GETTING STARTED; MEASUREMENTS

Okay ladies, calm down...we are not going to put any numbers on the blog. Thanks goodness.
I remember the good ol' days when I used to have a figure and I could find my waist to measure it. But alas those are days long gone.
There are going to be times while you are dieting where it looks like you are not losing any weight. This is when your measurements will come in handy. I was surprised this morning when I measured myself that I had lost several inches. So take a few minutes and in the privacy of your bedroom take a few measurements such as; bust, waist, wrist, upper arm, upper leg, hips, neck and ankle. Don't forget to keep a record of your weight as well. When you start to get discouraged you will be pleasantly surprised that you are indeed losing weight. I made a list and am going to measure every Wednesday morning. Once you start exercising you will really see the difference, but that is a different post.

Cheerios

Cheerios.
I love Cheerios.
Today I ate breakfast - because it's the worst meal to skip if you're trying to lose weight.
Instead of a cup of coffee, I had a cup of coffee and a bowl of Cheerios.
And since there was no meat thawed for dinner, Gabe and Ashley decided to fry up a can of spam (gag!) that was purchased a long time ago as a joke. I had Cheerios for dinner.
Really - the purpose of this post is to remind you all to **EAT BREAKFAST**

PROUD AS A PEACOCK

May I just say how proud I am of all the Styles girls and their daughters. This weight loss challenge (for lack of a better word) is a big undertaking. Bigger for some of us then others, but still this is not going to be easy. When I first thought of the blog, I must admit it was just to get myself some support and I wasn't even sure anyone would be interested in joining. I am thrilled that you all are coming on board. It is very hard to lose weight, it is even harder to do it by yourself. So far the hardest part of dieting hasn't been giving up fried foods, or sodas or even giving up all sweets, it was letting Calvin take my picture and put it on the blog. I am sure that in putting the picture up for all the world to see my plumpness and realize I am just the size and shape of Santa I really am not him, I will be motivated to keep on dieting and exercising. Next Christmas time as we are all getting dressed for a Christmas party or program or concert at school we can, in the words of Renee, look in the mirror at our self and PROUDLY AND LOUDLY
exclaim for the world to hear, "Damn girl, I look good".

RENEE'S STORY

My name is Renee and I am 49 years old. I am 5'4" tall and weigh 247 today.
My goal weight is 140 so I need to lose 107 pounds.
Yes, that's right-I'm right up there with your average NFL Football player and WWE wrestler.
What's my story? It's very simple math. I ate a lot and moved very little. The sicker Josh became the more I ate and the less active I became. I can't explain what it was like the last two years of his life, watching him literally wasting away. What I can tell you is the hurt inside was so big it edged out any capacity to care about anything else, except for Josh, I quit caring-especially about myself. I'd go for days without getting dressed, weeks without showering and months without putting on make-up. I ate a lot and moved very little and the pounds kept a comin'. And there you have it-247 pounds. (It was 260ish in August, I've managed to drop a few pounds since then by eating less and moving more)
So, here I am-begrudgingly succumbed to the fact that despite Josh's passing, I'm still here with no indications that I might be leaving soon. Now the question becomes, where do I go from here? Within a years time I will undergo multiple significant life changes. Josh, whom literally was my life and my focus 24 hours a day has passed. Chelsea-my youngest will be graduating. I'll be celebrating my 50th birthday and I'm certain menopause is on its way. They tell you when you enter puberty you're becoming a woman, but what they don't tell you is what you become when you enter menopause. More than humorous, I find that statement profound.
The years ahead are going to be so different than the past 49. I can go through fighting and screaming as the enabling codependent rescuing martyr I have been in the past, or, I can transform myself into the vibrant, vivacious woman I've always believed existed but never had a chance to find. And I choose the latter.
So, basically, my reason for losing weight has absolutely nothing to do with kids, grandkids, some man, the dog or anyone else. It's all for ME. I don't really care how long I live. I know where I'm going, so when I go doesn't really matter. However, regardless of how many years I have left, whether it's 4 years of 40, I want to feel good physically. I want to be able to take long walks on the beach without getting tired or having my knees hurt. I want to be able to dance without getting winded, red-faced and sweating like a pig. I want to do whatever I want to and go where ever I want and not have my self-image, body size or lung capacity stop me. But more than anything-when I look in the mirror I want to think to myself and say our loud, "Damn girl, you look good!"

SARAH'S STORY

Here's a story,

Of a lovely lady,

Who in her younger years

Was slim and trim and tan.

But she's older now,

Well into her forties

And she weighs enough

To be a six foot man.

It's oh so sad,

She should be mad,

Cuz she weighs enough

To be a six foot man.

I am now 46 years and 3 months old. There are three numbers in my weight-and as they say on Dancing with the Stars, "in no particular order" the numbers are 1,2,9. Even those of you who think you're not good at math can certainly figure out what order they do go after looking at my lovely picture. And, if that isn't a big enough clue, my goal is 140 pounds (as my doctor recommends) which means I need to lose 52 pounds. I too have already sort of outlined my rewards, one for each 5 pound increment up to 25 pounds...I'll have to start thinking bigger rewards after that.

I used my Kohl's gift card that Kate gave me for Christmas and bought the FIRM TransFIRMation package. It has 4 DVDs and a set of weights to get me on my way. I know I can stick to exercise once I put a couple weeks into it and I put it on my calendar. My trouble is that I have always lost weight so slowly. BUT that's not an acceptable excuse not to make some changes.

So here's to all of us in 2009.

Getting Started

Well, I woke up this morning and told myself...it's time to get started....today is the day. So after an uneventful shower, making of school lunches and dropping off kids at school I headed to work. Before that I stopped for my usual 20 ounce Code Red Mt. Dew...my morning fix. Along with it I bought a 23 ounce water....big change for me.

I started off pretty well until I opened my desk drawer and found that LARGE box of Whopper that Santa put in my stocking. That darn Santa! After a handful...well two handfuls...I came to the realization that I was in trouble. At that moment I poured the rest in the garbage. I'll never take food out of the garbage.

Drank lots of water today...ate salad for lunch. I am sure tomorrow will be better.

Running websites

This is Joleane. I thought I'd try typing in a different color to differentiate. Can you tell this is blue and not black?
I also thought I'd just share a few websites I like to go to. One is the running program I'm doing. It's called Couch to 5K. It's a 9 week program that starts you out running for only 60 seconds at a time. By the end of the program hopefully you'll be able to run a 5K (3.1 miles).
Here is a calendar of runs in Oregon that I like to look at and dream about doing. It has plenty in the Portland and Eugene areas.
Another calendar for Oregon Road Runners Club which is just Portland area, I believe.
Good luck to everyone. Keep up the good work.
(I also want to report that I got out and walked today. I was at my wits end with the kids and instead of going for the throat or a Root Beer float, I went for a 50 minute walk. That's my report for the day).