Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

So I have been in hiding. I hide when I'm tired of trying. I hide when I miss food. I hide when I am sad. So, I have been in hiding for a few months now. And boy has a lot happened in just a few months of hiding.

First off, I had a doctors appointment to just check out my aging 32 year old body and it turns out I have high cholesterol and as my doc put it "extremely low vitamin B12!"  So, I have been working on my cholesterol and taking a dissolving B12 supplement. I have a follow up at the end of this month and if my B12 is not in the normal range, I have to start B12 shots.

I was also hiding because I was missing food. I missed worry free eating. I missed cooking like I was taught. I missed using real ingredients. I missed ordering off the menu without substitutions. So I ate. I cooked. I ordered. Now I know I had to have some checks in my balance so I tried to eat smaller portions. I have been trying to snack on carrots and apples. I have been packing my lunch nearly everyday. Making my coffee at home. Cooking hearty dinners. Getting back to my roots as one might say. And I am enjoying it!  I can honestly say I am enjoying the food that I cut, cook and prepare. My son Mason (20 months old) has taken up an interest in cooking with mom too and I love it. He loves to help a make muffins and pretend cook while I am preparing dinner. It's such a joy to watch. Mason is so much fun. He is a gem of a child and I am having so much fun with him lately.

So here I am, out of hiding. I know it has been a pattern of mine to blog for a few months then disappear into hiding so please bear with me. It's just my style; annoying I know and I am sorry for that. I am happy to see that some of my blog sisters are doing so well in their blogging and weight loss efforts! Keep up the good work!

Lastly, in my absence I am happy to report that I haven't gained weight. I'm actually down a few more pounds to 207.4!  Whoever said weight loss is a journey was liar! Weight loss is an expedition with two peaks for every valley. A place where you have to kill your own food, dig for clean water and put a rock on your poo! It's hard. It's inconsistent. It's a long trek in wet shoes! Keep on keeping on!

Oh Say Can You See...

...That I'm Not Eating Right.....Ahhh I feel depressed. Okay so for starters, I am obsessed with my weight loss. I weigh myself like 4 times a day and I know that is NOT healthy. I am trying to break that dirty little habit but it is hard. Last time I ventured into weight loss, I went as far as to take the battery out of my scale but it's hard to hide a battery from yourself. The battery quickly made it's way back into the scale and I kept obsessively stepping up! So, all week I kept weighing myself and....nothing. No negative weight loss. If anything, I had gained a pound. That is where my slippery slope starts. I get discouraged because I hit a plateau (by the way thanks Jhoana for jinxing me) and I tend to fall of the wagon...BIG TIME. So I sternly decided that NO, it's not happening this time. I am staying on track. I am resisting my urge to momentarily give up. CRAVINGS won by a landslide! I gave in. I gave up. I...I...I...lost to myself? Is that even possible? In the game of weight loss...it is very possible...and the instant replay keeps running over and over in my mind.

First I figured that since I had not lost any weight according to my home scale that I could just go crazy and eat whatever I wanted...at least I would feel better emotionally. Right? Well I did. I ate. And it was good. Then, God bless America, came the 4th of July and I decided that I would eat whatever I wanted (within reason) and so I did. So Tuesday comes along and my Mother calls me for a lunch date. So I went. I left the gym clothes I so nicely packed in my car and ate an abundance of Thai food...oh and my favorite Thai dessert. Lord please tell me this is not the beginning of the end. I cannot take these temptations.

So here I am blogging about how I lost...but gained. Lost the battle; gained the weight. Only a total of a pound but still, a pound can be mental war for anyone battling weight. So tomorrow is my start fresh day. I am going back on my WW hardcore. I am stocking my fridge with WW friendly foods. I am not eating out. I am not giving into temptation. I am going to settle the score once and for all.

Mason enjoying our dry docked Kayak!

I recently received a kayak for my anniversary gift and it has arrived! I am excited to use it. I think I am taking it up to my Aunties house in the Tahoe area this weekend! I am looking forward to getting out of Chico. It has been 104 to 105 degrees here the past few days...HOT! I am going to my official WW meeting this Friday morning so I will report in after that! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Until Friday...




-Negative Nancy and her sister Patriotic Polly

Weight Watchers 4

Can I get a whoot whoot!....down a total of -10.4 pounds! That is with the addition of a -2.2 pounds this week! Had a great week on Weight Watchers...had a horrible week on the home front. My hubby got into a horrible car accident on Tuesday while towing our boat and trailer which landed upside down on highway 45!  Glad Mike and his passenger are okay but dang it....our truck and boat are not so okay (insert sad face gesture here). I am thankful for full coverage insurance although our boat is not considered a covered vehicle, so we might just have to take a semi-huge loss on that!  I just keep reminding myself that "the best things in life are not things!"....but gezz it was nice to have nice things while it lasted? Right?

As far as my eating is going...it's going well. I have been doing good using up all my points and eating well into my bonus points each week. I have found a new love of iced coffee (thanks Jhoana)...it's so delicious in the hot summer mornings! I have also found a new favorite summer snack, cantaloupe with lite whip cream on it...Mmmmmmmmmm! So good, so refreshing...

I have been getting support from an unlikely source in my weight loss journey; my husband. Mike has been very supportive of my WW and crazed points counting.  A few times now he has wanted to go out do dinner or out for dessert and each time he asks me if I have saved up enough points or he tells me in advance to save up for an outing. Little gesture but very nice to know that he can be supportive of my weight loss. I like it and it helps.

