As One Year Ends......

 A new one begins and I feel refreshed and determined.

While my overall weight is lower than it was when the year started....not as low as I wanted.

I have some good plans in place to make it happen and my bestie Julie and I have great plans in the works to be successful!

This year's motto:


I AM......

What is your motto for 2017?

2nd Day of Fitmas

On the 2nd day of fitmas, my Tuesday gave to me....my TOPS Christmas Potluck Party!"

Today is Tuesday, which means it's TOPS night.  While I haven't blogged or reported on it in quite some time....I am still a member.  Tonight is our annual Christmas potluck.  I am bringing my "famous" cold veggie pizza and bringing some buns and butter.

I say famous because it goes over so well and it's the only time I get it.

I'm hoping to also get my miles in before the party, it will just depend on how my day goes.

I will do a bigger blog update later with my trek to North Pole, Alaska later :-)

1st Day of Fitmas

"On the first day of fitmas, my best friend gave to me.....a challenge to get me healthy!"

Did you sing along?

So, today marks the first day of a virtual walking challenge sponsored by Yes Fit.  It's a Christmas themed one, with limited medals available.  The minute my girlfriend Julie brought it to my attention, I knew I had to sign up!  I had to because I have actually been to this destination, and it was during some of the best times in my life!

The challenge is pretty simple...the race itself is 11.5 miles or 18.5 km, for us Canadians!  We decided to give ourselves 12 days to complete it...starting yesterday technically and ending on December 23rd.  For me it means I have to walk about 1.5 km each day extra.  As part of the challenge, we also agreed to wear festive hats while doing it and be pretty active on all our forms of social media...so stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram for me.

Even though it's too late you officially join the race and earn the medal...you can still join us in spirit!!  Follow along with us on Facebook or on Instagram...we have some awesome hashtags for you to throw around!!

So Yeah........

It's amazing how time flies!

I have hardly paid any attention to this little blog space in quite some time.

So, here's the thing....I'm back on my low wave of motivation and inspiration and I am trying my hardest to ramp it back up.  I did really well and lost almost 10 lbs in a month and then in a quick 3 weeks, I let myself slack and put on 3 lbs!  I was so disheartened, with no one to blame but myself of course.  I just gave up on watching what I was eating and didn't think twice about that piece of chocolate or that ice cream bar, etc.  I didn't worry about my step goal each day or doing any form of extra exercise.

I was having a little conversation with another friend on her own journey.  I asked her what she was doing to be so successful.  Aside from her weekly meetings with TOPS for accountability, she is also doing Weight Watchers online to help with staying on track with the food.  Why had I not ever thought of that?  I always avoided Weight Watchers like the plague, because it's expensive and meetings are about 30 minutes away from me.  So I looked up the cost to do it online and it's only $22 a month, which isn't crazy expensive, considering I can spend that on crap each month.  So, I'm going to give it a shot.  Perhaps it will give me the boost I need to get me through for a little bit longer.

I wish I could simply calorie count and exercise on my own, but it's not working out for me in the long run.

So, I am going to finish up this post and head on over and sign up.  No excuses, if's and's or but's!

What are you going to do to make a change for the better in your life?  How is your current plan working out for you?  If it's not....make a change.

My 600-Lb Life

It's been a very long time since I have sat down and written anything in this space.  It's not because I don't think this page has value or that people don't enjoy reading it....it's just that:

• I got hooked on Instagram and realized I can use it to send out short messages and updates.
• I have a Facebook page where I do the same thing
• At the end of the day, I am tired, ready to relax, but also need to get my exercise in, because I prefer to do it at the end of the day when the kids are in bed.

 I have been doing my best to stay motivated, but it is so hard!  I set myself a challenge for April to hit my step goal every day.  My daily step goal is 10,000 steps and while I don't often have much trouble if I put my mind to it...there are times when it just can't happen.   So I challenged myself to reach 300,000 by April 30th.  So far, I am ahead of schedule and expect that not to change in the next few days.  This challenge had me realize that to reach that goal, I needed to just walk for an additional 30-45 minutes each day.  For May, I am planning to increase my daily step goal to 11,000.  I reached that most days during April, so I want to experiment with that.

While I have the exercise part down, the food aspect is still in the crapper!  My results on the scale each week are pretty much NOT inspirational!  I know what needs to be done and I need to focus on that!

By now, you are probably wondering where my blog title fits into all of this.

