More sad news and illness too

More sad news has hit the family. Our neighbor passed away Saturday from a massive heart attack. Good grief when is this going to end. I can't handle anymore bad news.

Daughter is also now sick. I don't' know if she has the flu or what, but she's been vomiting all day today. No fever or aches/pains or chills, but it could still be the nasty flu. Son was sick last week, but felt better after a few hours of staying in bed. This thing with my daughter is a bit worse then what he had. Hopefully she won't pass it on to anybody else.

Sad news

Sorry I didn't post last week. Things have been hectic around here. There was an accident last weekend that was pretty upsetting to my daughter. She was so worried that a couple of her friends were involved in it, but thankfully they weren't. Still, it led to a LOT of phone calls, emails, and what ifs. Then on Monday, we found out that a friend of hers had committed suicide over the weekend. Talk about another punch in the gut. She cried pretty much all day. She's doing better now, but has the funeral to deal with tomorrow. She wants to go, but then again doesn't. I don't blame her. It's hard enough when someone has lived a full life and passes on, but this boy was only 19 and had just begun to live. How do you say goodbye to someone that young?

Another week

Another week has passed in our family weight loss challenge. I lost one pound this week. Not as much as I'd have liked, but at least it was a loss. My daughter also lost 1 pound. Hubby actually weighed yesterday too and in two weeks he has lost twenty pounds. It's a big chunk and I know it is mostly from starving himself, but he won't listen and I get tired of arguing with him so haven't been saying anything to him about it anymore. My son also weighed to a two pound loss this week. So, we're all doing really well. It's nice to be doing this as a family. I must admit it has made it so much easier to pass up the junk with the whole family passing it by.

We went out over the weekend two different times and just knowing that everyone else were passing on their favorites made it easy for me to do the same. We ate pizza Friday evening and normally we would order the large with everything plus bread sticks or garlic bread. We ended up ordering the salad bar and a medium pizza instead. Then yesterday we went bowling and didn't order nachos or anything else fattening from the snack bar, just some diet sodas. Afterwards we went to Applebee's and all of us ordered weight watchers selections although I really wanted something from the new Tyler Florence entrees. After eating, we went to the mall and walked and walked and walked. Then on to Sam's Club and walked some more. I'd say we easily burnt off the majority of the calories we took in. Then on to the furniture store where we looked at couches. We ended up buying a very nice one with recliners at each end. We were in my car though so had to make a trip back home to get our truck to pick it up. Anyway, our Sunday was very nice and fun.

Today, however, I'm fighting a major sinus headache. Or maybe it is allergies, I don't know. I just know that I feel terrible (upset stomach, stuffy nose, stiff neck, achy muscles, and sneezing, sneezing and more sneezing) Ugh! I hope to feel better as the day progresses, but right now I just want to curl up in bed and go to sleep, which is exactly what I think I'll do.

Weigh In

Sorry I didn't log on yesterday to post our weigh in results. We left early and I completely forgot about doing it last night.

I am happy to announce that I lost 7 lbs. this past week:) My daughter lost 4 lbs:) The guys are being secretive and not telling us how they did. They both said they are going to wait until the end of the month and reveal all then. The sneaks!:)

The weekend went well. We were all able to stick to the plan and eat well both nights that we went out to restaurants. Now if we can just keep doing that, we should be fine.

Onward and downward we go!

Now comes the hard part

All has been going good, so far, but now we are coming to the dreaded weekend and that is where I have the most problems sticking with a diet. We ALWAYS go out on the weekends and that inevitably includes eating at a fast food restaurant. Not good. I have such a hard time choosing the healthier foods, not that there are a lot to choose from anyway. I've done well today though and am hoping that the good habits carry into the weekend.

Better news. I hopped on the scale this morning just to see if my healthier eating habits have shown any results and it actually looks like it has gone down a few pounds. yay! My official weigh-in will be Sunday so I'll be back then to let you know how that goes.

And this is better?

ARGH!!! What is it with my hubby and his way of thinking? I thought after the argument we had Monday evening about his not eating during the day that he MIGHT do better yesterday and actually try. Nope.

Yesterday's menu was a granola bar for breakfast, a pack of beef jerky for lunch and a 200 calorie microwave meal for dinner. That's it. No more. So again, we had another disagreement. He thinks if he cuts 3500 calories a DAY from his meals that he'll consistently lose 7 lbs. a week. When I tried to explain to him that it isn't healthy to do that, you could see his eyes gloss over and you could just tell he wasn't listening anymore.