Yesterday I got into a bathing suit for the second time this summer and I felt great about my body. I was not trying to hurry up and get in the water for fear that someone might see my thighs, or wrap a beach towel around my body to mask my rolls. I felt good. I felt pretty and confident for a change. Yes, I said confident. Wow, I never thought that word would make it back into my vocabulary so soon in my journey...but there it is...loud and clear. I feel like shouting to the mountain tops "I love Weight Watchers..." but I will refrain for now. For now, I will take my -10.4 pounds and semi-quietly celebrate in my thinning head! 

I thought I would close with a few things I am thankful for and things I would rather live without since my week has been a week of many emotional ups and downs and testing me every step of the way....so, I am thankful for:
Full coverage insurance
Seat belts
Cantaloupe
Iced coffee
Weight Watchers
Crystal Lite Mix-In's
Big safe Ford F350 trucks
Falling gas prices in CA
Flip flops
Planning ahead
Family
Sushi dates with my mom
...and things I would rather live without...
Accidents
Fear/Stress/Worry
Foreign dog poop on my front lawn
Deductibles
Lame a/c repair men
My neighbors across the street (kitty corner, not Joey...we love Joey)

Have a fantastic week...I hope to blog again this week before my next weigh in! The WW office is closed on Monday the 4th, so I think i will try and pick up a Tuesday evening meeting! Have a great week and remember that in your life no matter the situation (good or bad) that "this too shall pass." Tough times will come and go.  Amazing times will come and go.  Enjoy today. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your toys. You never know when your now will come to pass.

- Propitious Polly

Weight Watches Week 3

This week has been a doozie! My son bestowed upon me the gift of his sickness so from Thursday evening until yesterday afternoon I was sick. I mean sick. I had horrible body aches, nausea and was soooo dehydrated that I could not even urinate (too much info I know but that is reality)! Partnered with my lack of proper personal hygiene, I was ugly. I mean ugly. I was past the point of just sick, I looked like I was on my death bed and I often felt that way too. I have never been in so much pain deep down to my bones. I mean my toes were aching. Thank God my son was able to entertain himself for ohhhh 4 days! He did great and having all his favorite shows recorded helped but I must admit that I started to feel guilty for using the television as a babysitter. But I am over it. If I have learned anything from my 17 months of parenting it is that you do what you have to do to get by at that moment. Television is what I had to do. I did it. I'm over it. So until yesterday I hadn't eaten anything so to say the least, when my appetite returned to me, I was hungry. I was starving. I needed a sub sandwich and I needed it now! So I did. And it was delicious. Paired with a large diet fountain drink and BAM...I was back to myself again. I even showered. I can actually say that I am happy to be back at work because I know I am alive! 

I weighted in at WW this morning and was down another -2.6 pounds which makes my total a whopping -8.2 pounds. I know that my sickness had a lot to do with that but I'm not being picky, I'm taking it! I just am being realistic that I may not really lose much, if any, next week. But for now, I am happy and hungry!

Father's Day this year happened to fall on my 6th wedding anniversary so it was a double celebration day! Mike and I took Mason to a local baseball park and enjoyed a double hitter of 14 innings (a little long for Mason) but the game was fun. We had great seats and who can resist stadium food, not me! I indulged on a few bites of Mason's hot dog, french fries and treated myself to a diet coke. Mmmmmm, delicious!

So I am happy to be here, to be alive, to be well!  I am supposed to go out to a 'fancy' dinner with Mike on Tuesday evening to celebrate our anniversary like adults. We will have to wait and see how my food selection goes for that!  I'll keep you posted. Oh on another note, I ran into a girlfriend (we will call her Lou to protect her identity) I have not seen in a few months at WW this morning and she has lost 20 pounds! Way to go Lou! You looked great and I am so happy for you! Keep it up!

You keep it up too my blog friends and family. Have a fantastic week!

-Nauseous No More Nancy

Weight Watchers Week 2ish...



Angels Stadium
Anaheim, CA



So this was technically my third week of eating WW style but only my second weigh in...I got all messed up with Memorial Day and the WW office being closed and me being on vacation last Monday...so it's week 2ish! I am happy to report that I am down another 3 pounds! Yep that makes a total of 5.6 pounds lost! I am really happy with that might I add!



It has been a long week plus a few days since I last blogged but I was vacation. I went to So-Cal (that is what the youngsters call it) to visit my husbands family and I must admit I had a great time. We went to Santa Monica Pier, Pink Famous Hot Dogs, Huntington Beach and we also squeezed in the time to take my son to his first Major League Baseball game at Angels Stadium.  It was so much fun and the weather was amazing!  Since I have been back to the old grind and my usual weekly routine, eating has been a bit easier. I do have to say that eating out on the road is hard work and the temptations are endless.

As for getting some physical activity, I have been challenged in that aspect of my healthy life. I have gone on a few bike rides but they are minimal (3 miles) and I don't feel 'worked' when I am done. I need to get back to my walking. But as my WW team leader says, I find every 'exer-cuse' (exercise and excuse all in one) I can to avoid my daily exercise. It's raining. I'm tired. It's hot. I'm hungry. It's windy. Blah blah blah...so I have to work on that this week for sure! No more EXER-CUSE!



Heidi doesn't do mornings!



On a more personal level, my beautiful dog Heidi Anne is turning 7 years old tomorrow. I cannot believe she has been a blessing in my life for 7 years! I love that dog! I know she is getting older and I can see it in her fur color (getting a little gray), in her demeanor (she doesn't do mornings) and in her little aging body...ahhh it breaks my heart! She is the best girlfriend I have ever had!  Happy Birthday my Heidi Anne, I love you! (okay so I know Heidi won't whip out her ipad and read this but I just couldn't help acknowledging her in my blog)

Another personal note it that my son has been really sick with a fever, vomiting and the dreaded ED (explosive diarrhea)! Lately he loves to put on his dads sunglasses in the car and he looks so cute when he does it. But in all his sickness and distress he decided to wear this sunglasses a bit wonky, like he was feeling! Love that boy! He is getting better and on the mend! 

