticking to my diet.  So maybe I will be a hermit for awhile.  I don't think so, because all of the grandkids will be visiting later this month.....look out!!!!!!

First Weigh In

Well, after 19 days on the Cookie Diet I lost 8 lbs. (my scale says 10, but it'll all even out). 
Anyway, I'm feeling really good (as I have in the past when I was on this diet). 

The doctor gave me a shot of B vitamins to boost my metabolism....we'll see how that works.  It's supposed to last all month.

We're not going back for almost another month, so I don't have to travel so much.  I tried a pack of the oatmeal raisin cookies, and they are okay, but I need my chocolate fix every couple of hours, so I will from now on only get my Chocolate Cookies.

The doctor also said I could start exercising 15 minutes a day, but anymore than that and I would get dizzy.  No problem there.....I don't have time to even breathe let alone exercise.

I asked why we can't chew sugarless gum and he said the saliva goes back down into your stomach and causes you to get hunger cravings.  I didn't notice that when I cheated and had a couple of sticks of gum last month, but I will try and stay away from it for now.

A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit. 

18 days Eating Cookies

Well, today I've been on the Cookie Diet for 18 days.  My stomach feels bigger because I'm losing my weight in my upper body, around my back, neck, face, arms (blah!).  The weight always comes off those places first, then it slowly comes off the hips, stomach and rear.  But I will be patient! 
During the 18 days, I ate beef three times (we're not supposed to eat beef at all). 
The only thing that tempted me this whole time has been a soft pretzel - it smelled so good.
Overall, I have more energy....I sleep better....my knees don't hurt as much....so it's all good.
I get weighed in tomorrow night, so I will post how I did on Thursday's blog.

Going good

Well, I've been on the Cookie Diet now for 13 days and it is going very well.  Anymore, I have to remind myself to eat my cookies, because I get so busy I sometimes forget :)

I still have a long, long road ahead of me, but as long as it's going smooth right now.....I have to embrace that and go with it too.

It's much easier than being on Weight Watchers or eating those meals from Nutrisystem, etc.

I must say I feel much better too.  The knees are getting better every day.  Alleluia!!!!

Cookie Diet

The Cookie Diet is going great!  Last week I was a little off because of the change in diet, but since then, I've been feeling great.  Here's a picture of my cookies - yum!
Now I look at eating as a way to stay alive instead of living to eat.
I plan to go all the way to my goal this time.  My first weigh-in isn't until June 23rd and I will see the doctor then too.  Already seeing changes in how my clothes fit. 

The Smart For Life Cookie Diet

June 5th - started back on the Cookie Diet.  I needed to do something and I wanted to make sure it worked.  I had been on the Cookie Diet about 2-1/2 or 3 years ago and lost 46 lbs.  Was feeling good, but still didn't have my mind straight and I gained all my weight back.
I know this diet works....and it is so, so easy.  I'm not saying that you never get hungry, but you are eating a cookie every two hours with lots of water.  You have your meal in the evening (I'll elaborate more if anyone is interested).
Anyway, I'm eating Chocolate Chip Cookies every day and I like it.  I don't have to worry about what to eat or when to eat.  I just eat a cookie every two hours.  Already I can feel my stomach going down. 
The other amazing thing about this diet is that you start feeling so good....you have so much more energy.  I take vitamins and calcium that Smart For Life supplies me with.
I'm under a doctor's care also.  I am going all the way to my goal this time.  I have 82 pounds to lose, so I will be eating alot of cookies for awhile.  You are supposed to average a loss of between 12 - 15 pounds per month.  Still won't wear that bathing suit this year, but next year I will be shopping for a new, slim one.
I need everyone's support to get to be the healthy person I am meant to be!

A New Day

Okay, I know you have all heard me over and over again about how I'm starting TODAY....well, I really am starting Today. 

Here's a picture when Ginny and I thought we were fat.....I'd love to be that fat today.  (By the way....Ginny looks like a bird :))\...look at those skinny legs)

I've been given many signs lately with the way I have been feeling......let alone passing a mirror and seeing the way I look (oh my!)....and I've decided to take control of my eating.  I have to be aware of everything that I put in my mouth.
This weekend I was so sick (with IBS) and had such pains from not eating right, that it made me realize that I've had chance after chance to get my act together and before I don't get another chance, I have to take control of the situation.
I'm writing down everything I eat....
Trying to eat 1200 - 1500 calories a day....
I'll do the best I can at exercise right now....


I'll keep you posted how it goes.

Food

More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. 

What Diet?

Well, I gave the box of Russell Stover chocolates to Sr. Mary Joseph when she was here today so I wouldn't eat them.  They were supposed to be a gift for Janice, my friend, for her birthday Thursday, so I will have to go out and get her something else tomorrow.
I'm reading this book "Women, Food and God" and I still haven't grasped the concept, but this author is going to be on Oprah today, so maybe I can understand it better watching this show. 
I believe that one of my biggest problems why I eat is because I'm either lonely or bored.  At those times, I will eat stuff that I'm not even crazy about....just to have something to do.  I know...it sounds silly....but that's what I do.
Tonight I sat there eating spoonfuls of dry granola while I watched T.V.
I'll keep you posted on what I learn from Oprah today.

