Sharing Blog Posts From My Weight Loss Journey: I Miss The Other Lindsay

I’m sharing old blog post from my weight loss journey when I blogged on another site:

March 28, 2010

I Miss The Other Lindsay

That is what my friend said to me the other night when she came over to dinner. I have recently gone back to counting points this week. So, I made turkey pot pies with leftover turkey breast, a can of cream of chicken soup, and frozen mixed veggies. I top them with a reduced fat crescent roll for a total of 5 points each. We sat down to have our pot pies, asparagus, and salad while we chatted away as we usually do. 

I have always been a social eater. If anything I just ate huge portions of high fat/high calorie foods while I sat and gabbed with my friends over happy hour. So, it didn’t surprise me when Jenny said, “I miss the other Lindsay, the one that used to go to TGIFridays all the time for happy hour appetizers and margaritas.” That’s right folks….I know all the good deals in town. We used to frequent TGIFridays most days for $2.00 appetizers and the yummiest margaritas in town for $3.00. Boy, those were the days ‘eh. No wonder I got to 304 pounds! 

I just laughed at Jenny and said, “she comes out every once and a while.” 

What I have learned through my three years with Weight Watchers, and my recent one-year-at-goal celebration, is that food tastes good. Now that I don’t have TGIFriday’s happy hour food and drinks as often, I now can enjoy how yummy it tastes when we do go and have an evening out with friends. Food doesn’t have to have control over you. I choose what I put into my mouth. Would I like to eat happy hour food and drinks every day since it tastes so good? Sure. However, I’d be right back where I started and unhappy. 

I’m okay with the “other Lindsay” only coming out to play on occasion.

Weeky Weigh-In: Still In The 230s

The 220s have eluded me once again…

 

Despite my best efforts, and I don’t want to discredit my 2+ pound loss this week, I didn’t see the 220s at my “official” WI today.  I guess the WW Gods want me to work extra hard this week at staying on track.

And I plan to do so!

I shared with my meeting members about my new size16W capris.  I really love my WW meetings, the members, and the leader.  It was a really good meeting about learning to love and appreciate YOU, not just for the number on the scale, but for all the qualities that make YOU amazing.  It was a very uplifting meeting.

Remember to speak kind to yourself.

Size 16W

I went shopping for some white pants/capris for a costume wedding party we are attending next Sunday (I'm going as Flo from Progressive and Kenyon will be Jake from State Farm). 

I was pretty sure the size 18W would fit but I took sizes 20W, 18W, and 16W into the dressing room with me. Both the 20W and the 18W fit, which I assumed would look big once worn a few times. I decided to try on the size 16W and it actually fit!! 

I'm still wearing my size 20W jeans I bought at Lane Bryant last year after I had a good cry at my WW meeting.  I'm not ready to buy all new clothes. However, this made me so happy, I bought four pairs of capris in size 16W (including two fun colors) to get me through this summer/fall since they are more of a crop than a capri.  I also wanted to get the 16W as I plan to keep working on getting the scale number down.

I was doing a Happy Dance for sure. 

I have had a good week with my food, although my activity has been low. I'm really hoping my efforts show at the scale. My trainer and I will be working on strength training these next four weeks. So, cardio on my own on the days I don't go to training will be super important.  Come on motivation! I need you to return ASAP.

I've been feeling super overwhelmed lately. Since returning from my vacations/time off from work, I feel like I am drowning in work again. It's back to the days six-day-work-weeks and one-day-weekends. Plus, I'm training one of our new dispatchers, which is very time consuming. I like swing shift but feel like I never have enough time in the day. It's all very stressful. The cherry on top is that I've been selected as the project lead on our dispatch recruitment video. It's a perfect I'm very compassionate about and am excited for the direction it's headed. With training, OT, and work in general, it's just a lot on my plate right now. We are closer to getting trainees out on their own so I think in a month things will improve.

Anyway...I'll report back on the scale.

Sharing Blog Posts From My Weight Loss Journey: The NUMBER On The Scale Is Only A NUMBER

I’m sharing old blog post from my weight loss journey when I blogged on another site:

March 7, 2010

The NUMBER On The Scale Is Only a NUMBER

I tell myself all the time that I need to not focus so much on the number on the scale. It really is just a number. And now that I am on maintenance, that number jumps all over the place. For those that are not yet in maintenance, once you get there, the days of hoping for a “loss” aren’t there anymore. Instead of “gains” or “losses” you just sort of go up and down in a “weight range.” My weight range is 166-170. I feel really good at 166 and at 170, my pants are tight!!! I know I don’t like staying in the 170s and really do prefer to be 166. 

