December 5, 2007 - I’ve had a rough couple of weeks on Program while dealing with a bad head cold.  I have not made it to the gym in a couple of weeks, nor have I listened to my hypnosis much.    
I maintained at my 11/28 weigh-in and was up a half pound at my meeting on 12/5.  My cold is just about gone and I plan to get back to the gym and start listening to my Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs.  I have found that if I don’t work out or listen to my Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs  on a regular basis, my whole program is off.  So, my goal is to get back on track and record a loss on weigh-in day.

On a good note I’ve been doing well on staying within my points (most days!).  On a bad note, my water intake is hurting because there is diet Dr. Pepper in the house.  So, that’s on my list also – get rid of the diet pop.  I know better. Why is it even in the house?  Amazing how old behaviors creep in when you are at your weakest.

My December is not filled with parties and celebrations so I won’t have too many food obstacles in my way.  I am having a small get-together with my two brothers and their families but it’s at my house so I’m in control of what will be served.  That is a good thing.

We picked up Als Mom last Thursday and she will be staying with us through December for the holidays.  What a joy it's been having her here with us.  We've kept her busy with shopping and Christmas lights and bazaars.  Here are a few pics taken on 12/6/07 at Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR.  It was a very foggy day so I especially enjoyed taking pictures. The bottom one is my favorite of the fog that I took. 

Mom, Al & I on Dec 6, 2007

Mom & I

Mom & Al

Pittock Mansion, Portland, OR 12-6-07 on a foggy day!  One of my favorite pics I took.

My son, LeRoy, and I did our outdoor Christmas decorations this year.

Onward and downward,

How would I rate my last couple of weeks?  Miserable with a terrible head cold. :(
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is steady.

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.

November 25, 2007 - Happy Thanksgiving a couple of days late.  Al and I have been in Spokane having a wonderful Thanksgiving with our son, LeRoy and our bestest friends, Jim & Tammy and their family and of course, our grandbaby, Hunter James.  We celebrated Hunter's 2nd birthday on Nov 21st. What a great time we had with Hunter and many new memories were made to hold us over until we visit again.

I lost   2.8 lbs at my 11/14 weighin and another 1.4 lbs on my last weighin in Spokane on 11/21.  I made sure I made it to a gym during my visit in Spokane because I knew that was going to be the key to my continued success while enjoying the holidays.  I was able to do my Elliptical and circuit weights.   I attended my weekly meeting in Spokane and the leader was wonderful. 

I've been feeling wonderful about Program, working out and just living the lifestyle. There were some food challenges during Thanksgiving but I had made up my mind to enjoy Hunter and the family instead of focusing on the delicious food.  I had my plate of dinner which included a little of everything I wanted, including some pumpkin cheesecake.

While in Spokane, Tammy & I met Eileen (Ret WW Ldr) at Starbucks for a nice visit.  It was great catching up with Eileen!  I could not believe that we all wore red!  No, we did not send out a memo either.

Below are just a few photos I'd like to share with you. 

A Zonie visit with Eileen (Ret WW Ldr) & Tammy (GrammaT)
	Isn't Hunter adorable? I had so much fun with him this year! On the left is his SMILE for the camera. It is so cute!!
Hunter with his Mommy, Jamie, on the left and Auntie Claudette on the right.

How would I rate my last couple of weeks?  Awesome!  Full of fun, exercise,
great food (Tammy is an awesome cook) and lots of great memories.
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is very high!

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.

November 4, 2007 - Here it is November already.  You know what that means?  We are now heading into the "Bermuda Triangle" as my leader puts it - the Holidays.  I don't know about the rest of you but I plan on staying in control and on Program.  Although I will be in Spokane for Thanksgiving I also plan to keep up with my gym routine as I have a gym to work out there.  The "Bermuda Triangle" will not gobble me up!

I lost 0.5 lbs at my 10/24 weighin and another 2 lbs on my last weigh-in on 10/17.  The main keys to my Success on Program have been keeping up with my  exercise, journaling, listening to Dr. Roberta's Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs when I need that extra motivation, Weight Commander, my Weight Watcher meetings and joining in on our wonderful Message Board, where the support is unlimited.  My graph is moving in the right direction, down, and my thermometer is moving in the right direction, up! All is well in my world.

I cannot wait to see my son, LeRoy, my bestest friend, Tammy, and the whole family when we get to Spokane. Good times ahead! Hunter is growing like a weed.  We will be celebrating his 2nd birthday on Nov 21st ~ wasn't it nice that he was born right at Thanksgiving time when he knew I'd be in Spokane? 

