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Weight Loss Journal Writing

January 26, 2012 By 1 Comment
weight loss tracker week 10

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As many of you know I am on a quest… a quest to lose weight and be healthier.  This is not a New Years resolution but something I have been working on for 6 months now.  I feel like this time is different.  I am working hard at making real life changes.  The first thing that I am doing differently is journaling.  Weight Watchers suggests that you do it, nutritionists suggest that you do it, even many counselors are having people journal for weight loss.  I am now a huge fan.  Journal writing is working for me for many reasons.

  1. Getting it Out:  Let’s face it, none of us who are over weight are fat because we want to be.   Many times it is not even because of anything more than dealing with our demons.  We all have them.  We all have reasons for emotional eating.  It is not usually that we are so hungry we just cannot stop.  It is often that we are eating to feel better.  We then overeat and from that point we are filled with worse emotional baggage than we started with.  I have found that stopping myself in my tracks and writing in my journal has helped a lot.  I can look back and see what my triggers are and I can get whatever is “eating” me, out of my head.
  2. Planning:  Writing in a journal has offered me the opportunity to really plan.  I do not mean that I am planning meal by meal.  It is so much more than that.  I have been able to plan social eating.  I have been able to review in my head and on paper different techniques for avoiding picking, overeating and even plan for meals.  In my journal two days before Thanksgiving I did something I still find to be quite silly.  I drew a picture of a plate and put how much space each item at dinner should occupy on my plate.  I know that it seems quite silly but it worked and I continued to lose weight over Thanksgiving.  I also found that my weight loss slowed over Christmas week.  My journal was also not touched that week.  Since there was no plan, I was not able to be successful.
  3. Track Weight Loss:  In the front of my journal I have dates and weights.  It is a quick way to track how I am doing.  I am also able to go back and reference how I was feeling emotionally during peeks and valleys.  I even track my period in relation to weight loss.  This enables me to look at the whole picture and not get stressed.  In tracking my weight I have determined that I gain up to 7 pounds the week before my cycle begins.  This has enabled me to remain calm even though the scale is moving in the wrong direction.

All in all I believe in the power of the journal.  I have filled three one subject notebooks front to back over the past 6 months.  I have found this to be a positive way to assure that I stick to eating healthy and that I am emotionally happier.   If you do not journal I would very much suggest that you try it as part of your weight loss journey as well!

Becca

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Toy Rental: The New Trend

April 10, 2011 By 3 Comments

Well I think that I have now heard it all!  Today, while reading through some blogs on Mom Blog Network I discovered a new trend that I was not aware of.  Thanks to the blog Darcy and Brian “Tales from the Nursery” I learned about a new business that is just getting started.  It is called Toygaroo!

Toygaroo is a company like no other I have seen.  Toygaroo offers toys for rent.  Yes you heard me right.  They rent out toys.  According to what I have read on Toygaroo’s website there are a few main points about toy rental they would like to stress.

  1. Toys are delivered right to your door step.
  2. The toys they have chosen enhance child development.
  3. No yuck Factor.  Toys have been sanitized and sealed in plastic to assure that they are clean and ready to be played with.
  4. No late fees.  This is always nice.  You know us busy moms seem to sometimes overlook due dates.
  5. Free Shipping.  I think that this is a big one!  With the cost of shipping these days it is nice that Toygaroo is able to ship with no cost to you.

The way it all works seems simple enough.  You rent the toys for a total of 30 days.  There are 3 levels of membership.  Level one is $24.99 for a 30 day rental of 4 toys.  Once your 60 days are up you then ship the toys back and wait to receive next bundle.  Level two membership is $32.99 for 6 toys and level 3 is $42.99 for 8 toys.  It is important to note that with these membership plans you agree to 3 month commitment.  For an additional $0.34 per day you can receive new toy shipments every 30 days.

I think that there are perks to renting toys.  You are not stuck with having to buy toys and then throwing them out a month later.  You also are switching the toys that you have up constantly which exposes them to new things.  I think that I like the concept.  My only problem is that I do not purchase $25.00 worth of toys per month so it would be an added expense for our family.  I know that there are a lot of families that do spend that much and more on toys per month.  For those families I think that this is really a great deal!

