I blog monthly.lol.hahahahaha

Yeah....that seems like that's about what I do.lol Lets see if I can do it daily for a week....who will monitor my daily activities.lol.

Well....I came on just to do the "6 Questions" thing that was on my best buddies site....the best buddy whom I sat in the car with for 5 hours, and forgot to show her my "tat". I love calling it that for some reason.lol "TAT" (honestly....I often forget that I have it)

So.....6 questions........

6 TV shows I like to watch .........(1) Greys Anatomy!!!!!!! (2) The Biggest loser (3) Days of Our Lives (4) The Amazing Race (5) Dancing with the Stars (6) Lock Up Raw

6 Restaurants I like to eat.........(1) Chevys (2) Sonic (3) Saylors (4) Pho Green (5)Joe's Crab Shack (6)BJ's

6 Things that happened today.......(1) Woke up tooo early, cuz I had to work...ugh (2) Administered blood, antibiotics, IV medications, gave injections, and helped people to the bathroom.lol (3) looked all over for "Cherry Juice" (4) Unclogged a toilet (5) Had dinner all ready for me when I got home....steak...potatos...yummm....Thanks Ned :) (6) Did this fun thing.lol

6 Things I am looking forward to......(1) Snuggling with Ned tonight (2)Relaxing this weekend (3) Watching Katie play basketball in the next couple of weeks (4) Getting back into exercise (5) Shopping the day after Thanksgiving (6) Making some artsy stuff for Christmas

6 Things on my wish list.....(1) Change my last name ;) (2)Learn how to make an altered book (3) To be healthier (4) For my girls to do things the "right" way (5) Win Powerball by someone giving me a ticket so I COULD win Powerball.lol (6) To have a time machine. :)

6 people to tag....(don't know that I know 6 people who have blogs.lol) (1)...Renee already did this (2)...Jeanne (3)...Ned (4)...Katie (5)... Anyone who thinks this is neat (6)... Anyone who read this.lol

Well that was kinda fun. :) Now you know a little more about me.....and I guess you all know that I have a "TAT" too.lol My first one. :) Ohhhh well........here it is.lol

Vacation...vacation...vacation...too bad I was sick. :(

Ohh how fun is vacation? Soooo fun. And it's still fun even if you are sick. Ned and I went to Cannon Beach and then down to Yachats. We were gone for 6 nights....without kiddo's. Just before we left....I thought..."I don't think I've ever left them for that long" ...and it's true...I hadn't ever left them that long before. I sure missed them...and they missed me as well, but we all made it through.

Like I said....I was sick with a lovely cough (and I am still as we speak...sick with a cough, sinus and ear infection....great fun. I'm not counting of course...but it's been 4 weeks now!!!! UGHHH)
Nonetheless...vacation was still great. No real schedule. We didn't have anything that we had to do. We got up when we wanted...went to bed whenever...and went wherever we wanted. We took photographs of sunsets and each other :). We played video games. We shopped for beads and Ned made me some beautiful anklets. We got tattoo's. We walked on the beach and found shells. We ate out and fixed some dinners in. We took turns driving. We saw several lighthouses. We looked in expensive shops at $2000 glass frogs.lol We relaxed...and we slept in...and we enjoyed each other. :)

It was vacation like I said...and we did eat whatever...and it was fun...and guilt free. And once this cough is under control...well then the gym will be our best friend again...a close friend...one that you see almost everyday. :)


And yes...I did say tattoo's :) My first. :) We had a most memorable time!

Bad Blogger. Bad Blogger

Ok....so now that we know that I'm a bad blogger. I can't believe anyone even looks at this silly thing. I look at everyone else's.lol and I'm always excited to see people's updates, to see how creative they are, but I never really stopped to think that someone might be looking at mine. Well to the couple people who do look....I am sorry :( I have not been a faithful blogger, partly because the summer is flying by and it is difficult to keep up with the working out. There always seems to be something going on, or a BBQ that beckons because it's so nice outside. Because I made this blog about weight loss....I felt that if I wasn't losing weight, well then....no need to blog. But then I read my blog title again this morning....and realized that it was to be about the journey of the weight loss, not just successes, but rather the journey. And most of us know that a weight loss journey takes time and that there are mountains and valleys as with most journeys in life.

