It's my birthday!

So... I did not disappear, die, or quit... I have just been really busy.

I am working really hard on summer classes, teaching, conference papers, traveling plans, chores, errands, etc... in short, blogging has not been my priority. But I am not gone. I am simply moving to Tumblr for a little while. I'll be back next year but I have decided that, at least for now, tumblr is a better fit. The premise of the tumblr microblog is to share one good choice I have made every day. 

Follow the microblog at http://goodchoices365.tumblr.com/

Today I turned 34 and I want this year to be amazing so I am going to make some changes and turn my life around one choice at a time. I hope that you follow me in my new home and encourage me along the way. I won't be able to do it alone.

To my WLW family... I will be back soon (around late August)... for now... I wish you the best and hope that you do the same for me.

Good-bye Blogger. See you next year.

Summer Stretch WLW Competition

Today, I woke up late since I was out partying with friends and coming back from a conference which added some "I'm really tired" feelings. Anyhow... I had almost forgotten that I start a new competition today. I am excited! The Summer Stretch competition will run until June 18 and it's the last competition I'll be doing before heading on vacation. So, I got on the scale and... GASP!!!!! a gain... a big gain.

Start weight for Summer Stretch: 207.6 OUCH!

Honestly... I wasn't expecting this because this past weekend I went to do some light shopping and realized that all my sizes had changed. I bought a pair of jeans size 16 (not 18), a size M t-shirt, and a couple of casual size L blouses (not XL or 1X)... YAY!!!!!!! I was ecstatic!

So, although I saw a gain on the scale I am celebrating the size change. I have packed all my size 18, XL, and 1X clothes and will drop them at GoodWill tomorrow. 

Happy losing everyone!

3 MONTHS! End of Eat4Health Competition

This a milestone for me. I can't remember the last time I have been dieting for three months. Granted, I fell off the wagon a few times but I was on it again almost instantly. Today is also a good day because it's the end of my first competition at WeightLossWars. My other two comps are still running until April and May respectively. To keep my motivation going, I already registered for a new comp to take the place of this one. The new competition is called Summer Stretch and it will start on March 27 and run until June 18.

It's been a very slow month... but ultimately OK. I gained some of the weight I had lost and then lost it and gained again and again throughout the month. I have chosen to not think about it as a failure but a bump... a very tiresome bump. Today I weighed-in at 203 lbs.

Total weight loss since start (Dec 21): 20.4  lbs. 

Total weight loss this month:  There was a gain compared to last month. Let's leave it at that.

I haven't reached my mini goal to Onederland (yet) but that is still the goal so I am working on it. This month's motivation comes to me thanks to conferences and friends. I have a conference at the end of the month, friends are coming into town that same weekend, and other friends are holding a concert so I have many reasons to look pretty and I hope that my friends notice the change.

Happy Losing!

Looking for motivation in Skinny Songs

It's been difficult. I feel like I have been losing the same five pounds over and over again. It's been frustrating to say the least but I try to focus on the fact that I haven't gained everything back. I was looking online for some motivational songs to add to my iPod and I came across this



The songs are catchy and funny and do give you some good mantras to remember the road we're on.
I downloaded the MP3 songs via Amazon (cheapest option) and have added them to my 30 minute walk.

Stay Strong!

USDA New Dietary Guidelines - Vegetarianism YES!

Early this year the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. I don't know why this flew under my radar but I was made aware of it today through an article posted on Food Inc. facebook page. The article points out how the new guidelines highlight the advantages of a vegetarian diet (YAY!) and it goes on:

"Vegetarian-style eating patterns have been associated with improved health outcomes-lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower total mortality. 
On average, vegetarians consume a lower proportion of calories from fat; fewer overall calories; and more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C than do non-vegetarians."
- DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS, 2010, Ch. 5, p 45

This latest report by the USDA is a good read.You can download the entire report here or individual sections from the website. My favorite chapters are Ch 2 Balancing Calories to Manage Weight and Ch 5 Building Healthy Eating Patterns.

Happy Losing!

It's Spring Break... Diets Gone Wild! (in a good way)

What a week, call it a month really... It's been crazy. I haven't slept my normal 8 hours nor have I been able to sleep any decent number of hours in a row. It's been bad. I got a little sleep and of course... that didn't help.

I ate when I was able to and I made some bad choices. Ate out of a vending machine a few times. As I said, it was bad... fortunately... my weight gain has stayed within 5 lbs. On the sad side... I haven't been able to get to Onederland.

On a good/weird turn of events, I was supposed to visit friends and family over Spring Break but I got accepted to a conference (YAY!) and had to spend my vacation money on registration. So now I'll be spending Spring Break finishing another paper and will have plenty of time to get myself in sync again. Wish me luck!

Happy losing ;)

It's been TWO months

Another month has gone by. I have recovered two size 16 jeans and my size 18 pants and XXL shirts are a little too big now. This month was hard. I had a few events that made me fall off the wagon but I was able to regroup and I'm finding my way back.

The weight loss has been good. I weighed 223.4 lbs on Dec 21; then 206.4 lbs on Jan 18. Today I weighed-in at 199.8 lbs.

Total weight loss since start: 23.6  lbs. 

Total weight loss this month: 6.6  lbs. 

I am happy with the weight coming down but less than seven pounds in a whole month is a little disappointing. It is still a long way to my final goal and most weightloss programs recommend to set mini goals to stay motivated. They also recommend to create a rewards system... so here's mine: 

1. Weigh under 200 lbs fully clothed
Reward: FITBIT  
2. Lose 10% of total weight.  
Reward: Everlast Wii Accessories  
3. Reach Overweight Status (BMI<30; <164 lbs.)  
Reward: The Flex Belt (or similar product)
4. Reach Normal-Weight Status (BMI<25; <136 lbs.) 
Reward: New Hair Do  
5. Achieve Desired Weight (115-125 lbs.)  
Reward: Shopping Spree 

How do you reward yourself?