Whew, glad that's over...

As some of you know, I did a little rant about the holidays. Well, we had a very nice Christmas. We visited some friends and some came by our place. I was the classic enabler all week long, in that I baked homemade cinnamon rolls and repeatedly convinced myself and my hubby that "just one more" would be OK.

I sometimes don't realize how much what I do and say affects my hubby. When we met twenty one years ago, we both weighed the same. He at 5'9" was way too thin, me at 5'4" was a little thin for my frame, but still pretty good. I decided that I needed to fatten him up and in the process and over a period of 20 years, we are both fattened up quite a bit. He had a very physically demanding job (building houses) and was able to burn off lots of extra calories. Over the years, his job has changed several times, quitting the construction business to devote more time to his music and then he went back to school and got a degree in computers. My weight went up as his did, but now for the first time ever, he outweighs me by eight to ten pounds.

As you know, sitting at a computer doesn't burn a lot of calories and now that I am home full time, we are just not active enough. We aren't runners or hikers and we don't have a dog or any children to run after, and we have just settled in more than in our younger days.

The title of my blog here is "Let's lose the weight this year" and I still think it's a great title. I think we, as life long dieters, think things should happen faster than they do. That's why I am choosing a one year goal for us. I still want to lose weight, but I really do want to make some life changes that will lead to better aging and staying healthier in general.

Sorry for this super long post, what I really wanted to tell you is that I came across a cookbook by Prevention magazine that is so good. It is called Eat Up and Slim Down. It uses real food and gives you tools to decide what eating plan is best for you. This led me back to Prevention's web page, which has all kinds of good ideas on it.

I will be using some of the new recipes in this book (which I got at the library) and implementing better portion control into my meals. We eat in front of the television in the living room and that's probably not going to change. For this reason, portions that are dished up in the kitchen have to be reasonable. If we want seconds, you have to go back to the kitchen and get our own. This can sometimes be a bit embarrassing, so I am hoping proper portion control will show us how much too much we were eating.

The other thing I am going to try to do, is not be a slave to the scales. This is really difficult for me, but I think it is important to, at least, try.

So, if you want to call these resolutions, feel free. I think setting and working on achieving goals is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle.

That's it for now, I may be back later with a New Year's post, but if not, take care and stay safe.

I like this picture so much that I am posting the same thing on both blogs. Hope you don't mind.

Yes, it's finally here. Soon the holidays will be over. I'm thinking about taking a few days off from posting, but I'll still be lurking and skulking around reading your blogs and maybe stopping in to say hi and I hope you'll do the same. In the meantime, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and leave you with our official family portrait for Christmas 2008.

I think you will agree from this picture, that I have good reason to be thankful for being able to spend the last 21 Christmases with this wonderful man. So from one of the happiest and most grateful couples you know, we say Merry Christmas to you all. Whether you have friends and family to visit, or just fond memories of them, enjoy yourself and be mindful of the reason for this wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Time's A-Comin'

Yes, it's almost here and I'm not quite so Scrooge-y today. I talked to my sisters in CA, yesterday and my brother in law from WV this morning, The brother in law might come for a quick visit, so I don't feel so much like we are hermits with nobody to love us.

I weighed in at 175 today and I'm not going to go on and on about what I do wrong, etc. I was somewhat surprised with I got my first issue of Fitness magazine yesterday. I didn't order it. Now I have to wonder where that came from and was it well meaning, or just a scam or what. If I get a bill, I can eliminate the scam scenario. If not, well who know?

That's all for now, thanks to those that commented with such kind words to my grumpiness. I appreciate it. Take care and have a great holiday!

Am I a Scrooge?

I just posted this on my blog at Spark People. I hope no one gets mad if they read it here (or there for that much). It's just how I feel right at this moment, and I may come back and delete it later, as I have been known to do that, too. Who knows? Anyway, here is my rant for the moment.

I don't have children or grandchildren. I celebrate my love of Christ everyday and want all Christians to also. I am tired of the fact that some people really put themselves into debt for presents that are unnecessary and sometimes unwanted. The fact that the Christmas season arrives in the stores in October is unreal. My husband and I don't put up a tree, just a few decorations on the shelves, etc. I am not against Christmas at all, and perhaps it just makes me miss family members that have passed on. I just want to get on with my everyday life of loving my husband and talking to my remaining family on the phone with an occasional visit on my terms. Is that too much to ask? Am I being selfish? I am sensitive to the needs of the less fortunate year round and I don't need some tear jerk movie that makes me feel like I am a mean old bear if I don't go, once a year and do good deeds that everyone should do on a regular basis.