So here we are :) We have kept most of the weight off all summer. We really have had a great summer with some great activities. We have put on a few pounds, but nothing that we can't get back off in a couple weeks. We have stayed on track for the most part and we are ready to get back in some sort of routine. Next week Ned and I are off to the beach for a week vacation...just the two of us. :) To Cannon Beach for 3 nights, and then down to our beloved Yachats for 3 nights. We are both so excited. The girls will be staying with my dear friend Renee and my sister during that time. They are both wonderful to do that for us.

This summer has been so fun. It seems like we were always busy. Always had something to do or somewhere to be. So the routine of school with homework, chores, dinner time, and bedtime will be nice. The kids have been in school for a week now and they are loving it. Katie is playing Volleyball and comes home every night just beat. Sara is a ball of fire as always. We discovered the neatest little chorelist online for the kids. They collect points for doing their chores and it makes it fun for the kids. http://www.handipoints.com

The first day of school was great, complete with fresh baked cookies in the morning for the girls (Ned's mom used to do this in the morning for her children and the children at the bus stop who waited at their house. Well I did it the first day of a school. I can't believe what an amazing mom that he had. I so wish that I could have met her.) That evening we made homemade pizzas. :) Not quite on our diet, but man we had fun making them with the girls. :)


Well...for now I will tell you that I will continue blogging even if I'm not losing because it is about the journey. That includes the mountains, the valleys, and the plateau's in between as well as the occasional side trail on purpose. Thanks for reading...and caring...because I certainly enjoy reading your blogs too. :)

My Birthday :) Sooooo Spoiled am I :)

What a wonderful birthday I had.  Dinner, Breakfast & Dinner again. Being my birthday and all...we didn't watch calories too much...well not at all really. I did however work out very good Friday night before the weekend...and did an all time best workout last night. Burned over 700 calories in the 45 min of cardio and climbed over 1000 feet.  I also went grocery shopping yesterday and bought things that will help us eat healthy all week...it even included fresh mangos. Mmmmm

Anyways....back to the birthday. I was very spoiled by all...especially Ned. I felt like a princess all weekend. :) He even did the creative thing on the right hand side there with the frame with all of our pictures. He thought it was corny...I thought it was thoughtful and heart warming. :)

We did the dinner thing....and breakfast (I forgot to take pics of the food there), and shaved ice, and the Cheesecake Factory (not diet friendly). We did have a great time...and one needs to enjoy those things sometimes as long as they (I) can get back on track...which I immediately did.

 

So Anyways....I had a crazy fun weekend. The best birthday that I have ever had.  :) Back to the workout grind...oh...and hopefully a little creativeness in the next week or so. :)

Biggest Loser :) VS Biggest Loser :(

My last post was what....APRIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is wrong with me??? I've asked that of myself several times. Biggest Loser :) VS Biggest Loser :( Well the smiley means I was the biggest loser as far as weight loss and the frowney face is I am now the biggest loser because I didn't keep up on my blog...and that was because.................(shhhh....I fell off the workout wagon....shhhh) But alas...I am back on. I refuse to give up this time, I mean completely. We had a bad couple months of not working out like we used to...but the good news is....we were only up a couple pounds....I believe this is due to the fact that we truly did make a lifestyle change...so 95% of or weight has stayed off. More will start coming off now that I have rededicated myself to the journey. Like I said in the beginning...I started to journal this journey because I knew it wouldn't be a perfect straight road to my goal. I knew it would be hard...and I knew life would get in the way...and lack of motivation would creep up...and I want to log it all...the good and the bad. So I'm back!!!

