I have been doing pretty good..although the weight isn’t coming off, I have managed to maintain…annoying as it is…but today, I started a new weight lifting routine that I found online that is perfectly set up and is detailed as to which day to do what exercises, how many sets and reps of each, etc. THAT is the kind of detail I need to succeed. I cannot just head to the basement (where we have our free weights gym-set-up) and think, ‘Ok, today I’ll do this…’ That will last about 2 days if I’m lucky. Having it all laid out is awesome and it felt SO good!!!!

So, I did 2 hours of some pretty hefty cleaning today, including steam cleaned my carpets (not sure where THAT came from), and that earned me about 7 Activity points, then I did 35 minutes of weight lifting for another 5 AP’s, then I did 7:23 min. on Lippy (only that long cuz I was EXHAUSTED by this point) for another 2 AP’S. I freakin’ earned 14 AP’s today! That feels amazing.

Tomorrow starts day one of the Challenge that Elizabeth set up (at Weight Loss Mommy…her link is in my ‘READING’ list…it is a 2 week challenge, ending August 8. I want to shoot for a goal of 6 lbs. gone by then. Daily, I have to meet the challenge of at least 64 oz. of water, 30 minute walk, no eating after 6:00 p.m., and no aspartame (which shouldn’t be hard since all I drink is water and pretty much no sweetened anything else)…I think it’s definitely do-able

I will find the site again where I found the weight-training schedule and post it here in case anyone is interested. I KNOW there are some awesome cut arms under this flabby stuff…I’m a strong girl and can feel all my muscle, but it’s not defined at the moment at all, and that is SO what I want…sexy to me is being very fit, HEALTHY sized, toned and defined. And DAMN do I wanna be sexy. How’s THAT for motivation?!?!??!!

I couldn’t be more tickled right now…I freaked when my page went all wompy on me…but I found an older version of it saved, so I updated the links and some info and here she be!!! You would think I would learn by now to back up my stuff…duh…

I was trying to do something really simple with my layout and messed up bad My right column of links is now down below I can’t figure out what I did or how to get it all back…anyone know anything about it?? I have e-mailed for some help, but if you have any idea, please let me know…thank you!!!!

You may have noticed the new ribbon ^above^ with the link for PCOS. I have fixed up, rearranged and added new info and links to my PCOS pages, and have them all linked up now So if you are interested and want to learn more about this disease, please feel free to read it and maybe understand me a little better as to why I am trying so hard to find something that really does work for me to lose weight and become a healthy person.

My personal story of my PCOS struggles with infertility were deleted some time ago by accident, and I’m working on re-writing that, so as soon as I can finish it up, I will post that also so that you can read what a miracle and blessing my two young daughters really are Thanks everyone for all of your support!!!

Elizabeth & Karen ~ You two are so encouraging and I really appreciate all of your support…more than you can know…thank you ladies!!!

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my previous post…I really appreciate all of your support. As soon as I get the chance I am going to ’spruce up’ my PCOS page and get that back up here…seems it’s needed

Things are going great The nibbles and burns truly do work…it’s amazing…I won’t post a weigh-in until this Saturday though and give the end result for the week

We have had two new baby cows born in the past week…the first was on July 2nd, his name is Koda, and last night we actually go to watch the entire birth of the newest baby bow…it was completely amazing. Megan was already in bed, but Abbie got to watch with us, and our neighbors and their 3 kids watched as well…it was such an awesome sight…the baby boy born last night Abbie named Kenai…so now we have babies Kenai and Koda (like from Brother Bear, for those of you who have seen that movie ) They are gorgeous…

Other than those exciting things, everything else is same ‘ol Clint is working 12 hour days 7 days a week for the entire month of June…and those 12 hour days have been more like 13-15 hour days for him…he’s exhausted…so it’s just me taking care of the home front which works in my favor because between the kids, house and animals I’m a pretty busy girl…not much time to worry about eating, and I’m definitely getting in plenty of activity

I hope you all are doing just as well

I received a comment today and I would really like to address it, because whether it was meant nicely or not, it kinda struck a chord with me…here’s the comment:

Hi. I hope you won’t take this the wrong way but I think you fall for gimmicks to easily. You always have a new one. Are you still drinking white tea?

First of all, it’s green tea, and YES I am still drinking it. I know the benefits of drinking green tea, and I continue to keep it as part of my daily intake.