Becca

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Weight Loss: Calorie Counting Application

April 7, 2011 By 5 Comments

The world is so full of apps these days.  There are apps for IPhones and apps for DROID phones. There are apps to say where you are, there are apps to play games, there are apps to tune your guitar.  This week I discovered an application on the DROID that could be helpful rather than time wasting!  There are phone applications that will help you with your diet!

We all know how hard it is to track calories in and calories out through out the day!  We get to work or out with the kids and forget about recording our food intake.  Now there is a solution to keeping track that involves no paper and no pencil and the best part is that it is a free app!  You just cannot beat free!

“Myfitnesspal” is a DROID application that does it all as far as weight loss.  Once you begin using this application you are asked to input your weight, height, how much weight you would like to lose, and how fast you would like to lose it.  They then advise you how many calories you should eat each day in order to reach your goal, in the amount of time you stated.  Each day you can input your current weight and see the pounds melt away.

The best part of the “Myfitnesspal” application for the DROID is that it scans the bar codes of the foods you are eating and inputs all of the caloric information for you.  You simply take a picture of the bar code with your phones camera and you are on your way.  The “Myfitnesspal” application does the rest!  It is like a free version of Weight Watchers all in the palm of your hand.  The only down side I can see is that this DROID application eliminated your excuses!

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Pumpkin Carving

October 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Last night we had an evening of complete Halloween fun!  As I stated yesterday we were going to watch Scared Shrekless.  We also planned a big event in our house… pumpkin carving.

I have to admit that each year it is something that the kids look forward to.  We even had grandma and pop-pop over to join in the fun.  I had dinner ready when daddy got home and we were carving pumpkins by 7:15.  We scooped and scooped.  By the time it was 8pm no pumpkins were carved!  So I missed Scared Shrekless and carved pumpkins all alone.

I am sure that the kids will remember that we “carved” pumpkins this year.  Their memories are never what we think they are.  I missed the kids sorting out seeds with me.  As I sat at the table at 1am picking pumpkin seed out of pumpkin goo I began to wonder why we did not choose to do pumpkins last weekend like I had wanted to.

So here they are.  I did ask the kids what shapes they wanted to pumpkin faces to have before carving.  Rather then buying pumpkin stencils this year I just cut out some shapes and held them on as I carved.  It was great and best of all free… other then the pumpkins that is.

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Weight Loss: How To Be Successful

May 13, 2010 By 5 Comments
The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 20...
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I have been working on this weight loss journey for over 5 months now.  I have lost a total of 36 pounds!   With every pound I lose I feel a little bit more confident that I will continue to be successful.  Many people entering into a weight loss journey wonder how they can be successful.  I have just a few tips for those of you who wondering what the keys to success are.

  1. BELIEVE: I know it sounds simple but if you believe you can do it… you will.  I also think that you have to believe that you are worth it!  This is a tough step for many people who are trying to lose weight.  I wake up every morning and remind myself that I can do it.  I believe in myself.
  2. COUNT: This can mean a great number of things but for success it is important to discuss calorie counting.  Calorie counting is important.  It is vital in order lose weight that you burn more calories than you take in.  There are a few great sights with activity calculators that help to make this task easier.  Fitness Partner has a great activity calculator.  It is extremely easy to use.  All you need to do is enter your weight and the duration you plan to exercise into the calculator and a printable list of calories burned per activity will appear.  CaloriesPerHour.com also has an easy and wonderful calculator.
  3. MOVE: I know it stinks when you first start your weight loss journey but exercise is a vital part of success.  The more you move the more you lose.  In the beginning you may be able to lose without moving but the longer you are invested in losing weight the more necessary exercise becomes.  So get out there and walk if nothing else.  Do it alone, with friends or with the dog.  Just get out there and move.
  4. NEW: On this weight loss journey to a new you it is important to remember that you need to focus on new.  No I am not talking about clothing, although that is needed also.  The thing that needs to be new is your food.  It is important to switch it up some.  Studies have shown that people who eat the same breakfast every day become unmotivated.
  5. SUPPORT: It is important that you find some support.  This can be a family member, a friend, or even a stranger.  Yes I know that a stranger sounds unlikely but in situations such as Weight Watchers meetings many people find that there are people they relate to.  It is also nice to have someone removed from your life helping you with your journey.

