It's late 2010 and.....I'm BAAAAAAAAACK!!!!

Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in...ME!

Time knows no boundaries. It has been almost three years since I've blogged--THREE YEARS!!! It's been so long, I had to google my own blog to find it! Yep, I had forgotten where I had even created this darn thing. I didn't even really remember the title of my blog. I just remembered that I had named it Miss Kitty's weight loss blog or something like that. Luckily, Google pulled it right up. Apparently, my computer remembered this blog, because it logged me right in without my having to remember my password. So here I am! Did ya miss me? ;-)

I wish I could say that I'm posting to say that I've been wildly successful in losing my weight and keeping it off. That I'm all svelte and sexy. That I'm back in a size 6/8. Well, that's a big NOT! Nope. Nada. Didn't happen.

So, you might ask, what have you been doing the last three years?

I'll tell you what I've been doing...........I've been EATING!!!! And apparently, eating well.

Yep, I did it...in the almost three years since I've blogged, I ballooned back up to the 170s range--somewhere between 172 and 175. My size 14s hung lonely in the far reaches of my closet (some got donated to Goodwill) while I busily made room for the XXLs, size 16s and 14womans. The few size 12s that were clinging to life in my closet are no more...they were sent to Goodwill when my husband and I cleaned out old stuff in preparation to move to a new home. Meh, they were out of style anyway.

Oh don't get me wrong, I did try to lose weight here and there. Let me tell you all about it:

In 2008, I participated in a weight loss activity sponsored by my employer. We were to form teams, and the team who lost the most weight would be in the running for a prize. The activity lasted two months. I lost a grand total of 4 pounds in that two months. Yay. Don't worry, I *found* those pounds (and a lot of other pounds) by the end of that year. Twix bars will do that--cause lost pounds to be found.

In January 2009, I got the very bright idea to join Curves. After all, it was very close to my home, and since I had to pass by it on my way home from work every day, I shouldn't have any problems going consistently. Well, I ended up doing exactly what I said I would do (see the blog post from 2008). I went for about 2 months. Then, that Curves location closed, and we were sent to the location across town. Of course that was inconvenient for me, and after a couple of feeble attempts to go to the one across town, I stopped going all together. $34.00 a month down the drain--for four paltry pounds, which, again, I *found* by the end of the year. Subway cookies and sodas will do that--cause lost pounds to be found.

And, somewhere in between the employer sponsored thingy and the Curves waste-of-money, I rejoined weight watchers. First, I did weight watchers online, but I didn't use it, so after several months I cancelled that ($16.95 per month down the drain). Some time later, I joined weight watchers at work because, like, I'm a glutton for spending money on things I will not use. $85 for three months. I lost and gained the same 1 pound the entire three months. I only kept going because I didn't want to be on the hook for the other half of that $85 fee (the rule was if you missed more than three meetings, you had to pay an additional $85--the WW at work is sponsored partially by my employer).

January 2010--my husband and I moved to a neighborhood that has a clubhouse equipped with a full gym. Yay, no gym membership to have to cancel later. And, I could walk to the gym from my house! So, I started going. I went for two weeks. :-(

Of course, my family started talking to me about my weight, and my doctor had been telling me I needed to lose some pounds. I can take only so much hounding, and while I was irritated by the remarks and the looks, I knew they were right. So, in August 2010, I pulled myself together and, once again, embarked on yet another weight loss journey. I started following the Perfect 10 diet (http://www.perfect10diet.com/). I followed it consistently for two months. Now, I'm not following it exactly, but I am doing one thing that I think is helping me very much--I've cut down drastically on SUGAR--and, on CARBS in general. No more sodas, no more cookies, candy bars, anything too carb-y. When I go to subway, I get a sandwich on whole wheat bread instead of the flatbread. My husband and I have basically stopped eating out--we might go out to eat a couple a times a month instead of a few times a week. I've drastically increased my water intake. I really don't care for water, so in the past I *never* drank it (well, maybe a little bit at a water fountain). Now, I'm drinking 4 to 8 glasses a day. I actually like water now, and when the weather here was still very hot I was actually craving it! The perfect 10 diet says to stay away from diet drinks, but I gotta have some fizz and some flavor, so I drink diet Sunkist or diet Dr. Pepper. I've been eating a lot of nuts, too--mainly almonds. Instead of sugary instant oatmeal and a glass of orange juice for breakfast, I have scrambled eggs with cheese, a plain yogurt, and water. It keeps me full much, much longer--instead of wanting lunch at 11:30, nowadays it's almost 12:30 or 1:00 before I eat lunch. I've also increased my fruit intake. I guess you can say I'm following a low carb diet (perfect 10 claims it is not a low carb diet, but, with some exceptions, perfect 10 to me it's very similar to a low carb diet).