Second…I don’t ‘fall for gimmicks’…what I DO constantly do is to read and research anything and everything I can that effects me, my body and my life. I don’t call that falling for a gimmick. Not in the least. I constantly look for new ways to keep myself interested, motivated and succeeding on my weight loss. That’s just me. I get bored easily. I have YET to stray from following Weight Watchers. That’s my thing…my ‘gimmick’…although it’s far from a gimmick…it WORKS…No matter what I may find that I can try to help myself, it never waivers from my total Points intake following WW.

As for my last 2 posts on the nibbles and burns thing, it too is not a gimmick, it is a way to raise my metabolism. I guess I really do need to get my PCOS page back up so people can understand what I’m going through with this and how it effects my body. I’m at my wits end with trying to lose weight and the PCOS completely makes it a fight the whole way. So I DO and will CONTINUE to find whatever I can that can help my body in any way, become fit and healthy.

This comment was a bit harsh I think…the only reason that I post new things here that I am looking into, finding out about, and learning about, is to help anyone else that may be having the same troubles as I am, staying focused and motivated. Maybe they are struggling and I have found something that may work for them…get them a little closer to their goal…I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.

Maybe I took this a bit too personal, but I feel as though you are completely belittling me and all I have worked so hard for up to this point…I hate having to ‘deal’ with negativity here…I steer clear of it…so please, next time you have something negative to say, at least leave an e-mail address…thanks

Just letting you all know eating is still going really good here…I am already seeing the benefits of the eating rules I mentioned yesterday. The only reason I’m being a bit vague about it all (if it seems that way) is I don’t really know if there’s a copyright on the program itself or what it intails??

The ‘nibbles’ are such small bite-sized pieces of food that I’m actually only eating 1/4 of a pepper, 1 stalk of celery, 1/2 cucumber and about 6 baby carrots, but all cut up and they last me throughout the day.

I am eating 3 meals per day, not just the Veggies. There are set meals that you are to choose from, but I haven’t followed that to a ‘T’ as of yet…I’m incorporating a few things at a time while still watching my points with what I intake.

The reason I’m doing this is because of my PCOS. I need to get my PCOS page back up here so that you can be more familiar with what it does to my body. I have been told several times that the only thing that works for women with PCOS to lose weight, is low-carb (which isn’t true in my case because WW works just fine ). I’m not big on the strict low-carbing myself, so following some of these rules and getting more veggies in and a 3 fruits per day rule, and making sure I’m drinking my water (which I normally do easily anyways), things that are tailored to counter-act the results of having PCOS. I have basically cut out the ‘white’ stuff to put it simply.

I’m finding that my body is very sensitive to carbs, and have a horrible bloating feeling from them that is miserably uncomfortable. So, having some carbs is no biggie, it’s certain ones…and it seems to be the ‘white’ stuff…the starchy carbs…the BAD carbs…so that’s basically what’s being incorporated here…I’m sorry if this is all confusing to you…I’m trying to explain it the best I can…I know what needs to be done for my body though, and so far so good. Today I feel refreshed. I don’t feel that ‘weighted down’ feeling from the wrong, heavy foods, that kind of thing. When I find out more about this program, I will give more info…I just don’t want to step on any toes with too many details at this point. There is a link to it in my previous post if you are curious. Alot of the info and tips are free. I just paid like $17.00 to download the Starter Diet that they give you…that’s kinda what I’m not saying too much about, for that reason. I should mention too, that it’s not something for just those with PCOS, it’s for anyone that needs to lose…it’s just a way to raise your metabolism and get things going again. I am still watching my points and everything else as normal

I have been doing alot more reading and research on my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and found an amazing group that I became a member of… http://pcos-vitaline.com - it’s a support group for women suffering with PCOS and offers amazing information to help with weight loss, reducing PCOS symptoms, speeding up your metabolism (which is typically slower than other women’s because of the PCOS, making it harder for me to lose the weight)…

But the ‘Nibbles & Burns’ that I mentioned in my title are a big part of the speeding up of the metabolism. And as simple as it sounds, really does sound as if it works wonders for metabolisms. The nibbles, which are just pieces of allowed vegetables chopped into pieces that are about the size of 1/4 of a postage stamp (mine are more like 1/2 of a stamp). And you eat ONE every 15 minutes, this helps to keep food in your body so that you do not feel hungry and your metabolism is sped up because it is constantly being fed valuable foods that your body needs. Today for my Nibbles, I brought carrots, celery and red peppers. Peppers especially are known to speed up the metabolism, so today I have red peppers, tomorrow will be orange peppers and Saturday will be yellow peppers. I HATE green peppers with a passion for some reason, but can eat all the others with no trouble.