Simply Mason







Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am already feeling challenged by the road (or should I say sky) ahead. I am heading down to my in-laws for 4 days for a graduation party and beach day and am feeling the challenge of eating healthy a burden upon my shoulders.  I am very good at counting my points and tracking but it is really hard when your faced with substantial amounts of unhealthy options and minimal healthy options. What to do? Do I go grocery shopping once I get there? Do I starve (yeah right, like that would ever happen)? Do I make poor decisions? Ahhh what to do? I am already worried about it and I haven't even left for the airport yet!

I am hopeful that there will be some WW friendly foods for me to graze upon. It is just so hard when your traveling to make good/easy decisions when it comes to eating right... Ahhh this makes me nervous. And the temptation of graduation party food....beach picnic food....boardwalk food (I'm thinking of the deep fried food group specifically)...

My Pledge to Myself:

I will try my best to politely eat to the best of my WW knowledge, skills and abilities.

I will remember my POWER FOODS.

I will snack sensibly.

I will harness the inner demon of sweetness inside me and ride this out like a good girl should!

I will step on the scale on Tuesday and not be disappointed in myself.

I will make a daily walk a priority to get some physical activity while away.

Mason vs Pudding
I think the pudding won!

I will. I can. I will.

As part of my WW journey (both past and present), I have found extreme comfort in some of my sweet but sensible snacks like Special K Chocolate Delight cereal, Jell-O cups with a dollop of cool whip and my favorite being Jell-O Pudding cups...which I had to share with my son Mason. As many of my friends have already seen this on my FB page, I share with those of you in my blog world. Sixteen month old children and unsupervised pudding do NOT mix well! I learned my lesson! Enjoy! Chat with you all next week and have a fantastic weekend!

-Nervous Nancy

Weight Watchers Week 1

So I weighted in on Saturday and I am down -2.6 pounds which brings me to 217.4!  Pretty good for the first week! I am getting the hang of the new Points Plus program and am beginning to be less hungry throughout the day. All in all, it is going well. Cooking dinners seems to be the most challenging part for me. I am controlled at breakfast with the usual bowl of cereal and at lunch with my veggies and Smart Meal but dinner is a free for all. Also cooking for the entire family puts added pressure on me, but I guess I'm doing fine because I am losing the weight!

Memorial Day was this past weekend and it was not a challenge for me. The hubby made kabobs with veggies on the grill! They were delicious. And since I had so many bonus points left over, we went out for a scoop of ice cream! It was worth every point! I also attended the annual Memorial Day Service they host at our local cemetery. It's very humbling.

To wrap up the weekend, I went swimsuit shopping! Now typically I would be dreading this but I wasn't. I felt good. I ended up bringing home three tops and two bottoms to model for my hubby and let him give me the honest ("would you be embarrassed to be seen with me") truth. My plan was to return the suits that were the worst but Mike liked all of them. So being a girl, I kept them! Who could resist, especially when your hubby says they look good on you...and I really think he was being honest!

As you may have noticed last week I updated the look of my blog, hope you like it! I also slowly added a new side column of my 'tipping the scale' weight tracking and a few tabs at the top...more to come! Hope you all have a great Tuesday!  Oh and before I forget, a shout out to my bestie....HAPPY 33rd BIRTHDAY KELLY JEAN...you will always be older than me!

-Poolside Polly

New Look and Feel

So as you can see I have changed my blog look and feel...hope you like it! By the way, when I was changing it, for some reason it erased all my followers....kind of sucks! So if you could re-follow me, that would be great! :) 

Yours Truly,
Technically Challenged Nancy

Not Right Now, Not Today

So far this week it's been...so good? Well, actually I have been hungry. But that is slowly changing. I had to work yesterday in Sacramento (which is a good 2 hour drive from Chico) and on the meeting agenda it said we had lunch "on our own."....now those are three words a newly WW attendee never wants to here...ON YOUR OWN...no way...give me structure, give me guidance...give me my meeting leader...but I did okay. I ate with a group of colleagues and of course they decided to eat at The Cheesecake Factory. Booo! But I had a salad with chicken and dressing on the side. Now mind you, my co-worker sitting right next to me had a beautiful bacon cheeseburger with fried onion rings on top...it smelled delicious I'm not going to lie. I just kept telling myself that I too can have a bacon cheeseburger but not right now, not today. It kind of works when you take the time to talk yourself down from the ledge!  I didn't jump. I stayed safely put next to my chicken salad and it was good. I was full. I was alive! 

Me and Mason
Santa Cruz, CA
May21, 2011

On the activity front, I have found an amazing app for my phone (android) called Noom...it has a GPS tracker and it tracks all my physical activity. So I have been walking with my son in tow at a local park for two nights this week, 2.5 miles each night! I also went to the GYM, yes I said GYM on my lunch break on Wednesday. I only did 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical but I was sweating like a hog in July! It actually felt good. Now I can tell you that the exercise piece for me has not been easy. I hate being active. I hate to say that since I used to play hockey, tennis, track and volleyball all through high school...but as Dr. Phil says...LETS GET REAL...high school was ummmmm 14 years ago (holy crap I have been out of high school for 14 years)...so in 14 years I have learned to hate exercise....oh and i have also managed to gain approximately 72 pounds...funny how that works. So I will keep TRYING. I will keep on keeping on. I will remind myself that I did not get fat by accident.

