Thanksgiving and Winter Weight Gain

How many of you are completely freaked out about the extra pudge that seems to be hanging out around our mid-section?

I have to admit I think that I may be going soft from being sick for as long as I have been. Man- when I get hit with something, it really takes me out for a LONG time. Having our anniversary, my 27th birthday, and NOW Thanksgiving I think my body is going to just explode in revulsion.

So I think I'm going to make a challenge for myself and all of you to see if we can not GAIN 5 pounds this weekend!

I challenge all of us to eat through out the day* of Thanksgiving. I challenge all of us to have normal portion sizes with all the yummy fatty goodness. I also challenge... wait for it... for all of us to have only ONE desert.

YUP! I went there! ;) Only one small slice of pie y'all. Do you think you can do it? Well, I'm going to try really hard to because I've had enough chocolate in these last two weeks to feed an army battalion. UGH. Talk about a gross feeling.

So I leave you to your holiday bliss feeling a little scared. But I know we can all do it! It's for our health after all. And to make myself feel a little better about the last two weeks I'm going to go work out with my huge bouncy ball right now.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

*Eating through out the day will help keep your metabolism up. If you don't eat all day then pig out for the big meal your body has a bigger chance of wanting to hold on to all the extra fat. Not only that, what usually happens when we eat too much? We go to sleep. Lets make this year a little different from the rest of them!

Teeth Ripping- Ear Pinching- Kind of Week...

What on earth is a teeth ripping, ear pinching, kind of week? Well, let me educate you! It's a week that's filled with silence. Nothing but the high pitched ring of ones conscience to accompany you as you sit... and... stare.

This my friends is only a fraction of what has been going on in MY life in the past week. I hear... a pitched ring in my right ear. That's it. On top of that? It feels as if a dentist is trying to rip my upper right teeth straight out of my head. Oh- and more? A constant headache above and around my eyes.

I think I just shoved a fork in my eye.

Hmmm... nope. I can still see. It's just the S.I.L.E.N.C.E. that is DRIVING me insane!

But never fear. I'm on antibiotics and... ... ... ... vicoden.

Well, I actually haven't taken the vicoden for the last couple of days because it's a high dosage and I can't function or take care of my children on it. Instead tylenol and IB profien have been my friend. Sadly though, I'm actually dreaming of working out. I miss ab class too. I'm starting to feel soft, but because of the ear and sinus infection I'm sure my equilibrium will be completely off.

Plus. With my luck I'm pretty sure I'll bend over and burst my ear drum and have a nice yellow liquid drip down my face. *GAG*

Yah. That WOULD be my luck, wouldn't it?

The Best Part...

What's the best part about losing weight to you? Really... I want to know. I need some new motivators. :)

So far for me it's buying new clothes in NEW sizes!!! I finally broke down and bought new underwear (again!), new jeans, and a new jacket! I was soo excited! I even cried a little in the dressing room.

I started out in a size 24 jean. Now I'm a size 18! This is my prepregnancy pant size. I realize to most of you a size 18 is still fairly large, but for me it's actually a GOOD size! At my SKINNIEST I was only ever between a 12/14! Do you realize what this means??? 2 more sizes to go and I am GOLDEN! :)

I also went down two sizes in the... um... brazier? department as well! This was a moment to rejoice! I probably scared the lady in the stall next to me because I began jumping up and down while I attempted to muffle my shouts of joy. (I can't imagine that gave a very good impression...) But the ending result?!

A bomb looking mama! That's what!!

I also really love Winter/ Fall styles. I love the colors and LOVE the cuddly bundle look. So yes, my figure is hidden... but I know that it looks better underneath! :)

ps. That's my man of five years in the two-shot. Isn't he cute? :)

A Large Scale Mistake...

He stepped on. He stepped off. He stepped on... and then he stepped off. The third time he stepped on he heard a crack and then a pop.

"OH GREAT!" he hollared across the apartment. And then there was a crash.

This dear friends is the conversation I heard between my husband and my scale last night. Can you guess what the commotion was all about? Well, if you guessed he had an amazing weight loss moment... you are WRONG.

Today is the day I have to say my final goodbyes to the enemy I've held dear to my heart for 5 years. Last night this companion suffered a horrible fate.

My scale was squished to death.

I don't really know how to feel at this time. I think that perhaps I am in the denial stage of grief. Please keep me and my flattened scale in your thoughts as you eat your wonderfully scrumptious treats today. Who knows, maybe it'll make you put that treat down. ;)
xoxo~me

ps. I did get your comment Grandma! It's now posted underneath the "Question and a Vow" blog. :)

Comment Response...

A comment from my Aunt Julie:

Nicole,you're doing terrific! Every body slows down some in the weight loss journey. But that doesn't mean anything other than the fact that we have a tendency to get a little lax in what we are doing ourselves. Yes, there is the metabolism factor, too. So don't give up on the exercise.

