week 3: ups and downs

Well, I didn't have high hopes for this week.  I admittedly did not have very good eating habits.  I would find myself so busy during the day that I wasn't taking the time to eat when I needed to and once again, found myself getting hungry at night.  Several days I went over my daily allowance of Weight Watcher points, although I never went over my weekly allowance.  And I know I could have made better choices.

Also... this week was the fun week leading up to my monthly visitor who showed up right on schedule today.  I feel bloated, hungry, and crave salts and sweets when this lovely visitor arrives.  My entire life I have always gained weight when this happens (usually only a couple pounds).  So knowing I had that working against me didn't give me much hope.

And I'm not going to lie.  I had ice cream, like, 4 times this week.  I hate my husband for buying it.  Not really.  But kind of.  And I *might* be eating some right now  >.<

One thing that I had working for me, however, was the fact that my daughter was nursing like crazy this week.  You see, with Weight Watchers, if you're a nursing mom, you're allowed extra points because breast feeding burns calories.  When I signed up, I debated signing up as a nursing mom or not.  I decided against it because at that point, it seemed like she was weaning and her nursing was short and infrequent.  Maybe once or twice a day for a couple minutes, and once or twice at night.  Well this week she has been having some tummy issues and had gone back to primarily nursing.  Which means extra calories burned for me.

Alright, with all that said, here are my results:

Start weight: 190.7lbs
Goal weight: 155lbs
Last week's weigh in: 183lbs
Today's weigh in: 179.4
Total weight loss: 11.3lbs
Pounds to goal weight: 24.4

I was shocked when I stepped on the scale.  I actually got off, reset it, and weighed myself again because I thought it was off.  Nope - it was right the first time.  I'll take it!  I have to say, with everything that was going against me this week, I think Jenna nursing so much is what caused me to lose so much weight.  I think my plan will be to let her go a few more days like this, but if the nursing keeps up, I might start factoring that into my Weight Watchers points.  We'll see what the next few days bring us.

Sorry to take so long to get this out.  It's been a crazy day !

~ Mama Frenchy

yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail...

...and mortal life shall cease;

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

This Sunday was a pretty typical Sunday for our family.  Church in the morning, a little football, lunch with some good friends, a little more football...

And then a phone call.

Anytime I get a phone call in the evening or at night, I always suspect that it's something bad.  I wouldn't say that in general I am a pessimist, but pretty much every "bad" phone call I have received has happened when the sun goes down.  So when our home phone rang, my first thought was "Uh oh".  Most of the time I am wrong in my assumption that it will be bad news, but this time, I wasn't.

My dad was on the other end, and after asking me how everyone was doing, informed me that my grandmother, Nana, passed away this evening.  She was breathing at 4pm, and wasn't the next time her caretakers checked on her at 6pm.

After a few tears, I decided to go over to her house to say goodbye.  My husband stayed home with the kids.  When I arrived, a few family members were there.  The smooth voice of Dean Martin was softly serenading her as she was lying in her bed, looking just as though she had fallen asleep.  I have seen a few people after they have passed and one thing always strikes me... how different a person looks after their soul leaves their body.  It's amazing how we are so much more than our physical bodies.

I have so much I could write about Nana.  From our weekly Sunday night dinners complete with spaghetti, meatballs, homemade bread and chocolate cake, to her yelling at her sons in Italian - she was a pivotal person in our family, and the memories she has given us will be cherished.

While I am sad she has left this earth, part of me rejoices.  She had been on a decline for a while.  I watched the Nana I knew as a child slowly slip away.  It's hard to watch... it's hard when your grandma forgets who you are.  I know it's not her fault, and I'm sure it was frustrating for her, but it broke my heart seeing her look at me, my cousins, even her own children with a look of confusion on her face.  And towards the end, the majority of her days were spent sleeping in her bed, barely eating.  That's no life for a person, especially for someone like Nana who was always so full of life.  So while I am sad she is gone, I've actually been grieving the loss of my grandma for a while now.  Knowing that she is now free is almost a relief.  I know she is with her Savior now, and for that, I rejoice.

I thank you all ahead of time for your condolences.  Even though this has been something we have been anticipating for a while, it's always hard to say goodbye, so your prayers for my family would be appreciated.  For those of you who are close to my family and are interested in attending her service, I'm sure I will be posting information about that on my facebook once we have that finalized.

Goodbye, Nana!  You will be missed!

~ Mama Frenchy

week 2: nachos, pizza, burritos, oh my!