Lately, I have been in the 170s (or pretty darn close to it) since after Christmas. I’m not quite sure why I can’t seem to keep my weight at the “lower end” of my weight range. I think mostly it has to do with just being comfortable with eating. My day-to-day eating is right on track. I will always bypass the fast food joints. I will always go for something that will satisfy me before I go for something that will just be empty calories. However, my sweet tooth still enjoys its fair share (and then some) of goodies daily.  

Since I rotated to the graveyard shift at work in January, being up late at night at home on my days off has posed some challenges. It has tested my boredom-eating a time or two. I really struggle with boredom and with a full kitchen at my disposable I have really had to try and dig my heels and try to refrain from overdoing it. I have been successful at times and also not-so-successful. I will always struggle with boredom eating. 

So, back to the number on the scale – why are we so hard on ourselves?? I am doing GREAT. I know I’m doing great. I will have been at goal for one year on March 14th. When I got to goal I weighed in at 173. Today, I am 170.4. I looked back at my book to see what my weight was last Christmas. I was wondering if I was “heavier” during the winter months last year. Since I was still in weight loss mode last year, I actually am 10 pounds lower this February then I was last February. I am doing fine. I have not had to pay for a WW meeting in the last year. I am not above my goal like other Lifetime members around me. I am at goal where several other WW members have not yet made it to their goal and have been a WW member longer then I have. I am doing fine. So why am I so hard on myself??? 

I went for a walk/jog today in the sunshine. Boy, do I miss the sunshine. I also miss my days off with Kenyon. Right now we are on opposite shifts with little days off together. I am so looking forward to shift change. There is a lot to look forward to this summer. We are going to Arkansas for a wedding. I’ve never been to AR. Then my friend Phoenix is getting married and I am a bridesmaid. Then we have our Alaska cruise in June. So much to look forward to!!!! That is what is important. Not the number on the scale! Silly me.

Sharing Blog Posts From My Weight Loss Journey: Reflecting Back On The Journey

I’m sharing old blog post from my weight loss journey when I blogged on another site:

December 9, 2009

Reflecting Back On The Journey

I often spend time thinking about my weight loss journey and how far I have come. I am reminded about how hard I worked and how much I pushed on even when it got tough. Weight loss is not easy. Getting healthy, learning how to manage food, and breaking down old food behaviors is tough. It is sort of like re-training yourself after years and years of always doing what you always did. 

However, anybody that makes the decision to change their life and embark on a weight loss journey will find it is very empowering. It can bring out stuff in you that you didn’t know you had. Once those exercise endorphins hit ya, there ain’t no going back!!! It wasn’t always like that though. There have been just as many “down in the dumps” times as there have been “feeling fancy free” times. I still have days that I feel fat and I have days that I feel thin. There have been struggles and upsets along with many accomplishments. All wrapped up in the journey I was on for about two years before I made my weight loss goal. 

It took me two years to lose the “bulk” of the weight. I have continued to lose and am now ten pounds under the goal I set with my doctor. I am at the point now where just an extra 5 pounds makes my jeans fit different and very uncomfortable. I am at the stage where I have to use these tools I built up to sustain my weight loss for the rest of my life. After all – I want to be the “results not typical” and one day even the “half my size” story you see in the magazines. 

I reflect back on my journey at different times. It has been more frequent here lately with the Biggest Loser season 8 contestants and the finale that just aired last night. It will be three years that I joined Weight Watchers this coming January. It will also be 10 months at/below my goal. And it feels great. 