-Positive Polly

I felt better off dead...

I am sorry. I am truly sorry for vanishing off the face of the earth for a few months now...has it been that long? Yes, it has! Ahhh I am so sorry. So here is the truth, the honest to God truth. I couldn't face my blog life after my birthday. Not that my birthday got to me, but the cake, eating out and lavish food celebrations just carried over the the week after my birthday...then after that...and so on. Before I knew it...BAHM!...I had gained weight back and I was simply too embarrassed to blog. I am sorry.

So what brings me back? A couple of things actually. First being that a blog I follow called Try Try Again by Melissa was a key part of my re-born again blogging. Melissa STILL emailed me while I was on hiatus to simply say hello. The first email I got from her I just deleted (sorry Melissa). I figured what the heck. She is one girl out is the huge world who happened to read my blog...so I'm letting one person I have never met down...big deal! I'll get over it. Well Melissa (bless her lil Southern heart) didn't stop with just one email. She emailed me again about 2 weeks ago and simply said "Helloooo?"...and that my friends is what partially put me back in the saddle again.

Second is the fact that I just went on a lovely mini vacation with my son Mason and my husband Mike to Monterey and Santa Cruz, CA. It was great. The hotel we stayed at even had an indoor heated pool....yep, I said an INDOOR HEATED POOL...which required me to get into a bathing suit. Now mind you I had horrible bikini line rash from frantically dry shaving in the bathroom minutes before we walked to the pool...but I was in a bathing suit. I hated my body. I felt fat. Ugly. I was hoping for an empty pool but nooooo there were other people there swimming. In addition to the pool we of course took many photos on this vacation. Now I would not trade or erase any moments caught in digital suspension for the world. My son is only this age once and I love every minute of it...but dear Lord. I'M FAT! And the camera does not lie...I wish it would but it won't! So that is why I'm here.

I gave up on Paleo eating long long ago. It was so hard for me. One spoonful of potato salad and a hot dog...get this...with a BUN...was all it took to toss my Paleo religion out the window...and eat bread! And that my friends is where the hill to the "all down hill from here" started and I shopped getting smaller. So on Monday, I joined the Weight Watchers Points Plus Program. I love WW. I used to attend many years ago and I always seem to succeed. I love structure. Balance....and I love my meeting leader ShellyMarie...who is still there! So far I have to be honest, I have been hungry.  But I'm trying. All I can do at this point is try. I have gained 5.6 pounds back and am currently at 220.0.  I just feel challenged. I feel uncomfortable. I feel like discouraged. But I'm trying. So, wish me luck. I am weighing in on Saturday because the WW office is closed on Monday...and again, I'm sorry for hiding from you for so long..and Melissa...thanks for caring!!

-Points Plus Polly

Couch to 5K

Okay so I have started the couch to 5k running program using a very handy app on my smart phone called C25K...and it's great! It's a nine week program of 3 workouts each week to get you ready to run a 5K! I am so excited! Now note that I am only on day 2, but i like it. I was really sore after the first day, just a nice reminder of how out of shape I really am! And because I really don't have childcare help after work hours, I am tackling these workouts on my lunch (thank goodness I work right down the street from the gym) so it is a challenge but I think totally worth it. I just signed up for my second 5K run which will take place on April 2 and will be timed! I am so excited! ...oh I am so official! Someone get me a shirt with wicking...Ha!

Now since my last post just shy of a week ago we have big news at the Ames House...Mason has started walking! It is amazing! He can now, when asked, point to his nose, eyes, mouth, feet, ears, belly and my husband is teaching him to point to his 'man-parts' when we ask "where is your junk!" Don't ask...I think it's something you have to be male to appreciate! Oh well! I must choose my battles wisely and I think this is not a battle to choose!

So a lot has been happening...all good! Oh wait, I lied. On a not so positive note I have been bruising really easily lately. I am thinking maybe iron deficiency? I have not been cooking as much red meat as usual, so maybe that is it? Not sure. Only a few bruises but still, they appear from nowhere that I can recall and I just think that is strange. So I am upping my red meat and greens this week; lets hope it helps!

Carry on my dear friends and family! Be back tomorrow with my stats...I'm not excited about that...I have been gaining...

-Polly on the Run

Relapse

Me and Mason

Good day my blog friends and family. I am sad to report that I have gained a total of 1.2 pounds and 1 inch between my bust and waist over my extravagant birthday weekend. Booooo! But I am here...admitting my relapse...letting it all hang out!

I am getting back on the wagon hardcore! I mean it! I have worked too hard to shed what little weight I have to give up now! Must keep going...must succeed....as for a short term goal,  I want to look really good at a wedding I am attending solo (hubby will be away on a fishing trip)! Lots of old friends I have not seen in years will be there and I want to feel fabulous walking in the room by myself. I just want to find a pretty dress to wear and feel good about myself. With that said, the wedding is April 8th...at the same country club where I got married almost 6 years ago! Should be fun! I cannot wait!

Here are my recent stats...booo:

THE CURRENT STATS: 2/25/11

Age: 32 Years Young

Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 214.4 (-4.2)
Bust: 44 inches (-2.0)
Waist: 45 inches (-1.5)
Hips: 49.0 inches (-2.0)
Bones: GRANDE
RUNNING TOTALS:
Obstacles Removed: -4.2 lbs
Inches Gone for Good: -5.5  

Fell off the wagon...big time!

