Triumphs & Tragedy

Yes, it's been a LITTLE while since my last post. I need to keep up better. I've just been so down lately about everything in the world: wishing I could provide more for my son & be a better example to him, my weight, finances, my job as a coach, my spiritual walk, my age (27 this year!), etc. I think every winter I get the blues & they start going away after stupid Valentine's Day. I was really excited when I went out to my car at 5:30pm & it wasn't completely dark out! That was AMAZING!

Progress? Not so much. I haven't even stepped on a scale in months. I will soon though. Promise.

Triumph #1 was getting on the treadmill the other day for 17 minutes (approximately 2,000 steps - I'm trying to do 10,000 steps a day.)

Triumph #2 (this is a big one for me) I have a hard time coming out of Wal-mart w/o buying any junk food. I was there around 11pm Sunday night and I was just about to leave when I spotted the Valentine's Day candy. (Yes, I hate Valentine's Day, but candy is candy.) I have the Biggest sweet tooth on the planet ... I'm convinced of that. So there I was, tired & crabby (b/c I lost a receipt I needed to take something back) and I was looking at the Hershey Kisses. These weren't just any kisses ... no, these were wrapped in silver and red foil!!!!! Oh they looked so good! I could just taste the milk chocolate on my tongue! W/o thinking, I just grabbed the bag and threw it in my cart. "You deserve this, Natalie." I told myself. I started walking to the check out full speed ahead. I was just going to do it! "That lady just grabbed 3 bags and she's twice your size!!!" But then I though, yeh ... that's probably why she's 2x my size too, huh? So, I swallowed hard, took a deep breath and put the bag down and walked away. I paid for my stuff and left.

I did it! I actually had something in my cart and put it back! It was an accomplishment. Some people will not realize how extremely difficult that was. Some people do it all the time. I rarely am able to say no! I realized 2 things:
#1 - I am capable of saying "no."
#2 - Fat people motivate me. No, seriously! They do. I'm talking the really big people. I look at them & think, that could so easily be me! I love sweets, carbs, and fast food. That right there is the equation for the 700 Club (the 700 pounds club).

Unfortunately, I didn't have a perfect week. I messed up big time today. Burger King before practice and McDonald's after practice. How sad is that? (Does it count for anything that I got bottled water instead of pop though?) I win one battle here & then the next battle I get demolished. *sigh*

Well, I'm back on the ball (the yoga ball) and REALLY want to win the war. There are many battles in the war made up of not just days, but moments. Every baby shower, bridal shower, snack time, meal time, vending machine, whatever it is ... it's a battle. And by George, I want to win!

Does anybody read these anymore?

I know it is has been a very long time since I have posted anything. I don't really have anything new to say - which explains my absence.
I have been able to keep off the 15 pounds I lost. I consistently weigh between 122-124. I thankfully didn't not put any of the weight back on over the holidays. It's great! I recently discovered a super healthy salad that I just love. All it is is spinach, pecans, craisins, motzerella (sp?) cheese, and T. Marzetti's Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. It's so good!
I hope all of you are experiencing success in your healthy living goals.

Long Lost Natalie 12.18.06

Did you all think I dropped off the planet? I guess I did for a while. I’m still confused as to what happened, b/c I was doing so well for a while. I had lost 11 pounds and I had a couple victories. But then somewhere in there, I just didn’t care anymore. My life was kinda a mess. My finances are drowning me, my weight climbed back to my original starting point, school was stinky, just … everything was going wrong. I quit on everything. But a few weeks back, I looked at myself in the mirror and asked myself if I really wanted to stay like this the rest of my life. If I had said yes, I would have checked myself into the nearest psychiatric ward and that would have been the end of my story. But, thankfully, I said no. I’m picking the ball back up, but I’m starting all over again.

One motivator is the 15 freshman girls that I’m coaching. I don’t think I told you yet – I’m coaching the freshman Kingsford volleyball team. Our first game is tonight, actually, and I have butterflies in my stomach.

