Thanks to my walking friends!

I thought this picture was cute, but I actually want to give a HUGE shout out to my walking friends for helping me continue to be a loser! I'm so excited because I hit a new low today. Last week I was up a pound because Jess and Todd came home for the weekend and I ate some naughty stuff. This week I lost the pound and another half so now I'm down 22 pounds. My chubby clothes are really loose and I feel so much better. I'm about half way there and it feels good!

Dave and I are going to the fair tomorrow to celebrate my birthday but I'm going to resist the yummy fair food and just eat one treat. I really love walking with my friends in the morning and I'm so happy it's helping me achieve my weight loss goal. I'm also really looking forward to a date with Dave. It's going to be so much fun!

I'm happy to say goodbye to another pound!

I lost another pound...actually 1.1...let's not forget the point one. Every point one counts! Now I am down 21.5. I am excited to get to 25! I'm still walking every morning with my fun friends and it is really good for me in so many ways. I know I could be losing faster if I would quit eating so many carbs, but at least I'm losing slowly but surely. I'm not as impatient this time as I have been in the past and I think that's a good thing.

This is going to be such a fun weekend. Jessica and Todd are coming home and Jess is having a bridal shower. I'm so so excited. I know I'll probably eat some things I shouldn't but I'll keep my portions small and hopefully still find time to do some exercise.

Dave is doing great! He has lost 27 pounds. I'm really happy for him. He has amazing willpower and has been working out each morning. So I guess between us we're almost to 50! YIPPEE!

I lost my brian but I still weight the same!

How can it be that I lost my brain but I still weigh the same? I totally forgot to post and I'm sure that's because my brain is missing in action. You'd think that if my brain fell out I'd have lost about 3 pounds, considering that's what the average human brain weighs.

I have been REALLY faithful with my exercise and...here's a shocker...I'm really loving it. I've been walking at 5:30 a.m. with Shannon and Michele and it's been so good for me. So so so good for me! Sometimes Kerinda joins us and that's great, too. She and I are going to walk this morning and I'm proud to say that will be my 7th walk this week, because I walked twice on Thursday, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. We walk up and down hills for about an hour so it's a pretty good workout. My headache is much better and I'm feeling healthier emotionally. (I think I forgot to post that I've been suffering with really severe headaches the past couple of weeks.)

Exercise is really good for the body and mind! I've known that for a while, but it took me forever to get moving. I'm so glad I've finally done it. Hopefully it will show up this week on the scale. One thing is for sure, I have the best friends any girl was ever blessed to have and I'm so very grateful. I also had a really interesting experience in the temple this past Wednesday night that has given me some clarity on some changes I've really been needing to make in my life. The temple is a huge blessing and I'm so grateful that Jessica and Todd are beginning their marriage there.

I'll try and locate my brain and remember to post next Wednesday. If you happen to see it, please call 1-800-BRAINLESSWOMAN!

Twenty...finally!

YIPPEE! I finally made it to 20 pounds. I know it took me forever, but I'm so glad to have finally done it. This morning I was down 20.4 pounds. I really really really think the exercise is helping. And the super weird and freaky thing is that I'm enjoying it! I've been needing to do this for a long time. So now I feel a new motivation and I am really going to try (I take that back, try means "I have no intention of doing this") I'm going to work harder to lose a little bit faster. Not super fast, but faster than my average so far of about a pound a week. I have 25 more to go, but that's better than the 45 I had when I started. I really needed this right now! I needed a boost and I'm so grateful that I got one. Onward and downward!

Another "one" bites the dust!

Well, I got rid of the last of the 2.4 I gained back by losing a pound this past week. I have been really good about walking the hills and I will continue to walk at least four days a week, hopefully five. So now I need to move into uncharted territory and keep moving down the scale. My eating is pretty good but it could be better. Stress is making me feel like I'm hungry when I'm really not. I have the munchies and I need to get a grip on wanting to snack too much. I haven't really been eating the wrong foods, just too much of the right ones. So my goal this week is to really stick to my points every day. By doing that and exercising I should see a good drop next week!