Have you watched the TLC show, My 600-Lb Life?  I would label this as a guilty pleasure show...one I don't really tell anyone I watch and if someone comes in the room, I switch it off.  At first I thought I liked to watch it because it gave me something to watch that left me feeling better than someone else....and part of that is still true if I am being honest.  I watch it and am always stunned as to how these people could get to 600+ pounds and not realize it....and then one day....I watched and realized just how easy it could be!  Weight is a funny thing....it creeps up on you....it's not like you put on 100 lbs in a week....no, it's a little bit here and a little bit there, until eventually, your clothes are a bit snugger, so you go up one size.  Maybe you have a partner that loves you regardless of your size, or family that makes excuses for you.  For most of these people on the show....they appear to come from a low social economic class, which I know contributes...they often come from a family where other members are larger too.  Far too often I also see family that enables their behavior, however, I can understand that one too.   One of the other key points I noticed is they have not set themselves up with any check points.   They do not have anyone or anywhere to be accountable to on the scale each week.  For many of them....until they start seeing the doctor that will perform weight loss surgery on them...they don't even really know how much they weigh.  For me...this is SUCH a key piece!  I attend my TOPS meeting each week and I know that without it....there is a very real chance my own weight would be over 300 lbs!

I beg you...if you are on this journey and have not set up some sort of weekly accountability with the scale...please do so!  I KNOW the scale is not the only reflection of how you are are doing or the success you are having, but you have to start somewhere!  It's at least going to tip you off if the scale is going up more than it should.

How can you find accountability?  Joining TOPS is always my first recommendation....but there are other programs out there...find one and join!  If that doesn't work for you....find a friend or family member and ask them to help you out.   Set one day each week where you will report to them.  Even if you don't want to actually tell them your weight....as least report if you are up or down!  The point is...you need to do SOMETHING!  Message me....I am  more than happy to be your support!  While the work going into it needs to be something you do yourself....this journey does not need to be...the "weight" and challenge that goes along with it needs to be spread out!  You can do it...but you don't need to do it alone!!!!!!

Week In Review

So, I have completed my first week of my new plan.

I have to say, it didn't go terrible, but there is still room for improvement.

As for the challenge.....I need to LOG, LOG, LOG!  That is my toughest point and will be for so long!  Log Amy, Log!!!

I decided for the week to kick the soda habit (or for us Canadians...pop)  I had gotten to the point where I was drinking about 3 cans a day.  While I wasn't able to resist the urge completely, I did only have about 3 cans of pop over the entire week and increased my water intake significantly!  So, I consider it a success!

As for my daily challenges....the only one I failed was the NO SWEETS or TREATS!  My co-worker brought me a fresh brownie and it was SO delicious!!

I was also on par with my Supernatural walking challenge...I won't have final numbers until tomorrow morning....but I did some good time on the treadmill this week....so I should hit my minimum of 39.90 km and hopefully a bit more...I'll let you know Wednesday.

So, what do I have in store for this week?

Weekly Challenge:

Distance Challenge:  Walk 40 km, with only 10 km coming from your everyday walking...that means 30 km of pure walking or running.

Daily Challenges:

Monday - (#15) Take a picture of your lunch today
Tuesday - (#12) Donate to your local food bank today
Wednesday - (#16)  Burpee Day...do 25 burpees today
Thursday - (#20) Make all your meals homemade today...no processed foods, snacks, etc.
Friday - (#27) Aim for 100 oz of water today
Saturday - (#7) Create a new playlist to get your groove inspired
Sunday - (#17)  Write yourself a compliment today and pull it out when you need it

Personal Goals:

1. No take out for dinner after work this week
2. Keep up with the laundry, including washing, folding and putting away
3. Straighten my hair after washing and wear my wedding rings every day

I will also do my blog after TOPS and continue with my Supernatural Roadtrip.

To finish it off, I have picked a qoute to inspire for the week:

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

Well, I think it's time to get back into these posts.  I will keep it short and consider it a new starting point from here on in.

This week: 266 lbs

Next week, I will have more to report!

Ushering In 2016

As the calendar turns, it is always quite easy to feel refreshed and recharged.  I admittedly am one of those people that jump on that band wagon and quite frankly, I take the motivation when I can get it!

Julie and I came up with a month long challenge to help us get started.  Actually, the original plan was to use it to get through the month of December, but in the end, December was just too overwhelming and stressful for both of us, so we decided to put it off until the new year.

We took inspiration from the calendar idea we did last year, but switched it up to make it a bit easier to accommodate our varying schedules and lifestyles.

The biggest changes were instead of putting an "activity" on the calendar for each day....we simply made a list of items and you get to pick which one you would like to do everyday.  Secondly, in place of the 1 month long challenge, we created 4 week long challenges.  This allows you to decide which one works best for you each week.  If you now you are going to be stuck behind a desk or in meetings for a week, an exercise challenge might not be the best suit for that week.  Lastly, you must food log every day for the month and do your weight and measurements at the beginning and end.