How do I get through to him that I just want him to be healthy? I know that he wants to lose it fast. Heck, so do I. I guess i've just tried to do this so many times that I have finally realized that there is only one way to lose weight and that is slowly. I hope that he realizes this soon. I don't want to write about anymore arguments between us. You'll all think that I'm a real nag to be around:)

Round 1

So, in my last post I told you how the whole family is having a competition to see who can lose the biggest percentage of weight by the end of this month, right? Well, the weekend was great. We all ate healthy and got in some exercise. Yesterday, I did well and got in my exercise. The kids ate well and also got in their exercise. My hubby, however, made me super duper mad. When he came home from work, he announced that he was ready for dinner because he was starving. I figured it was just because he had cut down his portions and was still getting used to that, but nope, it was because the only thing he'd had to eat ALL DAY LONG was a measley little granola bar at 5am!!!! WHAT?!?!?! Wasn't one of the rules of this healthier lifestyle that nobody would starve themselves? Yes, I believe it was.

So, of course, I asked him why he hadn't eaten anything all day and here was his reply. "You know that I work hard all day, I leave the house early and don't have time to fix breakfast in the morning. I am filthy by the time lunch rolls around and I don't feel comfortable eating anything in the truck (it's filthy too) and I don't have time to stop, clean up and eat in a restaurant" MY REPLY: "Ok, hmm, why not fix your breakfast the night before along with a lunch that you can take with you (no stopping), lunch could be a portable sandwich that you can keep wrapped in the plastic wrap while you eat so your dirty hands don't touch it. Even a Slim Fast shake would be better then nothing. Or better yet, STOP! Take a break! It won't kill you to take 20 minutes to stop for lunch. As a matter of fact, it would probably do you a world of good to get away from it all for a little while. I know we run our own business and you want to make it profitable, but it doesn't mean you have to kill yourself to do it." Needless to say, he didn't like my answers and actually got mad at me for even suggesting them so I just quietly read my magazine and let him go about his business. At least he walked on the treadmill. And he didn't really go overboard for dinner, but still. I would guess that he only ate about 500-600 calories total yesterday. Not good.

Round one goes to the kids (in my opinion) who were able to spend the entire day at school and still eat healthy then come home and get their exercise in. Yay Kids!

And the competition begins.........

This is what is going on here in my household. Over the weekend, the entire family decided to change our unhealthy lifestyle. We tossed all the junk food from the pantry and freezer, stocked up on healthy foods, fresh fruits and veggies and got to moving.

In order to keep our momentum going and not poop out after a week, my daughter came up with the idea to make this a bit of a competition. So, each month we are going to have a challenge. This month we are going to see who can lose the biggest percentage of weight. Kind of like The Biggest Loser, if anyone watches that show. She had originally said whoever lost the most weight in a month, but we changed that since everyone knows men lose weight faster then women and the heavier you are, the more you tend to lose when you start out. She didn't want to give her dad any type of advantage:)

We are all pretty much watching what we eat, but I am also following the weight watchers plan. I have been half-heartedly following it for two weeks already, but not faithfully. Now, I'm going to stick with it 100%. Anyway, since I do the cooking around here I'll be trying out some new recipes and putting the ww spin on them. Hopefully it'll help everyone out in the long run.

So, I will post here every week to let you see my progress and also see how the rest of the family is doing. Wish us luck! (Preferably send the extra luck my way so I can win that challenge! LOL)

Smile for the Day

How do they do it?

I've been reading some success stories in my current weight loss magazine and am just wondering how in the world they did it? I've tried countless times to lose weight, yet never seem to be able to stick with the diet long enough to meet my goals. How do they stay motivated? How do they overcome the frustrations? I really wish someone would tell me.

I am AGAIN back to trying to lose the weight. I couldn't even stomach the idea of going back on NS. The food wasn't bad, but I just can't eat another bite of it. So, I am back with Weight Watchers again. Doing the At Home version right now, but will probably go to the meetings eventually. I've only been on program for two days and so far, so good. I really hope this time is the charm. I need it to work this time. I am sick of losing and gaining the weight again and again. BTW, I've gained 35 of the 45 pounds that I lost on NS BACK! Yikes!

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on how to stay motivated on this journey, please please please leave some comments. I need all the help I can get.