1.4 of 2.4 GONE!

Once again I forgot to update the blog last week. I weighed in on Wednesday and had lost 1.4 of the 2.4 I had gained. And the really good news is that I walked on the hills 5 days last week, and I've already walked Cardiac Hill today, so my exercise routine is in full swing. I'll weigh in on Wednesday and this week I'll do my best to remember to check in!

2.4 BIG steps in the wrong direction...and a bunch of uphill steps in the right direction!

I know, I know, I know. I didn't post last week. There is a VERY good reason for that...I was chicken! I was so sad when I got on the scale and realized I had gained 2.4 pounds. It was totally NOT my fault. I am taking absolutely no responsibility! It was the cookie dough's fault! That's right, I had nothing to do with it. I had a little pity party and it was catered with cookie dough. That was a bad choice! So, to redeem myself, today I made a really good choice. I resumed my love/hate relationship with cardiac hill. It felt good, in a really out of breath, ready to have a heart attack kind of way.

It will come as a shock to most that I took Tinkerbell with me. Everyone who knows me knows that I can't stand that mutt, but I took her along as snake bait. I figured a rattler would rather go after a small, stupid, ugly dog than a chubby old lady. Lucky for Tink we didn't have to find out. I did have a pee your pants moment when this dumb lady walking two killing machines, a Doberman and a German Shepherd that were the size of medium sized horses, came around the other side of the hill. Her monstrous dogs were not on leashes and Tink is so seriously stupid that she will go after any dog of any size. Although Tink was on a leash, it took her half a second to squirm out of it and run up to the beasts. Thankfully the other dogs were a lot calmer than they appeared and they spared Tink's worthless little life.

The funny thing is that when I was walking Tink out to the car as we were leaving for the hill she had a look of complete fear on her face. I NEVER take that dog anywhere so I'm sure she thought she was headed to the sausage factory. Now that we're home, and she doesn't realize that she was serving the purpose of snake bait, she thinks I'm her best friend because I took her for a walk. She is following me everywhere. This is not going to work out for me. I have to find a way to take her but still convey that I can't stand her. I'll work on it.

So, I have to motivate myself to continue to hit the hill. I've come up with a hideous plan. If I don't walk up and down that blasted hill at least 20 times this week I'm going to post my weight on my Facebook. And trust me, people, that is NEVER going to happen. I will crawl up and down that monster if I have to, but I will not be posting those three ugly numbers on my Facebook. This should do the trick.

One last thing, I'm not doing this for anyone or anything but myself. This is totally and completely selfish! I am not doing this because we have a wedding coming up. I am not doing this because it's time to squeeze into a bathing suit. I am doing this for me. So I can feel better, mentally as much as physically. Purely selfish! I have got to continue to make these changes, and I will!

Dress for the wedding...check!

I just realized I forgot to post on Wednesday when I FORCED myself to weigh in. I was really worried that I would be up, but in fact I was down .6 of a pound. It's not a great loss, but it's a lot better than a gain! That makes my total 19.4. I had a goal to hit the 20 pound mark a long time ago and I'm just poking along. But I'm glad to be headed in the right direction.

I have set a serious goal to start exercising. I really need to make the time to do it. I will do it three times this coming week. That's my goal and I'm stickin' to it.

I bought a dress for the wedding last night. It's an anti-mother-of-the-bride dress. It's chocolate brown and really cute. It looks nothing like a mother of the bride dress and that's exactly what I wanted. Shelby said it was really cute and looks like something she or Jessica would wear. It's not a young style, but it is cute. It fits but will look even better if I lose another 15 pounds before the big day...and that's exactly what I plan to do! : )

My mother-of-the bride dress DOES NOT look like this... : )

Not up...not down

I was exactly the same weight today as last week. I am glad I didn't gain, but I have no excuses for not losing. I ate a few things I shouldn't have and I didn't exercise so there you have it. My stress level is off the charts right now and stress is NOT my dieting friend. Actually, stress is not my friend in any way. So, somehow I need to figure out how to let go of the stress.

