Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Perception

My kids like tortilla shells right out of the bag.  They probably get that from me.  I used to eat them that way, too.

The other day, Sarah wanted one.  I told her they were in the pantry on the second shelf.

She went into the pantry, grabbed one, and came out saying, "You were right that they were in the pantry, but they were on the third shelf."





Perception.

From her view, looking at the shelf from the bottom up, she saw it differently than I did when I look at the shelf from the top down.

I've thought of this a bit since it happened.  This seeminly unimportant difference made me think about how we communicate and how perhaps we argue or differ with others on certaing things.

We might be saying the same thing...

Just in a different way...

Monday, February 25, 2013

My Journey (round two...or is it three or four?)

I have been contimplating writing about this again, and each time I sit down and start putting my thoughts together, I change my mind.  So if I actually hit publish, it will be a miracle.

You're reading...that means I hit publish!

Two years ago I wrote an entry entitled Don't Hog Your Journey where I chronicled my changing weight through the years.  I even posted real numbers.  I felt bolder back then for some reason, sharing that at my thinnest and most tone I was 165, and at the time of the entry it says I was 205.

For the record, I've had to start over.  After having another baby since then and having gall bladder surgery, those two things did not give me a kind number on the scale!

With my sister's wedding just over eight months away, I have been pretty diligent with my efforts to lose weight (again).  Since January 1st, I have lost 17.2 pounds.  I'm not going to share my starting number this time, but I might share it later as I post updates.  Those updates will only be after I hit two main goals (which are getting under a certain number - not hard to guess that number I'm sure - and when I reach my ending goal).  Total weight loss goal is 66.8 pounds, so I still have about 50 to go. 

In October, my in-laws had us over, and all of us went outside for a family picture.  Their two sons, daughters-in-law, 5 grandkids, and the two of them were posed for a sweet snapshot.  Everyone said what a great picture it was, when they posted it on facebook, there were some very nice comments.  But when I saw the picture, I couldn't believe it.  It was the first time I finally saw what the last year or so had done to me...or what I had done to myself to be more accurate.  I was not happy.

I know that sounds sort of boo-hoo.  Sorry.

I'm not going to post that picture...but I might post it later as a perfect "before" picture!

It was that day, even before my sister's engagment, that I knew I had to do something.  I had to stop going back and forth with my weight.  I gave myself through the holidays and knew that when January 1st came, I would have to buckle down.

Some may disagree with this approach, but it's what I'm doing.  Some say START TODAY!  I knew it wasn't realistic with all the get-togethers we had coming up...I tried to take it easy on the cookies and pies and turkey, but I did not count calories until January 1st. 

The other side of this is the fact that I'm actually a pro at losing weight...it's keeping it off that's hard.  I am loving MyFitnessPal...I just wonder what I'll do after I hit my goal.  No more babies being had.  Hopefully no more surgeries.

No excuses.

I share all of this because I know I'm not the only one who has this battle.  I know that when someone loses weight, everyone wants to know, "WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?"  The truth is, there is no secret.  Sure, there are gimmicks.  There will always be lose-weight-fast techniques or whatever.  But for me, I just knew I needed to suck it up and do the work.  I needed to count calories and go out for walks.

I'm tired of positioning children or items in front of me for pictures...

Christmas 2012


Or cropping pictures for that matter!


My sweet friend, Kassie, is also on this journey.  We are almost side by side when it come to weight loss numbers, so that makes it fun.  I mean...as fun as two competitive people can make it. :)

I would like to be halfway to my goal by April and done by August.  I'm not sure how that will work with bridesmaid dress fittings, but we'll do what we can!

MyFitnessPal.
Encouragement from friends.
And prayer.
This is my current weight loss plan.