My dietary changes have made a difference so far. I'm not losing weight quickly, but I am losing. To date, I've lost about 13 pounds (some days it's 15, and earlier this week it was 16, but my weight has been up and down this week since we've just finished with a huge Thanksgiving feast and its associated leftovers--I've decided that I will eat what I want, in moderation, on Thanksgiving and Christmas). I am around 158-159, down from about 172). My size 16s are kinda loose, some of my 14womans are noticeably loose, and I can get back into a 14 misses. Yay!

I have a long way to go still--my goal is about 35 -40 pounds. Maybe I'll get there. And, maybe I'll post here more often. I'm taking it one day at a time. Y'all pray for me!

Stay sweet and stay blessed!
Ms. Kitty

'08 is here...and I'm doing no better...:-(

The passage of time is unbelievable! It has been a full year since I've posted to this blog, and it seems like yesterday that I posted my last entry! Well, I'm doing no better in the weight loss arena. I may actually be doing worse! I'm hovering around the 160lb mark, which means I've gained about 8 pounds since late fall 2006. I've started a new job, and at this new job there are cafeterias that serve home cooking. So, since October, I've been eating big lunches every day--fried chicken, spaghetti, stuff like that. I know that's gonna catch up with me very soon. On the upside, I have to park 2 or 3 blocks from my office building, forcing me to get in about 15 minutes of walking every day.

I really need to lose weight. Since my last post, I've been diagnosed with high blood pressure and am currently on medication. My cholesterol continues to be high. I just can't seem to get the motivation to start all over again with this weight loss thing. I toyed with the idea of joining Curves, but I know me...I'll spend all that money for membership fees, get trapped in a year contract, only to go for a month and lose interest. . I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Depressingly yours,
Ms. Kitty

Gotta Do Better in '07...

Time sure flies. It's been about 8 months since I've last posted to this blog. And--hard to believe-- it's been almost a year since my very first blog entry. So, why am I posting now after all of this time? Well, it's a new year, but I'm dealing with the same old problem that's been the bain of my existence for the last 14 years...my weight!

Don't get me wrong...I've actually had an OK year, weight-wise. In all, I lost 18 pounds in 2006, with my weight dropping from 170 to 152. But, I could have done better...a whole lot better. Let's face it--I'm a weight loss slacker. I lose a few pounds and end up getting all proud and puffed up because I'm near 150 pounds and can get into a 14, when in actuality I should be closer to 125 pounds and in a size 6/8. In a year's time, I should have been able to easily lose double of 18 pounds. I should be at 130! Well, enough of beating myself up over it. It could be worse. I could be back to where I started--170 and uncomfortable!

November is my and hubby's cruise month. I threw caution to the wind, and I gained a couple of pounds on our cruise to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten. On a high note, this year's cruise pics looked a whole lot better than last years--a few pounds really do make a difference! And, I was able to buy sexier formalwear (well, sexier for me, anyway)! Cruise '05, I was a bit dowdy. Cruise '06, I was a little bit of a hottie, even if I say so myself! I let it all hang out!!!! :-D Maybe one day I'll post pics.

Of course, right on the heels of our cruise are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, and I ate like a natural pig! So, I gained a few pounds from the holidays. I've gained about 4 to 5 pounds in all since November, and while this isn't too bad, it can easily spiral out of control. So, I start this year with the determination to get back on track. I do have some incentive--my ex-roomie is getting married in April, and I'm one of her bridesmaids. So, I've got to shape up, and I have 4 months to do it.

On the upside of things, I can wear clothes that have been sitting in my closet for at least 2 years! There is no need for me to replenish my wardrobe this year...I have plenty to wear! I can consistently buy a size 14 and some 14 petites. Case in point--I bought a dress last week for a wedding that I was attending on Saturday. I was on my lunch break, so I didn't have time to try it on. I just picked up a size 14, paid for it, and left the store. I was fully expecting to have to return the dress and buy a larger size or pull something old (and bigger) from my closet. I was so convinced of this, that I was dreading trying the dress on. Well, I was pleasantly surprised! The dress, when I finally got around to trying it on, fit perfectly! This was a high moment of my weekend!

