Down 2

So, guess what. Back down 2 today. Seriously. Almost 3 weeks of up 2, down 2. Let's hope this is the time it will CONTINUE to move down!

Last night was a bit of a rough one.

About a week ago, Brooklyn came down with a bad cough and sore throat. All week, she has been just not feeling well. Some moments of the day she is up and running around and playing, then next thing you know she's laying on the couch.

Yesterday, around lunch time, I got a call from the school nurse saying Brooke was developing a rash on her arms. After talking with Brooke and the nurse, we decided it didn't look suspicious and she'd rub some calamine lotion on it and send her back to class.

Fast forward to last night, we had her jump in the shower as her spots were spreading, just in case she had something on her that was irritating her skin. We have not been using any new soaps, lotions, detergent, etc. No new foods, nothing.

So Brooklyn jumps out of the shower and all of a sudden she has them on her face, legs, belly, they are EVERYWHERE. So we decided to take her to the ER. We hate the ER, it is slow, full of germs, can't stand it. However of course this happens when the clinic is closed, and the ER is our ONLY option, unless we want to try to tough it out.

So to the ER we go. After a strep test, and hours of waiting we are told she has tonsilitis and brochial infection. Rash is still unidentified.

We decided after very few hours of sleep, that Brooklyn was going to get a sick day. I think she earned it.

So now, fast forward to today. Her rash is WAY worse. Being the paranoid parent that I am, I made Ryan get her in to the normal clinic. I'm not sure if she developed an allergy, or if it's due to her sickness, but it leads to one worried momma and daddy!

Hopefully the doctor will know a little bit more. The PA last night said that her tonsils and glands are very swollen, which is probably due to her body trying to fight off the infection. She is on an antibiotic now, but the rash is what worries me, and the poor thing can't sleep at night because she coughs SO much.

So anyways, hopefully spring actually decides to come soon so we can get rid of all these germs!

GrRrR!

Ugggg!!!!

So for the past couple weeks I have been frustrated!!!!! The scale will seriously go down 2 lbs, and then back up 2. Over and over. Just when I have hope that it's going back down, it goes back up.

I'm about ready to shoot my scale. I know that this is truly a test for me. I know I can stick with it and the scale will HAVE to move eventually. I am not cheating, I have added in exercise this week. It has to move. Right!?

My frustration is that it's not like I have lost a lot of weight already in this journey and am comfortably sitting in a plateau. I have a big chunk left to lose still, and though I have lost 12-14 lbs (depending on the day) I am in the beginning steps and need to be motivated by the scale and rewarded for my hard work and effort. I am scared that if it continues to do this I will quit.

So I am praying hard for the scale to show me a victory. In non-scale news my previously t.i.g.h.t. pants are now fitting VERY comfortably, if not even loose. But let's face it. I'm a numbers person. Numbers don't lie. SHOW ME THE NUMBERS!!

My Refocus Monday

Today is a refocus day. This weekend was a bit hard. I had a migraine, it was cold and snowy, and let's just face it. Weekends suck for diets.

I didn't jump off the deep end, but I didn't make good choices either. One bad choice I made? Making a batch of key lime cookies. Fail. They were delicious. But I told Ryan they better be gone by the time I get home.

This week is my time to focus on exercise, and eating all of my PointsPlus for WW. The past two weeks I have been trying to eat as few points as possible in hopes to lose more weight and the scale has been at a standstill...so I'll try focusing on eating all of my PointsPlus, but adding in activity.

I also bought a activity tracker that tracks your activity from WW. It gives you a baseline amount of activity you should get during the day and then lets you set goals for yourself. The fun thing is that it also tells you how many activity points you earn based on how much exercise you got throughout the day. I have read several reviews and read blogs where people use the tracker and really enjoy it. Also, I am more likely to get up an moving if I have a goal to reach.

I would also like to mention that I hate spring this year. Normally it is one of my favorite times....this year it sucks! Today we had an inch of icy-slush to drive to work in, will it ever quit!?

Dear Winter, You have had your allowed time, now leave us alone. Sincerely, The Shaw's in Minnesota.

Onward and Downward....

I think the saying is "onward and upward" but to me, my goal is to go downward. ;)

The scale is still moving! (slowly, but still moving).

I haven't incorporated exercise the way I'd like yet, don't judge.

Ryan tells me when I start exercising I'll start losing faster, therefore I will stop complaining that I am losing so slow. He knows this because he has suffered through the pain and agony of depriving himself of all things delicious (I'm being dramatic) and has had to run 17 miles a day to drop a few pounds (again with the drama). Oh wait, we are talking about Ryan...the one who can eat a bag of cadbury mini eggs for breakfast, wash it down with a mountain dew, and then complain that his pants are too loose.

Okay, enough with the jealousy. I tried to convince myself that I could eat the same way Ryan eats, and well....we all know where that got me.

So onward and downward I will go. Slowly, yet surely I will make it happen.

In the mean time I will be taking advice from Ryan, the expert at weight loss. ;) Love you, Ryan. Yet, I hate your ability to consume buckets full of wonderful food and still look dang good in your jeans.

It's a Good Day!

We finally got our "50" degree's yesterday, although I'd have to say it was a chilly 50* with the wind and clouds! But snow is melting like crazy which means that green grass is on it's way!

The scale was good to me today, and finally was down after my Easter munching. This alone gives me a little pep in my step! I have learned my lesson on losing focus for 3 days! I know that everyone needs a little sanity day every now and then of not counting points and calories...but 3 days is too much for my body, it doesn't like that!

My goal is to make it until my birthday (end of MAY!) without allowing myself a non tracking day again. Although I never go crazy on my non tracking days, I still tend to do more mindless munching and eat saltier foods than I normally would. So that is my goal, and I'm ready for the challenge to myself!

I also want to add in more exercise. I've been just okay at adding in exercise. So I need to get better. I was able to jog for 3 - 15 minute intervals (very, VERY slow intervals), so that makes me feel good...now to just slowly work on distance and then speed.

I know that I should get in all of the exercise I can now to make it more of a habit, because soon Ryan will be back to work and my days will be MUCH busier. (sad....)

I need to get better about posting pictures on here, but to be honest I don't have much patience for that. So I'll put that as a goal for this month also.

Not Too Bad

That heading up there is how I feel today....it could be worse. I went completely off track for 3 days. No exercising (besides walking), not planned eating, sweets, it could have been worse. But I realize that and am jumping on the bandwagon, again.

On Friday I was down a total of 12 lbs, then after the weekend....it's only 9 lbs. I gained 3 lbs, although I'm sure much is due to water as most the food I consumed this weekend was sal-ty! I need to know that I can have these types of weekends though and then turn it around and get back on track....I know my eating is not going to be perfect all of the time, but as long as I turn it around, that's a step right?

So today is a new day. Looking back, do I wish I wouldn't have gone off track for 3 days? Of course. But could it have been worse? Yup. And I probably ate better than I normally would have (i.e. I didn't have 3 plate fulls on Easter, instead 1 was plenty!)

So here we go again! And I will succeed! I want it this time, and I will reach it!