Wrong? Right? I don't know

I'm pretty sure that now that all is said and (sorta) done I didn't lose any weight. I mean, I did. I got really close to my secondary goal. The one that was acceptable. 

I didn't end up having to give up cookies. I think I have had more alcohol to drink in the last 6 months than I have consumed in a lifetime. Even counting those nights I don't remember. ahem. I can thank skating for helping me out there. 

Then I got hurt. And quit skating for a month. But still drank and ate cookies and such as if I WAS skating. And put myself back at the beginning (I think. I can't remember where I began) However, my size stayed down. Today I saw a picture of myself in a bikini and thought, damn, I really do look good. Maybe it was the angle, maybe not, but how often do we get to say that?

Now that I'm back on wheels, I'm sure I will drop the poundage again. It helps that I haven't had time to go grocery shopping. Sort of. All I have to eat are klondike bars and carrots.

It was good though, to weigh in every monday. To know that other people were there to support and encourage. I'd do it again. I would have to be better about getting my emails in, but I think this was worth the little bit of time I put into it. Plus, it was fun to see what new piggy picture was posted every week!

A Journey . . .

Quest

Plan

Fruit anyone?

Challenge

B o M thanks to M o M

Variety?

D I D

Ew…thanks but, no.

C E L E B R A T E

Skinny this

Realization

The end?

No, this is not THE end. This leg of the journey however, has come to an end. The measure of success in this journey was via the scale, for the goal was to lose weight. Achieving less poundage was but part of the attack to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol numbers, and ease pains in my knees. The better eating habits, coupled with consistent exercise resulting in decreased poundage has had a positive effect on blood pressure readings, and I am experiencing less knee pain. In a few months I’m scheduled for a full lipid panel and the hope is the cholesterol number is good enough to avoid medications. Further, the blood pressure meds can be ceased at that point as well…if I stay this course, so says the doc.

So no, this is not the end, not by a long, long shot. There is more work to do, more weight to lose, more worlds to conquer.

Ok, maybe that’s too much. What about a healthier self? Yeah, that’s the ticket. The journey continues. It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

. . . well, a slammin’ bod wouldn’t be bad either. hehehehe

This has been an amazing journey, and thanks to this group I've sustained much longer, and with better results than any previous effort. Awesome!

Cheers to all, and the very best to you in your own quest.

It's the beginning...

While I didn't make it to my goal I found the simple process of chiming in every Monday with my 'progress' incredibly helpful. Being held accountable is a powerful thing.

I found in the first five months I wasn't being particularly good at consistency. That's really the key to losing weight, you have to be consistent. By the end of May I was just fed up with not making much progress so I decided if I was going to be consistent with anything it would have to be exercise. Thus began my fevered determination to go to the gym every day or do some similar exercise-ish activity if I couldn't go to the gym. I marked my first day on the calendar - May 21.

Since May 21 I have been going to the gym pretty much every day. I decided not to bother too much with food right now. I would eat and drink in moderation but if I wanted cake, I had me a piece of cake. I haven't lost any weight but, lo and behold, I have lost a size. I have lost inches. And I am getting stronger. It's amazing what being consistent can do. I leave The Piggies with a new goal - constant movement.

I have enjoyed this little communal shrinkage immensely and I wish y'all health and happiness in your battle of the bulge.

Cheers,
eb

The End

I can't believe that it's been six months since this started. Or that I'm only down 6 pounds. I've learned that I've got to be consistent. When we started off, I was very careful about packing food to take to work and watching what I ate. About April, all hell broke loose at work and I basically threw in the towel and started eating through my shift.

One good thing? I have pretty much quit eating junk food and my blood pressure is almost normal (without medication) despite my weight right now. I've become addicted to brown rice with baked brussel sprouts on top and then sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese. A bit better for me than going to McDonald's and having cheeseburgers when wanting comfort food.


I did get back on the diet wagon on Monday and I'm going to be less strict about it and give myself more variety. My problem is I'll get in a rut of eating like a bird and then go crazy after awhile and eat too much of everything. My plan now is to just keep my eating in check with no snacking and see where I end up in a few months!

Finish Line

We've made it, however tentatively! Six months together, with ups, downs, sidewayses, and even some diagonals. Here be the final results. Let's each post a post-race roundup of how this went for us, and talk about what's next.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	-1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	0		-24		16		60.0%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	3		-7		13		35.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	-1		-12		13		48.0%
Utenzi	-2		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	-1		-88				37.1%