We also gave it a snazzy  name and Instagram hashtag!!

Are you ready?

Let me introduce you to the:

30 Day – Getting Our Shit In Order Challenge

#FaCaingGettingOurShitInOrder
Jan 1st  – Jan 31st

THE RULES

Weight, Pictures and Measurements to be done on the first and last day of the challenge.

  Food logging for the entire 30 days. 

Challenge consists of 4- week long challenges and 30-Daily Challenges. 

You pick a new daily challenge for each day and a new week long challenge at the beginning of each week (Friday) as best suits your schedule.

Weekly Challenges

1)      Cut and Burn – aim to cut 100 calories and burn 100 calories each day this week

2)      Distance Challenge – walk 40 km (24.85 miles)…only 10 km (6.21 miles) can come from everyday moment…the rest must be walking and/or running.

3)      Drop it like a squat - Every time you use the restroom, do 20 squats to add in some extra fitness to your day!

4)      No Soda Challenge - It's that simple. Cut out any and all soda for the week! Replace it with water or tea instead!

Daily Challenges

1)      Add 10 extra minutes of exercise to your workout today

2)      Try a new healthy recipe today

3)      Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water today

4)      Skip all sweets and treats today

5)      Take a picture of yourself in action today

6)      Write a note to a friend

7)      Create a new playlist to get your groove inspired

8)      What’s in your fridge?  Take a photo and share it

9)      How can you make your dinner healthier tonight?

10)   Get the recommended daily servings of fruit and veggies today

11)   Have a meatless meal

12)   Donate to your local food bank today

13)   Do something for yourself today

14)   “Spruce” yourself up today…when you feel good about the way you look, you feel better

15)   Take a picture of your lunch today

16)   BURPEE DAY! Do 25 burpees today (sets of 5, all at once, your choice!)

17)   Write out a compliment, and pull it out whenever you need a pick-me-up.

18)   Suns out/Guns out! Flex and snap a pic!

19)   NO DESSERT! Skip any additional food after dinner, opt out for water instead!

20)   Make all of your meals HOMEMADE meals! (No processed foods, sweets, snacks, etc!)

21)   Try a new breakfast recipe!

22)   Time for a new blog!! Get a new post up today!!

23/24) Set a personal distance record for running/walking 2km, then break it on another day.

      25) Post about something (big or small) you've accomplished... you deserve kudos!

      26) Snap shots of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day!

      27) Aim for 100oz of water

      28) Get up 10 minutes early and write in a journal or take time to meditate/reflect

      29) Make 1 short term (1 month), mid-term (2-4 months) and long term (up to 1 year) goals.

      30) Clean out your closet, if it doesn't fit, donate it!

Now, this challenge was to start on January 1st, and that just didn't work for me...so instead of giving up before it began, I just modified it and started it today and will tack on a few days at the beginning of February.

For my first weekly challenge, I picked the No Soda challenge.  I had gotten back into the habit of going days without drinking any water.  I know my body appreciates when I do and I am healthier when I do drink more water.  With winter here, I need all the help I can get.

My 7 daily challenges are:

Monday - # 22, new Blog Post

Tuesday - # 4 - skip all sweets and treats today

Wednesday - #29 - set some goals

Thursday - #1 - add 10 extra minutes to your workout

Friday - # 6 - write a note to a friend today

Saturday - # 19 - no dessert

Sunday - # 8 - what's in your fridge

So, there you have it, I hope you join us!  Don't forget to check out my Facebook page to follow along and share pics of you in action with our hashtag 

30 Day Photo Challenge

Julie and I have been teaming up together to keep the motivation train running.  We have scoured Pinterest for different challenges. We did a plank challenge and decided to switch it up a bit for October.  Instead of a different exercise challenge, we decided to make it a bit different and take advantage of technology.  Considering nearly everyone has a phone with a built in camera, we took on a photo challenge.

We are up to Day 12 now and today's challenge is SUNSET.  Looks like it might be a nice one tonight too!

Make sure you are following along with us.  We have our own hashtag on Instagram, so find us there!

Here are your "links"

Julie's Blog
Julie's Instagram
Amy's Instagram
Diary Of A Fat's Girls Facebook
Photo Challenge Hashtag

Motivation And My Lack Of It

It has been so long since I have sat down to devote some time to this blog.  It's not that I haven't wanted to or couldn't come up with something to write....it's just.....meh!

Life has been a roller coaster this year....full of emotions, busyness and nothing real important.

We sold a house and built one on to my parents.  The summer was busy with trying to get things set up and just enjoy our time.