I did make a huge step toward letting go this past weekend. This is going to sound silly, so I'll admit that right up front, but it was a really big deal to me. I did the laundry on Saturday. That's right, that was my major letting go moment. For years and years and years I have done the laundry every Monday, and it's been great. I have loved getting up on Monday mornings and doing all the laundry. I only do laundry once a week and I always (or almost always) do it on Monday.

That's the luxury of a stay at home mom...to be able to do the laundry every Monday, to have your life run on a schedule and to have time to do those kinds of things when you want to do them. But it's time to face the facts and quit causing myself so much stress and start doing laundry on Saturdays. I've always been grateful to be one of the moms that didn't have to do laundry on Saturday. I've always been so grateful to have been at home and have the luxury of doing all those kinds of things during the week days. And I've been holding onto hope that things would go back to the way they were, but it's not gonna happen, so it's time to let go and make some adjustments.

I realize how silly this sounds to most people, but I have kind of hung my hat on the stay at home mom hook for many many years. It's a great blessing to be at home with your kids, and I'm so very grateful I've been able to do that. The truth is that even though I am working now I am blessed to work at home most of the time and mostly when the kids are in school so if you have to work, and I do have to work, then this is the way to do it. But doing the laundry on Mondays was making the rest of the week crazy. By taking time to do the laundry I didn't get in enough work hours and then I have been scrambling the rest of the week to catch up. Stress! Not my friend!

So Saturday I decided to do the sensible thing (finally) and do the laundry. I have to admit, this week I have had a much better work week and I'm not behind, in fact, I'm ahead in my hours. That feels good. And that's my goal, to feel good. I haven't really felt good for a while. I have moments of feeling good, and times of feeling good, but I've let stress take way too much of a toll and I've spent a fair amount of time feeling less than good. So, in this journey to be healthier, I also need to do things that will help me feel healthier mentally and emotionally.

I'm sure this post seems very strange to anyone who will read it, but I wanted to write this down so I can remind myself to make the necessary changes in my life that will help me feel my best. I'm working on having a more positive attitude and focusing on all my blessings, and trust me, I have lots of blessings.

I'm hoping that by letting go the extra pounds will also let go. I'm grateful for the chance to keep trying!

A good week!

I think I forgot to post last week. We went to Utah and when we got home I weighed in and I was up one pound, and to tell you the truth I was really relieved. I was worried I had gained more since we ate out quite a bit and I ate things I normally say no to. So I considered that a victory! This week that ugly pound is gone, along with another 1.5. I'm so excited that I lost 2.5 pounds this week. That makes my total loss 18.8 pounds. I'm almost at the 20 pound mark. My goal is to be there next week. I know I made the goal to be there before the trip to Utah, but that's OK, I'm pluggin' along! I'm snacking less and I did exercise once this past week. Once is lame, but it's better than not at all. I just can't seem to get myself back in the exercise mode. I'm feeling better, that's for sure. Twenty five more to go! : ) These 2.5 pounds are for you, Pauli! I love you!

Groundhog Day!

That's what today felt like when I hopped on the Weight Watcher's scale. I was exactly the same as last week, but I wasn't a bit disappointed. I had such a good loss last week that I was really worried about maintaining so I was happy that I stayed the same.

That's the good news. The not so good news it that this was my last WW meeting for a while. I just can't do it right now. Our business is slower than slow and there's no way I can justify spending the money to go and hang out with my WW buddies. I have a great jump start and I feel totally confident that I can continue my losing streak on my own. It will be a little bit harder, but I can do it, and I will.

We are headed to Utah on Friday and I am VERY worried about maintaining while we are gone. Some of my favorite food is in the beehive state. I plan to eat a little bit of everything and fill up on the healthy stuff. My goal is to be the same when we get home as when we leave.

I was a BIG loser this week!

This was a good week as far as my weight loss journey is concerned. I was down 3.4 pounds when I weighed in this morning at my meeting. I was so thrilled! I've lost a total of 17.4 pounds and it feels really good.

