30 Days of Weight Watchers--Day 1

Well, I did it.  I bit the bullet and joined Weight Watchers.  As mentioned, one of the things I am trying to lose is weight.  Maybe I'll make a "history of" type of explanation of how I got where I am, but I am, as of the Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday 53.4 lbs. overweight for my height still.  So, longterm, I actually want to lose 59.4 lbs. to be in the middle weight-range for my height.  Yay!  It's finally less than 60 lbs. that I have to lose!  Truthfully, I had joined Weight Watchers last month and lost 3.2 lbs. last month, but for blogging purposes and to give it a real good shot, I am doing another 30 days.  The thing about weight-loss is that it needs to become a lifestyle.  Almost any "diet" will tell you that these days.  But how many of those could you actually follow for life.  I've tried a couple of different things over the last several years.  All of them worked in the short term, but I decided to try Weight Watchers again (I had joined two years ago too, after my second child was born, but didn't last very long), because I could see it becoming a lifestyle for me.  I know people who have lost weight doing it, and kept it off because they continually live the lifestyle.  And Weight Watchers changed their program a bit since I was last in it.  So, here I am at the beginning.  I've also looked into other lifestyles like clean eating, and becoming vegan, and while I'm interested in trying those, Weight Watchers really didn't take any prep. time before starting, so I thought this is where I will start for 30 days.  I was able to join because of a gift from someone (you'll see more about my finances in other posts), and just bought the monthly pass.  Look it up at weightwatchers.com if you want to do this.  Their site will help you find a meeting local to your area and you can pay either on-line or at the meeting.  So--my first day I way over-ate.  I tracked my food and 5k training (see post on that), but bottom line is that even when they say that being a nursing mom means lots more points, it's still not a lot to someone who is used to living a lifestyle of overeating.  Good thing they give you a weekly allowance too, which I dipped into for the day.  My goal this week is to follow the plan as much to a T as I can, because I really want to reach my first short-term goal within the next two weeks if possible.  I broke down my weight-loss goals into mini-goals.  My first mini-goal is to lose 2.4 more pounds which will bring me down to pre-pregnancy weight with my third baby!  I have NEVER made it to pre-pregnancy weight before.  Each pregnancy I started out heavier and heavier, so this would be a major accomplishment for me.  Here's to my somewhere in weight loss.  I have 30 days from today to see if Weight Watchers is a realistic lifestyle for me.  And, after those 30 days, sadly, I will probably have to do it on my own or do something different, because I won't be able to afford it next month unless something changes.

Whew...I worked out.../First 5k training/My somewhere in Fitness

I returned not too long ago from my first day of training for a 5k.  Now, before you stop reading, I am not normally a running type of person.  I have never consistently worked out, actually.  I'm not proud of that fact.  That is just how it is.  I've dabbled at attempts in the past, had gym memberships, worked out for maybe a month or two at a time, and then because of schedule or finances or physical problems or moving or whatever, I stopped.  But I don't know if I've ever actually had a fitness goal, specifically of something to achieve fitness-wise.  Well, now I do.  I decided I want to run a 5k this summer.  For me, this is kind of a big deal, because I had a C-section just under 3 months ago.  And now, because of schedule (being gone) and my physical limitations, etc. I am training for this thing in just under three weeks.  Am I crazy?  Yes.  But am I determined to do it no matter what?  Yes.  Probably the bad thing for me is I'm determined to do this 5k whether I am in shape or not.  My goal is not to run it nor race it, but if I finish it, I will be one happy lady.  :)  This is my somewhere in fitness.  I am taking this step.  It's a leap of faith.  And those that know me well think I'm crazy.  But, I guess if they didn't think I was crazy, I wouldn't be taking chances.  And I desperately need to get in shape: for many reasons including my health.  Last week I found a website that had a couch-to-5k in one month training schedule that someone did, so that is what I'm attempting.  Although, now my 4 weeks has turned into 3 because of procrastination.  But, this is the plan I am doing.  I encourage you to try a 5k too.  Oh, and I recruited a few women from my local MOPS group to join me who are also not in shape at all and totally starting from scratch, so that I won't feel like an idiot doing this myself.  I asked for volunteers.  Don't worry.  And, now I'm documenting my journey.  Accountability is nice.  Enough about me.  Here is the link to the training plan:
weonlydothisonce.com/824/how-to-go-from-couch-to-5k-in-one-month/

Where Do I Start To Lose?/An intro.