I'm hoping that weight loss this year will be a little easier, since I'm not having to start from 170. Even losing 10 pounds will put me a little under under 150. Fifteen pounds would put me in the low 140s and back in a size 12 . Twenty pounds will put me below 140, numbers that I have not seen since my wedding in 2003. Could I actually lose 20 pounds by April 21? I wish I could. I can only hope...

I'll try to blog more often. I've given up on the idea that publicly chronicling my weight struggle would keep me motivated and honest, as evidenced by my lack of blogging and weight-loss progress last year. But, at least I can unload my thoughts...and, that's always a good thing.

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Ms. Kitty

I'm still here!!!!

Well, well, well! I guess you all thought I had disappeared from the face of the planet! Well, I'm still here and kicking! And, I'm still losing weight! Albeit, it's not happening quickly, as I'm not being as diligent as I should be with my WW points, but progress is happening very, very, very slow. As of today, I've lost a total of 15 pounds. I think that's 5 pounds lost since I last posted waaaaaay back in February (my, how time flies)! I had about a month where the scale absolutely did not budge, then I lost maybe 2 or 3 more pounds, and the scale hasn't budged now in about 2 or three weeks. Oh well. I guess I'm not up in arms about it because I can now fit back into a regular 14! All of my clothes are now beginning to fit again...clothes that I hadn't worn in two years! So, that's real good progress, but it can be a lot better!

My husband, on the other hand, has lost almost 30 pounds since February! He started modifying his habits when he got a high blood pressure diagnosis in February. His weight just fell off, effortlessly. Sometimes, I hate men!!!

The cookie monster still pursues me! I've been munching my coworker's oatmeal cookies and coconut bars all this week. Gotta find a way to defeat that demon!

Just wanted everyone to know that I'm still around and still plugging away at the weight thing.

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Ms. Kitty

Making Progress...

Hello all! I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've blogged. However, I am happy to announce that I am making some progress! Since I last blogged, I've lost 5 pounds! Of course, I won't know the final number until tomorrow, since that's my weigh-in day. I weighed this morning, and the scale said 159.5! I'm usually light on Mondays, since I don't eat a lot on the weekends. I usually go up a pound or so by weigh in day, so I'm really expecting to be right at 160.5 on tomorrow. So, make that 4 pounds lost since I last blogged. That's still progress, though! Looks like I'm back on track!

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Bad Girl, Bad Girl!!!!

I haven't posted in a week, for a couple of reasons. First, I figure that no one is really reading my blog anyway, due to the miniscule amount of traffic I've been receiving. Secondly, I'm a backslidden dieter!!! I've gained another pound in the last week, putting my net weight loss at 5.5 lbs. Boo Hoo!!!! :-(. I've thrown all caution to the wind. I've been eating Werther's Originals chewy caramels (I love those things)! I've gone through two bags in the last few days. And, my husband and I had Valentine's Day dinner at Carrabba's Italian Grill. I got a grilled chicken dish with mashed potatoes and sautee'd zucchini and a caesar salad, and I ate almost all of it (there was enough for two people, by the way). So, needless to say, the last couple of weeks haven't been good for me.

I've got to get back on track! And fast! I feel so discouraged! :-(

Off the bandwagon...

Well, it's official. I've gained 1 pound this week. :-(

Back to the points tracker for me!

In the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Ho-hum weekend...

I didn't do much this weekend. Hubby and I went to lunch at Ruby Tuesday early Saturday afternoon, followed by riding and house viewing in the country (Looking at houses is a hobby of ours. We're hoping to find land for our future dream house); cleaned house a little and read over Sunday School lesson on Saturday evening; went to church on Sunday morning; watched a PBS special on Slavery on Sunday evening (I left the Superbowl happenings to my husband); Napped for a little bit; and, watched 5 or so episodes of Flavor of Love (still trying to figure out what the women see in Flavor Flav, other than his money). So, there were no significant happenings this weekend.

What did I eat this weekend?
Saturday lunch: Ruby Tuesday, I had the Smart Eating Grilled Chicken with a side salad and a baked potato. Used lo-cal dressing on salad, and just a smidge of butter on the potato. Water with lemon.
Saturday Evening: Two Oscar Myer fat-free hotdogs on whole wheat hotdog buns (two points per hotdog, bun and all), Lays fat-free potato chips (1 point), pickles (0 points). Diet Dr. Pepper (0 points).
Saturday snacking: Oranges, a few Teddy Grahams, two Weight Watchers Lemon cakes, skim milk.