We started the last couple of weeks with a new healthy meal. Last week it was Bourbon Pinapple Shrimp Kabobs. Everyone loved these right off the bbq. We coupled it with a little rice...and some watermelon. Yummmm. As for this week....we had Pico de Gallo Seared Ahi with brown rice...and it was fresh and tasty too. :) The presentation was pretty too. Don't you think so?



Well...to give you an update on what we've been doing....Well...we've had several birthdays. My mom turned 58 :) We had a wonderful birthday for her at McGraths Fish House. And my sister turned 28, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Claim Jumper. :) You would be proud...we did not have any huge desserts at Claim Jumper....and if you've ever been there...that is a huge thing. Their desserts are amazing and definitely enough for a family of 4...so don't think that you can all get something separate. One dessert for 4 people will do ya. That little sundae my sister has...was just the one that came with her meal...because it was her birthday...and that was shared between her and 4 spoons from ice cream hungry nieces. :)


Sara also had a birthday and turned 7. My baby 7....Wow!!!!! We went to the kid loving Chuck E. Cheese...and played lots of fun games....had some pizza...and Sara's favorite...chocolate cake with chocolate frosting...and filling.lol. Chocoholic...that girl. :) And yes...on that day we did indulge with a little of both...pizza and cake.



And then there was camping....a trip to the Southern Oregon Coast for 8 nights....6 camping and 2 in Bandon in a motel. :) We had a blast. There was definitely something for everyone. Fishing, cards, games, boat rides, waterplay, lighthouses, sand and surf, and one of the most fun things......the Game Park. What a wonderful family trip. :)

So summer has definitely started, and we have lots of fun things planned. I will try my best to keep up on the weight loss blog coupled with our Summer fun. They should go hand in hand. :) I'm excited to see how we will look at the end of the summer. Hopefully a little thinner...and more importantly....healthier. :)

The Biggest Loser :)

That's me! I was the biggest loser in a contest at work. Several of us chipped in $10 to be part of a weight loss pool...and the top two people split the $$. And I was one of the winners. I was the #1 winner! YEAH for me! I won a $100...and I'm going shopping with it. :)

Sometimes....Life gets in the way

Well....it's been a rough couple of weeks. My Grandma Lou got pretty sick a couple of weeks ago...and was in the hospital for a week...and then passed away on April 6. I thought I would post a picture in her honor. She always wanted me to conquer the weight loss battle. She knew it was a hard fight for me. She was always encouraging.

Because of everything going on...we got little time at the gym the last 2 weeks. And during this time we also went to the beach for the weekend, which we agreed to have a cheat meal...but rather we turned it into a cheat weekend. So here we are....2 weeks out from the last post...and we are back on track. Back to exercising. I was up a pound after 2 weeks...and Ned down 1 1/2 pounds. So we'll just keep trucking along. Hopefully I'll see some good results next weekend.

Lookin' Good

Well...we are looking pretty good....don't you think? In this picture we were ready for Caitlyn's 13th Birthday Party at Ruby Tuesday's. She had a wonderful party. We did good with getting a salad bar and some chicken white bean chili that is pretty tasty. We had literally one bite of an ice cream cake...ohh...and I did spoil myself with a mojito. :)

So...if you are wondering...last week was water weight I'm guessing...because I lost 6 1/2 lbs this week. YEAH for me! Ned did awesome once again for another 3 lbs. He is so consistent. Grand totals..........31 1/2 for me, and 37 1/2 for Ned. We are doing so AWESOME!

Next weekend we, as in Ned and I, are heading to the beach for the weekend. It will be nice to relax together for 3 days. :) Ohh...but we will still be exercising.....walking on the beach or around the neighborhood...and we will of course be eating right.

I find it interesting that I can now take the girls into Cold Stone and order them something and NOT walk out with my own "Gotta Have It" ice cream concoction. Just another lifestyle change to add to the list. :)

Wrong Way & the Right Way

Down 3 and up 2 1/2. One in the right direction....one in the wrong direction. And sadly enough...I'm the one in the wrong direction. :( I was very disappointed. Especially because it was not something that I had expected. I didn't have one treat all week...and I worked out 4 days. Hmmm. I don't know...maybe just some water retention...but still disappointing.