What Else Is New?

Losing weight has not been an easy task for me.

We did buy a hitch for the back of my car and a bike rack (which should be here Thursday) so I can take my bike down to Assateaque Park or the boardwalk in Ocean City and some of the other parks in the area.  I like riding my bike and I like being out with nature, so maybe this will get me exercising and losing some weight.

I eat healthy but still have small binges.

I'm working on it!

On The Path

I'm getting in the groove of eating healthy.  It's easier every day.  I'm aware of everything that goes in my mouth.Today was a great day and for dinner I enjoyed a Chick-fil-A Chicken Strip Salad with Low Cal Italian Dressing.....out of this world! 

For desserts I only eat Weight Watchers 1 point bars or a McD cone (3 points).

All is good :)

Eating Healthy

Started off the day with a bowl of cheerios and 1% milk.  Lunch, I had 2 Taco Bell Chicken Fresno Soft Tacos for a total calories today of 540.  I'm aiming to stay under 1500 calories a day.  We'll see how it goes.
It's a beautiful day outside today, so I hope to get out and walk around the neighborhood or even better, take my bike for a ride.

Quote For the Day

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they are sticking to their diets. ~Author Unknown

Food For Thought

It's funny how food isn't as important to us when we aren't feeling well.  I've been fighting my asthma for the last two days and for some reason I haven't been thinking of food.  I haven't had any cravings....I didn't roam around the kitchen looking for food....it was the last thing on my mind.

Is this a physical or mental reaction?

One only knows.

Quote of the Day

Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake. ~Author Unknown

My Knees Are Killing Me

One big reason (or should I say two) that I really need to get this weight off are my knees.  With all of this weight I'm carrying around my knees have been getting worse and worse.  When I lost 40 lbs. a couple of years ago I could feel the difference, but since I put that weight back on again, I've been in pain everyday.

One of my problems with my eating is that I love sweets.  I would rather skip the meal and go directly to the dessert.  I've decided, with my daughters suggestion, to not eat any sweets except either a McD cone (Weight Watchers 3 points) or a Weight Watcher's 1 point chocolate pop.  I can live with that.  So that's what I've been doing.  I've also been eating more fruit as a dessert.

I need to give these knees a break!

Why Wait?

Why do we always say "I'll do that when I'm thinner"......"When I have more money I will do that"......"I can't do that because I'm too fat"......?  Stop it now!  Act now as though you are already thin, richer, healthier.  Stop worrying about "when", because "when is now".

I read these words above from the book "Women, Diets and God" and it really touched me and made me think how right this is.  I've been waiting and waiting to do things because I think I'm too fat....but no more.  I'm going to act today as if I were at my goal weight and go out and do all the things I want to do.  So what if I'm still "chubby" (hee! hee!)....I'm not dead....I have alot of life in me....I can do it if I want to.   And I do want to.

So today I did that.  It felt good.  No more waiting.

Becoming Aware

I've been trying not to think of 'being on a diet' or the foods that I can't eat, but rather just trying to eat healthy.  One of my biggest temptations is sweets, which for some reason, I think I need to have after every meal.  Tonight I had a craving for either a Rita's gelati or a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, but instead I chose to have a large bowl of berries.  They were quite satisfying but the thought in my head of still having something that was really sweet never went away, so I popped a Werther's Original Hard Candy in my mouth....and that did the trick. 

So all is well :)

Jelly Beans, Jelly Beans Go Away

Well, I'm down to where there are only purple and black, which I hate, and there are peeps here for Kate, but I also hate them and there's one pack of Reeses Pieces in the shape of a carrot, but hooray for me....I hate them too!
What's surprising is that I have a dish full of Dove dark chocolate eggs on the dining room table and they don't bother me at all.  Go figure!
Yesterday I gave Sr. Mary Joseph from The Homeless Shelter my other bag of jelly beans and the malted milk eggs.
So no more bringing candy into this house that I like.  I wonder how long that will work.

I'm Riding My Bike

This morning I decided to ride my exercise bike (it's one of those fan bikes with arms that you have to push while you ride) first thing so I didn't keep making excuses during the day....so I did!  Rode 30 minutes and worked up a huge sweat....felt so good.

I will do this again tomorrow :)

I Feel Good

Since I haven't been thinking of 'being on a diet', it's getting easier for me to get through my days.  Today I didn't have breakfast because I just wasn't hungry for breakfast.
But at 11 am I made my lunch....a hard boiled egg sandwich on whole wheat bread.  For a snack I had a non-fat yogurt.  I did sneak in a couple of jelly beans throughout the day, but nothing like I used to.
Dinner was my burger (see Dolly's Daily Dish) with dessert, which I split with Leon, but overall I feel good about today.
I won't be having dessert all the time, but once in awhile keeps me from going on a binge.
I didn't have my veggies today....but I will have them tomorrow. 
I feel good....that's all that matters!

