Welcome Family and Friends!

I hope you all enjoy my efforts here!

Nov 15, 2008

Weight Loss Update

It's been such a long time since I've talked about my weight loss process. I've learned that when you are smaller, it is harder to lose weight! Sometimes I feel like I yo-yo a little going up and down the scales within a small few pounds. I've tried hard to stick to the program. My strategy the last three years of tasting and sampling things, so the desire to eat the whole thing or binge would go away has been a great one for me and kept me going and sticking with the program.

However, as I get smaller, my body doesn't need as many calories, and those little samples and tastes, as well as some of the meals out (as long as they're not more than once or twice a week at most), also will work well as strategies for for maintenance of the weight loss, but not for weight loss itself at this size. What I've been doing the last few months, going up and down within a small few pounds is what I've learned a typical "thin" person does. The frustration has been that I wanted to reach goal weight by the middle of December, which was my 3 year anniversary with Jenny Craig.

However, I've learned that I can't put myself through that kind of frustration right now. I want to enjoy my social life, which includes meals out with my friends. I want to sample, taste, and share the goodies that are at home, at birthday celebrations and yes, even the holidays coming up I'm sure. After three years of dogged effort, I'm ready to live life just a little more. Life is a marathon, and I'm in for the long haul. If it takes me another 6 months or longer to get to goal weight, I've decided I'm perfectly OK with that!

However, having said all that, I have to update you all and tell you, I am "officially" 11 lbs from goal! :) I was almost there before my birthday (11.5 lbs from goal the week before my birthday), then had a birthday, back to back conferences last 3 full days, staying out of town, followed with more celabratory dinners and wonderful pizza with friends, family and former students and etc. to where I ate out something like 9 times in a week. I realized early in that week that trying to be so strict so I wouldn't gain was causing me to be miserable, at a time that I wanted to celebrate, enjoy being alive, enjoy my friends and etc. I wanted to acknowledge the joy I have in being alive at 51, and excited for the next year. For so many years, I wanted to be dead by 50, so I feel like reveling in the joy of a new year and the possibilities of more joyous days and years to come. Living with stress and worry about all those meals out was taking away the joy. So I "gave up" for the rest of the week and just enjoyed the week, the people, the food, and the celebrations! When I went in to weigh in after that week, I kept my back to the scale and instructed the woman to not say a word about how I'd done. I didn't want to know if I gained. In the week or two that followed, I still didn't want to know if I still hadn't lost everything. I just wanted to focus on getting my mind set back to where I was willing to be back on program.

After three years, my Jenny Craig counselor knows me enough that yesterday she told me, you want to turn around and see this weight. So with trepidation I turned around and looked. Whatever weight I gained, I lost, and I lost new weight; an extra half a pound! Eleven pounds from goal is awesome. I've now lost a total of 219 lbs everyone. It may be slow, it may take me as long to lose the last 10 pounds as it took me to lose the first 60, but it's all ok. The journey is the important thing, living life, making progress and being happy! And I am!!!! ;) I'm living in joy.

9 comments:

Cami said...

Congrats Ann!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so proud of you and you look so awesome (I love your pool side photo!)

I need to gain a little of your committment and lose a few myself. Any words of motivation or advice???

Staci said...

Ohh Ann that is wonderful!! I am so happy for you and for your accomplishments!! And you look absolutely fabulous!! Good job for getting the job done! (well almost!)
Staci

Ann said...

Thanks Staci and Cami for the compliments! :)

Cami, you asked for motivation or advice if I had any. I thought about it and decided that the only advice I could give is to just create a plan and follow it. Nothing fancy. DON'T DIET. Diet is a four letter word and destructive. Maybe just decide not to have seconds, or to have small portions. Jenny Craig's rule of thumb is half your plate be the salad, a fourth be the veggie and a fourth be the main dish. I found that very useful.

Also, I don't say "NO" to desserts (unless I really don't want it). Just a taste, not a whole serving will do! :) Good luck! I don't know if that helps but it's all the advice I have.

Dustin, Heather and Gavin said...

Hello Ann!
Wow Ann you R so Awesome! Did you
know I used to be 210 myself. I lost close to 70 pounds. I'm going through what your doing yo yo back and forth a couple pounds.

Also with the song when I found it didnt say what song melody to use. I have a great website for toddlers songs and craft here it is I found it through Carol Flexer!

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/toddler_station.shtml

Keep up the good work Ann!

Joshua Jackson said...

Your weight lost story is amazing!!! Jenny Craig should put you out there like a spokesperson or whatever! I am glad to hear that you are not picky about what you eat, just as long as you keep the commitment to do good, because I have homemade caramels coming your way!!! I have been making them yesterday and i know you LOVE caramels!!! Great job Ann!!

Ann said...

Heather, I'm impressed. I never would've guessed you've had to battle the weight too! Thanks for that website! It looks awesome.

Joshua,you have caramels for me!!!??? Homemade ones at that??!!! Oh, I'm in heaven at the very thought of these! Can't wait to savor these! Believe me, I can handle those without sabotaging my program! There were a couple of months last winter when I kept some in my car (made by a company in Heber and they tasted homemade), then I would go out every once in a while and get one! Are you bringing them to the meeting Thursday? :)

Ann said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Ann, Congrats!!! I am so happy for you. This is an amazing journy of success. What a wonderful feeling being SO close to your goal.

Above all, I am SO happy that you are happy!! It is great to enjoy friends and family.

Kasey Byrd said...

I can totally relate to you about enjoying the time with your family and friends and enjoying the food as well. I have lost 47 pounds now so far and I'm so proud of myself, but a little nervous about next week because not only do I have Thanksgiving, I have my mom's birthday on Monday, dinner with an old friend from my childhood in town from San Diego on Wednesday night and a group date with friends on Saturday night, but you know what? It'll be worth it because it's with people that I love so much and I'm thankful for them being in my life, so I'm going to enjoy every "bite" of next week and still work out and be ok with myself if I gained a couple of pounds. :)