I am still hoping to reach my first big goal… Lose  pounds by the time the kids are out of school.  I figure if the people on the biggest loser could lose 100 pounds in 17 weeks I can certainly lose another 14 pounds is 7 weeks.  It is an average of 2 pounds a week so I will have to work really hard.  I just have to believe, move, remember new, count my calories and most of all remember all of the wonderful support I have!

Becca

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Weight Loss: Week 5

February 8, 2010 By 6 Comments
A man and a woman performing a modern dance.
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On Saturday I completed 5 weeks of my weight loss journey.  I am happy to report that I lost another 2.8 pounds.  That made a total loss of 20.2 pounds in 5 weeks.  I am so excited about my continued success.  Weight is something I have struggled with my ENTIRE life.  It is something I have never been able to let go of.

Many people who are successful say that you have to loose weight by letting go of your past.  I have thought about my head a lot this week.  Time and time again I thought about excuses.  I am full of excuses and have been for MANY years.  The thing that got me thinking about these excuses was watching The Biggest Loser last week.  A woman, Miggy, had her appendix removed and the very next day walked 14 miles!  All I was thinking while watching was that I would have used that surgery as an excuse.  I would have given up.  I guess that is what got me thinking.  In the past I have used so many things as excuses.

As a child and teenager I was a dancer.  I LOVED TO DANCE!  I took classes 6 days a week.  It made me so happy.  I was fit and truely enjoyed it.  I still miss it to this day.  When I was 14 I hurt my knee and never danced again.  My parents took a conservative approach in treating it.  I stopped dancing and did nothing physical for a year.  In that year betweem 14 and 15 I gained over 100 pounds.  My weight has been an issue for me ever since.  I also spent years using my knee as an excuse.

When I was pregnant with Abigail my pelvis separated.  I cannot begin to tell you the pain.  I spent about a month in the hospital and could not walk without crutches for about 6 months!  After a lot of time if healed but is arthritic.  For years I used my pelvis as an excuse.

Two years ago I shattered the first three metatarsals in my foot.  It still hurts to this day but has become another excuse.  I cannot walk right.  I am forever in pain.  It is swollen and ugly.  It is still just another excuse.

If this woman Miggy could walk 14 miles after surgery, why do I use excuses.  I am pretty sure that I am not alone in my excuse using.  I think that we all do it.  This week I am going to try and eliminate my excuses.  They have been holding me back.  They have made my body and mind unhealthy.  They have to go.  What excuses do you use?  How will you overcome them?

Becca

Please do not forget to join my facebook group Becca’s Belly Busters.

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Weight Loss: Week 4

January 30, 2010 By 5 Comments
5
Image by svenwerk via Flickr

So here we are.  I have put in 4 whole weeks and actually not cheated at all.  I am so happy with my progress.  I have stayed committed and made achievable mini goals.  I am oing to go and get my hair cut in the next week or so.  I am thinking that I may even do highlights.  That was my reward for loosing 5% of weight.  I have lost a total of 17.4 pounds in just 4 weeks.  My goal for February is to loose 10 pounds.  I think that it is a little ambitious but it is a goal and if I do not meet it I can always try again.

Success is wonderful.  It has helped me to believe that I can accomplish things.  It is something that I am really enjoying!  I am hoping that by the summer I can be 50 pounds thinner.  I think that it is a realistic goal.  One that I can achieve and it will make it much easier to have the fun I want to have this summer.  Swimming in my sister in laws pool will be a great exercise.  I think that I will be there every morning if she will let me.  A quick swim then off to my day!  We will see how I am going by that point.

All in all I am still enjoying this weight loss journey.  It has given me some confidence that I have been lacking for quite some time!  Weight is something that has always held me back.  I am breaking free from the weight and all of the things that have made me this way!  Weight is not just about eating.  It is about all of the demons in your head.  I think that I have shut those demons up for the first time in my life and it is liberating.