I tried really hard not to eat after 7:00 p.m. last week and it obviously made a difference. I've been making better food choices and snacking less. I have to admit that I am hungry sometimes, but I'm hoping that will get better with time.

Jessica and Todd became engaged yesterday and we are all over the top excited. I didn't start losing weight for this reason, but I don't want to be a chubby mother of the bride so I feel even more motivated now. I see a cute new something to wear in my future. Maybe a summer suit, maybe a dress, we'll see when it gets closer.

Although all of this is exciting, the news about Pauli was anything but. I'm dedicating my pounds to Pauli and praying that she will feel my love and concern. There's just no one like her!

Slowly but surely!

That seems to be how it's coming off this time, slowly but surely. I lost another pound so I'm down 14. The hormonies didn't help me this week so maybe next week I'll have a better loss. Even though the weekly losses are small, they do add up. My clothes are much looser and I do feel better.

I keep saying I need to exercise and I just haven't been able to force myself to do it. I've got to get moving. I need to make another hideous threat to myself. I'll think of something to motivate my lazy buns!

This pound is for you, Pauli. I am dedicating all my pounds to Pauli!

I'm a big fat chicken!

I didn't have the courage to go to my meeting yesterday and weigh in because Jessica and Todd came to visit for the weekend and I fell off the wagon a bit. I really didn't pig out, but I did eat more than I should have. Friday night we all went to Ruby's on the pier. It was so much fun. I splurged and got a hamburger. I only ate about 2/3 of it, but I did eat every heavenly French fry that was on my plate. Everyone got shakes, but I refrained. So I guess I could have been worse.

I made French toast and only had one slice, I made breakfast burritos and only had one...on a whole grain tortilla, I made homemade rolls and only ate one...the smallest one, I made two kinds of cookies and I have to confess that I did eat a few of those. Oh yeah, and I made homemade cinnamon rolls and I did have one...and it wasn't very small. And as if all of that wasn't enough, Steven and Kevin...aka Satan and Lucifer...brought us the prettiest apple pie you ever did see...and I did partake. It was delicious! So now you can see why I was so scared yesterday at the thought of weighing in. I really am a coward!

Also, yesterday morning I wasn't feeling well and I used it as an excuse to avoid putting my chubby body on the WW scale. I'm back on track and will drag myself to the meeting next week, no matter what. I still want to be at a 20 pounds loss by April 3rd and there's no way that will happen without exercise, so I've gotta get movin'. I bought tons of fruit and veggies at Henry's yesterday so I'm going to fill up on that and avoid the sinful foods!

Onward and downward!

Lucky 13

It's almost not worth reporting my .4 pound loss this week, but I guess I'll go ahead and do it anyway. I know why I'm losing so slowly. I'm eating too much of the right food and not exercising. By too much of the right food I mean good choices, but too many of them, which is not good. My total loss is exactly 13 pounds, but if I'm going to make my goal to be at 20 by April 3rd I'm gonna have to move my buns...and thighs...and chins! So Pauli, I didn't do much this week, but what little I did is dedicated to your returning smile! Keep it up!

A small loss, but at least it's a loss

This week I'm down .6, which isn't much, but I'm OK with that, and I'm grateful to be down 12.6 total. The picture will explain part of the reason I didn't lose more. The Sorensens gave us a very sinful thank you. Kevin baked us one of his amazing (and when I say amazing I mean amazing) chocolate cakes. It was enormous and divine! I had one good size piece on Sunday, three bites on Monday, none on Tuesday and I'm eating the last piece right this very minute. It was worth every point, but now it's time to get serious again! (I told Kevin and Steve if they bring me another cake I'm going to have my WW leader track them down and feed them baby carrots until they barf!)

I made a goal to be at a 20 pound loss by the time we leave for General Conference on April 3rd. It's a very reasonable goal and I intend to achieve it! And once again, although it's small, I'm donating this 1/2 pound to Pauli.