Kenyon and I went to the Gary Allan concert last weekend. I was people watching before the show and saw several women that were quite large. They were looking sort of uncomfortable in the small seats and most looked to be sitting further out then their neighbor and even spilling over into their neighbor’s space. That is what reminded me of what I used to be like. I have no real concept of what I used to LOOK like. I do remember what it used to FEEL like. I hated being in the middle of two people at the movie theater. I felt too big for the seats and always tried hard to restrict my movements so I didn’t disrupt my neighbor. In this case, it was an eye opener on how far I’ve come. When Kenyon and I went to take our seats, they were next to a big ‘ol tall cowboy wearing a hat, button up shirt, boots and all! I didn’t hesitate to tell Kenyon I’d sit in the seat in the middle. I felt comforted to know that I didn’t have to disrupt either of my neighbors (although I did lean over to Kenyon’s side but that is a different blog post). 

I am so proud of my accomplishments. I am so happy that I no longer have to fear the seatbelt won’t buckle on the next plane ride like I had to worry three years ago when we went to Vegas. I don’t have to fear sitting in the middle of my friends when we go out to a movie. I can now continue to live my life as I always have…just in a smaller body!

I Did 125 Burpies

On Monday, my trainer put me through the “name game” which basically means that each letter of your name equals a particular workout move and amount of reps.  I got excited at first because my name didn’t have any B’s, which I thought meant Burpies.  NOPE!  No such luck.  In fact, the letter N = 25 burpies, the letter S = 30 burpies, and the letter W = 20 burpies.  So, in the case of my name…I ended up doing 125 burpies total.

L

N – 25 burpies

D

S – 30 burpies

A

Y

N – 25 burpies

O

W – 20 burpies

O

T

N – 25 burpies

Y

I can’t remember what all the letters were but I know that L = 2 minutes of wall sits and that I also did crunches, push-ups, and air squats. 

This is why I pay a personal trainer.  I don’t like burpies, push-ups, crunches, or wall sits.  Air squats aren’t so bad.  Although last week I had a whole workout of squats and boy was I hurting the next day.  Same thing with the medicine ball workout.  It is crazy how many muscles you can work out at one time with a medicine ball.  I know sometime here soon we will have the “cards game”.  I tell him to surprise me.  I don’t even want to know in advance what day that is coming.

I have not yet ramped up my other activity since returning home from vacation.  I’m not sure why but the thought to workout is there, I just lack follow through.  Most days I am just really happy to sit and veg before work.  Being a trainer at work means you have to be on all the time.  So, when I am not at work, I like to relax. 

I am hoping my activity bug returns next week.

Weekly WI: A Gain...Again

I had my check-in at the WW scale after missing/skipping the last two WIs.  I knew I needed to get on the scale despite deciding to have Chinese food on Monday evening when we met up with my parents in Nampa.  I had a 2.2 pound gain from my WI on May 2^nd.

Sadly, the month of May is going to end up being a wash when it comes to weight loss.  Between our New Mexico and Vegas vacation and the Girls Weekend in Sun Valley, I have not technically lost any weight for the month.  (sigh)  There is still one week left so I am going to stay positive and work really hard for a loss this week.

 

We had a substitute leader this week so I’ve missed seeing Donna.  I hope she will be back next week.  In the meantime, Christina was there, a leader I met last year when we were living at my parent’s house.  I was feeling pretty good walking into my meeting despite knowing I would show a gain.  I’ve not seen Christina in a while so when I met her at the scale she said, “now, tell me about this waistline.”  I was happy my hard work at losing inches with my personal training sessions is noticeable.  She commended me for doing this slowly.

My focus is going to be on getting into the 220s.  I’ve been hanging out in the 230s waaaaay too long.

Girls Weekend In Sun Valley

Our Girls Weekend in Sun Valley was so much fun.  We decided that we will for sure make this an annual trip.

The rental house/cabin we stayed in was a bit creepy and I think possibly haunted.  But, we didn't get murdered so that is a huge plus.  I don't think we would stay there again.  We were able to enjoy some time in the hot tub and on Saturday we played some card games.

Our day at the Spa at the Sun Valley Inn was very relaxing.  Phoenix and I had a pedicure and Danielle and Tracey had a massage, and Kelsey had a facial.  We enjoyed the lounge area, the locker room amenities, and the hot tub and heated pool outdoors.  We spent about four and a half hours there and let totally relaxed.

We had some good food experiences and some not-so-good food experiences.

Rico's Italian.  The service was unbelievable.  We had a the best server, Rick, who took good care of us and was super generous with the wine pouring.  Once he learned it was a ladies weekend, he offered free wine to the other girls at the table.  Thanks Rick for making our experience really great.