Everything sort of went on the back burner.  I got lazy and when things were done for the day, instead of going to spend even 20 minutes on the treadmill, I sat down on the couch and wasted time on the computer.  I paid no focus to what I was eating and everything that goes along with that.

I stopped making TOPS a priority, because I wasn't seeing any results and just kept dropping and gaining the same 10 pounds!

I have been more active on my Facebook page, because I can easily post a picture for motivation or an interesting article, but I want to get back into being on here....this is my place to write it all out...the good and bad and have you follow along with me....that is assume there are still "YOU's" out there following this blog.

It's Thanksgiving here....I'm going to enjoy this last long weekend until Christmas.  I'm going to have turkey, stuffing, potatoes and dessert and not feel guilty.  I am also going to focus on getting back into the routine of exercise.  I think I need to create myself another walking challenge and a roadtrip based on my favorite show.

My bestie Julie and I are doing a photo challenge for the month of October....you can follow along with us on Instagram with our special hashtag  #FaCaingPhotos.

Here's to more constant blog updates!!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

It has taken me a while to get into the swing of things again.  TOPS was last night and is back on my schedule of priorities in life.  I have struggled with it and my results for the past 6+ months.

Last night I was back on the scale for about the 3rd week in a row.  I started off my week strong with food logging and staying within my budget, but then the weekend came and it went off the rails from there.  I wasn't sure what to expect with the scale.  In the end, I got on and weighed in at 262.25 lbs, which was a loss of 1.25 lbs from the week prior.  Now to keep it up.

I was back with my trainer today and can get myself back into the groove of things.

I plan to back on here more too!

Children At Play

I wanted to share a little story from today.  For those of you on my personal Facebook, you have already read about it, but I also needed to vent my frustrations a little bit too.

I live in a small village of about 500 people.  It's a quaint little place and I feel very lucky to be raising my children here.  It's a place where I feel safe letting them walk to school, to a friend's house or outside playing without me needing to be there for every second of that time.

We built a new house attached to my parents house to be closer to them.  While located on a main road, we are situated beside a church that only sees people on Sundays.  My daughter, Abby (who is 5 1/2) thinks it's the perfect spot to ride her bike and I agree.  At our other house, there was no sidewalk, no paved shoulders to the roads and people who neglected to pay attention to the stop sign.  Her favorite thing though was to ride her scooter along the edge to the stop sign and back.  She would do this from 7:00 am until dark if we let her.

Now that we are have moved, she now likes to ride her bike along the shoulder of the road, which runs along my parent's front yard to the church drive way.  The driveway itself is a large circular driveway with so much space.  Having assessed the risks of being close to the main road, I still felt it was ok for her to do this unsupervised.  She is a smart one and knows to stay off the road itself.  She has been doing this alone for the past 3 days.  She basically rides down our driveway, along the side, around the church and back home.  It has been completely uneventful....until this morning.

My dad walked the kids to school this morning and on his way home, he was stopped by a police officer.  The officer explained that there had been a complaint called in about a child, around the age of 4, riding her bike on the road at 7:20 this morning.  Yup!   My child is 5 and has had the cops called on her.  My dad went in to see my mom and told her "Abby's in trouble this time...like REAL trouble!"

My mom called me at work to let me know.  I was stunned to say the least.  I wasn't upset about the person being concerned, but about their approach to it.  I am not a person that comes off as stand-offish or unapproachable.  It's a small neighbourhood and should I suspect one of my neighbours, I know which one is on the top of my list...if it was a stranger...well, I hope they at least waited to call until they were no longer behind the wheel of the car!

Here is the route in question:

I roughly measured it out tonight....approximately 55 feet across with about 4.5 feet of paved shoulder for her to ride on.  So, when I got home, I had to sit and explain to her that someone saw her, got concerned and the police came by to say someone saw her and were worried about her safety.  I also explained that instead of taking the side of the road, she would have to push her bike across the grass to the church.  Needless to say, tonight she did not want to play outside or ride her bike.

See, here is the trouble...I know people say it a lot....we need to go back to letting our kids play, but for people like me, who do that...there are others who don't agree and apparently feel the best way to deal with by calling authorities.

For now, I will keep an eye on her a bit closer and then once she gets comfortable again, I will let her be on her own.  She just loves to be out there, playing away with babies and her imagination!

What do you think?  Was I in the wrong or did this person act a bit to rash? Would you let your child ride this route?

 

Hitting The Refresh Button

It's been well over a month since I have sat down to write a little something on this blogspace.

If I'm being honest...I was on a slippery slope, going nowhere fast, letting life get the better of me.

I lost all interest in it all....in blogging, in TOPS, in attempting to get healthy.  It's a journey I have been on for so long, with so far to go and it was feeling overwhelming and pointless.  I felt that no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't getting anywhere, however if I took a moment to be truthful, I wasn't really trying either.  My days and weeks were full of excuses and time lines I really had no intention to sticking too.