An Even Dozen

I lost 1.4 this week so that gives me a loss of 12 pounds even. I'm really excited to be headed in the right direction. I'm looking forward to hitting the 15 pound mark...hopefully in a couple of weeks. My clothes are looser and it feels good! Today I bought a points tracker that goes on my key chain to help me keep track of my points throughout the day. I'll tell ya, 23 points aren't much and they go pretty quickly if you're not careful!

I'm seriously considering buying a Wii Fit. I just can't seem to motivate myself to exercise and I think the kids would love the Wii fit, too, so I may bite the bullet and go for it! I've heard it calls you names and tells you you're fat and also that it lectures you if you skip your exercise routine. So, although I'm a little scared of the Wii, it may be just what I need to burn some very unwanted calories.

Once again, I'm dedicating these pounds to Pauli. I love you, Pauli! Hang in there!

These pounds are for Pauli!

I love you, Pauli! Hang in there!

I think worrying must burn calories because I lost 2.4 pounds this week. That puts me at 10.6 pounds total. I'm really happy about he loss, but I'm so concerned about Pauli that it seems trivial and unimportant. I am grateful to be taking better care of my health.

Not much else to say, except I'm praying for encouraging news today and grateful for the Lord's constant care and guidance in our lives.

I'm frustrated!

Uggg! I was so good this week. I was really careful about what I ate, including eating veggies during the Superbowl, and I upped my exercise and I only lost .2 pounds. I was really thinking I'd done well. My clothes are noticeably looser but it's not showing up on the scale.

I'm frustrated, but not discouraged! One thing I didn't do last week was enter my food on the web site so maybe that did make a difference. I know I stayed within my points but tracking is important so I'll get serious and do it this week. Hopefully next week I'll be a bigger loser!

How many calories in a bug?

OK, this is hilarious! This morning Dave and Jessica and I headed to cardiac hill to endure the pain and torture that it so happily inflicts! On the last lap down the hill Dave swallowed a bug, and I don't think it was a small one! He hacked and coughed all the way to the car. He said he could feel it wiggling around in his throat. He's such a drama queen! Jessica was cracking up! How can you recognize a happy walker? By the bugs on their teeth! Here's a tip, Dave...close your mouth when your walkin' in the bushes! : )

My love hate relationship with Cardiac Hill

Here I am at the bottom of cardiac hill! It's bigger, steeper, and more hideous than it looks! It's a beast! Jessica and I went up and down...4 times...without stopping. I almost hyperventilated but I was able to get a grip and finish the climb. At one point I think I may have blacked out or hallucinated because I thought I passed out and was resuscitated by a paramedic named Tim McGraw!

One thing's for sure, it feels great to be eating better and moving more!

This could be my final posting!

Well, I'm headed to cardiac hill. There is a considerable chance that I will collapse and die so I thought I'd post my burial wishes just in case:

You can bury me in the cheapest coffin available, I don't even mind if it's made of Styrofoam, but DO NOT bury me in the vertical position. I know it's cheaper, but it freaks me out. Lay me down horizontally, and line my casket with pics of Tim McGraw. This way you know I will most definitely rest in peace!

Jessica is going with me so she can be the one to call 911 and report my cardiac arrest. One thing's for sure...it's not gonna be pretty! Wish me luck!

Say good-bye to two more pounds!

I'm so excited! I lost two more pounds this week...making my total loss eight pounds! I would love to make it to 10 by next week. OK, I'll just set the goal right now...I will make it to 10 by next week. I hate doing that because I don't want to be disappointed but I know I can do it so I'm gonna go for it!

I'm really starting to enjoy the people at my WW meetings. They are very supportive! I feel like an alcoholic or something, but it's true, the support really is helpful. Our leader is great! I like her so much!

I made my goal of exercising three times last week. They were lame workouts but they were workouts none the less. This week I'm gonna step it up. I will walk up and down cardiac hill four times at least three times this coming week. Ugggg....I have a love hate relationship with that stupid hill. I love the way it helps me lose weight but I hate walking up and down it! I'll take Jake's iPod and listen to some good ol' classic rock. That should help me out. I'll walk with Styx, Journey, Boston and Kansas!

