Back in July I wrote: “since I started posting about my weight loss journey, I have been followed by just about every keto diet page, healthy living page, eat better/workout more page and such. This irks me for some reason. I post my stuff here to keep myself accountable. On the weeks I gain weight I will post that, too. This is my journey – if you are here to cheer my on, fine. If you are just here to sell your products, you may unfollow me at any time. I don’t plan on following you back.”
These follows continue, and I keep deleting them. I am doing things my way and am not interested in the content of these pages. On occasion, I will get a follow where the page doesn’t even exist, however that works. It’s weird.
At any rate, after staying at the same weight last week, I racked up a 4 pound weight loss this week. This brings my total weight loss to 45 pounds. I am very happy to see the weight coming off, although now I need to start thinking about getting some new clothes. My scrubs are falling off me at work and I put on jeans this weekend and really had to tighten the belt.
I don’t want to get too crazy with a new wardrobe yet, as I still have more weight to lose. I think it is safe to say I at least need a new pair of jeans and a couple of shirts.
I wish I had gotten a good “before” picture. I never think to do something like that. Even though I am seeing the results with clothes, I really hadn’t started to notice it elsewhere until I shaved today. I can kind of see my face is a little thinner. It’s a good feeling.
The journey continues and I will, as Paul says in his book to the Philippians, “keep pressing toward the mark.”
Today, I began my 16th week on Weight Watchers. When I weighed in this morning, I was happy to see that I had hit a major milestone. This week I lost a whopping 5 pounds taking my total weight loss to 41 pounds!
I hope to eventually get past some of the stress related things thrown at me this week and celebrate. Thanks to all those who have supported me in my weight loss journey. There is still a long way to go, and I will get there.
Tuesday is “weigh in” day for me. I sort of have a ritual when it comes to weighing in.
As soon as I get up, I use the restroom. I take off my watch, take off my shirt, and weigh in in nothing but my boxers. My apologies for the detail, however, I feel that this gives me an accurate weight every time.
Today, I can do all my stuff through the Weight Watchers App. Back in the day, however, I used to go to a Weight Watchers site. There would be a meeting usually, but you always weighed in beforehand. I learned quickly that you are lightest in the morning. I always went to the earliest meeting I could get.
I also had a “weigh in” outfit. Yes, I wore it for every weigh in – until it didn’t fit anymore. To me, if I wore the same thing to the meeting and weighed in about the same time every week, the results would be more accurately measurable.
After staying the same last week, this week the scale showed I had lost 3 pounds. In 12 weeks, I am down 33 pounds! Actually I’m down about 33 1/3 (hence the silly record player picture above), but I was never keen on counting “half pounds” or fractions of a pound. At any rate, it truly is a great feeling!
Sam said that she can tell I have lost some weight. I can never really tell by looking at myself. However, last week when I went to the funeral home to pay my respects to my Godmother, I was able to fit into a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt that were both very tight 6-12 months ago! This is progress!!
Sam is also losing weight, too and looks amazing. We were both saying that we’re probably going to have to go buy some new clothes soon – and we are totally ok with that!
Things will get more difficult once winter arrives. I love my walks around the neighborhood with the kids, and that gives me 30 minutes of activity. I’m sure I am not going to take the kids out in the snow to walk. I will continue to take advantage of the weather and figure out how to get that activity when I am closed up indoors. I’m hoping to hit the 40 pound mark before then.
Sometimes, you have to MAKE time. That is what I did the last time my boss asked for all of our “time off requests.” I chose one day a month and took it off to be sure that my wife and I get some “us” time. Last Friday, was the first of those days.
By the end of Wednesday night, I was ready to have that day off! Wednesday was a real mess. Everybody had really difficult patients. It was like someone deliberately put all of them on the same night to create the “Perfect Crapstorm!” I could hear Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock’s fantastic line, “What is your contingency plan for a crapstorm of this magnitude?” running through my head all night.
Thursday, I came home and was able to get some sleep. I was up at my normal time, and about to get ready for work when I received a text message that there were patients who cancelled and it was my turn to stay home. I cannot even begin to tell you how overjoyed I was to have a bonus night off!