Sunday dinner: Cooked Rotisserie chicken from grocery store; corn; yam patty with brown sugar; Diet Dr. Pepper; Roll.
Sunday snacks: Healthy Choice ice cream sprinkled with Teddy Grahams; 1 Weight Watchers lemon cake; Skim milk; orange; apple. I was in a munching mood Sunday evening!

Overall, I didn't have a bad food weekend.

A note on the Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals: They can be found at Wal-mart for 98 cents! I was paying $1.50 at the regular grocery store. Of course, I stocked up on them for lunch. They should last me for three weeks.

Weigh-in is tomorrow. I don't think I lost anything, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Not doing so good this week...

Well, I guess I let my paltry 7.5 lb weight loss go to my head, because I've been lax in tracking my points. I've had too many cookies this week...including several on today. I've been snacking incessantly all day--I've had two tangelos, the coconut cookies, and a 100-calorie pack of keebler shortbread cookies. I cooked spaghetti on Tuesday, and while it was healthy (I used a pound of 99% fat free turkey meat, whole wheat noodles, and 1/2 container of Prego original spaghetti sauce), I think my servings were way too big! My husband and I ate that stuff three days in a row (and it was delicious)!

My husband and I have decided to have pizza and a salad tonight. A slice of thin crust cheese or ham pizza from Pizza Hut is 4 points. I'll probably order the ham pizza. I plan to have two slices, plus a salad with fat free italian dressing and fat free shredded cheese (1 point total for the salad). I hope I can maintain control and not eat my usual 3 or 4 slices.

I'm not going to do my pre-weigh in on tomorrow. I'm sure that I haven't lost a pound this week, with the way I've been eating. I just hope I didn't gain anything! We'll see on Tuesday...

On a high note, today I wore a pair of blue jeans to work (size 15/16 junior) that, two months ago, I was absolutely unable to zip or button! And yesterday, I wore a pair of 14p pants, and they didn't bind me to the point of discomfort. Yay!

Until next time, stay sweet and stay blessed!

Losing weight...save money as well as calories

Since I've started weight watchers, I've been on a quest for satisfying foods that I can eat and not burst my points budget...or my money budget. I'm not one to take lunch to work...I tried that last year, and after a month that effort fizzled out. I traded in my turkey sandwich from home for a $2.08 all American meal from the Mickey D's near my job. Later in the year, a Subway opened near my office, so I traded in the $2.08 All-American meal for a $5.58 sandwich combo (that's including tax) from Subway (almost $7.00 if you count the 3 macadamian nut cookies I would buy for dessert). I paid similar prices at KFC, Wendy's , etc. Needless to say, my lunchtime meals were costing way too much money and definitely too many calories.

The thing that I love about the Weight Watchers program is that, while it allows you to eat whatever you want, it ultimately forces you to make better food choices. I do believe that it was my office eating habits, coupled with a sendentary job where I sit behind a desk in front of a computer all day, that caused the majority of my weight gain...too many fatty lunches and trips to the vending machine, not to mention my co-workers candy jar full of chocolate!

Well, early on, I decided to cut out as much of the fatty and empty calorie stuff as I could...it just wasn't worth my points. So, I set out on a quest to find healthier alternatives to my office fare. While shopping at the grocery store, I happened upon a line of frozen meals named Michelina's Lean Gourmet. Two things drew my attention to this particular line of frozen meals:

1. The points value of the meal is printed right on the packaging (I don't know if they're affiliated with Weight Watchers). The only other frozen meal line that does that is Weight Watcher's. And, the points value on Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals vary between 4 and 6 points.
2. The meals were two for $3.00. That's $1.50 per meal!

I bought a couple of them, not really expecting anything good. But, I was pleasantly surprised...those meals taste pretty good! Not to mention cheap! I've seen my lunch bill decrease from over $25.00/week to $7.50/week! That's almost $18.00/week in savings! Sweet deal!

So, that's my product endorsement for the week. Michelina's Lean Gourmet is tasty and easy on the pocketbook, and they have several varieties available, include lasagna, salisbury steak, shrimp and rice, chicken fettucine florentine, and others. Their website is listed in my links section. Bon appetit!

Stay sweet and stay blessed!

Ms. Kitty