Kneadery.  We stopped here for breakfast on day one and enjoyed the food.

Konditorei. This German place was adorable and I loved the bathroom "people".  I had a salad for lunch on Saturday.  This proves that I actually eat something healthy on our trip.

Warfield Distillery & Brewery.  Horrible service but yummy beer.  I had a Scottish Ale that was amazing.  Apparently, they had let their crew go home due to it being slow and then suddenly got a rush.  So, service was poor but the beer was good.  The food was only so-so.  Our grass-fed burger was dry.  And, it was really expensive.  Well, the whole weekend was expensive.

Limelight Lounge.  Rick, our server at Rico's suggested we go to Limelight for a drink on Saturday night.  He seemed to think it was more our crowd.  The service was terrible and so slow, we were really upset.  I have no idea what the hold up was but nobody's drink came out at the same time and everybody's drink tasted less than par.  I would not return.

Lastly, Brandie's Kitchen.  This was in Hailey as we headed out of town on Sunday.  It was PACKED and the food was DELICIOUS.  The service was good despite they were super busy and a group of 20 walked in just before us.  So, it was really crazy in there.  This was also our cheapest meal the entire weekend.  We would return to Brandie's Kitchen but next time, arrive earlier.

I can't wait until our next Girls Weekend.  It was so much fun getting to know Tracey better and spending time with my beloved friends.

Sharing Blog Posts From My Weight Loss Journey: How To Cope With A Large Weight Loss

I’m sharing old blog post from my weight loss journey when I blogged on another site:

November 18, 2009

How To Cope With A Large Weight Loss

Where do you find the books that explain how you are to cope with a large weight loss? I’ve come to realize that nothing can prepare a person for it. There isn’t anything out there to explain what happens once the weight is gone. There is no guidance on how you start seeing yourself as this new “thin” person. Where do you find the instructions on how you now keep this weight off that you worked so hard to take off? And when do you actually start to see past the excess skin, muffin top, and arm flab?? 

This is what has been on my mind. I’ve realized that in the short time it has taken me to lose this weight that it will take me the rest of my life to perfect these new skills I have developed. I am very lucky that I had a lot of weight to lose. I had time to learn and develop new eating habits. I don’t struggle with the fast food drive-ins or the temptations of eating out when I’ve already brought my lunch to work. I am in control of food. And it feels great. Yet there are still times I struggle. There are times that I still feel “fat.” There are times that I just wish this darn muffin top would go away. The new book I am reading is “Half-Assed: a weight-loss memoir” by Jannette Fulda. Jannette lost 190 pounds and her story is just entertaining and empowering!!! I love books like this. 

At our WW meeting we have been discussing the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and all the food that is sure to be served. Tricks and tips on how to get through the day and what the points values are of the foods. My leader, Sheliah, this week asked, “How many of you are thankful for Weight Watchers?” I am thankful everyday for WW because without it I would not be the person that I am today. All I can think about is the years upon years that I made sure to wear my elastic waistband pants to the Thanksgiving dinner in hopes of getting “all I could eat.” Wow, am I even more thankful now for WW that I don’t even view food as that important anymore. 

These last few weeks have been a struggle. I’ve been trying really hard to get back into exercise and my foot is still hurting me. I was 0.2 pounds away from getting my 140 lb star and marking that next milestone. It doesn’t get any easier. These last 10 pounds I’ve got on me could take quite some time to lose. I’m still trying to decide where I want to be and I continue to remind myself of where I came from. I’ve put my body through a lot these past almost-three years. I’ve come a very long way and I plan to continue to keep the weight off. I have to. I don’t want to go back and as I said before, food isn’t just that important to me. 

So….onward. To another Thanksgiving Feast!

Ready For A Girls Weekend

Happy Friday!!

I'm headed to Sun Valley for a fun girls weekend with four friends (well, three friends and one soon-t0-be-friend since I've not met one of the gals coming with us yet).  We've rented a sweet vacation home/cabin in the area and are planning to relax, engage in girl talk, drink some beer and wine, and soak in the hot tub.  The weather will be quite cool by evening time as we are having this very odd late Spring weather.  Mother Nature sure is confused this year.

We have booked some appointments at the spa and plan to also relax while we get pampered.  I'm looking forward to this relaxing weekend.