As you can see by my title... this week wasn't the healthiest of weeks for me as far as food choices.  I found myself out a lot with little healthy choices OR catering to my husbands cravings rather than listening to my healthy little shoulder angel.  And... let's face it.  I like junk food.  Obviously.  Otherwise I wouldn't be in this situation.  Luckily, though, even though I ate a few crappy meals, I was still able to stay under my points for the week.  But I did learn some valuable insights into my journey to better health:

1) Crappy food, even when eaten in moderation and within my "points", makes me feel crappy and leaves me hungry.  I've also noticed it's much saltier than I remember it being.  AND... it makes my stomach all bloated.  So seeing how much even small amounts of crappy food affects me is making it easier to say no.  Like last night.  When my husband yet again ordered pizza (I swear he is out to sabotage me... ok, not really, but he obviously isn't on board with the whole "healthy eating" thing).

2) I like to eat at night.  Like, a lot.  It has become a habit.  Get the kids to bed, sit down, watch Big Bang Theory, mindlessly eat snacks.  And I LOVE doing this.  About halfway through my week I suddenly realized how much of a habit this is for me and how badly I need to work on it.  So next week's goal: Eat more through out the day and not at night.  No more food past 8pm (I now that's still a little late, but baby steps here, people).

3) I need to go to the grocery store more.  Between myself and the kids, we go through fruits and veggies much faster than I realized.  And when those get low, I find myself scrounging around for something satisfying but not a ton of points.  And I'm sorry, but 10 wheat thins is just not satisfying. So more frequent trips to the store is a must if I want to keep healthy options around the house.

Alright, let's get down to the good stuff.  Did I lose weight?  Like I said... I didn't do great this week as far as making healthy choices, but I did stay under my points.  So here are my results:


Start weight: 190.7lbs
Goal weight: 155lbs
Last week's weigh in: 185lbs
Today's weigh in: 183lbs
Total weight loss: 7lbs
Pounds to goal weight: 28lbs

2lbs!  Yes!  My goal keeps getting closer and closer.  I've even noticed that my clothes are starting to fit a little better... and I don't whine to my husband that I have nothing to wear because I'm too big for everything ;)  Thanks to everyone who have been encouraging me in this!  It means a lot.  I still freak out a little every time someone mentions the fact that I'm posting my weight on the internet.  This is NOT an easy thing for me.  I don't even like to tell my husband how much I weigh.  But as I have said, I am hoping that by laying it all out there for everyone to see, I will be even more motivated to get healthier.

Ok... off to snack on some fruit.  Happy Friday, everyone!

~Mama Frenchy

week one: the battle has begun

Well, I realize a few people actually read my blog and want to know what week 1's results are. I wasn't planning on writing a blog tonight because I'm tired and already in bed, listening to the snores of my husband. BUT... Then I started feeling guilty that there were 2 fans out there anxiously awaiting my weigh in results. So I figured, "Well... I could write a quick blog from my phone..." So here I am. Blogging. In bed. On an iPhone.

Before I give my update, I'll give a little insight to my first week of Weight Watchers. I found myself really thinking about what I ate. I never realized how much I snacked during the day - and not healthy snacking either. I also never realized how much I snacked off my kids snacks! Like, if they didn't finish something, I'd finish it off OR... I'd intentionally make too much of something so I could eat some too. So for this week, I thought about everything that was going into my mouth, switched out the crackers and chips for some yummy fruit and avoided drinking empty calories as much as possible (something else I was always guilty of). I felt good all week - I never starved myself and always felt satisfied. I also contribute my healthier eating habits to not catching whatever dreadful cold my husband had for 3 days. I felt good about my choices and good about myself. I knew I wasn't eating crap, so I didn't feel like crap (funny how that works, huh?).  I also never felt deprived myself or felt like I was dieting. And having the WW app on my phone makes tracking points much easier and less of a hassle than I was expecting. 

Ok, on to some numbers. I've already embarrassed myself once with my horrifying start weight... So why not just keep it up, right? ;)

Start weight: 190.7lbs (I think... I'll have to look at the first post... I know it was 190.something...)
Goal weight: 155lbs
Today's weigh in: 185lbs
Total weight loss: 5lbs
Pounds to goal weight: 30lbs

Ok, before anyone politely tells me that safest way to lose weight is 1-2lbs a week; trust me, I know this. Also be reassured that I did not starve myself in the least bit. I attribute 5lbs in one week to a couple things:
1) I tend to fluctuate +/- 5lbs VERY easily. It's not hard for me to lose the first 5lbs. 
2) I was on the end of a visit from a rather annoying Aunt (wink wink) and I always gain weight when she is in town, so that also could have played a role in why I lost so much in just 1 week. 

Everyone can rest assured I am not set out to lose this weight as fast as possible. It's not so much about the number as it is about my over all health and how I feel. So far I feel great. If I begin to feel otherwise, I will definitely reevaluate how I'm doing things.

