I don't want your stupid cupcake

Whew! Today at school (work) was tough! Everywhere I looked there was candy and sweets. The day started with a front office counter covered with doughnuts and some sort of yummy smelling bread. I then when to my box and was greeted by a bag of miniature candy bars. (TWIX- my favorite!!!) Several of the classrooms were having parties. I swear I could have walked up and down the hall and told you which room had sweets based on the smell of the door. :) This afternoon was a parade of cupcakes in my classroom. Every few minutes a sweet child from another room would come in and offer me one of his or her beautifully decorated mouth watering cupcakes. Each time I would politely say, "No thank you". What I was thinking is, "No, I don't want your stupid, delicious, frosted, sweet, fattening, unhealthy, feeling guilty later cupcake". They'd look at me strangely (who would not want a cupcake?) and move one to the next classroom.

I have learned over time to no longer feel cheated when confronted with the reality that I can no longer eat cupcakes by the dozen on "special days". In the past my problem was that each and every day was a "special occasion". Back to the cupcakes- I hated telling the children "no" because they were so sweet and only trying to share. I had a few other options- take them and throw them away (wasteful!) or take them home to my kiddos. This bring up another issue- Since I am choosing not to have cupcakes because they aren't the best choice for my health, should I really be taking them home to my kids? I decided that they answer to that question was no and passed on all cupcakes today.

It's only just begun. The eating season is upon us! I will maintain control over the weeks to come and beyond the holidays. I may even have to start trying to cook (gasp!!) some healthy alternatives to old time favorites. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Confessions from the dressing room (with pictures)

Finding clothes that fit well has been a continual problem since I have started losing weight. It is great that I need new clothes because mine are too large, but it can also be a huge frustration (and expense!). I often find myself in-between sizes and finding a good fit is tough! My father-in-law gave me an Old Navy gift card for my birthday. I had been holding on to it for a month or so until I was falling out of my size 18's. Today was the day and I got frustrated enough with my too big jeans and decided to go spend my gift card.

When I arrived at Old Navy I decided to try on size 14's. Why, oh why would I try on 14's? I just started wearing 18's in July. I think that in each of us there is this little part that is never satisfied. I tried on the 14's and got frustrated. Here's the rub- I could button the 14's (woo hoo!), but my rear looked like two pillows shoved into one very small pillow case. Why can't I be happy with the progress I have made? Hmmm...
For a moment I pouted that I didn't look better in the 14's and then I tried on this great XL dress/shirt outfit and saw how AMAZING I looked. When I started my weight loss journey I was wearing a 3X in "plus size" and today I put on an awesome dress in an XL in ladies (not womens, not plus, not nothin!). Here is a pic of me when I started losing weight (143 pounds ago) and me in my new outfit today:


June 2009



October 2010

I did a happy dance in my new dress and then proceeded to buy two new pairs of pants, two dress/shirt things (don't know what to call those!), and two pairs of leggings for $54. Did I mention that they are having 40% off clearance and everything that I got was on clearance. I ended my day with a great chicken and rice dinner and an awesome workout at the gym. Woot! Woot!

Kids say the best things!

Last night I was putting my daughter to bed and she said, "Mommy, why is there an indent in your throat?" I couldn't figure out what she was talking about so I asked her to explain. She said, "Well, right here (pointing to my throat) it use to stick out and was lumpy, not it is smooth and goes in". Ha! She noticed that I had lost weight in my throat. I have thinned out quite a bit through my face and it was so cute that her 5 year old mind noticed something like a skinny neck.

Then today at school one of my first graders asked me how I got to be so small. I looked at him puzzled and he continued, "Last year you were, ummm, not so small and now you are real small." I told him that I had been working really hard to get to be "small" and thanked him for noticing.

Finally, tonight my son and I were running from the car into the gym and he said, "Look, I am a runner just like Mommy!". Then when we were leaving the gym he saw the big muscle guys lifting weights downstairs and he said, "When I am a big boy I am going to exercise down there."

I LOVED that!!! I have often felt guilty for taking time to go to the gym or to work out instead of spending time with my children. I have become an example to my own children and to my students of healthy living and fitness. Days like this make this journey a little bit easier.

My Waiting Place

Here is a repost of a blog that I posted on http://www.sparkpeople.com/. It explains what I chose My Weighting Place as the title for my new blog. My previous blogs can be found on my SparkPeople blog page.

Friday, October 01, 2010

Dr. Seuss wrote a great book called "The Places You Will Go". In this story the main character goes to many different places on his way to success. One of the places he stops is in the "Waiting Place" where everyone is just waiting. Waiting for a bus. Waiting for a date. Everyone is just waiting.

During my weight loss journey I often come to this waiting place. I am currently in a waiting place. My scale hasn't moved in about a week. No big deal, but not the usual. I do weigh myself every morning and every morning the scale does a little something. It might be up a little. Usually it goes down a 1/3 or even an 1/8 of a pound. When I hit my "waiting place" it stays the same no matter what I do. I can work out, eat more, eat less, drink a lot of water, drink no water. It stays the same! For example, I have weight 222.4 for 4 days in a row. The scale has not moved even a 1/10th up or down in 4 days. Strange, huh?

I get to this "waiting place" every 5-7 weeks. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason for my arrival. I'll be in my "waiting place" for a week or two and then SNAP I'll get right out of it. The week following my "waiting place" brings me big losses on the scale. Someone might be discouraged in this waiting place, but I see it as a healthy reminder that the scale is NOT the only thing that matters. I am healthy, strong, and getting better every day!

So, what do I do when I hit a little plateau? I log my food, exercise 5 days a week, drink water and get enough sleep- the same thing I do every day!