The countdown is on

Yep, I'm still here.  And I'm still managing to lose weight somehow, even though I am still doing bad on my tracking and my exercise.  Luckily being a teacher does provide lots of exercise and I come home exhausted most nights from standing all day and running up and down the stairs.  But unfortunately I think my reasons for weight loss have more to do with stress right now then anything else. 

I know not a lot of people read this but I want to explain and maybe it will just make me feel better.  In order to finish my masters degree I have to do two sets of student teaching.  My first seven weeks was at a high school teaching business.  I absolutely loved it and wished it would not end.  I left there feeling on top of the world and could not wait to become a teacher.  Starting at the beginning of October I went to teach 6th grade math.  And it has been nothing but downhill since then. 

I won't go into too many specifics but the teacher I am with has basically made me feel like dirt.  After my first observation she said she doubted anyone would ever hire me and at the end of last week told me that some people either have it or they don't and I obviously didn't.  I seriously cry every day on the way home.  Sometimes I have to go to the bathroom and cry between classes.  A few times I've broken down in front of her while she is giving me her wonderful "pep" talks but somehow I feel like that is what she is trying to do and have tried to stop.  I went and talked to my college professor and my university supervisor and I think they've managed to make me see its all on her end and I shouldn't listen to what she is saying.  Apparently the first teacher I was with said I was her best student teacher ever so that has to count for something, right? 

I only have two more weeks of this to get through.  Tomorrow is easy, its Friday so we do testing.  Next week there is no students at the school Monday and Tuesday and she is out Thursday and Friday.  So only one day with her next week.  And then the last week I am only supposed to teach a few days and then start pulling back and letting her take the class back over.  Gladly!!!  After that I am graduated and can go find a job of my own.  And hope she hasn't made me doubt my ability to teach too much. 

Anyway...all that to say that I don't eat much at school because of my nerves.  And when I do get home its just one meal and then I'm so tired I head to bed.  So once this is all over with I will be able to blog more regularly, BUT I have a feeling I will really need to start watching my food and getting that exercise in. Especially with the holidays coming up.  But I am looking forward to it!  My little mini goal is to celebrate Christmas in the 170's.  I think it can be done! 

Still here plodding along!

You know, I was so excited about starting this blog but I really am NOT good at maintaining it.  How do people manage to post every single day when I can't even get one post up a week!  It's been two weeks since I last posted.  I really can't find the time to come here every couple of days and write a bit about what I've been doing?  I know I am busy but I so enjoy reading other people's blogs and really wanted this to be something more than it is.  I wanted new friendships and motivation and people to help me along this journey that understand where I am.  But obviously I am not going to get that posting once or twice a month...any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

That said I really have not been rocking my goals for Biz's Holiday Challenge either, but I have been trying and it is all I can ask for.  I have managed to not gain weight over the past two weeks and even managed to lose .6.  Not awe inspiring but without doing any tracking at all I am very pleased with that.  My schedule makes it very easy to not overeat during the day.  I am teaching 5 classes of 6th grade math and it is just non stop.  And they have to be taken everywhere so it is up and down stairs constantly.  I may not be making it to the gym, but I am certainly getting my exercise. 

I have five more weeks of this and then I can start looking for my own job teaching.  I am very excited about that.  The one good thing is that I technically can't teach until Jan 1 when my teaching certificate will be processed.  So from November 18th to then I will be off work and off school.  That is six weeks that I can completely focus on myself and getting healthy.  Right during the holiday season too so I am hoping that the lack of stress from work and school will help me to get through the holidays and come out the other side more in shape and weighing less! 

So while I can't say I have done wonderful on my goals (especially the tracking, which I have already got back to today!) I have at least done them part of the time and I am not disappointed in myself.  If I didn't have this challenge to lean on I could so easily be sitting here more out of shape and 14 pounds heavier instead of the opposite.  Hope everyone else is having a great challenge too, I'm off to make my rounds of the blog world. 

Finally finding my groove!

Well, so much for posting more often. That is definitely my number one goal this week! I even had a decent week to blog about and still didn't sit down here and update.