I had come to the conclusion that I would never be able to meet my goal weight again in my life. The one thing joining Weight Watchers has done for me is give me back that hope. Because every week I see others achieving remarkable successes. But one thing I've seen with WW is that we have to eat less with every ten pounds lost. It's only because the body requires less food. Thank heavens for all the yummy filling veggies - kick out of your rut and try veggies you've never tried before. Did you know yams can be eaten raw? Have you ever tried spaghetti squash with the tomato spaghetti sauce over the top? Veggies are our fill it up salvation!

I also think as we go into the winter months, our body thinks it has to go into hibernation. We hunker down indoors because it's just too cold to be outside, and we quit moving quite as much. That does not help one bit, either.

You are doing terrific and remember that cube of butter - the quarter pound lost is still a victory worth cheering over! I still have around 50 lb to go, too. Maybe we can help each other along on this great struggle!

*******************************************

You know what- I actually did not know that Aunt Julie. I BET that's what has slowed me down! I haven't adjusted my food/ caloric intake in months. I really like the spaghetti idea and I think I'd like to try it either tonight or tomorrow night. Yummm! When I first started doing this I ate yams or sweet potatoes every night. Then they just slowly started slipping out of my dinner plans.

And as to the hybernation- yah my body has definitly decided to hold on to the extra fat in all the awkward areas. Perhaps instead of doing at home work-outs as I have been doing I should pick up on my jogging again. The next triathlon season IS around the corner after all! :)

Thank you so much for your support and your comments. I find them very inspirational and love that we can help one another while fighting this internally physical battle! :)

Love Nikki

Questions and a Vow

I have many questions that have haunted my mind through out my life. Will I ever get married, will I have kids- if so how many, will I ever graduate with a degree, what will I do with my life and many many more. And like you, I find myself drowning in some of those questions.

Yesterday I was asked a question that kind of made me sad. I was asked if I still write in my blog. The reason this silly questioned saddened me is because it really has been awhile since I was consistent in my blog writing. Sometimes I feel if I don't have anything amazing to report then I shouldn't report. Perhaps that's why I'm feeling lost right now. Writing/ venting/ crying/ and laughing in my blog helps me make sense of my life and the obstacles losing weight has brought into it.

I told my friend that yes I still keep a blog but the weight loss journey has slowed down quite a bit. She laughed and told me that the closer I got to my goal the harder and slower it will become but to keep trucking along. When she said this I had an epiphony. I only have 50+ pounds left to go. That is AMAZING.

I started this struggle at 80 pounds overweight. I'm almost half way there friends. That is something to be celebrated and if some stranger would have told my story back to me I would congratulate them. I need to celebrate every loss, every moment of wisdom, and yes even every failure. It's through our failures and mistakes that we will actually learn and grow. If I never make a mistake, how can I grow from it?

So I make a vow. I vow to continue to write in my blog. I vow to bring humor and craziness into your lives if just for a moment. I vow to find beauty in my life if you all promise me something. You all have to make a vow as well. You have to vow to find beauty in yourselves, and in your lives as well. And if you have any great moments that you would like to share then please do! I love to read about other's ideas and struggles. It makes it real for me. It makes me feel as if we are helping one another, and I thrive on that.

So here's to us- all the beautiful men and women out there struggling with self-image and self-critisims. There's nothing in this World holding us back but ourselves.

Love Nikki

ps. Grandma you can write me a comment by clicking on view comments. There's a message box and when completed you can click on anonymous. There will be weird letters and numbers you'll have to verify but once you do that I will be able to see your comment. You won't see it until I do however. Does this make sense? Make sure you put your name though! haha! Or you can e-mail me at isnt_she_beautiful@hotmail.com . I love you- and am excited you found my blog!!!

Halloween is Evil...

Who created this stupidly enjoyable holiday anyway? Was it created to scare away ghosts and gobblins by dressing up our little monsters, or was it really created by parents who are just too broke to buy their own candy?

I have my suspicions.

So I cry to you Mr. Halloween- You are evil and the chocolate you have brought into my home is blessedly cursed. All the work I've done in the last week is wasted. Wasted I tell you! Is this the information that helps you thrive??? Well just to let you know, I rebelled a little this year. My son didn't want to put on his costume, and my daughter... well, she was a fairy.

So take that Halloween! I may eat my chocolate (and I just might enjoy it) but I did it knowing that I got you back. No ghosts or gobblins were scared by me this night. Oh no. The only thing scared by me this year was my husband. And that dear stupid holiday is all thanks to you. Thanks to you and your blessedly evil chocolate.

*sigh* I feel a hard couple of weeks coming up.

xoxo- Nikki -aka- cookie monster.

Ps. The picture to the right shows the effects of a night filled with chocolate. Sugar high's are not good to me...