Okay so, I had my big birthday weekend and I really was bad. I am mean so bad that I have been afraid to blog. It was a fantastic weekend celebration with friends and family from both near and afar...but it was a LOT of yummy temptations that I gave into with the "it's my birthday" reasoning. And now, I am sad. I gained weight. I know for sure around 2 pounds. I have not measured myself. I'm afraid. I'm a failure.

I am tyring to get on track this work week (which is almost over being it's Thursday at 4:47pm)...but here at my office there are so many temptations. My boss and co-workers got me some sweet treats to celebrate with on Tuesday...then my co-workers took me to lunch on Wednesday...and tomorrow we are having a February birthday celebration for all the workers here in my office. It's nice but IT SUCKS! So, I am going hard core on Saturday for sure. I will still weigh in and measure tomorrow...but I am going to be sad. I know it. Ahh I am such a let down.

On a happier note. I am going to try...I said TRY with all my might to train at the gym for a 5K run. I am already doing a 5K on March 5th but a friend of mine turned me onto an app on my phone that is an entire 5K training program. It is really cool! My only problem is childcare. It will be hard for me to get to the gym without the responsibility of my son. So, I am going to try and go during my lunch hours on MWF...which will be hard. But, I am going to TRY! I really really really really really want to do it...

On another positive note, my son got me the best birthday gift ever....a bike trailer to tow him around in! We both love it! Thanks Mason!

Be back tomorrow to report the official damage of my week of partying!

32 Years Young and Aging

I'm getting younger everyday! I swear I feel it! I think eating Paleo is having great affects on my aging body and mind. I feel younger. Maybe it's the weight and inches loss, either way I am feeling super duper! I can honestly say I feel prettier; is prettier even a word? As my big 32nd birthday is just 3 days away, I need all the positive kickstands I can get to keep my ole body upright!  But in all seriousness, I can say I don't feel 32. I wasn't sure what 32 what supposed to feel like but so far it's great. Bring it on! Here are some life lessons/realizations I have come to in my short but sweet 32 years:

1. Navy Blue is not a color for just old ladies. It is very flattering and soooo the new black!
2. Friends will come into your life for a REASON, SEASON or a LIFETIME...when their time is up, get over it and move on.
3. Natural childbirth is amazing! Painful but amazing..I highly recommend it! God made women strong for a reason!
4. Have compassion for people and animals.
5. Cry. Sometimes all I need is a good cry.
6. Pray. I pray twice a night. Once with my sweet son Mason and then again when I go to sleep. I honestly believe that my prayers are heard. (not answered but definitely heard)
7. If you honor someones life with joy you will never truly miss them. They will always be near you...and i believe that you will sense them. (love to you gpa)
8. Music is a gift from God. It has the amazing ability to take you back to a place, time and feeling...if your not utilizing it then your missing out!
9. Remember that the sun will always some up tomorrow. Your worries today will be minimal in days, weeks and years from now. Forget about it...your stress will only leave wrinkles!
10. Enjoy good food and good coffee!
11. Own one pair of fabulous jeans and a pair of good shoes.
12. Compliment people often and show appreciation to those who work hard to make your life easy. 
13. Start a blog, it will change your life! :)

So I hope my life realizations will make you stop and think about what is important to you today in your life. As for my current weight happiness goals (Friday's are weigh-in days) you can see I'm just trucking along. I am exactly the same with my inches as I was last week but I have shed 1.4 pounds!  Can I get a whootwhoot! As I am entering my big birthday weekend, I am already planning to eat a bit off the Paleo plan. But for my body and bowels..I will try (with the exception of maybe a slice of bday cake) to be at least gluten free! If i eat gluten, I get really sick..and it is not pretty!

Have a fantastic weekend and just because I am so powerful and popular..please everyone, take Monday February 21 off (by birthday)...just don't go to work! I have told your boss's and you will all be receiving holiday pay...in celebration of ME! Your welcome and enjoy!

THE CURRENT STATS: 2/18/11

Age: 31 years 362 days young

Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 213.2 (-5.4)
Bust: 43.5 inches (-2.5)
Waist: 44.5inches (-2.0)
Hips: 49.0 inches (-2.0)
Bones: STILL BIG!

RUNNING TOTALS:
Obstacles Removed: -5.4 lbs
Inches Gone for Good: -6.5  

Better Late than Never...

Mason and Mom on Saturday at the 5-Mile Park in Chico, CA
(Note Mason's face, it's all scratched up from a fall off the front porch..ouch!!)

 

Sorry for the delay in posting my blog friends, but I just have not gotten around to it! So here I go!

 

I had a great week in inches lost, but not so great in weight loss. I am down a total of 6.5 inches and 4 pounds so far! I am eating pretty clean Paleo wise except for some amazing sushi I had on Friday while out of town working (gluten free)....I am feeling good!

 

I went for about a half-hour bike ride with my husband and son on Saturday and it kicked my butt! I was exhausted. I am more out of shape than I had believed. My husband Mike is also known in our family as "Uncle Circle." Laugh all you want but once my young nephew asked him if he was in shape and he said "yes, a round shape." So from then on, he has been know as Uncle Circle, but that is changing quickly. Mike has lost 20 pounds so far. He is doing great. And he even purchased gluten free beer from our local health foods store and got a membership to the gym! (I am getting the a membership too for my birthday)  Mason, my one year old son, is also enjoying a Paleo lifestyle. With the exception of some carb foods he gets from daycare, we are trying to feed him as close to Paleo as we can (but I give into convenience sometimes..I'm a mom...I do the best I can do!) 

 

I am excited for this week ahead! First and foremost, it is St. Valentine's Day, my most favorite day of the year...and I have my beautiful son Mason for my sweet Valentine! Also, I am supposed to have lunch with my best friend Kelly on Tuesday...then I am heading into my fabulous three-day birthday weekend! I love my birthday!  Who doesn't love to celebrate themselves! 