So I guess I need to back up a bit on my challenge results for last week . My first goal is to lose "something" each week. Last week my weigh in was 195.6 for a loss of 1.4. That works for me! I wanted to track my WW points five days, I only tracked 2. Still better than the zero I did the week before. I also wanted to exercise five days, I got four days in! Overall a very successful week to me.

Now this week (week 2) of the challenge. My weigh in was 192.6 for a loss of 3 pounds! Wow, wow, wow. That also gave me my little star for losing 5% of my weight. Those little stars make me so happy. My next goal for 10% is 184.5.  Seems so unreal I could be there soon after starting at 205. 

Sorry, digressing a bit.  Tracking was much better, I did five days out of seven.  So I'm getting better.  Working out...that's where I dropped the ball.  I didn't even get one day in.  So that is an area I really need to work on because I have big plans for next year in the fitness department.  And I have already started off this week on the right foot because I just got back from the gym.

I don't know why but I feel I've finally gotten into the groove again of eating well and exercising.  I just hope I can make it last through the holidays.  I want to start out 2012 a better me!  Good luck to everyone else on the challenge this week.  Looking forward to seeing how everyone is doing.   

New week - new me!

I really need to get better at posting regular updates.  Its again been a busy few weeks.  I am now the actual "teacher" teaching in my classroom while the real teacher observes me, so I have been embracing lesson plans and smart aleck teenagers.  I am still really enjoying it though so maybe this is what I am meant to do. 

Food wise - only ok.  I still do not eat a lot at school but tend to make up for it when I get home at night. And the scale has been hopping UP and down more than I like.  One day I even was back up to 200 lbs, ack!  But this morning I am again at 197.2, so I feel a little better about it.  I need to be serious about tracking, that is why I am paying for WW Online, so why do I not just use it already?!?  Exercise has been non existent but I am making a plan today to work on both food and exercise for the upcoming week. 

I am once again entering Biz's holiday challenge.  I believe it started Labor Day and will run through the 1st of January.  My goals are to 1)just lose something each week, even if it is only .2, at least it is going down and 2)to exercise 5 days a week (no time limit this time, just get moving) and 3. to track my food 5 days a week.  That last goal is a new one but I think it will really help me to get a handle on my eating.  Of course ideally I am aiming for 7 days a week, but I am trying to work on my "all or nothing" mentality a bit. 

Good luck to everyone else int he challenge and ..HERE WE GO!

TGIF

I am sooooo glad it is Friday.  This was my first full week doing my student teaching and it is hard to get used to being on my feet all day.  I am working with high school kids and you cannot let up for a second with them.  But I am absolutely loving it so far.  I sometimes realize what a great time I'm having and hope that I have finally found my calling.  Only took me 40 years! 

I actually lost again this week without any exercise (which I am so trying to get back into).  I have to be honest that on Thursday we were so busy with classes that I completely skipped lunch.  I wonder if that contributed a bit to my Friday weigh in.  But I was so ravenous when I got home that night I really felt like I made up for skipping that meal.  I don't want to do that again though, it didn't make me feel very good. 

We have a really busy weekend with two birthday partys and dinner at a good friend's house so that worries me a bit too.  But I am just going to practice portion control as much as I can and really, really try to meet a friend at the gym Saturday and Sunday.  Money is so tight with me not working for pay but I just keep holding on to that membership...sigh!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

Back Again

Well I sort of disappeared for the entire month of July but I am going to try this again.  I honestly can't say I did great in July, it was a pretty stressful and busy time, but I did attempt to be healthy.  In the past six weeks I quit my job, went on a camping vacation, had some great time off with my daughter and began my student teaching.  Somewhere along the way I managed to lose a little weight but I think it was more because of blistering hot and humid heat on my camping trip (that made me not want to eat or drink anything) and not having time to eat in the last week teaching.  First time in a long time that I actually lost weight on a vacation instead of gained.  But...I will take it for what it is, and being below 200 has really motivated me to stay that way for good!!! 

I am really excited about doing my student teaching and for this first seven weeks I am helping an awesome teacher with her accounting and computer applications class.  My bachelor's is in accounting so I feel pretty comfortable with it and I am enjoying this way more than I had hoped.  She is teaching me so much I feel that I may actually be able to teach a class of my own someday.  Because we're in the school all day I HAVE to plan my lunches and snacks because there is no where else to eat.  And I only get 20 minutes.  I think this is really going to help me and make me finally have a meal plan for the week.  The only thing I have to watch is being ravenous when I get home and grabbing anything.  So...on that note I am off to plan my meals for the week and have a good healthy grocery trip!  I believe there is a gym trip in my future today also.  If anyone happens to read this I hope everyone has a wonderful and healthy weekend! 