So, as I sit here eating my chicken parmesan Weight Watcher meal, keep your prayers coming. Please don’t give up on me! I’m coming back! Don’t wait up though. Keep on going! See you at the finish line!

Amanda 12.02.06

Here are the before and after pictures. Thought you'd want to see. Thanks so much for everyone's support to loose the weight. However, what i'm finding out is that even after you loose the weight you still have to keep up with exercise to keep your body tone. You're never done....and i've been slacking since we moved to western michigan. It's high time i get motivated again. I was encouraged when I read that everyone is still trying to keep their commitments. So, don't give up!

Katie: 11.3.06

I have been exercising these past 2 weeks. This is a big step for me, since I haven't had a regular exercise routine for a while. Last week I only did my dvd on Thursday and Friday. And due to a rough night with Luke that afforded me only 3 hours of sleep on Sunday, I didn't walk away the pounds until Wednesday, but did it every day since! I am going to bed earlier so that I can wake between 6:30 & 7:30 (depending when I hit the sack) and spend some time in the Word and do my dvd. It gives me a GREAT start to my day! Thanks for praying for me as I try to establish these new habits.

Next week my goal is to do my new habits EVERY day, starting on Monday (not including weekends). I still need to start doing weights though.

How's everyone doing? Anyone else needing to throw all of the Halloween candy out the window? :)

Amanda 10.28.06

Well, i haven't written much since our move. It was all a little crazy. I will say that i did end up loosing about 25 lbs. But since the move...oh boy i'm heading right back up to where i was. It doesn't take that long if you don't exercise and eat junk food. Amazing isn't it? Well, i'm on the college campus with my husband so that i can do internet and it's time to get back home. I'll write as often as i can, and I am going to pick up my good exercising and eating habits again starting monday. When i get the chance i'll try and post some before and after pictures of my weight loss.
Glad to see that you guys are still perservering.

Wanted: 1 Work-out Buddy!

Basically I’m blaming the fact that I have no one to work out with for my lack of “success” on my weight-loss journey. I haven’t even stepped on the scale in forever b/c I don’t even want to know the truth. I just haven’t cared lately. Well, that’s not entirely true … I care, just not enough??? I’m not sure. But every morning I wake up and tell myself I’m ugly & fat. I look & feel disgusting. But what do I do about it? I go eat a pop tart or something unhealthy like that. Duh, Natalie! What a retard, huh? It’s kinda like that verse in James about the person that sees himself in the mirror & goes on his way doing nothing about it.

So now what? I can’t depend on someone else to help me be successful in my weight loss venture. It’s always nice to have a friend to do things w/ but b/c of the distance I am from most of my friends, it makes it difficult. Mondays I’ve been playing volleyball in the women’s league in Iron Mountain, and sometimes on the weekend I go to Northland & play volleyball, but that’s hard on my parents & the gas gets expensive. *sigh*

I’m so discouraged. I hate looking at myself. I just want to be thin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who is Shannon? 10.9.06

Okay, I kinda fell off the fighting words blog again, but I am still working at it, just not posting. I have been crazy busy like everyone else, with company, but now I have a period of time til Thanksgiving to really work at it more diligently. I have lost three more pounds, which may seem insignificant to some, but I haven't seen the scale change in a couple months. (not that anyone is to blame for that but me) So, it's been exciting to fit into a few more of my old clothes from b.e. (before Esther). My parents have both been on diets for health reasons, but more than that they're working on lifestyle changes, and I am so proud of them! So, I felt a little kick in the pants to try to work harder at being a better steward of the vessel God's given me. Stephen works evenings, and lately, my suppers have just been non-existent, but I eat, just not healthy! I need to make that a better priority.
Katie and Alicia, I'm interested in the Ecclesiastes study so count me in if you're still thinking about it. I haven't ever studied that book, as I admit I shy away from the OT at times. We have plenty of commentaries around here right now though, so I will have plenty of resources.

Where is That Ball?

I've dropped it. That is, I dropped the ball in regards to many things relating to this blog. :) I'm so sorry I've been so absent; let me tell you, though, this blog does really provide accountability for me. Thank you so much. I definitely still need this.