Today was a GOOD Day :)

Thanks to my daughter, Kate, I got off on the right track today.  I ate my fruit (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) this morning for breakfast - they tasted so good.
At noon I had a Taste Test  (I get paid to taste chicken for Perdue Chicken), so my lunch was 1-1/2 breaded chicken strips - quite good.
After that I went shopping and it was about 2:30 pm, so I thought I would treat myself to a small cone at Dairy Queen, which I did and that satisfied me until dinner.
My dinner was healthy (see my Dolly's Daily Dish Blog) and I feel good that I didn't sit and binge today.
I didn't ride my bike today, but I did alot of walking around while shopping, and when I got home, I moved furniture and went up and down the steps quite a few times doing laundry.  I will ride my bike tomorrow, since I should be home most of the day.
It was a GOOD DAY today....here's hoping tomorrow is the same!

Stuck in a Rut

This has been the story of my life for the last twenty years....and I'm struggling with how to get "out of the rut" and stay out!
Yes, I can follow ANY diet and lose weight.....I have in the past, but it always came back. 
My trouble is that I use food as a drug.  So I have to replace that drug with something else and right now I'm not sure what to replace it with.  I don't have a good support system since I live away from my family and friends, who truly care. 
Years ago, when I lived near my family, I'd love to get up in the mornings, go to the "Y" and then after go running a couple of miles.  This was my life...I loved it...it felt good.  This is not me right now and hasn't been for the last 20 years.  I know I'm missing out on life because of my weight, but my mind is holding me back.
I know I need a support group, but I have never found the right one that works for me.  Any suggestions out there, please send my way and help me climb out of this rut!

That's What I Mean

Here I am at 4 am....up because I have upset stomach from the way I ate last night.  When will I ever learn?    Leon and I decided to go out for a bite instead of cooking and we went to our favorite place, "The Backstreet Grill".  We both looked at their specials, one of which was a Raspberry Walnut Salad, which I love, but instead we ordered appetizers only....a basket of french fries, four mini burgers and an order of potato skins.   "Dolly, what were you thinking"?
That's what I mean.....I don't always think when I go out to eat.  It wasn't because I was even starving, because I wasn't.  It's just all so tempting.  Anyway, I'm paying for it now.  Took 3 tums, but my stomach is a mess.
As I laid in bed (woke up at 3 am), I told Leon that he has to tell me in these situations not to make these bad choices.
I was so desperate yesterday, I signed up to maybe get picked to go on the Oprah Show for Mom's Who Want to Lose Weight - oh boy....stay tuned!

Quote of the Day

The cardiologist's diet: If it tastes good, spit it out.

No Soda This Week

One of the biggest things I'm doing this week is drinking much more water.  I used to drink diet soda all the time (which doesn't have any calories, but alot of chemicals and sodium), but I haven't had one all week.  This is one of the small steps I am taking.  I do get up every morning have my bowl of berries and then a breakfast bar, which is something I haven't done in the past.  I haven't been depriving myself completely of sweets, but I have them in small doses....a couple of jelly beans last night.....a bite of candy today.....but so much less than what I have been doing.

I'm moving around a little more....trying to keep busy.  Every day I try my best....and for now that's all I can do.

I'm Moving a Little More

I finally got my butt outside and worked in the yard for two hours.  I raked, bent down picking up piles that I raked, pruned trees and bushes, carried limbs to the back yard...it was alot of work.  It was warm enough down here to be out there in my short sleeves, so that was nice.

I ate pretty good today...not perfect, but better than I have been.  I feel I'm on the right path.

Facing The Truth

Well, I ate myself sick this weekend....making sure I got everything in my belly before I start my journey again of trying to lose weight.  I was literally sick last night and sick this morning when I woke up.  Then......facing the truth.....the scale - oh no!  Well, I knew I was over 200 lbs., but I wasn't sure how much over.  But I slowly stepped on my doctor's scale (I have an authentic doctor's scale that I picked up years ago) and here it is - 209-1/4 lbs.
That's it...now it's out there......now I go from here.... 1 lb. at a time.  I will only weigh myself once a week, so check back every Monday to see how I am doing.

Today's a new day!  Rejoice and be glad :)

The Beached Whale

Well, there she is in full view.....Dolly, the Beach Whale!

  I can't believe I'm even posting this, but I must face the truth.  Is this what I want to look like this year?  I couldn't even get up out of the chair by myself. 

So, hopefully the next pictures I post of myself will be showing less of me.  I must say....the tan does help a little - LOL :)

I'm Starting Again on Monday

Yes, I'm back at it again....trying to shed these pounds that have been hounding me for years!  My sister just started Jenny Craig (been there - done that....as a matter of fact, I've done them all), but I have decided to try and go back to counting calories, cutting portions, exercising.....all the horrible things they say we should do to lose weight....only I will try to think positive about them. 

It's this mind of mine...if I could only get it lined up right......THINK THIN.....THINK HEALTHY......FEEL GOOD......ENJOY EXERCISING........NO JUNK FOOD........ETC., ETC., ETC.

So, tomorrow, Monday, March 15, 2010.....I am trying again.  If you want to follow me .....I'd love your support.  I could use all the words of encouragement I can get :)