Been Some Months, Hasn't It?

Hi Everyone!

I know it's been a long time since my last post, but I kinda got away from it. It's January 1st and you know what that means... it's DIET TIME!

That's right! I'm a whopping 276 lbs. right now! I feel like that woman swimming in that picture, "Thar she blows!" It's disgusting. The one thing I said I would never become, I am. Ewww. So, this year, I'm taking a whole new approach. No more slimfast.

Honestly, I think slimfast is one of the worst products out there. It's made me who I am today. How, you ask? Sure it works great. You loose weight fast. You feel full. You don't get lethargic. BUT... Once you stop... You end up gaining double back what you lost. That has happened to me every single time. I loose five, I gain ten. I loose ten, I gain twenty. I loose twenty, I gain forty.

IT ENDS THIS YEAR!!! I've already cut down my meat intake considerably over the past year, so now, I'm going vegan. I found this WONDERFUL website that sells whole food products Whole Food Farmacy, and I'm doing their weight loss plan. The first 13 days is a liquithon detox. Then, after that, eating only whole foods. I think I'm going to do the liquithon, then the tri decathalon, and alternate. I've read such good things with this company. I'm excited!

In other news...
I start school on January 8th. I'm taking 2 classes, Photography 101 and Photographic Materials & Processing. I'm really excited about that, too!

Sooo, it looks like I'm starting off brand new in the new year. I'm off to a running start! I'll keep you posted on progress like I did before and maybe even post a couple of the pictures from class.
Till next time, "Keep your stick on the ice!"

Test... Test... Test...

This is a test... It is only a test... If you are not returned to your regularly scheduled webpage within fifteen seconds, the world is going to explode!

Photography & the Digital Age...

I want to know what it is about this "digital age" and photography!!! Can't anyone just take a picture and NOT digitally enhance it??? That really bugs the heck out of me. The whole point of photography is to create the image WITHIN the camera not in Photoshop!!!


Hey, I've decided to go back to school to do just that. I'm enrolling in the Spring in the photo-journalism program at DBCC so I can learn how to REALLY take pictures!!!

Hangin' Out!

Hi Ya'all...
Still not doing much these days except working.  I do have one new thing to report, though...

I'm a published photographer now! Yippee! I've had several of my photos published in the magazine I work for. Makes me grin...

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Hi again!
I just got back on Thursday from visiting my Mom, Dad and my son, Jake in North Carolina! I went there for his high school graduation. It was wonderful. I took lots of pictures. You can view the photo album at Yahoo Pictures. Here, you'll also be able to view all my other photo albums! I'm an avid amateur photographer.

I have no news to report on my diet, since I haven't weighed myself in a couple of weeks. I don't want to! LOL.

Till next time...
Micki

Week Seventeen!

Well, it's been a while. Sorry about that. I kinda lost the mood there for a few weeks. After I hit that 20 lb. goal, well, I... um... lets just say I've been celebrating. Not much else to report right now other than I haven't really lost any more weight. The good news is I haven't gained any either!

Sunday, May 28, 2006 Stats
252.5 lbs!!!
Total lost since my last post -.5 pounds!
Total overall loss -20.5 pounds!

Where I work, at The Digest of HOMES Mortgages & Properties®, they've started a "Weigh To Go" program. Each week, we pay a dollar and weigh in. Whoever lost the most that week (weekly percentage loss, not weekly loss) gets the pot! Well, there's only about 6 of us in the program, so if you win, you only get about $6.00, but hey, it's an accomplishment and an incentive! I joined as soon as they put up the sign-up sheet!

You know, I'd really like to hear from who's reading this. Drop me an email or reply to one of my posts sometime and say, "Hi!" I'd really like to hear from you!

Week Eleven!

Hi Ya'all...
I missed a week because... well... I was afraid I'd gained weight. I wasn't eating good at all. But, I've gotten back on track a bit. Still splurging, but not everyday.

This week's stats:

Saturday, April 15, 2006 Stats
253 lbs!!!
Total lost in 2 weeks -6 pounds!
Total overall loss -20 pounds!

Whhoooo Hooooo!!!!!!! I'm so excited! My first goal reached! Now... for another 20 by the time I go visit my Mom and Dad in NC. That's my next goal. I need to reach that by June 1st. Keep up the great support, friends!

Week Nine!

Saturday, March 18, 2006 Stats
259 lbs!!!

Total loss this week... 2.25 lbs!

Total Overall Loss... 14 lbs!

Hooray! Looks like I'm back on track again, folks! Scared myself there for a bit. I don't want to start gaining again. I still have so far to go, every little setback makes it take longer. November is going to get here before I know it!

Week Eight!

Saturday, March 18, 2006 Stats
261.25 lbs!!!
Total GAIN this week 3.25 pounds!
Total overall loss -11.75 pounds!

UGGGGHHHH! I gained weight! I gotta get back on track and stop fooling around. This is aweful! What a setback! Really. I'm going to get back in the groove right away! I can't let this gain keep growing.

Week Seven!

Saturday, March 18, 2006 Stats
258 lbs!!!
Total lost this week -.5 pounds!
Total overall loss -15 pounds!

Only a half a pound this week... hey, it's better than nothing! At least it's a loss and not a gain. I really was bad this week, too. I didn't eat right at all. (well, I ate right on Monday & Tuesday hehehe)

I didn't work out at all either. Working 7:30am to 7:00pm just wore me out. I got off early yesterday, but I was laaaazzzzyyyy all afternoon.

Week Six!

Hello Once Again!
I'm glad you're keeping up with me.

Saturday, March 11, 2006 Stats
258.5 lbs!!!
Total lost this week -2.5 pounds!
Total overall loss -14.5 pounds!