I'm feeling pretty excited about this now and I'm so grateful to be able to be back on this journey!

Ring Around the Rosie...Pocket Full of PAIN!

This is really embarrassing but I vowed to be honest during this weight loss journey so I have to confess! Sunday I was at the Vista 1st Ward Conference and I was hanging out with the nursery kids during the third hour. It was very fun and they are all adorable! At the end, while we were waiting for their parents to pick them up, we played Ring Around the Rosie a few times. Basically squats put to a silly song. Yesterday I woke up and my thighs were KILLING ME! Note to self: if Ring Around the Rosie gives you muscle pain, you are seriously out of shape! I've done two of my three workouts this week so I have to do one more today or I'll be rubbing Jake's hideous feet, and that's just not gonna happen! Tomorrow is weigh in day. Wish me luck!

Can playing the Wii count as a workout?

Yes it can! I just played the Wii with Jake and I'm a little sweaty so I'm counting it as a workout. That's right, two down, one to go. I know there are people who wouldn't consider the Wii a workout, but if saw the way I play tennis and bowling you would understand that there was some serious calorie burning going on! It's a full body experience when I play. It's not pretty, but I play to win. Jake cleaned my clock at tennis but I beat him good at bowling. I'm thinking about looking into Wii fitness. I wonder how many calories you can burn while playing. I think I'll google it. Hold on, I'll be right back........

• 125 calories in 15 minutes of Boxing
• 92 calories in 15 minutes of Tennis
• 77 calories in 15 minutes of Bowling

Here's a hilarious answer I found when I did the google search...

"ummm dude im srry to tell you this but when i play wii tennis or any other ones i just lay down on the couch......"

P.S. I got my first workout in on Wednesday when I walked over to Ellie and Nic's house and then walked back while Nic rode next to me on his two wheeler! That kid is a stud. He's not even four yet and he's riding a two wheeler. Then Nic and I played the Wii so that counts as workout #1!

If hunger isn't the problem, then food isn't the answer!

That was the theme of our WW meeting today...emotional eating. I'm a stress eater and that's why my thighs rub together. That and the fact that I love chocolate! WW is helping me think before I eat. Am I hungry or is there another reason I want to munch? I like my leader. She is really good and very sweet.

OK, so drum roll please...I lost 1.4 pounds this week. I can't lie, at first I was a little disappointed. I was hoping to have lost 2, but when I at down and looked at my book I realized I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks and then I felt much better. I'm not trying to lose it super fast, and I need to keep remembering that and have patience.

I'm mad at myself because I made a goal to exercise three times last week and I only did it once. I went for a super long walk on Monday, up and down hills. It was great, but I should have done more. So now I'm having to resort to drastic measures. Here's the deal...I am going to exercise three times this week and if I don't I'm going to give Jake a foot massage. Thinking about rubbing his stinky teenage feet will surely get me going. I constantly bribe Jake to rub my feet. He gets 30 minutes of Nintendo time each day, and he can earn more by rubbing my barking dogs...if you know what I mean! I know what you're thinking...I'm a genius! Jake's feet look (and smell) like they belong on a dead man. The thought of rubbing them will get me out the door and on the move! It's ridiculous that I have to stoop to this, but whatever it takes is worth it.

Tonight I made wise choices! : )

Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. My step-mom gave Dave a gift card to Claim Jumper for his birthday so we decided to go there for dinner. Not a good place for a serious weight watcher! I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself!

I ordered off the children's menu to get smaller portions. I ordered tri-tip with a small green salad and very yummy vegies on the side. I had one bite of Dave's bran muffin and two of Shelby's French fries and I splurged and had a diet-coke! It was delish!

This looked good...but I didn't have any! : )

Lori's Whole Wheat Pancakes

4 eggs, separated
2 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
2 T. honey
2 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
2 T. oil

Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat egg yolks with buttermilk. Add all other ingredients (except egg whites) and beat until smooth. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Fry on hot griddle. Makes 18 pancakes...2 WW points each! : )

There's 4.6 pounds less of me to love!