School Daze

Hip Hip Hooray!! School is back in session here in my hometown. Yippee! My peace and quiet has returned. Sure, I'm sad to see the summer months fading away, but after the bickering between the kids and the constant "I'm bored", well, let's just say that the cooler months don't seem quite so bad:)

Football

We thought we were going to have a football player in the family, but after a week of practices my son has decided it just isn't for him. Here I thought he was having fun, but come to find out that from day 1 he has hated it. Why? Because at the first practice, he overheated and threw up in front of all his friends which was embarrassing. At the second practice, he again got sick but didn't throw up. Instead he was having double vision and felt like he was going to pass out. He didn't thankfully, just felt like it. The coach tried to get him to change his mind, but Matt held his ground. He said it wasn't fun and if he did stay that he wouldn't be putting forth 100% and he felt that wasn't fair to either him or the team. The coach understood so we turned in his gear this past Monday and are officially finished with the sport.

I am sad that he isn't going to be playing. I was looking forward to going to his games and cheering his team on. I understand why he quit though and am supportive of his decision. Who knows, he's only 11 years old so maybe he'll decide on a different sport later on down the road. Or he might be one of these guys that is more into the intellectual side of school instead. Either one is fine with me:)

just checking in

hello again, hope everybody is doing fine. I figured I'd better check in here so you all didn't think I'd dropped off the ends of the earth. Nope, I'm still here, just busy. Last week we had a couple of birthday and anniversary parties to go to. First one was for my grandma, who turned 98 on July 21st! Yes, you read that right, she is 98 years young and still going strong. The second was my aunt and uncles 55th wedding anniversary, which I'd planned on attending but didn't make it. I still can't believe they've been married that long. I remember going to my grandparents 50th anniversary and they just seemed so much older to me then my aunt and uncle do now. And finally the anticipated football season has started so we are now dealing with practices every evening. My son is enjoying it though and doing well. This week has started out pretty warm though and has caused him to think he lost his mind for joining but he knows it will get cooler and better as time goes on so he is hanging in there. Business is still booming also. I'm not as busy as I could be, but busier then I like. Hubby's burns are finally healed too. He will have a fairly big scar on his leg, but at least he still has the leg! There at the beginning when the doctors said he could lose it if he didn't listen to instructions really scared us both. We've also started the dreaded "back to school" shopping. The kids are NOT ready for that. But here in less then a month they will be back to the grind and I'll have my peace and quiet back:)

Why do I even try to do it?

There are days, today is one, that I wonder why I even try to keep up on this blog. Every time I think I'm recommiting to this diet, something happens and I fall off the wagon and go right back to my old eating habits. I thought blogging would help me with that, but it hasn't. Some people get so much inspiration from writing down their feelings, but it just isn't working for me. Others feel accountable to the whole world of bloggers by posting their goals and ambitions, but it seems like nobody even reads my blog anymore (this is the pessimism talking)so what's the point.

I was doing so well rededicating myself to eating healthy. I'd gone three whole weeks (that's a lot for me!) without slipping up once and I was losing at a nice slow and steady rate, but then my hubby had his accident and after that with the stress of taking care of him, hoping things ran smoothly with our business while he was unable to work, well, the stress got the better of me. I've ate nothing but convenient junk food these past couple of weeks and the scale has shown me that by moving right back up to where it was when I started this diet. And, of course, now I'm not in the right mindset anymore to even think about eating right and exercising. God, what is the matter with me? Why can't I get this thing right? When is that little light bulb going to come on inside my head and stay on so that I can kick this bad habit of mine and get fit and healthy? Hopefully some day soon, but it's not there now at all. My bulb has burnt out and it doesn't look like I'm going to be replacing it any time soon.

Hubby update

We had to make a trip to the doctor today for my hubby. He broke out with a fever yesterday and that is a sign of infection so I forced him to go to the clinic today. I'm so glad that I made him go too. The doctor looked at his leg and told him that it was as close to a 3rd degree burn as you could get without actually having one. He also said that hubby really should have gone to the ER that night right after it happened instead of just listening to the EMT that came out with the fire department. (I told him so!) His burns are now infected and he has to take the rest of the week off work and keep his leg elevated. The burns are not healing and his leg is pretty swollen. The doctor gave him a shot of high dose antibiotics and he is also taking them orally. They said if he didn't listen and stay off the leg that he could possibly LOSE IT! I hope that shocked him enough to listen. I'll tie him down if I have to just to make sure he does.

I don't know if I can handle dealing with another person with burns. As my friends and family know, my son had 3rd degrees burns when he was 2 years old. He pulled a slow cooker full of broth down off the counter and onto his head and shoulder. He had to have skin grafts on his arm. The doctor said if hubby's burns don't start to heal that he might also have to go through that. We don't have insurance now (thankfully we did when it happened to my son) so if he has to have surgery I don't know what we will do. I'm hoping and praying though that it doesn't come to that.