"When most of the house is packed, I can get back to focusing"
"When we are in the new house, I can get back to TOPS"
"When we are in the new house, I am going to start myself of on the right foot and exercise"
"When I get myself back on track, I will go back to TOPS...I can't go back having gained this much"

It's been almost 2 months since I have been to TOPS....I am neither back on track or into a new routine.  It's been 3 weeks since we have been in the new house and I have not exercised once!

Enough was enough and I knew I needed to do something.  I felt like a fish out of water and really needed to take action to fix that.

I have a girlfriend that is a personal trainer and I took up the courage to message her and find out what she would charge for some sessions.  Feeling it was reasonable, I have committed myself to at least 5 sessions, but I foresee it being much longer.  I need that weekly accountability and someone to help me make a plan for the week.  Left to my own devices, I would still continue to wallow in self pity, promising that tomorrow was a new day and I would get my shit together.

She came today and we did a little consult to find out exactly what I was hoping to get out of this and then about 20 minutes of exercise.

I'm not new to exercise...I have joined a few gyms and have had a personal trainer before, but haven't done any of those exercises in about 4 years.  We did a bit of circuit work, some squats, planks, push ups, curls and other work.  She also had me use the TRX equipment.  It hangs over your door and once I was able to convince myself that I wouldn't rip the door from the frame, I was able to appreciate the equipment for what it was.

It was exactly what I needed...I needed to once again feel confident in my abilities and know that this is something I can do...that I am much more capable than I have convinced my mind of.

As for TOPS....I am back to it next week.  It's our yearly potluck and awards night.  It will be nice to see everyone again and be motivated by everyone's success.  While I may be heavier than when I was last there, I am ready to start fresh.  So bare with me as I get this blog going again, my inspiration calendar back up and going and my Facebook page.  I hope you will take a minute or two to encourage me on and moving!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

 I am an intelligent person

I will control my emotions,

not let my emotions control me.

Every time I am tempted to use food to satisfy my frustrated desires, build up my ego or dull my senses,

I will remember - even though I overeat in private,

my excess poundage is there for all the world to see!

I skipped posting last week and if I was being completely honest...I was too embarrassed to!  Over the course of one week, I had gained 3 lbs!  I suspect that most of that was put on during our night away to see the new house.

The trip did make me realize something.....I have an unhealthy emotional attachment to food.  While I don't think that it's uncommon, I didn't every really attach that to myself.  But I came to realize it when we stopped at Tim Horton's for breakfast sandwiches.  I was anticipating it the whole 45 minute drive....we ordered and I got everyone's out.  When I got to mine, it was totally wrong and I honestly wanted to cry.  YES!  I was so disappointed over a bagel and egg sandwich that I wanted to tear up.  I shook some sense into myself and realized how foolish that was!

So, I went last week, armed with my homework we had from my program the previous week.

My week one challenge to change had me exercising everyday.  I did it!  Even if it was only 15 minutes, I got out and did something extra everyday.  It must have paid off a bit because I was down.

Last week: 260.00 lbs

This week: 258.50 lbs

Loss of 1.50 lbs

For this upcoming week, I have decided to stay within my calorie limit (1625 as per Lose It) and log every day.  I also intend to keep up the exercise.

I actually have a virtual 5 km tomorrow with my bestie, Julie!  Wish us fast feet and success! :-)

You take my hand, 

and I'll take yours,

and we'll start out today.

For a helping hand is what we need to help us on our way.

The way to goal is a lonely road, 

we need someone to care.

Reach out my friend and take my hand, 

and then we're almost there!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

It's been a few weeks since I have gotten to this.  Life has been insanely busy and when I sit down for the night, I just want to relax on the computer for an hour before bed.

My weight hasn't changed much in the past couple of weeks.  Tonight I weighted in at 257.00 lbs, which I think is down about .50 lbs.

I was responsible for the program tonight and I did it on change.  The first thing I made everyone do was to stand up and move 4 seats to the right.  Each week we all tend to sit in about the same spot.  This had everyone at a totally different end of the table.  I've decided to include the program here for you to read through if you wish.  We all thought it was very good.

CHOOSING TO CHANGE

Change can be hard. We get so comfortable in our lives, in our daily routines, that when something comes along and shakes us up, we are actually startled by the change. Small changes are undoubtedly easier to handle. Think about all the changes you make every day without thinking. You change your shoes. You change your clothes. You change light bulbs when they burn out. You change the batteries in your smoke detectors and remote controls when they go bad. What are some other changes you make without thinking about them?