Wouldn't it be great if every week of a diet could be as successful as the first week? I was so excited today at my WW meeting when I realized I'd lost almost five pounds this first week. I was worried that I might not have lost anything because I felt like I was retaining water. Last night my toes were all puffed up and they looked like little sausages.

Starting off with a good loss is very motivating. And the most exciting news of all is that I already feel less tired. That is the most motivating factor of all! My healthier food choices are giving me energy and it feels GOOD!

Next week at the meeting there's a good chance I'll get my first five pound star. How will I sleep at night with all the anticipation?

Well, time for a turkey sandwich celebration! This week my goal is to exercise three times a week. It's not much, but it's three times more than I have been. Onward and downward! : )

Today I had the MUNCHIES!

Today I had a case of the munchies. I wasn't all that hungry, but I wanted to eat. I ate a few snacks but they were all wise choices.

I wanted this...




But I had this...


Yesterday I was in meetings most of the day and by the time I got home I was too pooped to make dinner so I made my sister-in-law Lori's whole wheat pancakes. They were so good, and my family loved them. I did the WW points calculation and they were only two points. I'll post the recipe later. It's a winner!

I had "a day"!

You know how when people say they've had "a day" they usually don't mean it in a happy way. Well, yesterday I had "a day". It wasn't terrible, but it was just weird.

Shelby's car was stolen from off our driveway over three weeks ago. On Thursday they found it at a motel (ewwww) in Corona. So yesterday afternoon I had to drive to Corona to sign a release form at the police department so the insurance company can pick it up from the impound lot.

I wasn't very hungry when I left on my journey but I took a bag of lite microwave popcorn along for the drive. I ate it along the way and it really filled me up. Popcorn is a good choice...low in points and very filling! Popcorn is my friend! Popcorn makes you thirsty so I took a BIG travel cup full of Crystal Lite. Not the best idea I've ever had before a long drive.

Anywho, once I got to Corona I really had to go #1. Any good weight watcher knows you need to drink lots of water, and all that water has made me spend some serious time in the loo. I didn't want to use the bathroom at the police station because I was in a hurry to get to the impound lot before dark so I could survey the damage to the car, figuring I'd use the pottie there. That was not a good idea! An impound lot is run by tow truck drivers. Do I need to say more? I was too scared to use the loo there because I imagined it being worse than the restroom at the Union 76 in Baker, CA. (That's a memory that has given me post traumatic stress syndrome!)

So I left the lot with a more than full bladder and began the drive home. I did have to stop for gas, but I do not under any circumstances use gas station restrooms, most especially the ones that are outside and involve a key hanging from a tire rim. No way, no how! It's never gonna happen!

So off I went, toward Oceanside, in a rented car, with a full bladder. I mention the word "rented" because at one point I considered using the seat as a toilet, knowing I wouldn't be driving it more than a few days more. I refrained!

I had to stop at Target in Lake Elsinore so I finally found a place suitable to "go" if you know what I mean. By this time I was slightly paniced. I was walking fast and was basically a weight watchers woman with a mission. I flew into the restroom, noted that is was a 6 on the 1-10 clean scale, realized I didn't have many choices and headed into the stall. Now here is where my huge dilema arrived...no seat protectors. And I don't mean the dispenser was empty, I mean there were no dispensers... anywhere! Do the folks in Lake Elsinore think they don't have cooties? SICK!

So it was time to do the squat and hold as I relieved my stress. The only problem with the squat and hold is that it's been many moons since I've done squats. Even back in the days when I was attending my Muscle Max class faithfully each week I would experience the shakes during squats. Come on, ladies, you know what I mean. Well, a full bladder does not empty quickly, and the squat shakes set in way before I was done. There was no choice but to sit, on an unprotected seat, and much to my chagrin I realized all too soon not a dry one.

So, as you can see, I had "a day" but at least the rental car is still pee free! There's always a silver lining!