Other then that, things have calmed down here. Thankfully we have people who can cover for my hubby at work and I am home to take care of him and make sure he listens to the doctor. We won't be going out to watch the fireworks tonight in town, but I think we've all had enough fireworks this year.

I hope everyone else has a happy and SAFE 4th of July.

When it rains, it pours

I hate that saying, but it is so true when things tend to go wrong for me and my family. It never is just one small thing, it is always more. This has been the cruddiest weekend I've had for a long time.

It started Saturday with hubby getting into a big argument with one of our employees. I just knew that 1) hubby was going to have a stroke from the stress or 2) the employee was going to just up and quit and leave us hurting for help. Thankfully they were able to work things out, at least for now.

The next not so wonderful thing happened Saturday evening when my hubby and kids decided to light off some fireworks. Now, I am NOT a fan of fireworks, never have been and never will be. I don't like them, they scare me. I worry every year when they are outside setting them off that someone is going to get hurt or they'll start a fire. Well, this year my worries came true. I was inside at the computer, listening as one thing popped after another when all of a sudden my daughter comes flying inside "MOM, dad needs you outside quick! The field is on fire!" I thought she was joking at first because she didn't sound too panicked, but when I looked out the bedroom window there it was a ring of fire in the wheat field across the road from our house and my hubby frantically beating at the flames with his shirt. I called the fire department then ran out to see if I could help. We hooked up the hose and formed a bucket brigade. Thankfully they had harvested the wheat the day before so it was just stubble out there, but it still burned pretty quick. We were able to put it out before the fire department got out here, but in the process of trying my hubby got some pretty bad burns on his leg. They are second degree so not as bad as they could have been, but still.

And now finally to top off this wonderful (i say sarcastically) weekend, our ac has stopped working. We came home this evening to a house that was almost 90 degrees inside, the ac buzzing noisily out back. And of course this week is supposed to be hot and humid, highs in the 90's, until Thursday. DAMMIT, why does everything have to happen all at once? I'm so sick of it, but you know I'm just going to go hop in the tub and light some candles and relax. Hopefully tomorrow morning will be better and things will get back on track. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one anyway.

Week 3

Lost another pound when I weighed in Saturday so I'm moving in the right direction. I wish it would come off faster though because it sure seemed to go on FAST!

In other news, I had an awesome weekend. We went to the demolition derby Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun and excitement. And, I again did very well bypassing all the sugary, fattening fair treats. It was very hard though because people would walk by us in the grandstand, carrying plates of french fries, onion rings, corn dogs, nachos, cotton candy, elephant ears and funnel cakes. And my own kids even made it hard on me by getting funnel cakes to bring home with them after the derby. I did well though and only enjoyed the SMELL of them, not the taste:)

Sunday was spent with my dad to celebrate Father's Day. We had a nice dinner and good conversation. My kids and hubby went out for their own little Father's Day celebration. they played laser tag!

It's Fair Time

Tonight we took the kids to the fair. It started here Monday and the kids have been asking to go since they found out. I was worried that I'd be so tempted by all the fair foods, but I did really well. I ate a big salad before we went. I passed by all the delicious smelling foods and only bought a diet soda. I really really wanted an elephant ear, but I passed it by. Tonight was harness racing. I'm not a big fan of it, but it was kind of fun to watch the horses zipping around the track.



It was also bracelet night (ride all the rides you want for one price) so the kids spent most of their evening doing just that. I don't do carnival rides. They either make me sick or they are way to tall for my liking.



We probably won't go back again until Saturday evening. That is the last day of the fair and my all time favorite is going on that night. The demolition derby! I guess you can call me a redneck at heart because for me the derby is the best thing to happen at the fair. Well, besides the food, of course:) I have never participated in one, but it sure looks like a lot of fun and I think it would be a great way to work off some frustrations.



My brother inlaw usually has a car to enter. I don't know for sure if he has one ready for this year's fair or not, but if so, I'll be rooting for him to win. If anyone happens to go to the fair Saturday evening, just look in the front row seats of the grandstand. I'll be the one yelling and cheering, wearing mud spattered clothes, with the biggest smile on their face:)

Week Two

Well, hopped on the scale this morning and no loss for the week, but was pretty much expecting that. I've not done the best this past week. With the kids being out of school now for the summer, I've had to fix their meals and it is hard to stay away from the burgers and fries with them here since that's what they're requesting. I have already told them though that this coming week is going to be a healthier one. We are ALL going to eat more fruits and veggies and less junk. It'll be better for them anyway.

It's working!

I stepped on the scale this morning to a THREE POUND loss! I was hoping for more then that since it was my first week back on track, but hey, I'll take it. It's more then I've been losing so I can't complain.