Doing pretty darn good, I think! Slow and steady. That's the way weight loss should be. The faster you lose it, the faster it comes back. So, overall, I'm really happy with my results so far.

This week, we got a new Total Gym. We used to have one, but Dwain torqued it out and bent one of the bars. So... we FINALLY got a replacement! Today is going to be my first workout on it. This new version has a pilates bar with it and I'm going to take a stab at doing the pilates workout. It seems simple enough from the video but I know... don't let that fool me! LOL

Catch ya next week! I'm off to tone up and trim down on our new gym!

Week Five!

Hi Ya'all!
Well, I missed a week, but I have a good excuse.... Really! I had the most aweful flu. I missed 4 days of work, and I didn't walk at all. I was in bed most of the time either with the chills or sweating out the recurring fever. Thank God that's all over!

The week before, which I didn't write a post for, I actually walked 4 miles during the week. Pretty good considering how I was so worried about our upcoming vacation. I've got to get back on track this week and pick it up again now that I'm better.

This week's stats:

Sunday, March 5, 2006 Stats
261 lbs!!!
Total lost this week -1 pounds!
Total overall loss -12 pounds!

Well, not a big loss. I didn't eat right when I was sick either. I didn't feel like even getting out of bed most of the time, so a lot of my meals were delivery. I'm happy I didn't gain anything from eating all that Pizza Hut!

Week Three!

I'm still here! I'm proud of myself. I'm still doing great!
Here's my stats for this week:

Saturday, February 18, 2006 Stats
262 lbs!!!
Total lost this week -3 pounds!
Total overall loss -11 pounds!

I'm 82 pounds from my goal!

Let me stress this again...

You can STILL enjoy stuff you love and stick to your diet! This week, I ate 3 Krispy Kreme donuts (Wednesday) and had a Firehouse sub(Friday)! The big thing is never give up. Always return to the plan and impliment some kind of exercise. Even if it's a little walk, it's something! I really enjoy food and I love my little weekly indulgences but I am firm not to let them overtake me.

What I have found I like doing is walking in my room. I use a Leslie Sansone DVD, Walk the Walk, once in a while, but most of the time, I just put some music on and start moving! I really love Marina's Podcast "High-NRG Fitness". She designs them specifically to work out to. (and I love her NY Jewish accent!)

Now, by no means have I been doing this regularly. I'm lucky if I work out once a week. I really need to do more. I'm just lazy. But... I've GOT to get motivated to do more or I'm really going to suffer in November when Dwain and I go on vacation. We're hitting 5 theme parks in 5 days! I'm going to be miserable unless I start to condition my body. HELP!

Week Two!

Seems to be going great! I've discovered that if I stick to my diet all week long, I can splurge a little once a week and not regret it so much. Like this week, I had meat ravioli from Sorrento's for Saturday night dinner then some nachos from 7-Eleven. Then, I went right back to my diet!

I say, "GOOD for ME!" I just have to remember, that a little indulgence is okay once in a while as long as I don't induldge every day.

Now... time for my stats...

Sunday, February 12, 2006 Stats

265 lbs!!!

Total lost this week -3 pounds!

Total overall loss -8 pounds!

Time for applause!

My diet this week consisted of:

• Breakfast: A Slimfast Optima Shake or Zone Perfect protein bar (180-210 cal.)
• Morning Snack: A medium Golden Delicious Apple (45 cal.)
• Lunch: A bowl of broccoli, calliflower & carrots (100 cal.)
  w/1 oz. of Velveta Light cheese (60 cal.)
• Afternoon: I chewed gum.
• Dinner: A Weight Watchers low-carb meal
  (most between 200 & 300 cal.)
  (sometimes w/1/2-cup of cooked rice - 95 cal.)
• Evening Snack: 1 bag of Pop Secret 100 cal. bag of popcorn (about every-other night)
• Tip: Eat like a diabetic. That means little or no starches.
  NO bread, NO potatos, NO pasta, etc. (if it's white, don't eat it!) If you must, whole wheat bread, brown rice or whole grain crackers are better alternatives but still should be avoided.

For next week, I'm planning the same menu except I changed the apple out for a nectarine and in the afternoon, I'm going to have a banana.

I still haven't started an exercise routine yet, but I did go for a power walk one day at lunchtime last week. I really need to do that 3 times a week, but I hate being outside when its hot out and so my walks are probably going to end once the warm weather comes back. (don't want to go back to work all sweaty and smelly!) I'll have to find an alternate form of exercise that I like doing just as well for the warm months. But I haven't found it yet. I am considering an Xiser Machine. I'd appreciate comments on that. I would also love to take up Nordic Walking, but again, that's an outdoor-in-the-heat sport. Eewww.

Anyways, tell me what you think... I'll listen!

Week One Stats

Well, here it is, folks! My first week's weigh in!
The week started off great, kept to my main idea of "diet" for a whole 3 days. I eased off a bit the rest of the week, but still tried to be sensible.

Yesterday and this morning though, I wasn't. I ate Panera's for lunch and dinner on Friday (cheese & broccoli soup in a bread bowl - I ate the WHOLE bowl! Then an aseago roast beef sandwich & chips for dinner) and McDonald's for breakfast (a "big breakfast" w/a hashbrown)!

I was really suprised when I got on that scale this afternoon.

Drumroll please.........

Saturday, February 4, 2006 Stats

268 LBS!!!!

Total loss -5 pounds!

Time for a little celebration - "Oh ya! Who's your mamma! Oh ya! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!" I gotta celebrate everytime I see that number on the scale go down. Makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere! Yippee!!!