I have not been very successful on my weight loss plan. I am just waiting for the sun to shine and for me and my hubby to be able to get back to our everyday schedule.

Wahh, poor me. I'm such a whiny baby. I have a very good life and I have no need to complain about not having the basics and more. I am just so tired of everyone going so overboard every year about this season that is supposed to mean more than it actually does.

That's it for me today. Hopefully once this is over, I can get back on board with healthy habits and feel better about everything.

Take care, and if I don't see you before them, Merry Christmas. Yes, I really mean it. Merry Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, this is obviously not meant for you, so don't go off in a huff. One huffy old blogging chick is sufficient.

It's not "real"

I am up to 175.5 today, but knowing my body as well as I do, I know it is water retention. I have been eating chips in the evening and I know that I weigh 2-3 pounds more when I do that. I have not been drinking enough water and have been drinking soft drinks. The only exercise that I gotten this week is walking around the store buying snacks and then the movement of my hand while I sit on the couch and draw.

I feel really good and my hubby and I are going in for a pedicure today. I used to think of this as a treat, but as I get older and it becomes more of a hassle to do myself, I think it is a necessary health measure. The girl that does our pedi's and mani's is very strong and in addition to taking care of what might become health concerns of the feet, she give a reflexology type massage. It almost hurts when she does it, but it helps break down the build up of toxins in my feet and legs and it feels so good afterward.

Well, I have talked enough now that you have forgotten about my snacking and water gain, so I will be off. I may find time to post some new drawings on my art blog, so if you follow that, be prepared for holiday drawings.

Take care and hang in there.

Down again

I am down another 1/2 pound. I haven't been working out officially, but I have been active. I seem to be forgetting to eat, and then when I think about it, it is usually too late at night. I have GERD and have to be very careful as to what time and what I eat. Just one more variable to add to this equation we call life.

More later on things in general. Have a great day!

Thought for today:

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
Henry Ford


Let's think of weight loss and new eating habits in small increments. Maybe it won't seem like such a daunting task.

I am weighing in at 174.00 today. Down 1/2 pound after the holidays. I'll take that.

I've got to run some errands, but I'll be back soon. Take care and think "small jobs".

This is an informative site dealing with women's issues and I am currently reading the article on weight gain in menopausal women.

I had a great Thanksgiving and hope you all did also. There is a lot of pain and suffering going on in the world right now and the survivors and injured parties are in my prayers. Even though Thanksgiving is observed as a secular holiday, I feel that perhaps it's one of those special times that people stop and think about what they are thankful for and where their blessings come from.

Anyway, I am ready to get back to life as we know it, as normal as it can be for the next month or so, what with friends stopping by and parties to attend and festivities to be had. I will continue to have my little say here and will continue to weigh in on Tuesdays. I may look at the world through rose colored glasses sometimes and am sometimes taken back by the things people say, but it's because I am a positive, happy person and expect everyone else to be. I feel very deeply the pain and suffering of others, sometimes almost to the point of empathy, but it's something I am used to and I have ways of coping with that, also.

For those out there who are dealing with negative comments and hurtful things said to you by "well meaning" folks, remember the lyrics to Christina's song Beautiful...

Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, it's hard to breathe
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I'm so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down
So don't you bring me down today

To all your friends, you're delirious
So consumed in all your doom, Ohh
Tryin' hard to fill the emptiness
The piece is gone left the puzzle undone
Is That the way it is?

You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down
Oh no, 'cause you are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, Oh no
So don't you bring me down today...

If you have never heard her sing this song, when you have a chance, go to YouTube and check it out.

Remember to have a great weekend and remember you are beautiful.

Just a quick note...

In addition to doing all the holiday related things that we love, I am going to be working on my computer. I realized that I am trying to keep up with six personal sites. It is time for me to scale down some. I will be dropping off from following some blogs and I will be adding some new blogs to my sidebar. Please don't be offended if, in my attempt to regain control of my computer time, I have to leave you for a while. It certainly isn't personal.

That being said, Happy Thanksgiving! See you soon!

My word...