You change your hairstyle sometimes. There are days when you change your mind about what to have for dinner. Most women change their names when they marry. Life changes all the way around when couples have children. These are changes that, for the most part, we don’t really think about. Something needs doing, so we get it done. Why aren't we approaching our health the same way? Changing the way you approach weight loss and wellness can become as second-nature and logical as the changes you make every day. It takes practice, sure, but what doesn't? Did you know how to change a light bulb until you’d actually done it? Did you hate a new hairstyle and then have to change that change when your hair grew back?

Let’s talk about ways to implement changes in our lives. Let’s talk about changing our approach to change by discussing the habits and principles of successful people and organizations. Be proactive instead of reactive. When we are proactive, we are accountable and responsible for ourselves and our choices. When we are reactive, we blame others for problems in our lives. How does this affect our weight-loss and wellness journeys?

Once we accept responsibility for our health, we can then take action by choosing weight loss for wellness by incorporating into our daily lives a healthy balance of foods, regular exercise, and regular attendance at TOPS meetings. If we visualize our end result, essentially we’re setting a goal for ourselves. This can include smaller goals inside the bigger picture. If you have a large amount of weight to lose, try and picture stepping on the scale and weighing just 20 pounds less. Imagine the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel. Imagine how you’ll want to keep succeeding. Taking advantage of resources is another sign of success. How are you managing your time? Are you scheduling exercise like you would any other important appointment? There is no appointment more important than your health and wellness. Are you really using TOPS’ famous support to reach your goal? What are some ways our chapter is a great resource?

We are all here to bolster one another’s self-confidence when we feel unsure, when we doubt we have the strength to reach our goals. We are all here to cheer and applaud successes when we have them. If you aren't taking advantage of a KOPS as a mentor or supplying support if you are a KOPS, then you aren't using one of our most valuable resources. Another step toward changing the way we approach change is making sure we have all the information we need before moving forward. Do we feel comfortable with the exchange system so we can put it to use for our weight-loss efforts? If not, what can we do about that so we can utilize this tool? How can we apply these same principles to exercise?

Perhaps the strongest tool you can use for change is to change your mind. Stories about KOPS in TOPS News always stress the same theme: you must truly embrace the journey and all of its challenges; you must change your mind about the way you look at food and exercise to truly succeed. Once you make a commitment to change, tackling plateaus and other issues along the way gets a little easier. You make changes every day that are almost second nature. Let’s work on making changes that help us reach our weight-loss and wellness goals.

This activity is for you to take home and fill out. It’s designed to help you choose to change your approach to a goal of your choice each week for four weeks. Maybe you’ll choose to eliminate artificial sweeteners or maybe you’ll choose to get up 30 minutes earlier to take a brisk, 20-minute walk. The choice is yours. To help keep us all accountable, we’re going to track our goals for four weeks. I've entered all of our names on this chart and put the dates of our next four meetings across the top. Each of you will write your change for the next week and then, each week, we will come back together and briefly discuss whether or not we successfully made these changes. We’ll hand out fun awards at the end!

See activity below:

ACTIVITY: Choosing to Change 

Week One

 I commit to _________________________________ this week. 
Small changes I can make this week: 
• Take a new route to school, work or to our TOPS meeting.
 • Write an old-fashioned letter instead of sending an email.

 Week Two 

I commit to __________________________________this week. 
Small changes I can make this week: 
• Try a new, low-fat recipe in place of a family standard.
 • Sit in a different seat at our TOPS chapter meeting. 

Week Three 

I commit to ________________________________this week. 
Small changes I can make this week: 
• If you've never done it before, volunteer to lead a chapter program in the future.
 • Invite someone new to a TOPS chapter meeting. 

Week Four 

I commit to _________________________________this week. 
Small changes I can make this week:
 • Donate clothes you haven’t worn in a year to charity. 
• Try three new seasonings on your food this week.

 © 2008 by TOPS Club, Inc

I sent everyone with this activity sheet and assigned it as homework.  Next week I will have the chart ready where we will write our goals down for everyone to see and get our stickers if we succeed.  I challenge you to try it too!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

 I am an intelligent person

I will control my emotions,

not let my emotions control me.

Every time I am tempted to use food to satisfy my frustrated desires, build up my ego or dull my senses,

I will remember - even though I overeat in private,

my excess poundage is there for all the world to see!

Hi everyone! I'm back reporting on my weigh in's.  I haven't been to a TOPS meeting since the last time I posted.  I have been busy in camp planning mode for my Brownie unit and those meetings have been on Tuesdays as well and then last week was cancelled due to weather.

I wasn't sure how I would do.  I know I had been WAY down due to some stress.  That stress caused me not to each much.  But the stress lifted and I went back to munching away.