I'll check in when I get the chance and share pictures of our fun.  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Dedication And Diet

I skipped my weekly WI in lieu of getting more sleep yesterday.  I hate missing out on my Tuesday morning meeting and I don't have many more weeks where I can attend.  I just didn't feel like going.  My vacation weight is still sticking around (two pounds) and I was super sore from my training session with Tyson.  So, I re-set the alarm and slept more.  I am glad I bought in some groceries to help me get back on track.  With a Ladies Weekend coming up, I need to make sure I stay on track in the days before I go out of town.

One of my Facebook friends posted a photo of her and her son on Mother's Day.  She received a flood of compliments on how good she looked and how trim she has gotten.  She replied to one comment asking how she had done it saying "dedication and diet."  There is so much truth to the comment.

Dieting is hard.  And the dedication to continue to stick with it can wean overtime making it harder to keep focused on your weight loss goals.  I was super focused in January, February, and March, but my dedication started to thin out in the month of April.  I am feeling more focused and striving to hit it hard these next few months so I can see some good weight loss and continue to feel better in my clothing.  

Being on our vacation and sitting in the middle seat on the airplane sure does put into perspective how "big" you are when you feel like you are spilling over into your partner's seat.  Unfortunately, Kenyon needs to use part of my seat which means I get pushed over into the seat next to me.  I was apologizing to the gal sitting next to us when we landed to Boise.  She told us it was okay and we learned she was flying into Boise and then driving to Twin Falls to see her father who had been admitted to the hospital.  We wished her the best and we about our way.

I didn't get myself back on track soon enough after vacation, but I feel okay with a two pound gain.  I've been thinking about what Tyson said in that the day(s) you pick to splurge will affect your weight for the few days after.  Had I gotten back on track upon our return to Boise, I might have had a maintain instead of a gain this week.  As long as I manage my food this week, I should see some of that weight drop off.  Of course, a Ladies Weekend will have an impact.  

Needless to say, I need to keep myself dedicated to my diet so I can keep myself dedicated to my weight loss goals.

A Lot Of Laziness Going On Around Here

I've been super lazy since returning from vacation, hence my absence.  I am not sure why but I've got no energy these days, both mentally and physically.

On Saturday we celebrated Mother's Day with a breakfast buffet with the family.  My niece Hailey asked to spend the day with me and eventually pleaded to spend the night.  We had a good time but keep it really laid back.  We rented Hidden Figures, which was really great.  It is just amazing how different things are in today's time.

Sunday I went to my parent's house for dinner with Grandpa.  My niece Emma wanted to go for a walk in the neighborhood after dinner so she, my brother, and I set out for a quick walk.  I spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching TV.

Monday I met with my personal trainer and paid for another 12-sessions.  It was good to get back into the swing of things but boy am I feeling it today.  We did a medicine ball workout, which I didn't think it was possible to work every muscle in my body.  My legs are really sore.  I have to go on Wednesday this week instead of Thursday due to my week being a bit hectic.  I hope the soreness subsides by then.  After my workout, I went to Albertson's next door and bought in some healthy foods for meal ideas.  It feels good to be back on track.

I only have three days of work this week and then a four-day-weekend.  My friends and I are having a girls weekend in Sun Valley.  We have rented a really posh cabin/house that also includes a hot tub and a steam shower.  We plan to spend Saturday at the Spa at the Sun Valley Inn where I am getting a pedicure and will spend time with my friends lounging in the on-site amenities and relaxing.  I am looking forward to it.

Vegas Firsts

Our trip to Vegas has been fun, but it is time to go home. I miss my own bed and my own schedule.  We are at the McCarran Airport awaiting our flight to arrive so we can board and get headed home.  

This trip was also a trip of "firsts" for Kenyon and I.  We tried out some new restaurants (and one tried and true) and went to some new shows. Here is a look at our most recent Vegas Vacation.

Food:

We tried Five 50 Pizza bar at Aria and the pizza was excellent.

I've been dying to go to Wahlburgers ever since I watched the TV show.  And once they opened a location in Vegas, I've been really wanting to go.  So, we made our way to Bally's and tried out the famous burger place.  It was also excellent.