 

Have a fantastic day my friends...and love the one your with...but most important, love yourself first!

 

THE CURRENT STATS: 2/11/11

Age: 31 years 355 days old!
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 214.6 (-4.0)
Bust: 43.5 inches (-2.5)
Waist: 44.5inches (-2.0)
Hips: 49.0 inches (-2.0)
Bones: STILL BIG!

RUNNING TOTALS:
Obstacles Removed: -4.0 lbs
Inches Gone for Good: -6.5  

But there are so many pebbles...

Nobody trips over mountains.  It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble.  Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

I have some horrible news. I ate a very small but very delicious ice cream sundae yesterday. I did so good the entire super bowl eating meatballs, carrot sticks, etc...and drinking my water but after that, someone broke out the sundae making equipment (ice cream, carmel sauce, nuts and whip cream)...and bam, I had no will power! I ate it. Although it was a small sundae, it was a sundae. I weighed this morning and I have not gained so that makes me feel not so bad...but I have a guilty conscience. But I must forgive myself and move on! 

Monday's are always difficult. Not only are they the start of your typical 'work week' but they also remind me that I have to get up in the morning and get ready to leave my house. I hate mornings! I am so NOT a morning person!  I just feel rushed, unorganized, late, angry and tired all stuffed into a pair of boring black work slacks! Ahhh I can feel my blood pressure rising just blogging about it! And typical of a Monday, I never prepare for breakfast or lunch so I am usually hungry!  I just wish weeks would start with Tuesday. If anything, it would trick my brain!

On a small but positive note, my son slept through the night last night! Thank you God! It was nice and I am thankful!  Also, my husband totally cheated all weekend starting with a Friday night burger and beer date with his friends and ending last night with a 6 pack of beer! He totally fell off the Paleo wagon and the scale is reminding him of his mistakes!

So here I sit on this sunny Monday (sorry for all you back east with the bad weather but California does have it's perks) hungry, tired, angry and guilty! I am hoping my week ahead presents me with happier days and painless mornings! 

Congratulations Aaron Rodgers and the Greenbay Packers! You did it...and Chico is sooo proud of our boy! Whoohoooo!!!! 

-Nancy

Must keep going...

The Friday Report:
I am thrilled to have lost some more weight but I only lost .5 inches...and of all places in my bust! Geezzz! But I am still thrilled. I have been eating really strict paleo (except for my morning cup of joe) and it is working great for me! I have read that lack of sleep will really mess with your weight loss efforts as suggested by Robb Wolff:

"Sleep deprivation mimics many elements of the aging process. One could make the argument that how you feel when you are sleep deprived is likely how you will feel if you are both diabetic and old (sleep deprivation dramatically impacts insulin sensitivity). Improved sleep time and quality will help you: Lean out, avoid depression, autoimmunity, heart disease…"               

...and I have for sure had a lack of sleep these past two weeks. My one year old son Mason has been up two to three times a night. Not sure why, maybe teething? Then just a day or so ago, he came down with yet another cold...our house has been continually sick since late October...and to slap some icing on the cake, he got three shots yesterday!! It sucks! I am slowly dying from sleep deprivation...even my hair is suffering. I swear it is limp and dull...all from lack of sleep!!!  I need a makeover!...and a nap! Maybe a day at the spa would suit me well...

My husband Mike is doing exceptionally well on Paleo too. He is down 15 pounds and i have yet to do his follow up measurements which i will do tonight... I am happy for him. Although he is already planning to cheat this weekend because of the super bowl...(GO PACK GO)!!  We will be attending a very small super bowl party at my sisters house and I am bringing paleo friendly food for all to share...I am hoping there is other food there I too can eat! More than the food, I am super excited because for the first time I entered a money pool at Mikes work! I hope I win big money, big money! (GO PACK GO)!!

So my blog friends, enjoy the super bowl this weekend and keep your eating in check! Don't let one event throw all your hard work to the curbside! I will leave you with a saying that is posted right in front of me on my office wall each and every day! Enjoy!

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet

 is fighting some kind of battle!"

...whether it's a battle with weight, cancer, alcohol or something else...

THE CURRENT STATS: 2/4/11

Age: 31 years 348 days old!
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 215.2 (-3.4)
Bust: 45 inches (-1.0)
Waist: 46 inches (-.5)
Hips: 50.5 inches (-.5)
Bones: BIG!

RUNNING TOTALS:
Obstacles Removed: -3.4 lbs
Inches Gone for Good: -2.0

P.S. Aaron Rodgers (QB for the Packers) is from Chico! So we have to REPRESENT!! GO PACK GO!

Sugar was my sugar...

So here I am on this boring Tuesday but the good news is that I made it through another Monday! I guess I should not be do drab!  All in all eating Paleo is going great. Although I must admit that I am a fake and a phony...oh and add cheater to my list! I CHEATED! CHEATED is such a harsh word...let say I colored outside the lines? I broke down with the help of my husband Mike and my little sister Kristine...and we went out and got frozen yogurt! It was FANTASTIC! I didn't get nearly as much as my sister and hubby (it is a self serve joint)...but I had just enough to wet my pallet with all the yummy that frozen yogurt can deliver! Ahhh it was so dang good. But what goes up, must come down!  I also have to admit that I had a total sugar rush and then a total sugar slump all within about an hour and it did NOT feel very good. It is amazing how my body now reacts to sugar and it sucks!