I told my wife that after dinner, we were going to get ice cream! It certainly was not on my diet, but all that mattered was that I was going to have the night with the family. We all packed into the car and went to a local ice cream place about 8 miles from us. I tried to get a family picture while we were there, but neither of the kids knew we were taking the picture …
It was a perfect night. It wasn’t too hot, but there was plenty of sunshine. One of the best moments of the evening was watching Ella willingly share her ice cream with Andrew. It was so sweet to watch.
Then came Friday. Knowing that we were planning on having dinner out somewhere, Sam and I began to discuss where to go to eat. Why is trying to decide where to eat such a chore for couples? It’s crazy. Sam said she’d be happy going to Applebee’s, which I really didn’t want to do. So we looked at the internet and our “lists.” We have a list of places that we would love to try and a list of places that we like. We decided to stay close to home and go to one of our favorite Mexican places.
Prior to us dating, we used to go to this place with one of our teachers. The food is excellent. Once we began dating, we’d go there often. Now, there is one close to our house and we eat there frequently. We dropped the kids off at Sam’s sister’s house and we went to the restaurant that was close to the college.
They brought us their homemade chips and salsa, which is something I should have avoided because of how many points the chips are on Weight Watchers, but I didn’t. Instead, I made the healthy choice of avoiding the chimichangas I usually order, and opted for the chicken fajita, which is basically all free. I ate loads of veggies and chicken. I avoided the tortilla shells and the sour cream. It was delicious.
I also did something I hadn’t done in some time – I had a beer. I made sure to get a light beer and I counted the points for it. While I enjoyed it, I realized that I really have not missed it. There was a time where I was drinking beer almost every night. It was emotionally driven and brought on by stress. Today, I don’t feel the need to drink at all. I’m happy with my coffee or water.
After dinner, Sam and I drove to Target and walked through the store. We were looking for a couple things, but mostly just browsing. We got a few ideas for the kids for Christmas and enjoyed just walking – with no real hurry to get stuff done. It was wonderful.
The time together was much needed. It was a perfect evening. Driving home to get the kids, we talked, held hands and just enjoyed “us.” I am already looking forward to next month’s date day!!
It’s been a crazy past few days. On Friday, we took Andrew to the ENT to discuss the results of his sleep study. He has severe sleep apnea. Usually, this means that the tonsils or the adenoids need to come out to open up the airway. The doc took a look at his and said his tonsils were not too big and he didn’t think his adenoids were a problem either. So he did a scope in the office to look further.
The scope showed that he has laryngomalacia. This is something we are seeing more and more of in the sleep lab. Basically, there is extra tissue in the larynx.
This explains why his sleep is so crappy!! When he falls asleep, that floppy tissue blocks the airway.
Lateral view of child’s face showing blocked air flow caused by laryngomalacia.
So it looks like he will have some surgery to correct this in the near future. It will also mean 24-48 hours in the hospital. This will not be fun at all, as he loves to be on the go. I’m sure sitting in a room all day is not going to be pleasant at all! We are waiting on the hospital to call and schedule the surgery.
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My Godmother/cousin recently had a stroke. She is currently in hospice. I was able to see her over the weekend to say goodbye. It is never an easy thing to do. There were many people in the room, so I kept it pretty simple.
I’m not sure if it is just in Italian families or what, but at some point there was a stretch of years where certain members of the family didn’t speak to each other. I have no idea what it was about but I am sure that it was just stupid. Life is too short to lose that much time. This hits home a lot with my Godmother.
For years, I didn’t see her because of an argument that I wasn’t even a part of! Shortly after my grandmother passed away, my dad began to reach out to cousins that we hadn’t talk to. Thankfully, the peace was restored and I was reunited with my cousins.
I remember seeing her for the first time in forever and just hugging on her! I was so happy to see her. We spent a long time catching up. So many years lost to ridiculousness. So many things we both missed out on.
I am kicking myself because a week before, I was thinking about her and meant to call her and catch up. I never did. I regret that. I am grateful to have had a moment with her this weekend to tell her how much I love her.