But on the brighter side...Ned lost 3 lbs. Yeah for him. He's up to .... 34 1/2. He is awesome! Often he states that he is feeling so much better and that he can do so much more than he could before we started.

And even on a brighter side...we had a wonderful Easter weekend. Saturday we went out to Robert's house, who is Ned's brother, for an Easter Egg Hunt. I met all but one of his siblings. Everyone was very nice to me and they all made me feel comfortable. :) Thank you Fenimore's. Then on Sunday we went to Natalie and Jason's for a brunch and easter egg hunt. We really had a fun weekend. :)

This weekend is Caitlyn's 13th Birthday. We have a sleepover planned. We do plan to exercise still. And we are going to Ruby Tuesdays on Sunday for dinner with the family. We'll keep on going.

New clothes for Ned :)

And the numbers just keep climbing. As in the pounds of weight lost! Another 2 for Ned, and 2 1/2 for me. Yeah for us!!! Still on track. Which for me...is really amazing. This is the longest I've kept at it, and I can thank Ned for that. It is so wonderful having someone encourage you every step of the way because they are on the same road as you.

Recently we have had a lot of fun shopping. Ned purchased some new stuff this weekend. He got some new shirts...and a couple pairs of jeans. He looks GREAT in them :) It sure is nice to fit into a size or two smaller. It's an amazing feeling. We just keep looking better and better. I can see that our pocketbooks might be getting smaller too. hehehehe.

We're still getting through challenges of eating out...but we are making good choices. McMenamins has an amazing salad, there's always Panda Express, we do baked chicken a lot, along with taco's, and some occasional steak. We do have some big things ahead...with an Easter Egg Hunt with Ned's family with lots of desserts...and it's March...with still 2 birthdays to go. Wish us luck.

New clothes for me :)

Another good week as far as exercise goes. We got in 5 days this week...one of those included the Greenway again...all 6 miles of it. Needless to say, we were pretty sore. However, Saturday after walking we went to the mall to look around. I decided to try on an outfit in "Torrid" and found a cute little number that I was down a size in. I was thrilled...and Ned thought I looked so great in it, that he bought it for me along with another shirt. I certainly was spoiled. (I have to admit, I absolutely loved it!)

As for the weight loss...Ned is down another pound, and myself another 3. That is 30 total for him, and 25 for me. 55 lbs together. That is like an entire Sara.lol

We have been on track for a full 2 months now...and we've done so well at keeping at it...that we have had very good results. :) We are happy....and we will keep on...keepin on. Here's a picture of the hot outfit Ned bought for me, with us 55lbs lighter. (Mind you...Ned could not wear those pants 2 months ago...and I would not have fit in my outfit either) YEAH for us :)

Great weekend

We not only had a great week....but another great weekend. We keep getting over another hurdle all the time. This weekend we went to see the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl". We saw it at Cinetopia...the best theater ever. :) We got to sit in comfy leather seats that rocked and had extra leg room. We were both good...we didn't buy any popcorn...but rather bought 2 bottled waters. Can you say lifestyle change :) We then went out to dinner with my Mom and Ron to Applebees. We both enjoyed a low-cal dinner, myself a shrimp and spinach salad, and Ned a steak off their Weight Watchers menu....ohhh...and I also had a glass of Merlot...yummy. :)

Today we worked out...grocery shopped...and cleaned up the house. We stopped at Safeway to pick up prescriptions, and they had free cholesterol and blood pressure screening. Ned's cholesterol is an amazing 107....YES total 107. WOWZERS!!!! Mine was 199, but I've never had mine checked....who knows what it was before I started losing weight.

Oh....did I forget to mention that we weighed in........drum roll please....\/ \/ \/ \/ Ned lost another 4 lbs geeeeez, and I lost another 3. Grand total for me....22, and Ned...29. YES that is right we have lost a total of 51lbs. YES...that's right! 51 lbs lighter in this household :)

We are THRILLED.