101 Days Summer of Challenge Update Week #4

Week 4 - My two goals for the challenge are to lose "something" each week and to work out at least 30 mins, 5 days a week.  Goal #1 accomplished!  I lost (again) 1.2 so that puts me at 202.6. I was very happy with that as I seemed to log in to WW each morning and manage to track breakfast and lunch, only to totally fail at dinner.  We have been eating out a lot.  But I have been trying to make better choices and obviously it is helping.  I just need to work on tracking the entire day, even if I go over.  I think that will ultimately help me make better choices AND see where I am going wrong. 

Goal #2 - huh.  A few years ago I was bending over to pick something up and when I straightened back up I had a very sharp pain in they right back area, just above my behind.  It would not go away so I ended up at a chiropractor who said I had piriformis syndrome.   They diagnosis was "pain, tingling, or numbness deep in the buttocks and along the sciatic nerve. Sitting down, stretching, climbing stairs, and performing squats usually increases pain."  The treatment was going to her and having her literally dig her elbow into that area and push as hard as she could.  It really, really hurt.  And then I did stretches at home to help.  Last week it came back.  I was so upset.  Some of the things I have read has said that doing exercise incorrectly can actually cause this.  So now I have to wonder if I was doing something the wrong way and exacerbated this again.  As of right now I am having my bf dig his elbow in (lovely feeling, NOT) and doing the stretches.  But trying to do exercise would not be good until I get this under control.  And then I wonder if I should get a trainer to check my form. 

So I failed at this goal.  But I am trying not to feel too bad because it is really out of my control.  I didn't stay at home and sit on the couch and disregard getting my exercise in, I just CAN'T do it right now.  Maybe I should come up with an alternate goal until I can resume exercise.  It is getting better, I can tell.  But when walking my dog for 15 minutes still ends in sharp pain, I know that it is not the time to try and start again. 

In other news, I will be going out of town tonight until the 5th of July and I do not think I will have access to my computer until I get back. So I will not have a check in until probably week #6.  We are going to Michigan to stay at a friend's cabin right on the lake and I am so looking forward to some time off!  I have already talked to her and we are buying all our own food to cook and going for daily walks so I am not feeling too worried about it.  And with all the running around maybe I'll manage to get my 30 minutes in each day too! 

Hope everyone has a great week on the challenge and I'll be back on the 5th! 

101 Days of Summer Challenge Update Week #3

Well, after two+ years of neglecting my blog I have decided to try this again.  Not much has changed in the past two years except I have managed to find an extra 10 pounds.  When I did the Biggest Loser Blog Edition I started off weighing 195.  A few weeks ago I found myself at 205, which is my highest weight ever.  And it scared me enough to want to get serious.  And then after reading about Biz's 101 Days of Summer Challenge it seemed like all the extra encouragement I needed. 

The challenge is actually on its third week but life got in the way of me getting my blog going again so I am just now updating.  My goals for the challenge are 1) to lose something each week. I don’t care if its .2 of a pound, I just want to weigh less than the week before and 2) to exercise 150 minutes each week (30 min 5 days).

Week 1 - Unfortunately I had some personal issues come up that didn't allow me to start this week.  Very hard week in my life. 

Week 2 - Worked out twice this week so did not make my goal of 150 minutes but did have a small loss.  1 out of 2! 

Week 3 - DID IT!!!  Work out exactly 150 minutes.  I did do two 45 min days and 1 hour day, but at least I did it.  And I am down from 205 to 203.8 so 1.2 pounds lost so far. 

I know if I could just get my eating under control I would have much better results.  My biggest probelm isn't what I eat its the quantity I eat it in.  I have signed up again for Weight Watchers online and I'm hoping that will help me be more accountable. 

Don't want to write too long of a post for my first one so I will be back soon to update how I am doing.  Good luck to everyone else and I will be making my rounds of the other participants to cheer them on!