My Godmother and me at Ella’s baby shower
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I’m not trying to make excuses, but I am an emotional eater. When I get stressed or worry – I snack. I made a lot of mistakes on my diet this week. I found myself grabbing goldfish crackers and “estimating” how many I had. We hadn’t gone grocery shopping, so almost all of the veggies were gone, so I snacked on crackers and stuff I shouldn’t have. I was completely ready to see a gain on the scale, but actually lost a pound this week. This brings my 10 week total weight loss to 30 pounds.
The heat and rain didn’t help much. It was hard to get my daily walks in last week.
30 pounds is progress and I am back on track. Sunday and Monday we got to go out and walk the neighborhood! Ella is making it a bit more difficult as she wants to walk instead of being in the stroller/wagon. He being out, does make it easy to get pictures, but she walks a LOT slower than I am used to.
A ray of morning sunshine
He puppy friend, Louie, was so excited to see her the other day he “ran” to the fence to say hello!
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I went to the store on Sunday and bought some new sand for Ella’s sandbox. We moved it to another part of the yard because where we had it, the sun beat down on it. We moved it to a shadier spot and both kids are playing in it. Andrew really doesn’t understand that the sand is not for eating … one would think that after the third time putting it in your mouth, you’d stop, right?!
The sandbox is just another example of how my kids will grow up to be best buddies. I love to watch them play together. I hope it stays warm for a while longer. I’m not sure just how they are going to handle being cooped up in the house all day in the winter.
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The range of emotions experienced this weekend was overwhelming. I’m hoping that things slow down and return to normal – whatever normal is!
I try to hold myself accountable as I continue my weight loss journey. I neglected to post this week’s weigh in results.
I really was not sure what to expect this week as I had a bad day where I went over the points I was allowed. I tried to counter that by walking an extra mile and a half the next day and really being aware of what I was eating the next day. It seemed to work as I was down 2 pounds this week. I have now lost 29 pounds.
As much as I would have loved to hit a 30 pound weight loss this week, I am going to continue to focus and get there next week. Little by little – pound by pound – I’m going to hit my goal!
This weekend certainly was one that left me emotionally drained. It also left me knowing that there are things that I need to do as well as some priorities that need shifting. Some things are just too important and changes need to be made. I have every intention of doing what needs to be done. That is all I really want to say about that.
Monday
The weather was perfect to be outside. I decided that I was going to take the kids to the zoo. We are members, so it was a free day for us. I packed a lunch and we got there when it opened at 10am. Both Sam and I thought it would be quiet for a Monday, but there were a few childcare places doing field trips there.
We didn’t let that spoil our fun. I think I sometimes go a bit crazy with picture taking, but I love to look back at them. I was so happy that both Ella and AJ sat still at the opening photo op of t he zoo.
We saw the penguins, the otter (who was extra busy that day), the monkeys, kangaroos, and a huge emu. We also saw a wolf, chickens, an owl, alpacas, and a bunch of crazy prairie dogs. One of the first things Ella wants to do is ride the train. We’re members, so we can ride as many times as we want. I think we rode the train five times Monday! During on of those ride, I was able to grab my favorite picture of the day:
Look at the joy on their faces! What a wonderful picture!!
I realize that at 52 years of age, when people see me with my kids, they may assume that I am grandpa. So I chose to go to the zoo with my Bandit from Bluey “Dad” shirt on. I’m sure when I left the house, my wife probably thought I looked ridiculous, but that’s ok. When we got off of one of the train rides, a mom came over and said she loved my shirt.
Mines black – not grey
About 11:30, we found some tables by the carousel, which we were going to ride next. Mom packed a PBJ sandwich for Ella, a PB sandwich for AJ, some goldfish crackers, bananas, apple sauce pouches, and something to drink. It was fun to just sit and eat with the kids. AJ was in my lap and I think I wound up wearing more of his lunch than he actually ate! There were also plenty of crackers on the ground for the birds to eat after he was done.
A couple rides on the carousel, another train ride, back to the carousel and we were getting close to nap time. I told Ella we had to pack up to get ready to go. She wanted to go to the store. Sam and I had already said that we were not going to buy anything day, as we really hadn’t budgeted for it.
As we are walking through the gift shop, Ella picks up a small stuff wolf and says, “My wolf! Look Daddy, it’s my wolfie!” I told her that we’d have to get it next time and the melt down began. Urgh! I hate making her cry. I told her she could carry it for a bit and then it would have to be put back.