I am back up to 174.5 this week. We went out to lunch yesterday and I ate like a piggy. I try not to get so down on myself for doing this. I just wonder sometimes, what is wrong with me. How can it be just not exercising? I am so tired of eating chicken and vegetables. I need fried potatoes and gooey dessert and buttery things. Well, it's hard not to beat yourself up about things like this. I am going to grab those bootstraps and hang on.

I have so much to be thankful for. I have a wonderful husband, who is healthy and loves me very much. I have a nice place to live and plenty to eat, obviously, so I shouldn't complain. Sorry, I am just frustrated at the up and down of one or two pounds. I suppose working out once last week wasn't enough.

Well, if you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope the holiday goes fab for you. I think my hubs and I will go out to dinner Thursday. Enjoy the rest of the week and if you have any ideas for getting me over this slump, you know where my comment section is.

Take care.

It's better than gaining...

Down one half pound...

That is much better than gaining...

I have never taken my time about losing weight. I was always one to lose 6 or 7 pounds the first week, than 2 and 3 pounds each week after until I reached my goal weight in several months. Obviously, those days are gone. At this rate, it will take well over one year to reach my goal. Perhaps, by that time I will have acquired such great habits, that the weight will never come back. I know you are all with me on that.

Hope everyone had a good weekend and are ready to face another day.

Keep us posted with your progress and remember that we are all heading down the same road.

Take care.

Don't ya' just love Mondays?

I love every morning that I awake to see another day. I know that sounds sappy, but I truly do. Everyone makes mistakes during the day and I have always looked at tomorrow (cue Annie) as a chance to do something differently. It doesn't always make it better, but hopefully, but it just might make a difference in the way you feel about things.

When I say mistakes, it may be as simple as a thought that you had, that you aren't particularly proud of. It may be something that you actually said or did that didn't have the desired result. Not to worry, tomorrow is another day and we can do better.

All that being said, I love Mondays. It's the perfect day to start anything. Start something new, or perhaps to start something over, like getting back into that good habit that you let slide, or it might be the perfect time and the perfect day to start a new Workout. Hubs and I went to Best Buy to kill some time the other day and I wanted to get a workout video. I am not that great about walking in my neighborhood, hills, dogs, yada, yada, but I had a "walk your way to fitness" type video in my hand, you know, the kind that you walk inside the house...and Hubs said he would rather see me try something else. He said, "you are way too energetic just to walk", try this one. I don't think he realizes how hard walking can be sometimes....but, if he sees me as energetic enough to do this video, I wasn't going to say no. He picked Jackie's workout video along with another ab workout and away we went.

I popped it in the machine this morning and did the upper body portion. Each segment is only 20 minutes which includes a brief warm up and a stretching segment. I can handle 20 minutes. It's the 30, 45 and 60 minutes ones that take me down. I made it thru the first 12 minutes and then I realized that I was going to have to stop for a minute. So, I did. That's the beauty of working out at home, she may be saying, "I know it burns, but don't stop", I said, "oh yeah, watch this" and I sat on the couch with my water and watched her go through the next two minutes.

No one thinks badly of me, I wasn't next to some cute little 40 year old, showing off her moves. I wasn't sitting on the curb, red faced and puffing outside someones house in my neighborhood. It was just me and my bad knees and my .... well, I could go on, but the point is I did it. I will probably be sore tomorrow, but after that brief rest on the couch, I got back up and did the rest of it. This is a pretty intensive workout that uses weights. But don't sell yourself short. Maybe you can do it. If not today, it's something to plan for. Maybe you can do it on Monday.

Whew, my elbows are still shaking, but it feels good. Have a great day, ya'll and remember that we are in this together. See you tomorrow for weigh in.

I'm changing my weigh in day

I just figured out what is happening with me. I go to the store on Tuesday because of extra coupons/discounts. I get all kinds of great things and always have a treat afterward. Every Wednesday morning my weight is up. So to accommodate this phantom weight gain, I am weighing in on Tuesday morning, not Wednesday.

All that being said, this morning I was at 173.5, which is back down to where I was, minus 1/2 pound. If that's all it takes to keep me happy, I'm going to do it.

More on other stuff later, but that's it for now. Love ya bunches!

Junk food

Weigh in day and I am at 177 pounds. That's a 2.5 pound gain for this week. I know it's just a number on the scales and in the long run, that's not what is important.