Have you ever felt SO frustrated to the point that you don't know what to do?  You are so far gone in a particular area that there is no possible way (so you think) to get out of it.  Sometimes you even search for help, yet there never seems to be a "right" answer to help you get out of the mess you are in.  Well, I have felt that way A LOT.

Example #1--One day I was super frustrated with my house.  By nature, I am not a clean person.  My house is usually disheveled to some level.  And I also feel like I am constantly working on this.  It's not like I don't try or care.  I do.  Anyway, so I call my Grandma, who is the kind of person whose floor you could eat off of it's so clean.  She had five children plus foster children so I thought surely, she must have some advice.  I said, "Grandma, how did you keep your house clean with little ones at home?"  She responds, "You thought my house was clean?  Hah!"  Thanks for the help, Grandma.  :)  Not encouraging.

Example #2--I am overweight and have been for quite some time.  So I noticed this girl who I used to know has lost a remarkable amount of weight, and I'd guess in a healthy way, because she is now one of those marathon-running type people.  A HUGE change (no pun intended) in her life, noticeable to all.  So I contact her to see how she did it, what's her secret?  I sincerely want to know.  And I never get a response. 

So, my question in any area is:  Where do I start to Lose (or Gain, for that matter)?  The answer is really quite simple: SOMEwhere.  Huh?  Yep, somewhere.  You can't move in any direction if you don't take an action and move right?  So these are the stories of my "somewheres," the steps I'm taking to lose to gain.  And in part I write so that when some one eventually asks me (and I hope that they do) how I lost in any area: weight, debt, surrendering to God, whatever, that I can say: "check out my blog.  this is my journey."  I don't believe in "magic formulas."  It takes a lot to get me sold on a certain brand or way of life.  I'm a skeptical, to put it bluntly.  And it might not be any one way that I take to lose weight, for example.  I might try different things.  But, the important thing is that I move in the right direction; that I don't be lazy and stay as I am, but that I strive for something better, to be a better version of me. 

I will say the one area where there is only one way, is to God, and that is through his son Jesus Christ.  "For God so loved the world (that's us) that he gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" --John 3:16 Jesus also said in John 14:6 " ... I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That said, I still struggle with growing in Christ.  How do I remain in God and He in me, as it says in the Bible (in John 15)?  There's an old song that says, "Read your Bible, always pray, tell of Jesus love each day..." etc. But how?  How do I, who has a busy little household with three kids, never gets enough sleep, and rarely has alone time, seek the God of the Bible?  There are no "right" answers I don't think.  The answer is to start SOMEwhere. 

So, I start my journey today.  Not on a Monday, not on the first of the month, or even the 15th of the month.  But I'm starting Somewhere.  I hope you start somewhere too.       

Beginnings

Today I begin my blog.  I title it "Losing To Gain it All" which stands for three main things: 
1-Losing Weight to Gain health (and much more).
2-Losing Myself to Gain more of Christ.
3-Losing Debt to Gain freedom.
My journey will be chronicled on this blog in all three areas.  And you will know much of my life story (thus far) if you read my posts in all these areas.  I also may include other posts about losing things (like my mind), funny stories, random thoughts, etc.  But as I really thought about what is on my heart a lot, the journey I'd like to share with others, these three stood out.  I didn't want to pick just one thing.  But these are the three big ones for me right now.  And, they all fall into the category of something I am trying to lose or gain.  Please journey with me.  I'd love to hear your stories too, like maybe how you have mastered or failed in these areas.  And I'm pretty much an open book as you will see.  So, if you have any questions, please contact me at:  losingtogainitall@gmail.com.  

For the first time but not the last, 
Kara