A very, very, very good day.

I have good news and then I have GREAT news. The good news is that I'm down 1.8 pounds this week for a total weight loss of 29.6 pounds. Woohoo! I'm excited, but I totally expected it. I walked 3 days this week, I stayed on program by eating healthy and recording everything I put in my mouth, AND I watched all my portions. It's a good thing.

However, the GREAT news is that I went shopping today at Lane Bryant -- the fat girl store. I'm embarrassed to say that right before I started Weight Watchers, I bought a pair of jeans there that were size 26/28 (FYI, they don't make them any bigger than that). I was mortified to be buying that size and I can honestly say that it was one of the things that drove me to my first Weight Watchers meetings. Since I've been on the program, I can't wear those jeans -- they don't even stay up on my hips anymore. AND, the couple of pairs of size 24 jeans I have from last summer are also reallly big -- they stay on, but I can slide them off without unbuttoning or unzipping them. So I went to Lane Bryant today thinking that I needed to buy a pair of size 22s.

Well. Guess what size I walked out with???

Ha!!! I'm now the proud owner of size TWENTY jeans. Can you believe it????????

I haven't been a size 20 since my wedding day -- we're talking the year 2004.

So of course, I'm totally tearing up in the dressing room -- my poor son was wierded out that his mommy was crying while trying on pants. But this is bigger than any weight loss I've had to date. Seriously.

And the best part is that I bought size 18/20 shirts to go with those jeans!

So YAY me!!!!! And YAY for Weight Watchers!!!!! I can't wait for the day when I can say good-bye forever to the fat girl store. Woohoo!!!!!

Week of milestones ...

Before I start, I'll just admit now that I gained 0.6 pounds. I'm not upset about it though because I did everything right this week. In fact, I journaled all my food, I ate all the right things in the right amounts, and I walked 2 miles three times this week. I think I gained because my body is adjusting to the new exercise routine (walking in the morning), and because I ate more whole foods and less junk than I normally do. I think that next week, the scale will reflect all my hard work this past week. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing.

The milestones I want to brag about tonight are non-scale milestones. The first one is that I'm WALKING. I'm getting up and moving -- and I'm really, really enjoying it. As a mother of two toddlers, it's next to impossible to get some time alone with your own thoughts. But by walking every morning by myself, I'm getting a good 45 minutes to think clearly and get my day started. As a result, I have more energy and I can focus better during the day. I feel like my attitude is so much better, too!

The second milestone is that I'm taking control of cooking in the house. Don't faint dead away! Despite my limited culinary experience (we're talking soup and toast, people), the meals I've learned to make are actually pretty good! Most of the recipes I'm using are from Weight Watchers, so they are low calorie and fit well into my new lifestyle that I'm trying to create. I'm happy to report that my kids are enjoying the food, and that my husband usually requests second helpings! I'm actually relieved that my family is embracing this new lifestyle as well. I've always worried that because I'm overweight and my husband is overweight that our kids will eventually go down that same path. That fear is lessening now that we are ALL eating healthier and I hope that by introducing new and healthier foods to the kids at such a young age, they'll be less vulnerable to the mistakes I've made in my life.

The third milestone is that I'm getting so much better at planning. I actually planned our entire week's worth of dinners today AND made a grocery list so that I can pick up all the food tomorrow. I'm very proud of myself.

So, despite the weight gain this week, there are a lot of positives going on. I feel like I've hit another groove in this healthy lifestyle I'm trying to create for me and my family, and it feels great. Regardless, I'm crossing my fingers that next week's weigh-in is a big loss ... wouldn't that be so nice?

Time to get moving!

Well, I did it. I started a regular walking routine today. I'm very proud to say that it's a little over 2 miles (can you believe it??) and I'm getting up at least 3 days a week (to start) at 6am to do it. This morning, it took me about 45 minutes to do the whole walk. Not exactly Jackie Joyner speed, but I'll take it! Haha!

I'm wierdly excited about this phase in my weight loss journey. I feel like I've got the eating and portion thing under semi-control, and so now I can concentrate on bringing a little more consistent activity into my life.

I learned today that walking is very freeing. There's just something to be said about being outside alone with your own thoughts, doing something that comes naturally to you. And after my walk, I felt alert and full of energy -- in fact, my poor 3yo son was very confused when his mommy came strolling into the bedroom at 7am when it's HIM that typically wakes ME up!

Anyway, I'm going to stick with this routine for a little bit and see where it takes me -- I'll increase my distance whenever I feel ready. When I see some progress, and/or when the weather gets too cold for walking, I'll look into joining a gym or getting a trainer. Bur for now, this is working -- and it's free! -- and I'm a very happy girl!

Today, there is 10% LESS of me!!!!

I'm beside myself with excitement! I lost 2.8 lbs this week for a total loss of 28.4 pounds. That's TEN PERCENT of me GONE! This was a huge goal for me. HUGE.

Can you see me doing a happy dance right now?? Can you? Woohoo!!!!! I feel great! I feel lighter! I feel like I can do this for the rest of my life! YAY!

Okay, okay. Lemme calm down and reflect how I got here. Here's what I did right this week. I drank all my water (at least 48ozs per day), I got in all my healthy foods (milk, fruits/veggies, and protein) each day. I wrote down every single thing I put in my mouth -- even if I didn't want to (like the 2nd skinny cow ice cream I ate, and the handful of Doritos I just had to have).

I'm so proud of myself.

I need to bottle this feeling and remember it the next time I feel myself taking a step backward. I need to remember how good it feels to accomplish something that I thought I'd never be able to accomplish. I can do this. No. Scratch that. I'm DOING this.

=) Happiness.

Another step back, but it's okay.

I gained a pound over the last two weeks. I didn't weigh-in last week because I was vacationing in Disney World with the husband and kids, so this gain is over a two week period. I didn't track what I ate at all even though I tried to eat mostly fish entrees and lots of fruits and veggies. I also didn't drink enough water for how hot it was, and I'm sure the sodium in the prepared meals we ate was probably pretty high. I did, however, walk EVERYWHERE during the eight days we were on vacation. And I was successful at not eating any of my trigger foods (cotton candy, churros, chocolate, etc). In fact, I missed some meals altogether -- which probably didn't help with the scale because everyone knows you have to eat to lose weight.

This week, I'm back on track AGAIN. I'm getting in all my water, I'm writing down everything I eat, and I'm getting in at least 30 minutes of activity every day. I feel in control now that I'm back into my routine at home, and in familiar surroundings with my own food. And while I'm not particularly happy about the one pound gain, this is not the worst thing that can happen. I mean, if I lost that pound before, I can lose it again! Haha!