I have not eaten healthy this week. I can tell that I feel better when I make better choices in food. I ate junk food. Candy, salty crackers, Hardee's biscuit, cheese pizza, soda. These are not good choices for anyone. They are not conducive to good sleep patterns, even my allergies have suffered. Sometimes being a junk food junkie takes it's toll.

Today is today, not yesterday. Today I can take better care of myself. If I don't take care of my health, who will? We are all responsible for the choices we make. I don't hate myself, I just feel yucky for eating junk.

Well, that's all for today. Hope you all have a good week, and stay off the junk food, you'll feel better. Take care.

Too much candy

I have eaten candy two nights in a row and I hope the scales won't reflect it. Today is Saturday, I have already started bargaining with myself. If I am "really good" I can be where I want to be on Wednesday. My hubby worked out this morning, and it should give me inspiration, but sometimes I just feel so lazy. I think to myself, is it worth it? I know it is and I always feel better after working out, it is just so hard to make myself get started. What is wrong with me. I am a reasonably intelligent person and I know I should do this for my health.

Well, I'll let you know later which side of me wins this battle.

Slowly but surely?

Weight this morning: 174.5

This makes last week's loss 2 pounds. For a grand total of 4.5 pounds. Grrr...I really wanted to lose large amounts the first few weeks. Who am I kidding, any loss is better than a gain, or staying the same. It just feels like I am so far away from my goal weight. Well, actually I am... I have given myself about one year, and I am about one month into my changes. I am not going to call it a diet, that is so restrictive. I said I wasn't going to get tied up in inches lost, so I hadn't been measuring myself very often. If I am reading the tape correctly, I have lost two inches in my waist and one in the hips. So, apparently it is actually working. I wish I could feel more motivated to work out. That would make the weight loss faster, or at least give me more energy. Well, I'll keep on plugging on.

Hope everyone has had a good week so far. Remember if you want to use my comments to weigh in with me, or to share tips or just to chat...feel free.

Take care and stay healthy!

What not to do

Just a quick post to say, after we came home last night from a concert, I fixed dinner. It was baked boneless chicken breast, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn. All in proper portions, (well close enough to proper) but it was close to 10:00 p.m.

I know not to eat late at night for indigestion reasons. That's not what this little story tells. I woke up so groggy this morning, that I went back to sleep and didn't get up until very late. I felt like I had been drugged. Moral of this story is, don't fast all day and then pile on food late at night. It's just not good for you.

Today I am going to try to get back on track with little mini meals of healthy choices. It's hard to believe that changing the pattern one day will make this much difference. I want to be healthy in addition to looking smokin' hot. To do this I have to do the right thing.

Ugh, I'm going to go and have some tea, maybe that will help. Thanks for listening to my rant. I'll be back Wednesday with hopefully a loss for this week. Take care and take care of yourself.

Finally

This morning's weight...176.5

Down 2.5 pounds

Finally.

Losing weight can be fun...

Here is a sight for a virtual model. This one is to try on clothes, but Prevention has a weight loss simulation one that is similar. I haven't quite got the kinks out of my model, yet, but I will keep working on it. Try it yourself and have fun... Just check out the bottom at my model and you'll see where to click.

Really good week...

I have had such a good week, and made such good choices that I am looking forward to our next weigh in. The weekends usually pose a problem with emotional eating. BUT...my yarns and needles and books just arrived UPS, so my hands will stay busy learning to knit.

I got my art supplies, also, so there will be no mindless snacking.

Hope you are all hanging in there. Keep it up, and remember this blog is for support, raves and rants. Use the comments however you see fit.

See you soon, have a great Friday!

The after effects

As you may know, I just returned from a week in California. Sun, fun and food. My weight this morning is : 179

No gain, so I can't complain too much. I have been doing a lot of study and such on SparkPeople since I joined two weeks ago and I think next week will be a breakthrough for me.

Hope you guys ate healthy and exercised properly. Remember to post your new weight in the comments and we'll take it from there.

Go Team!!

I will be on vacation until the 13th...

I am going on vacation (woo-hoo) until the 13th, so I am listing my weight today (Tuesday)

179 pounds..... nothing changed. I am not going to make excuses, I'll just tell it like it is. I didn't do anything different. I can say, I think I wanted to wait until I get back from California and then clean out the fridge and cabinets and make a fresh start. This I will surely do.