When we set it down, she started to cry again. As we walked to the door, a nice older lady stopped us and handed Ella the wolf, saying that she couldn’t stand to see her cry. I told her that we couldn’t take it, but she insisted. It was a nice way to end our trip to the zoo.
Weigh In Day
Before I go on, let me say that since I started posting about my weight loss journey, I have been followed by just about every keto diet page, healthy living page, eat better workout more page and such. This urks me for some reason. I post my stuff here to keep myself accountable. On the weeks I gain weight I will post that, too. This is my journey – if you are here to cheer my on, fine. If you are just here to sell your products, you may unfollow me at any time. I don’t plan on following you back.
Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I am happy to say that the scale showed a 3 pound loss this week. After 8 weeks, I am down 27 pound thanks to Weight Watchers. I am very happy about that. It is nice to be under 300 pounds! I can’t wait to keep reaching milestones.
Eating right and getting a walk in every day has been helping. The heat made it a bit rough this week, and so did the rain. Getting in a mile or two every day is something I have come to enjoy a lot. I love being out with the kids in the stroller.
The last time I saw my doctor, I was supposed to have lost 10 pounds. I hadn’t and she kind of gave me a lecture about that. I was supposed to have joined Weight Watchers and because money was tight, I chose to wait. When I left that appointment, she told me to see her again and the 10 pounds had better be gone – or she’d yell at me again! I see her this week and can’t wait to show her the progress.
Maybe next week – I can hit the 30 pound mark?! We’ll see ….
I’m not perfect. I disappoint people. I hate when I do that. Sometimes I take things the wrong way or read a signal wrong. I hear something and it reminds me of my past life and I react to it that way, which is wrong. I am sorry for it, but you can only say sorry so many times.
I will pray that I can be better and hope that I disappoint less.
I know that is a downer way to start the blog, but that is why I am not in the mood to write. However, I wanted to keep myself accountable and post the results of my weigh in this week.
Good results this week as I was down 3 pounds. My total weight loss in 7 weeks is 24 pounds. I have a doctor appointment next week. She had given me 2 months to lose 10 pounds. I am glad that I will be able to come in with a bigger loss then she asked for.
I have more things to share, but that will be another day … or later ….
I just finished week 6 of Weight Watchers and weighed in to see that I hit a milestone.
I was down 4 pounds this week and that takes my total weight loss to 21 pounds!
I have certainly had opportunities to jump off the wagon since I started. It really hasn’t been difficult to make healthy choices. Tonight at work, they brought in all kinds of treats to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday. There was cheese, banana bread, cobbler, and more. I was content to grab some cantaloupe, watermelon, and pineapple to snack on.
21 pounds may not seems like much, but it really is! This week, Andrew turned 9 months old and he weighs 21 pounds! It’s crazy to think about it that way. That’s a pretty substantial amount of weight. The road to my goal is a long one, but I’m going to do what I have to do to be healthy for myself and my family.
I will continue to celebrate each little milestone on my way to the goal. I am so lucky to have the support of my wife and friends as I do this again. I appreciate those who have reached out to support this journey. I will keep pressing toward the mark …
Over the past 5 weeks, I’ve been on a journey to once again drop some weight. I began that journey on May 31st.
This past Tuesday marked my 5 week weigh-in. I was happy to see a 3 pound weight loss which brings my total weight loss to 17 pounds. Slow and steady I stay focused and will keep pressing toward the mark.
It is my hope to once again be under 200 pounds. It has been a long time since I was there, but I know I can do it. My wife is extremely supportive and I have a couple co-workers who are also doing it, so we can support each other, too.
Both Sam and I were off on the 5th, so we decided to enjoy the nice day and we went out to the local pizza place. They have a patio and we ate outside.
Both of us got salads, and we got a pizza for the kids. It was a little past their normal dinner time, so we ordered an appetizer. They have this garlic cheese bread there and we figured we could get the kids started on that.
I have never had it before and it looked delicious. I had some extra points to play with, so I had a piece. The “bread loving Italian” in me kicked in quick. I savored every bite. It was SO good. I will do a few extra walks this week to hopefully work off that bread.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 