P.S. Here's a pic of the trunk of Shelby's car. The car is a huge mess. We're pretty sure it will be totaled. The good news is that they caught the criminals who stole it...red handed! They were actually driving the vehicle when the cops found them. They ran over or hit something and a part fell off from the underneath side of the car so they threw it in the trunk. They also sold the spare tire and used the hole where it had been for a trash can. IDIOTS!

Grrrrrroooooowwwwwllllll!!!!!!

OK, so today I was seriously hungry. Not the kind of hungry where you feel like eating something...the kind of hungry where you are HUNGRY! I ate really well all day and drank lots of water, and I'm trying to pick foods from the WW list that are the most satisfying for the points, but I was still hungry. At one point my stomach growled so loud that I wouldn't have been surprised if the neighbors had come over to see if we adopted a tiger. Not good!

I'm hoping it gets better. I'm sure it will. Let's face it, knowing I was going to start WW I've been pigging out, kind of like a drunk guzzles liquor right before going into rehab. Plus I've had my fair share of holiday goodies. So I've played and now it's time to pay.

I'm not discouraged...just hungry! I have stake council tonight so I will offer a silent prayer that my stomach doesn't forsake me by making embarrassing noises. That would be bad!

Gotta run...I'm having a bowl of taco soup before I head out. I think I'll eat a piece of bread, too, just to try and prevent the rumbles.

Two days down... : )

I want just one chin!

Well, here I go again, on another weight loss journey. I went back to Weight Watchers today. My wonderful (and skinny) daughter, Jessica, gave me money for Christmas and I used it to join WW. So I decided to blog my weight loss journey and call it "Just One Chin" because I'm really tired of having two!

I did WW a few years ago and it worked great! I lost 41 pounds in about 6 months and I felt so good. I kept it off for quite a while but then I let stress get the best of me and next thing ya know, there I am, back to having multiple chins.

I'll be reporting my loss on the blog and also probably whining a lot. I'll try and make it funny, but hunger can make a girl crabby so I can't promise anything.

I will never ever ever ever post how much I weigh. That is a number that will be guarded in the deepest part of my brain and nothing...let me repeat...nothing will get me to reveal that very chubby number.

As far as my before picture, I know what you're thinking, it's hideous. To that I say thank you! Before pics are supposed to be hideous. It's a requirement that they be truly awful so when I eventually post my after picture the difference will be jaw dropping.

As far as my blog background goes, I chose strawberries because they are very healthy and very low in WW points, and delicious dipped in chocolate! Oops, you can see why I've found myself creating this blog. Chocolate is my best friend. I know it's wrong, but it's true. Today at the WW meeting (if you've never been to one you truly must go to at least one before you're on the other side of the dirt) anyway, today at the meeting the leader said "Soup is our friend." In my mind I thought, "Soup may be my friend, but chocolate is my love!"

Getting back to the meetings, they are so silly. The first time I ever went to one I swore I was in kindergarten, either that or at a 12-step program. As far as the kindergarten part goes, you get star stickers...I'm not kidding...for sharing good ideas, and people clap if you lose as much as half an ounce. As far as the 12-step part is concerned, there's a whole lot of confessing going on, and most people stick with only their first names. We may be chubby, but we still have our pride.

I won't be logging every single thing I stick in my mouth, but I will tell you that by 2:00 today I was beyond starving. If you do WW right they say you shouldn't be hungry, but we'll see about that. Last time I did it I was eventually less hungry, but I was still wanting more than I was getting, especially in the chocolate department!

My posts won't all be this long, but right now I am in the mood to snack so instead of using my fingers to hoist sinful food into my mouth I'm using them to type. I will go to the silly meeting every Wednesday morning and then I will report on my progress.

Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it! Losing it is truly the easy part...it's keeping it off that's so darn tough. Oh, one more thing, I have to give a shout out to my inspiration...Marianne Griffiths. Marianne, you have inspired me to get in shape and I can't thank you enough. You look amazing!

That's all for now. Time to make dinner...whole wheat pasta, marinara sauce with zucchini and green peppers served with green salad. Yum! Yum!