Still on track :)

And the results are in.............down...down...down. :) Ned is down another 7 (ahhhhh) and I'm down 3 1/2. So that is a total of 44lbs lighter between the two of us.
Looks like it sure paid off to keep eating right even while we were sick. We got back to the gym today...and surprisingly enough...we did great. We worked hard and didn't even cough or anything.
We are both feeling really good with this lifestyle change. Let's keep up all the good work :)

Sicky

We've been sick all week. We worked out last Sunday and Monday...but not since. We've both had coughs and colds all week that have prevented us from doing much of anything. Of course this happened on the most beautiful week of weather. We did manage to get out a little in the sunshine and do a little photography up by the Lewis River.

We did go out to dinner with Ned's niece Velvadene and her family. We went to Newport Bay and we did very well with staying on our diet. That is one thing that I can commend us for doing this week...even though we were sick...we kept up on the eating good portion of our diet :)

5 times a week

Well...here we are at the end of our 5th week now...getting ready to start our 6th. :) This week we managed to do 5 days of cardio :) One of those days we went to the Salmon Creek Greenway and walked 6 miles at the good pace of 4.0mph. (Faster than we walk at the gym) It was a great workout...and we were really sore the rest of the day.

We've kept on a good track....Ned down 18 and myself down 15.5. We are continuing on this journey with a good outlook.

We went to the mall yesterday to look around. It's the 3rd or 4th time we've been there and haven't gotten any See's candy......that's remarkable in itself. I did get to sit and enjoy a pedicure for 45 minutes...and believe me...it was wonderful after that 6 mile walk.

So another week down....another one ahead. And collectively we are 33.5 lbs lighter. :)

4 weeks down :)

"They" say that it takes 21 days of doing something to make it a habit. So does that mean that working out is a habit now? We are going on our 5th week now. We have consistently done 4-5 days a week of cardio. We always do at least 45 min and often do a little more.

I feel myself getting a touch of a cold. I sure hope that it does not slow me down. We really are doing quite well. Ned has lost 15 1/2 lbs and I have lost 13 lbs. I'd say that is pretty good for a month. We both feel remarkably better. We sleep soundly and feel like we are doing better in our everyday lives. It's easier to do some things and we find that our energy is up. What a great new habit we have formed :)

Feeling ohhhhh so gooood!!!

It's been one of those days where I have felt incredibly good. Work went well and we even went and worked out after I got home. We did some cardio followed by some weights. We actually both felt like we could go another hour if we wanted. It was one of those nights where I was working hard...but my body felt like it could totally handle it. It felt really great....and I'm still feeling awesome. I hope that I keep having days like today. I feel so empowered...mind, body, and soul. Today...I feel like I can do anything. :) We have a busy weekend ahead...and even Superbowl on Sunday. We've planned a pretty healthy party at my mom's house. It should be lots of fun. Today has sure been encouraging to me. I'm loving it. We are just shy of 4 weeks of working out. Lets keep up the dedication :)

No chocolate makes one grumpy

Does it really? Probably not....just one of those evenings. Right now I'm missing a See's butterscotch square. I would give just about anything to have one right now. Perhaps it would change my attitude. Not likely. The mall closes in about 10min....Do you think I have time? Yeah...probably not! Oh well. One can wish.

Well...Ned and I have been working out 4 times a week since we joined LA Fitness three and a half weeks ago. We are eating so much better and drinking water and exercising. We really are on quite a roll right now. We are pretty motivated and we do a good job of encouraging the other. It is so nice to have someone walk beside you.

(If you were wondering...I didn't go to the mall...No Sees for me tonight.lol)

We did go to our one free training session last night at the club. We both learned several things and we compared notes afterward. We didn't sign up for the personal training because it costs like a bazillion dollars, but we still are completely motivated to reach our goals.

The Beginning

I've been trying to decide whether or not to blog this weight loss experience. I have gone back and forth many times...but today decided that at the end of this long road...it would be nice to look back and see the path that got me to my goal. So as I said above...this is the beginning.