I really do want to lose weight, but there is a part of me that still thinks, I can't do it. I know my problem is I want it to happen immediately. The intelligent part of me reminds me that I didn't gain it immediately, so why should I expect immediate results? Another thing I have a problem with is the obsession with the scales and weighing myself. I am actually ashamed to admit that I probably weigh my self at a minimum of five (5) times a day. You heard me, not five times a week, but each day. I think this stems from having such a poor weight image for so long. You notice I said weight image, not body image. I don't have a Poor Body Image, but when I look in the mirror, I have the "I don't look that bad" reaction.

Bottom line is this. I am sticking to my "one pound per week goal" for the next year, (even though I thought I would lose 5-6 pounds just by telling everyone I was going to lose. Sick reasoning, huh?) and I am adding a "weighing once a week goal". This is going to be a life time goal, in hopes that I will quit obsessing about the numbers on the scale and the magic number in my head that I want to see appear. Although the magic number has gone from 135 to 150 over the years as I age. 135 is probably still a healthy goal, I just have no confidence in myself to think that I will ever see it again.

Enough crying for now. To the folks that are monitoring their weigh in with me here, please put your weight in the comments so I can check it out when I get back next Sunday. I will be experiencing blog withdrawal anyway and hope to have some comments when I come back.

Hang in there and try to eat healthy, drink the amount of water that is right for you and get plenty of rest and some physical activity. Remember, we are in this together.

Talk soon.

Work Out Alternative

Here is a good alternative for those days that you just want to sit at the computer and not work out. Check it out.


I am keeping "Moving Men" furniture sliders under my desk and doing these as often as I can.

Motivation?

Below is a link to a funny/slightly sick "news" video. Obviously it fake, and please watch out for the scroll at the bottom, as I saw an ugly word go across. In it's own way, it is motivation to do what's healthy, because who knows what's next on the horizon.

All that being said, check it out.....click here.

Take care and have a good weekend.

Weigh In Wednesday

I think this just solved itself! October 1st sounds like a good day to start the program. That way we don't have to wait to weigh and Kim is getting her scales today, so it's ON. I am listing my stats below for today. I'll check my comments to see what your's are and then we will weigh every Wednesday. I am listing my main measurements, also. That is up to you and how much you want to reveal in the comment section. If you would prefer to e-mail me with any of this info, that's ok, but I think we will get you past that as you lose. As we lose, I'll try to add tools to help keep track and list some of the sites you are already telling me about. We can do this!

Well, here goes...

Height 5' 3-3/4"

Weight 179 pounds

Measurements (in under things)

Bust 41 inches
Waist 38 inches
Hips 46-1/2 inches

I choose not to measure arms and legs, as I don't want to get bogged down in "total inches lost", as that is just too much for me.

That's it, it's official! Come join me and keep me honest!

Better choices and the water controversery...

My hubs spent about five hours yesterday helping an older (70) friend with his computer. It needed to be cleaned up, defragged, new mouse and things like that. This sweet gentleman insisted that DH take something for his time and pressed a $20.00 bill into his hand...

So, today we went out to lunch at our favorite (sit down, but still casual) restaurant. It's a BBQ joint, really, but they have great chicken sandwiches, as well as burgers. During the lunchtime hour they have a "country buffet". Twice recently I have ordered the buffet, knowing that I would eat too much of it's yummy greasy goodness. We are talking "grease enhanced" home fries with onions, cheese laden broccoli casserole baked until the once healthy broccoli is so mushy you can hardly recognize it, green beans simmered for hours ( in animal fat, I'm sure), slabs of rib eye, cooked until you can't even get the bite to stay on the fork...that kind of thing.

If you are truly a country girl, you know what I'm talking about. If you aren't, you are certainly correct in gasping at this description and wondering if knowledgeable adults really eat like this. This is how I was raised and why I have problems with food, but that is another post for another day.

Today, I ordered and enjoyed and was satiated by a very nice house salad with dressing on the side, a grilled burger (with no bread or mayo) and unsweetened tea with lemon. I feel good, no indigestion from fried onions and no bloating from whatever they put into that casserole. I also feel good about making a better choice. Sometimes substituting a food that is even only slightly healthier, is a good way to get started on the road to better health and weight loss.

What's up with all the differing opinions of water intake? When I Googled "how much water do I really need" the number of results were staggering. 4,350,000.... ok, now I know that you need to be more precise in a computer search, but it makes you wonder. I think that water intake is a very personal issue. Staying hydrated is extremely important for all the body's systems to work efficiently. I am not trying to say otherwise, I'm just saying that in addition to coffee, tea, an occasional soda, and perhaps some milk, I just don't feel that I need to try to consume 64 ounces of water. If I am doing some type of a cleanse, or am working out, then I try to consume the suggested amounts of water.