I used to have this amazing love affair with sugar...Sugar was my sugar...and I was Sugars baby! But no more. I am so over Sugar (I gave her back the ring)...we are OVER! Every time I give in and let her back into my life, it is a hot mess! So no more Sugar!  We are through! But like any breakup, there will be rebounds...and I am preparing myself for those! I hear Mr. Cheese is pretty tempting....and that guy Dairy is a charmer...but NO, I must not give in! I won't!

Besides the urge to mess around with Mr. Cheese and Dairy (I must REFRAIN), I am really feeling great. My eating has been in check and I am totally feeling the benefits of a low-carb lifestyle. I am not bloated and half the time I am not even hungry which is a bonus! I am losing inches for sure. My pants and occasional tropical print moo-moo are fitting much looser than before...so thumbs up to that! I have been wanting to take some photos (yes, the dreaded photos) of my before Paleo physic while wearing minimal clothing to document the proof of the amazing transformation that awaits me...but i have not got around to it..I think on purpose. There is just something about taking pictures of my back fat that scares the poo out of me...it should scare the poo out of you too...have you ever seen back fat...it's atrocious!

So my goal this week is to keep eating healthy, document my back fat for the world to see and exercise a little. I signed up for a local 5K walk-run called the Bidwell Classic on March 5...so I think a little exercise would bid me well before I actually show up for a race!  Oh and I am also looking forward to making Panang Curry; recipe compliments of my amazing co-worker and office mate Jhoana! She is an amazing cook and she lives a extremely successful Paleo lifestyle..she is a great motivator and inspiration..she also keeps me on track...she beats me when I'm bad! So, keep on eating...keep on moving...keep on keeping on my blog friends and family! Thanks for keeping me honest and accountable! I love ya! :)

Feeling the Love
-Polly

P.S. sorry for the weird highlight in light green on this last paragraph...but I cannot fix it...

Mikey Likes It!

Okay so just to let you all in on some fantastic news that has arisen since my last blog just hours ago is that my husband Mike weighed in at home (he too has been eating Paleo with me for about a week) and has lost....10 pounds! Way to go Mike! I am very proud of him to say the least but I am so frustrated at how men can lose weight so much easier than women! I do all the grocery shopping, food prep, recipe hunting, cooking, lunch packing and most of the clean up...and he is reaping the benefits ten-fold! Either way, I am very happy for him and so proud!

Also, I was reading on of my favorite weight happiness blogs called Try Try Again  and she had posted the most motivating quote that I wanted to share with you all...so please enjoy these words of wisdom:

"A body in rest can sustain rest. A body in motion can sustain motion. In other words, if we move more...we can move more!! Get up from your office chair often, strength train at least 3 times a week, eat to live and measure your success not by the scale, but how you feel."

Here are a few fun pictures for your viewing pleasure, enjoy!

Mike, Kim and Dinosaur Mason

1/21/11 PrePaleo                                1/28/11 PostPaleo

It is AMAZING what a week of Paleo can do for you! Ha!

(The dates on these photos are NOT accurate, I just thought it would be funny so share some fun pictures!)



                              

Friday I'm In Love...

In the words of the very successful 80's band The Cure:

Monday you can fall apart
Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart
Oh, Thursday doesn't even start
It's Friday I'm in love

Oh Friday how I love thee! Not only do you bring a bag full of goodies with you (like Saturday, Sunday and a new episode of Desperate Housewives) but you bring my scheduled weigh in and measurement day!  Can I get a whootwhoot!  So as scheduled, I stepped on my digital scale this morning and.....drum roll please.... I am down -1.6 pounds! At first I was a bit disappointed but I then thought about all the food I had seriously consumed this week and how amazing I have felt...coupled with the -1.6 obstacles lost and SHAAAPOW! I'm feeling like a rock star. Move over Steven Tyler, I am soooooo the next judge on American Idol.
Has anyone been watching American Idol? I am in LOVE with the new judges this season! So good. I was losing interest in the show the past few seasons but J-Lo and Steven Tyler have really been great! Okay, back to my favorite topic, ME!

So, I am feeling good. I am happy with my first week of results and am eager to keep this train moving in the right direction. Unfortunately for my "following" I'm not in the mood to blog. I'm just not feeling it, so this will be a short and sweet entry! Have a fabulous weekend and meet you all back here on Monday, unless I get the itch to blog over the weekend which is very possible! Ohh and before I forget here are my measurements:

THE CURRENT STATS: 1/28/11
Age: 31
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 217.0 (-1.6)
Bust: 45 inches (-.5)
Waist: 46 inches (-.5)
Hips: 50.5 inches (-.5)
Bones: Still Big!!

RUNNING TOTALS:
Obstacles Removed: -1.6 lbs
Inches Gone for Good: -1.5

I've got a hankering for some SUGARRRR!!!

When all else fails in my quest for weight happiness, I pray. I'm serious. I pray that my craving will go away, that the skinny girl at Starbucks will gain a muffin-top or that I will miraculously love the taste of brussel sprouts (sad excuse for good taste and nourishment by the way). So when my SUGARRRR craving set in last night around 9:30 I did what I do in times of dire straights, I prayed:

"Dear God if you can hear my prayers for help then please respond. I would hate to take you away from your Bacchic ball tournament (I hear your kicking butt by the way) but I need some divine intervention.  I need help! I am craving SUGARRRRR (I spell it like it is roaring like a lion because that is how I feel).  Last night was tough but you already know that because you see everything I do....so you know how I was pillaging my own kitchen and turning all it's contents upside down looking for some small morsel of sweetness to calm down the lion inside me! Ahhhhhhhhhh! I could eat a horse...if it was made of chocolate with eyes of peppermint patties and a mane of salt water taffy! I need SUGARRRRR!! Someone slap me...  AMEN"

I tried to tame my inner lion with some coco dusted almonds. FAILED. So I tried some watered down grape juice. FAILED...finally I just had to go to bed in hopes that I wouldn't start gnawing on my poor dog Heidi in our sleep! I mean she is sweet and all...but I wasn't trusting my inner lion all that much...I would hate to lose Heidi in such a sweet disaster! But the good news is that I made it! I guess it's good news that Heidi made it too! I have heard that the day after you have horrible sweet cravings you will have a great weight loss, I shall pray that that too is true!