I have never been to In-N-Out Burgers and while there has been one off-strip, it is hard to get there without a car.  Once building started up around the LinQ, we noticed there is now an In-N-Out location.  So, we tried it out.  I have to say, this was the cheapest cost food we consumed on entire trip.  It gets an A+ for that.  But, I don't understand the hype.  Good burgers but the fries weren't that great.

Beerhaus is a restaurant I spotted at the New York New York as we were walking from our hotel to the bus stop.  Then, I spotted happy hour prices that had $4 burgers, $4 fries, and $4 beers.  So, we HAD to stop in there.  I had the best local oatmeal stout and Kenyon really liked the fries and beer cheese dip.  I wanted to go back for a pretzel and cheese dip at a later time but we never made it.

Lastly, in the LinQ promenade there was a Sprinkles Cupcakes as well as a 24-hour cupcake ATM.  Now that, is service!  I used to watch the baking shows on the Food Network back in the day so I was familiar with Sprinkles and wanted to try them out.  We got a four pack of cupcakes so we could sample a variety. Pretty good but super sweet and lots of frosting!

We also stopped into our favorite restaurant in Vegas, The Cheesecake Factory.  I'll tell ya, I way over did it on food Wednesday night so by Thursday, I needed a bit of a break from high calorie foods.  I went for my usual Asian chicken tacos which were fresh and delicious.  I can't forget the side of brown bread.  I love the CF bread.

Shows:

We took in two new shows on this trip.  The first was Le Reve, a water show at The Wynn.  It was about a love story between a good and kind man and a wild and dangerous man.  It was amazing and did not disappoint.  Sadly, they were cracking down on any photography and after that one Carrot Top incident a few years ago, I don't mess with the "no photography" rule.

The other show as Terry Fator, a ventriloquist who also does singing impersonations with both himself and his puppets.  We sort of got him confused with Jeff Dunham so we thought that is who we were seeing.  Terry Fator is really funny and we laughed several times.  He has a puppet called Emma with wild red hair and who likes to take rapid selfies and post on her social media.  That totally makes me think of my niece Emma so I bought an Emma doll at the end of the show.  

100% proceeds go to the military foundations called Airpower and Snowball Express so that is awesome.  Terry asked all of the military, first responders, and dispatchers to stand and the audience gave a round of applause so I stood for a moment with the others.

Other than that, we just walked all around Vegas.  We took the tram from Mirage to Treasure Island just for fun and spent some time people watching in the mall.

Over all, it was a fun trip.  Until next time Vegas.

ABQ To LAS

We are at the airport preparing for Vacation Part Two.  When we booked our trip to NM, it was based on Kenyon's current work schedule.  Once we found out he would be switching to the other end of the week, he ended up with two weeks off work.  We debated extending our NM trip but instead, Kenyon suggested going to Vegas again.  I know we have just been there recently twice, but the cost of flights was so cheap and we have room comps.  So, away we go to Part Two of our vacation.

We are pretty tired after not sleeping well the last few days.  I love that my aunt opens our home to us and she is also an excellent cook.  It is just difficult not having control over your environment so I am hoping for better sleep in Vegas.  However, it is Sin City and is known for its night lift.

Our last few days in NM were laid back and enjoyable.  We spent more time with Kenyon's family and then took my aunt to dinner/drinks last night as a thank you for her hospitality.  We first went to Papa Felipe's for dinner and a margarita.  I'd been wanting to try the chicken enchiladas and they didn't disappoint. We got both green and red chile on the side so I didn't burn my mouth off and had a very enjoyable experience.  Also, the yummy margarita helped with any hotness.

From there we went to this place called Sadie's, which Barb knew had good margaritas.  We told our waiter we were doing a taste test and honestly, I like Papa Felipe's better.  But, they were each equally yummy.  

Kenyon was our DD and I had fun telling everybody he was our "Uber driver whom we really liked and invited him to join us."  I'll tell ya, that line never gets old and I get a good laugh out of it.  As Kenyon was cashing us out, I heard our waiter ask him about being our Uber driver.  Ha!

We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel, where they serve a delicious southwestern sausage, said our goodbyes to Barb, and returned our rental car and caught the shuttle to the airport.  We are waiting for our flight which it looks like it jus rolled in.  We upgraded our rental to a Jeep Renegade as I've been eyeing a new car.  We liked it so we might look more at the options when we get home.