Don’t forget to join Becca’s Belly Busters on facebook.  I would love some more company!

Becca

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GoWear Fit: Is It Worth It?

January 29, 2010 By 12 Comments

I stumbled across the GoWear Fit and was completely lost.  I have never heard of it… Have you?  I am wondering if it is all worth it.  I did some research and discovered some very interesting things about it.

  1. You wear a band on your arm and by measuring all different things going on in your body it can tell you how many calories you are actually burning all day and night.
  2. It calculates the amount of calories you are taking in.
  3. You down load all of the information onto your computer and you are on your way.

According to GoWear Fit there are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat.  So in order to loose a pound you have to burn 3,500 calories more then you consume!  Although this sounds like a lot even writing this post is burning calories!  The GoWear Fit system is a little price.  The cheapest I found it for was $179.  I would love to try it and give a review.  Perhaps the GoWear Fit gods will read this and let me try one out.  I think that this would be a great tool for my weight loss journey.

Do any of you have a GoWear Fit?  I am interested in hearing how it all works.

GoWear Fit

Becca

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Weight Loss Journey: Week 2

January 19, 2010 By 2 Comments
Weightloss pyramid.
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I did not post on Saturday because I was so busy this weekend having fun.  All in all I had a great weight loss journey this week.  I weighed in on Saturday and I lost another 5.6 pounds.  That is a total of 11.2 pounds in two weeks!  I am feeling quite proud of myself.  I am still very into a healthy life style.  A healthier me should mean a thinner me.  It should also mean a happier, easier moving, more fun me!

Week 3 and 4 are when my weight most often plateaus.  I am so worried that this will happen again!  I have been doing well thus far and I so want my success to continue!  I have been preparing myself mentally for a plateau.  I figure that it is a chance for my body to adjust to my weight loss.  I have been doing this with weight loss journey with weight watchers in mind.  I have not joined yet and am thinking of waiting until I begin to have some trouble.  I think that weight loss is something that from time to time you have to trick your body.  This means that we have to switch things up when we hit our plateaus.  I think that if I make it past the next two weeks I will continue until my health and weight goals have been met.  I hope that you are all having success in you goals.

Becca

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Sketchers Shape-Ups: A Practical Review

January 15, 2010 By 8 Comments
London: Sketchers Shape Ups
Image by gorgeoux via Flickr

I have been wearing my Sketchers Shape-ups for about two weeks now.   Please understand that Sketchers did not provide me shoes or money to write this article although I wish they would!  Either way I paid the full retail price of $99 plus tax for mine.  I know it is a lot but the reasons are simple.

  1. I shattered my arch about one and a half years ago.  I have extreme pain and burning in my foot all of the time.  The Dr. said that a rocker bottom soled shoe would imobilize my foot.  This would reduce some of the nerve pain that was occuring.  Right away I went to the expensive shoe store and tried on shoes rangin from $250- $1,000.  No, that is not a typo, I said $1,000!  NONE of them fit.  Because of where my foot broke the in step of that foot is very high.  I walked away crying that I would never wear shoes again.  Then while Christmas shopping I stopped and tried on the Sketcher Shape-Ups and guess what… THEY FIT!
  2. Another reason is that I am weight watching as many of you know.  In addition to a reduction in pain these shoes are supposed to help firm you butt and legs.
  3. The third reason I plunged into a $99 pair of shoes was that they were more stylish then the $1,000 pair I could not afford.  I was also drawn to them because they make Sketchers Shape-Ups boots and Mary Janes.  This means that I can have a shoe that reduces the pain in my foot and it can be something other then a sneaker.

So back to the now!  I have been wearing these sneakers for two weeks now.  I am SO happy with them.  The nerve in my foot is feeling some better, my butt and legs are sore showing that they do something and they have enabled me to walk as a form of exercise.  I just do not know what I would do without my Sketchers Shape-Ups!  I am in love… I think I should stock poile them for when they are not cool anymore!

Becca

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