I did manage to get it a few walks the past few days and perhaps that was my saving grace.  I did see a loss on the scale, but not as huge as it could have been for 3 weeks.

Last "week": - 255.50 lbs
This week: - 253.75 lbs

Loss of 1.25 lbs  (go me!)

I decided last night that it's time to step it up and make a concerted effort to change.  I say that so much and then flounder around.  Again that is what I have been doing, but I'm hoping the nice weather will be encouraging.

Here's hoping anyway.  If nothing else, I still have not given up on the battle!

You take my hand, 

and I'll take yours,

and we'll start out today.

For a helping hand is what we need to help us on our way.

The way to goal is a lonely road, 

we need someone to care.

Reach out my friend and take my hand, 

and then we're almost there!

Bullying Awareness

This is a post I have intended to write for a long time and never actually got around to it.

Last Wednesday was Bullying Awareness at the school for the kids. Everyone was encouraged to wear pink as a way to come together.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.....I have heard stories of kids getting picked on by NOT wearing pink and secondly, I'm not sure that this really does anything for Bullying Awareness.

Here is my point of view on bullying....and it comes from my own personal experience and of being a parent.  I should also note that my soap box is a bit high on this subject, but it's mine to shout from.

I whole-hardily believe there is no such thing as bad kids.....they are a result of bad parenting.  Does that actually mean I think their parents are bad?  No, but I think they have perhaps misguided them.  Did you know that I am a parent that will make their kids sit in a time out in the middle of Costco or apologize to strangers if they have done something impolite?  Case in point....during a family vacation to a hotel with a water park, Hayden was having a hard time keeping his excitement under control....he got spoken to by the life guard a couple of times.  We made him sit for a time out and then go apologize to the life guard.  On this same trip, Hayden cut in front of a toddler who's dad was waiting to go down the slide with him....I made him go and apologize to the parent for doing that.  Why did I bother you might ask?  Because it's polite.  It's not that his action was a big deal, but he needs to understand that even his small actions have consequences.  Another case, a boy in Hayden's class approached me after school and told me that Hayden called him a loser.  I asked Hayden about this when he got home and he was very upset and insistent that he didn't do it, that it was another boy blaming Hayden.  I phoned the boy's mom and let her know about the situation in case it came home.  I told her that Hayden was insistent that it wasn't him who said that, but if she found out different information that was convincing, then to let me know and Hayden would be calling to apologize.  I think the mom was a bit shocked that I phoned...I get the impression that things like that just don't happen much anymore, but in my house they will.  I feel you always have the opportunity to make it better if you act quick.

I am fortunate that I haven't had to deal with my kids coming home and being bullied...not yet at least.  I'm not sure how I would handle it either, to tell you the truth.  My parents were good at comforting me and talking about it, but not the type to march down to the school and demand change.  Mind you, that was also a different time.  While bullying itself has not changed,  the way kids are reached has.  At least when I was being picked on, it ended when I went home...there was no social media to follow me home (and I won't even get started on kids and social media access!)   Is it a lack of engaged parenting?  I don't know the answer to it.

Here are more of my thoughts on bullying.  I once answered questions about this topic for a parenting magazine and my thoughts were this.

Bullying has a lasting impact on the person that receives it.  The person that dishes it out forgets completely, I'm nearly 100% positive of that!  This whole article came out about the same time as the Columbine shooting and my first thought was....I get it!  I get how that child could not get past it.  While I don't agree with the level of violence, don't think I am condoning that, but I get the lasting impact they felt.  I still clearly remember so many events.

A snip-it of things I remember: In kindergarten, a boy opening and closing the bathroom door while I was in there and making fun of me.  Not wanting to go to Fun Day at school because they made you do things like crawl under chairs and benches and I knew I was too big to do that.  Going on a trip in high school and having kids throw candy at me on the bus...it was stuck in my hair and on my clothes and those same kids yelled at me to stop following them in the mall and told the kids I did meet up with to not let me walk with them.  Walking down the street in Toronto in college and a stranger walks by and says "excuse me, you have something on your chin"  when I wiped it, he laughed and said "no, your other one!"  I'm 36 years old and these events are at least 15 years old and I remember them pretty clearly.  But why do I think the bullies don't remember?   I think to them, it's just words, that don't have an impact.  I ran into a girl from high school at the hockey arena when I was dating my husband.  Keeping in mind that she had had too much to drink, she commented that someone just told her she was mean in high school, she then asked if she was mean to me in high school and for a minute, I just about gave the "no" response, but decided against it...realizing I owed her nothing and said "yes, you were actually".  She was MORTIFIED and very apologetic.  I suspect if I approached a number of other people, they would have the same response.