Well, as I said, I'm in bed and tired. So I shall bid you all farewell and goodnight. Thank you for supporting me and encouraging me in my quest to feel healthy again!

~ Mama Frenchy 
(I tried to preview this before I posted it but my preview page looked totally bonkers, then when I tried to reload it, it wouln'td reload. So fingers crossed this turned out fine, otherwise I'll fix it in the morning from my laptop)

i'm back... and i'm taking control.

I know I haven't been very consistent with my blog.  I was kind of afraid this would happen.  You see, when I begin to feel obligated to write my blog (an obligation that comes from my own mind... no one actually make me feel this way), I immediately don't want to.  So I don't.  That, on top of family and friends visiting in June/July, dealing with my husband's decision to quit his job in July, going on three mini-vacations in the month of August and my computer being out of commission for a couple weeks... wait, what was I writing about?  Oh yes, my excuses.  Basically, I've been very busy and when I take into account my list of priorities, this blog, unfortunately, is on the lower end.

But... I am back  (and hopefully with a little more consistency).  I am also taking control...

Taking control of what? you say, in eager anticipation.  

Well, I have decided I am tired of feeling embarrassed about my body, so I am doing something about it.  Friday night, after much thought, I joined Weight Watchers.  I had joined WW about a month after my son was born when I noticed that my post-baby weight loss was slowing down.  I was already weighing more than I was comfortable with when I found out I was pregnant, and after gaining 50lbs during my pregnancy, I knew I needed a little extra help.  I ended up losing all my baby weight plus 10lbs with the help of WW.  But... (there's always a but) I began to get really REALLY hungry when Jacob hit about 5 months, which was when he was nursing a lot; going through a growth spurt but not yet on solids. I was trying to stay within my points, but found myself struggling.  I'm sure if I had been smarter about food choices, I could have found more filling options, but I was a brand new mom that didn't always take the time I needed to plan healthy meals and soon decided that I would quite the program but still try to do it on my own.  Right, like that was going to happen.  Fast forward to 3 years later, and here I am.  Over weight and unhappy, because I know I can be healthier.

So Friday night I decided to take back control of my health, and I am hoping to use this blog to keep me accountable.  I am unhealthy and need to lose weight - that's just a fact.  I know I have had 2 kids, and I think women especially like to make each other feel better by saying things like, "But you've had 2 kids!  Of course you're not going to have a perfect body!", but having kids is no excuse for letting your health go.  I've seen women who have had babies and are rocking a bikini months later.  Do genetics have something to do with it?  Maybe a little, especially when it comes to stretch marks, but the reality is that those mamas can rock their bikinis because they work for it.  They eat healthy, they exercise.  I eat crap and sit on my couch wishing I were healthier.  But all that is changing.

I chose WW because it worked for me once, and I know it will again ESPECIALLY if I stick with it.  I have tried just "watching what I eat" but that usually lasts only a few days.  The unique thing about WW is a) you pay to join, which motivates you to do well, otherwise you're wasting your money (or at least it does for me), and b) you have to think about everything you eat, because everything has a value (except for most fruits and veggies).  I ate mindlessly before.  If I was hungry, I ate.  Sometimes it was healthy... sometimes it wasn't, but the majority of the time it was without thinking, which usually lead to overeating.  I could open a box of Wheat Thins and the next thing I knew, the box was almost empty.  With WW I need to consider what I am eating, how much I should eat, and if what I am eating is worth the points.  And hopefully, with writing about my weight loss journey on here, I will have extra motivation, because all 4 people who actually read this will be on pins and needles every week to see if I lost.  Ok, maybe not really, but in my head the entire internet will be waiting and watching... O.o

So that being said, while contemplating writing this blog, I was thinking, "Oh, maybe I'll just talk about my successes, struggles, maybe do a little weight loss updates... but there is NO WAY I will post my actual weight".  Honestly, it's embarrassing.  I think most people would be surprised with my start weight.  But I feel like if I want to be successful, people should know where I am.  So I am going to do what no women in their right mind would ever do: I am going to post my weight on the internet, for anyone to see.  Eeek... I think I almost passed out.  This isn't easy for me... but hopefully this will further motivate me, and who knows?  Maybe I'll inspire others.  Or maybe I'll just melt into a puddle of embarrassment.  We'll see.

Alright, here are my stats as of Friday, Sept 7th (I'll be weigh myself on Fridays).

Current Weight: 190.7lbs

Weight lost this week: n/a

Total weight lost: n/a

Goal weight: 155lbs

My before picture.  I haven't taken an official one (I'll try to do that this week) but this was taken a few weeks ago.  I am sucking my stomach in as much as possible and I still have some tummy spilling over the strap of my my friend's Ergo.  Oh my.

Well, there it is.  Let the melting begin...

~ Mama Frenchy