I really don't think that water is a magic potion for weight loss. If that were so, there would be few overweight folks in this country. All this being said, we really do have to customize our eating and drinking habits, to fit our individual needs. If you are unable to do this on your own, then you may need the help of a nutritionist or perhaps you want to check out a holistic healing website. Whatever you decide to do, do it as intelligently as possible. Do your research and don't just following blindly whatever trend is in vogue now.

Well, it's Tuesday and I haven't done any exercise. I need to get in the groove. Hopefully, after vacation, I will find time and motivation to workout. Hmmm...sounds like another excuse to me. When will I learn? Well, baby steps for me. Salad and burger vs. country buffet? I'm happy with today's choices.

Take care of yourself and check back soon for more rants and raves and a little motivation.

It's Official, let's be accountable

I'm so glad to have already gotten several responses to starting this blog. I really don't know how to do anything special with the blog, as I am not a computer guru. What do you suggest I do? If you want me to link your blog on the sidebar, I can do that. If you want to leave details in my comment section with your daily stats or ideas, I have no problem with all the comments being lengthy in order to do that.

The main thing is to keep up with each other and encourage and share ideas. I sometimes tidy up my picture in my photo program, but for the sake of accountability, I am going to post an actual picture of myself. I really am hesitant to do this but here goes.....



I took these with the self timer while DH was out of the room. This is the real deal. Faded jeans and all. I say that I want to lose weight for my health. That's not really the whole truth. I want to look better. That may sound shallow and vain, but it's the truth. I want to be smokin' hot again. I don't mind being older at all, it's just that I want to be a older chick with a great figure. I'll never be thin, it just isn't going to happen...but if I lose 40 pounds I will look really good. I will be healthier just because of the weight loss, because to make it happen I have to cut my caloric intake and increase my activity. That is what makes me the healthiest.

That being said, here is what I've done today:

Today I have eaten:

2- hard boiled eggs (260)
2-large pieces wheat toast (260)
1-tbsp jam (50)

2-tea with sugar (100)

1-Baked Chicken Breast (150)
1 cup mixed veggies (100)


2 fig cookies (110) - I had to go brush my teeth and use mouthwash to keep from eating more cookies, but it worked.

1030 calories so far, and it's just now dinner time. I am allowing myself 1200 calories daily for this first week.

No exercise today, just normal everyday activities.

How did you do today? Let me know. Take care and don't give up, tomorrow is another day!

First Day of New Blog

This is the first post of my new blog. My mother was always concerned with and sometimes consumed by her weight. I got that tendency from her. I am starting this blog in an effort to monitor my current weight loss journey. There is a new fitness center being built in my neighborhood. It will be complete one year from now. I want to be in better shape, healthier and slimmer before I go.

I will be posting pictures of myself, along with my age, stats and food journals along the way. I sometimes wonder if I am too old, to lose weight.

I am 5'4-3/4" so that puts me in the petite category. When I circle my wrist with my fingers, they overlap-so that puts me in the small frame category. With that being said, I have to be honest about the following stats and admit that I am overweight... according to my height and weight, my BMI is 30,( it should be 20-25) which is considered "moderately overweight" on the site I am using. Another site lists that as borderline obese. Either way, it needs to be addressed.

Age 55
Weight 179 Measurements are as follows: Bust 41
Waist 38
Hips 46-1/2

Currently my goal is to lose 40 pounds in one year, slightly less than 1 pound per week. I used to be able to skip a meal here and there and lose five pounds over the weekend. Those days are over. I have to be accountable for what I eat and how many calories I burn on a daily basis.

I have developed some irksome symptoms. They are similar to acid reflux. So in addition to trying to lose weight, I have to do this eating foods that don't cause reflux symptoms. These symptoms are supposed to lessen when...you guessed it, I lose the extra pounds.

I worked out yesterday using my Slim in Six plan. I did a modified version of the Ramp It Up. It is still pretty hard. I am thinking of getting the DVD "Big Yoga" which is yoga geared for larger folks. Has anyone heard of it? Let me know.

That's all for now. I'll be back later with some more info. Take care of yourself. Your deserve it.