-Nancy

I'm ALIVE

I made it! I have conquered my first weekend eating Paleo and I have to say that I did very well!  I went out to lunch with my husband where I watched him consume an entire chicken-bacon pizza, attended a birthday dinner for my mom ( I admit I had a BITE, ONE BITE of cake and it was fabulous) and grocery shopping all with a totally Positive Polly attitude! I feel great! Although I am experiencing a very weird phenomena of hot-flash like symptoms that I am totally attributing to my revved up metabolism because there is no way I am seriously having hot-flashes! Remember, I am on the cusp of my 32nd birthday not my 61st! But all in all, I am doing well. I have not noticed any bizarre cravings besides my thirst. It is out of control. I am thirsty all the time which is good, right? Using that quality H2O to flush out all the toxins, fat and chicken nugget residue from years past!

On an additional positive note, my husband wants to eat Paleo with me!  I think this is both good and challenging.  My husband (we'll call him Mike, actually Mike is his real name so...) Mike loves food and more than food he loves beer!..and I would have to say that with beer at the top of his list it is closely followed by cheese and bread which are all frowned upon with the Paleo lifestyle...this is where it gets challenging. For example, I cooked two delicious pork roasts with carrots and celery, the whole shebang, for dinner last night and my poor clueless husband says to me "what are you supposed to eat the pork on?" Eat the pork on? What the hell is he talking about? It's a roast! You eat it! With a FORK! It's that simple. But for Mike, he needs bread or pasta to delicately caress the meat on his plate and THAT my blog friends is a problem. I think Mike's intentions are real and that he wants to eat healthy but I'm "walking to school uphill both ways in the snow!"  My odds are slowly stacking against me right now...but keep positive Polly...keep positive!!! I think I'll print out the Paleo jump start document from the website and put it his bathroom, it's sure to get read there!...I'm just saying...

So here I am 4 whole days complete in my journey to weight happiness and I must say that Polly is slightly winning! I have been cooking and preparing foods all weekend to help tackle the week with ease! Hope everyone has a great Monday!

-Polly

And then she started a blog...

THE DOWN-LOW:
Yep, that is right I am starting a blog.  As I journey into my long road of "weight happiness" I will blog to keep myself accountable but also possibly help others along the way.  You see, I have been overweight and comfortable with it most of my adult (post-college) life and it has GOT to change.  I keep telling myself that I am fine just the way I am; even my office mate said "your just big-boned"...big boned? Is that what I have convinced myself and others my extra pounds of fat are called? Is big-boned even politically correct? Ahhhhh!!  So with a lick (preferably of chocolate) and a prayer, I am blogging.

Now down to the nitty gritty.  I tend to be either extremely optimistic (on rare occasion) or more of a pessimist (usually on days that end in Y)...hence the name of my blog spot; Negative Nance vs Positive Polly.  Just to let you in on a little secret; I am both Nancy and Polly...but shhhh don't tell! I will hopefully blog at least 3 days a week with either my Nancy or Polly perspective of my life and journey to "weight happiness" (I am cutting loss and diet out of my vocab!)....I'm shooting for a goal of happiness here people! Don't worry, i will have a quantitative goal in mind so we are all held accountable.  But for the most part, if you choose to follow my blog (i just love the word blog...oh I am such a blogger) you will see all my rants and raves that come along with "weight happiness."  Wish me luck!

As for me, well hold onto your seats ladies and gentlemen...I'm a doozie! I am quickly approaching the cusp of my 32nd birthday and quite frankly is scares me.  I am not one to dwell on the number of age but I can clearly remember when my own mother was 32 and I thought "dang, mom is so old!" Now here I am. How did I get here? And how did I get here in a size 18 jeans?

THE PLAN:
I will follow the Paleo lifestyle for my entire weight happiness journey.  If your not familiar with the plan you NEED to read the Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf.  Basically the Paleo Solution is the "Caveman Diet." You eat like your primal ancestors did.  A lot of meat protein, eggs, animal fats, veggies, fruit and limited nuts, avocado and olive oil.  You avoid all grains, starches, dairy and added sugars. Simple, right? Ummm, have you ever seriously tried "taking candy away from a baby!" Not so simple! You go through withdrawals like a crack addict.  Our modern and most typical diet has us hooked on carbs and sugars like nobodies business...it's hard but I am doing it! I will try to exercise when I can. I don't belong to any fancy gyms and I don't plan on joining any at the moment, maybe in the distant future? Who knows? So, that is the plan.  I will eat until I am full and I will only venture way from the Paleo eating for my morning coffee (I must have a dash of cream and a sprinkle of sugar). 

THE CURRENT STATS: 1/21/11
Age: 31
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 218.6lbs
Bust: 45.5 inches
Waist: 46.5 inches
Hips: 51.0 inches
Bones: Big!!

THE GOAL:
I would like to be around 185 pounds.  I was happy then. I felt pretty, confident and loved the way I looked.  So with some help from my trusty calculator, that is 33.6 obstacles in my way to my place of weight happiness! I can do this!