Re: My personal "success"

There are two ways to measure success: 1) number of pounds lost (my usual measuring stick, and 2) consistency in a healthy lifestyle (the new measuring stick I am adopting!)

This summer I failed according to both measuring sticks. But, that's okay. I'm starting back up. I did gain back several pounds (sigh). This is life. However, I still have lost a total of 8 pounds since the spring (please to remember how many I originally lost!). I was thinking about this in bed last night. I'm thankful to be 8 pounds lighter than I was a year ago. It's so easy to want FAST results, but I would rather lose only 10 pounds a year than none at all (or worse, gain some pounds). So, starting now I am going to happily report my success at lifting weights three times each week. I would also like to do a walking dvd or go on a walk three times a week. This sounds wimpy, but I think I'd better just get this down, then add more. I will happily shout out for this blog to know when I do see more pounds lost, but that's not my focus. I would really love to have lost 20 pounds total by next spring. I think if I really be consistent, it could be more.

Re: a Bible study on this blog

Alicia suggested Ecclesiastes. I am open to anything, and this sounds like a great idea. While I didn't want to do a Christian book study, I did want to get a book that would provide the structure and direction for the study though - unless, Alicia, you would like to lead the study and provide the direction yourself. I'm sure we could find a helpful study on Ecclesiastes. Unless, you think it would be better to just read the passages and mull over it together. I just don't want it to turn into, "This is what this passage means to me." :) So, let me know.

I've got to run now. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday! Thanks for sticking with me.

Katie

Heather 9.16.06

I am still here!!! I believe the last time I posted was back in July! Where did the summer go? Over the past 2 months I haven't paid much attention to losing weight, just making sure that I did not gain any weight back. Well, I succeeded! I knew that this week things would be slowing down, so I jumped back into the workout and got back into things. I didn't want to post until I had done it for a good solid week! So far so good!

This last week we had revival services at our church! I enjoyed them so much that I didn't want them to end! Since I changed jobs, I have not been faithful in my devotions. I was really struggling with it and finding time to do them. So I sat down with Kevin and talked to him about it. I told him, I would love it if I had an hour to myself to be able to workout and have my time alone with God. He knew it was bothering me not to have my devotions (I used to do them at work because it was so slow) and that I wanted to continue to work out. We came up with a plan. Right now, I am already getting up at 5:30 in the morning to be out of the house by 7:30...I really can't get up that much earlier...So we now we work together getting the kids into bed by 8:30, then I am ready to work out at night and have my devos. SO FAR SO GOOD!!! I know that at night, it isn't the best time to do all of this, and if you have any other suggestions, let me know!!!

I don't know if I want to say, "I will lose so many pounds by this date." At this point, I will just be happy if I continue to lose the weight. I will keep you all updated. So far, since I started posting on this blog, I have lost 12 pounds. I just want to continue to say...."I have lost 13, 14, ,15, 16 and so on pounds. I will keep you posted.

Please pray for me that I use my devotional life to keep me faithful in my weight loss battle! Katie, I would love to do a devotional too!!! Sounds good to me!!!

Hi Girls!
I apologize for not posting sooner. Here's the scoop on how I am doing. Since February I lost 16 pounds! It's so hard to believe that I had that much weight to lose, but I did! A couple of weeks ago I weighed 121 pounds. The last several days I have stayed right around 123.5 to be exact. I am very pleased with where I am at. It's so fun to put on clothes that are too big. It's been a bit chilly here in Kentucky so I have been wearing dress pants to my job interviews. They look a little ridiculous because they hang on me so much, but it's a good feeling nonetheless.
Now that Ben and I are back to living together, I fear that I will begin gaining some weight. When we were apart I didn't cook so I ate a lot less. Now that I am cooking for him, I tend to go all out. For example, tonight, we are having tacos, refried beans, guacamole, and nachos. Not healthy I know!

Hello out there! Anybody home?

Just wondering if any of you gals are still interested in this blog? I'm assuming some of you have ditched us since you've lost your desired weight.