As for the Burns, you are to switch from Nibbles to Burns after you have lost 3 lbs. or one week of doing the nibbles, whichever comes first. The burns are the same size bites of proteins…chicken, any kind of fish, very lean meats, etc. And still every 15 minutes…one ‘burn’…if you feel hungry you can have veggie soup (homemade, I use the WW garden veggie soup that I have listed in my recipes section), or a TBSP. of FF cottage cheese. There is a list of meals to choose from for Breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the nibbles & burns is the major part of getting my metabolism going again to speed my losses.

Also I have found out that if you add a slice of lemon (or as I do, lemon juice) to your water it’s a ‘cleanser’ for your system and will help your bowels, clearing your skin, etc. So I’m doing that for my first water of the morning right now and see if I see a change.

I’m still avoiding the scale, so I don’t know where I am…I definitely am feeling alot better, physically and about myself in general. It’s amazing how much easier it is to avoid the scale after a couple of days of not obsessing over it. It’s actually a ‘freeing’ feeling…LOL

That’s it for me!!!

Yes…259!!!!!!!!!! I’m FINALLY out of the 260’s…this feels AWESOME!!!! And, get this, I even just started my TOM…and I’m STILL out of the 260’s…yes, I said, OUT OF THE 260′S…

I’m a bit excited.

I actually took some time for ME last night and went shopping. I took my cousin with me, she’s 22, to get some honest opinions and help…she was awesome. I found 2 really cute outfits at Lane Bryant that can also mix-n-match with a couple pieces I have here already to make a couple more outfits. I am SO tickled. I also went to Lady Foot Locker and bought myself a pair of cross trainers. This should help the numbness I experience while on Lippy. I, in all of my inexperienced little mind, had assumed since running would have the most impact when exercising, that I should get running shoes and that would work no matter what kind of exercise I was doing, as it should have the most shock absorption, right?? WRONG. Boy was I wrong. So I was told to get cross trainers. They are VERY sturdy and firm support on the soles. They feel amazing. I have trouble with my feet wanting to roll out when I walk, and I have found that is what causes the pains on the outer sides of my lower legs. THESE should fix that also, as they have a ’stability’ to them. They don’t allow your feet to ‘roll’…I was told to stay away from any shoe that has the little ’shocks’ in the heel that you can usually see…if you have the ‘foot rolling out to the side’ kinda thing happening, completely avoid the ones with the little ’shocks’ in ‘em…I learned alot about me feet last night. weird.

I also learned how much I’m not happy with myself at ALL. I kid you not, I have realized that I literally come up with a way to shoot down EVERYTHING that others thought looked really good on me. That is how low my self-esteem is. I mean, even shoes. I am 6 foot tall. I wear a size 9. I love feet…don’t ask me why I said that, but I think feet are really cute…well, as long as there’s nothing fuzzy, yellow or nasty oozing from them…but I always notice people’s shoes, feet, etc.

Anyways…to stop the rambling…even my feet I feel really self-concious about like my feet are so big. Being 6 foot tall and wearing a size 9 is not big in the least. I know a 15 year old girl that wears a 9 and she’s a good 6 inches shorter than me, and her feet don’t look big at all…so again, I avoid any shoe with a longer narrow/pointier toe on them for fear they make my feet look bigger…I find ones that have a more rounded toe (for my tennis shoes I’m talking)…

I found SOMETHING wrong with every part of me last night. I realized I completely do NOT like myself at ALL. Inside, I truly do. I love who I am. I love that I smile ALL the time, I love that I can make people laugh, I love that I’m a very sincere person…there’s alot ABOUT me that I do like, but physically, I don’t like myself at all.

The weight coming off as it was this morning, is truly going to help that. I just know it. The outfits I found last night felt SO awesome to know I actually had some ’style’…I’m a t-shirt kinda girl, only because I don’t take time or money for myself. I make sure my kids are dressed adorably as I go without, which most mom’s would. But I seem to be the only mom around me that I know that has let myself go. Everyone else always looks nice. Nice hair, nice clothes, nails painted, you name it. I don’t take that time for myself, and I’m realizing that is definitely something that is holding me back from getting on that losing streak that I was on, what seems forever ago.

So, today, and here on out…I have moved myself up on the ‘to-do’ list. I’m not at the top, my family is already there, but I am definitely going to give myself permission to work on me. I’m WORTH it!!!