I am also not suggesting that I am blame free and I did some bullying myself.  Some I have made amends for and others that I am unable to.  I would if I could though.  I know I did it because I needed to feel that I was better than someone...anyone.

I could go on much longer about this, but I will leave you to think about this....hopefully this will give you something to think about.

A Note Of Thanks

Today's challenge on the Inspiration Calendar was to write a Thank You Note.

Once I thought about this a bit longer, I realized there were so many different places this could go, so here goes mine!

First off...Thank you to the people who read this blog.  It's through that I am encouraged to keep writing and have a space just for me.

Thank you to my family.  My parents have shown me unconditional love and support throughout the years.  Despite how much I frustrated them, angered them and disappointed them, they have still been by my side.

Thank you to my husband.  You were able to see past this plush exterior and get to know the woman inside.  Through that, we fell in love and created a wonderful little family of our own.  No matter my size, he loves me and encourages me to do the best I can.

Thank you to my kids.  You have shown me what my parents have always known.  Your children are unconditional love.  You show me youth and love.  Through your eyes, I can see the pureness in the heart of others.

Thank you to my friends.  While my cup might not overflow in numbers, the ones I have are true.  I don't keep in touch with some of them like I should have or want to, but thy are in my thoughts every day.  These people are my family.  I would drop everything to help them out.  They each add something to my life and also love me unconditionally and support me through my ups and downs and are not afraid to tell me how it is.

Thank you to the bullies in school.  From the day I started, I was picked on.  It wasn't easy and I hated school, but I had those few close friends that made it bearable.  To the bullies...you made me a better person, because it was through your uncaring and cruelty that made me love others and teach my children how to treat others.  Despite the fact that your actions and words are still as clear as day to me, I have matured and can now walk past you, smile and carry on a polite conversation....because that is the kind of person you turned me into.

As you can see, there is so much to be thankful for!  This path called my life was destined for me.  It's mine alone to travel and learn from.  I do my best to encourage others, love others and help others.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  I would love to read your "Thank You" note!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

 I am an intelligent person

I will control my emotions,

not let my emotions control me.

Every time I am tempted to use food to satisfy my frustrated desires, build up my ego or dull my senses,

I will remember - even though I overeat in private,

my excess poundage is there for all the world to see!

I'm going to keep this as short and simple as I can tonight.  It's already 9:10 pm and I am ready for bed.

The scale was not my friend this week.  While I can't JUST blame it on "girly" things, I know it's a contributing factor...I just feel BLECH!

Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

Last week: 253.50 lbs
This week: 255.50 lbs

Gain: 2.00 lbs

Together as a group tonight, we made a plan.  We started doing our "Forbidden Food" of the week again.  This week it is Bread.  I personally am not one for the forbidden food, because once I am told I can't have it, I want it even more...and bread is basically my life, so this one won't happen for me, but I will do my best to have LESS bread!

We also agreed that anytime we have done a food journal as part of our program and someone presented it...that person lost weight.  So for this week, we are ALL going to keep a food journal and share them next week.  This will without a doubt help me, because it always does, I just suck at doing it!

So, there you have it....that is MY truth of Tuesday night!

You take my hand, 

and I'll take yours,

and we'll start out today.

For a helping hand is what we need to help us on our way.

The way to goal is a lonely road, 

we need someone to care.

Reach out my friend and take my hand, 

and then we're almost there!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

 I am an intelligent person

I will control my emotions,

not let my emotions control me.

Every time I am tempted to use food to satisfy my frustrated desires, build up my ego or dull my senses,

I will remember - even though I overeat in private,

my excess poundage is there for all the world to see!

After having missed last week, I was ramped and ready to go to TOPS tonight.

I felt I had a pretty good week.  I followed the advice of my girlfriend and made small manageable goals for each day.  I set them so I could succeed.  My girlfriend advised me (wisely, might I add!) that if I make small changes they will help lead to results on the scale.

For this week, they did.

Last week: 255.75 lbs
This wee: 253.50 lbs

Loss of 2.25 lbs

I'm encouraged.  My simple goal for tomorrow is to get in 30 minutes on the treadmill.  I'm home alone and haven't taken advantage of that in such a long time.  I just have to make myself do it.

I won't be able to attend TOPS next Tuesday again, but I hope to keep it going and have similar results when I am back in 2 weeks.

So, on the heels of my positive scale results...what simple goal can you make for tomorrow?  What one little thing can you do to make your day better?

You take my hand, 

and I'll take yours,

and we'll start out today.

For a helping hand is what we need to help us on our way.

The way to goal is a lonely road, 

we need someone to care.

Reach out my friend and take my hand, 

and then we're almost there!