As for me, my household was fighting sickness this week so I didn't do much exercising. Today, I'm back at it though. It felt SO GOOD to do my dvd, take a long shower, blog and drink some coffee while Chloe naps. Aren't naps precious gifts from God?

So, I'm off to a good start. My goal for the fall is to do my exercise dvd 5 times a week and take 1 brisk walk with Chloe every day (assuming it isn't storming, sleeting or hailing). What are your goals for fall?

Alicia 9.9.06

Well, as the fall leaves begin to change here in Ohio, I'm turning over a new exercise leaf! :)

As I mentioned when commenting on Katie's last post, I started out the summer well and then blew my goals and discipline during the last two months. My part-time online job became very heavy during July and August and I found myself sitting on my bum in front of the computer during every spare moment. Then, we had company visiting for 3 weeks straight (not the same company, two separate sets of them) and I felt awkward doing my exercise dvd while they were around.

Our company has been gone since Tuesday and it's taken me until today to get back on the ball (literally - my exercise dvd uses a stability ball). And I'm resolving to do my dvd 5 times a week and to watch what I eat. Specifically, I need to be careful of my snacking problems and my binging before mealtimes. I bought celery and lots of yogurt and fruit to keep me healthy this week. Just pray I can stay away from that yummy block of extra sharp cheddar that's sitting in my fridge! :)

Katie: 9.1.06

I can't believe it's September 1st. And I can't believe I've done so horribly in diet and exercise this summer. I've completely lost my routine, and I so desperately want to get it back. The last week was a better one for me - more profitable, more predictable. But, I still have to get back into the groove of exercising and lifting my weights.

With fall coming and the school season starting, I'm hoping to get back on track. I mentioned doing a Bible study together and discussing it here a while ago. I really would like to start something like this and wonder if anyone has any suggestions. I would like it to be a BIBLE study - not going through a good Christian book or anything - this way, if we want, we can incorporate it into our personal quiet times. So, any suggestions? I've lost steam. I don't have will power. And the only way I can conquer my bad habits is in Christ. I think that by doing a study together, this might be the key that will help us all. Let me know what you think or of any ideas you have.

I'm sick!

When you're sick, you don't have to keep track of what you eat, right??? I've been eating ice cream b/c it feels good on my throat. No, seriously!!!

Natalie 08.10.06

I'm pleased to inform you that I've lost 5 pounds so far!!!

Last night I made 3 charts on cool colored poster board. The first one is my favorite - Natalie's Weight Progress Chart. So I got to make another dot on my chart and it went DOWN!!! That was exciting! The second chart is my exercise log. I have columns for "Activity," "Minutes," & "Approx. Calories Burned." The third chart is my daily food log. I'm not going to be writing down everything I eat, but will tally up the total calories, fat, fiber, WW Points, and H2O. Since I'm a visual person, maybe this will help me actually SEE what I've been eating and how much I really exercise.

That's all for now.

Alicia 8.10.06

Hello everyone! It's been too long since my last report. I've been putting this posting off since I wanted to give you some good news. Seems like my exercise goals have been flushed down the toilet for the last month. I seriously just stopped everything. My major excuse has been my part-time job. In the last month I've worked more than 40 hours on the computer in my "spare" time. That means whenever Chloe naps or goes to bed, I hop on the computer to work. I even sometimes work when she's playing but that's been difficult lately since she's becoming a very active and physical toddler. It's been a huge monetary blessing to our family (especially since I make $20 an hour), but I've sacrificed my health.

I've been pretty disgusted with myself lately and yesterday I began my workout routine again. Matt was off so he watched Chloe for me while I did my stability ball workout. I'm hoping to get some time to jog tonight. Pray that I make time for my health!

I have a few busy weeks coming up, so please pray that I can be somewhat consistent with my eating choices and workout regimen. This weekend is Chloe's birthday party and my mom and grandma are arriving tomorrow. Then, the following weekend we head up to Michigan to visit and pick up Matt's folks. They'll be staying with us for the end of August.

Thanks for your prayers and accountability, gals! Let's head into fall on a positive note!