Below are a few pics of Hunter as a cowboy and in his Halloween costume.  My other two grandbabies, JJ and Abby were also so cute on Halloween I just have to share a couple of pics of them too.

Here is our Hunter James, the cowboy ~ he will be 2 years old on Nov 21st!
	Hunter was an adorable, fluffy duck for Halloween
	Our newest grandbaby, Abbey (Becca & Alistair) is cute as a punkin!
	Abbys brother, JJ, is awesome as a fireman!

How would I rate my last couple of weeks?  Truly wonderful!  My sleeping
schedule is working like a charm.  I've had no problem keeping up with my
exercise schedule and loving it too, especially my water aerobics. 
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is very high.

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.

October 22, 2007 - Hi everyone!  I think it's time for another update on my Journey.  My graph is still moving in the right direction!  I lost 2.5 lbs at my 10/10 weighin and another 1.8 lbs on my last weigh-in on 10/17.   I am excited about staying focused, keeping up with my exerciseand staying on my schedule, giving me enough sleep during the night.  The schedule I worked out on the last update is working out very nicely and I cannot thank Al enough for helping me to implement it and stay with it. 

I'm thoroughly enjoying being back at my Weight Watcher meetings with my wonderful leader who saw me to Lifetime and Goal in 1998.  She is awesome!  My good friend Anne, who helped me decide to go back to my meetings, is about a pound and a half away from losing 100 lbs!  Isn't that just awesome?  I'm so proud of her.

I continue to listen to Dr. Roberta's Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs when I need that extra motivation. I'm feeling so good about this Journey back to goal. 

I just had a wonderful three day visit from a very good friend of mine, Carole (cbcoaster on the boards) and her husband Ralph. They are two of our favorite people and one of my blessings from DWLZ. It was so, so good to see her and spend some time with her.  We shopped till we dropped, had a great time visiting and enjoying the jacuzzi and pool at her hotel and then spending time with the guys in the evening for a nice dinner.  I know when I'm on the right track when I can go to any restaurant and behave as a "skinny" person, making the right choices and enjoying delightful company. I'd like to share a few photos of us having a great time.  It's been a couple years since I've seen Carole so this was an extra-special visit. 

Carole & I feeling the softest blanket we've ever felt.  Oh, so nice!  LOL
What a great time we all had!  There were toasts and lots of laughing with new memories being made.
	Carole & Ralph have been married 45 years!  Al and I, 31 years

I stayed OP the whole time and even got in my gym time and water aerobics.  Then Carole and I did a lot of walking at the malls and when we got back to her hotel we enjoyed the jacuzzi and some swimming in the pool. Isn't it amazing that when you are focused exercise becomes so easy and you actually look forward to it?

Al and I did manage to get to the zoo again and I enjoyed taking some photos with my Nikon. Photography is fast becoming one of my favorite hobbies. 

How would I rate my last couple of weeks?  Awesome!  I've stayed on my
sleeping and exercise schedule.  I'm losing weight, feeling great and sleeping!
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is still way up there.

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.

October 7, 2007 - Hi everyone!  WOW!  Time is sure flying; it will be Christmas before we know it!  I'm doing awesome on Program and I absolutely love being back with my wonderful leader, Rene, who saw me to Lifetime in 1998. I never leave her meetings without a smile on my face. Between her and my fellow members I am always renewed after my meetings. 

As you can see by my thermometer I am moving on out of the frozen area.  My graph is slowly moving in the right direction   and I'm happy about that too. Most of all I am extremely happy about staying on program, getting some great exercise   in and getting on a regular schedule. WOO! HOO!

I've worked out a schedule that takes care of many aspects of my Journey.  Some of the things I wanted to work into my healthy lifestyle were:

1.  Sleep.  I want to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep a night.
2.  Exercise.  I want a regular exercise routine, 4 times a week.
3.  Go to my Weight Watcher meeting every Wednesday at 9:15 am.
4.  I want to listen to Dr. Roberta's Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs 4 times a week.

I've been getting about 7 hours of sleep FINALLY!  I get to bed by 10:30 pm (okay, I fight it but am usually in bed by 11 pm) and I'm up at 7 am.  Al is my Drill Sergeant and makes sure I stick to this schedule and I really appreciate his help. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays I head to Bally's Gym and workout.  I usually hit the Elliptical for 30 minutes, then the circuit weights.  On Mondays and Fridays I add in water aerobics for an hour after my circuit weights. Yes, you heard it right, water aerobics!  I finally went to my very first class last Monday and absolutely loved it.  It's a great aerobics program that doesn't bother my joints or arthritis.  I have to tell you, it was quite a workout.  I was amazed!  I went again on Friday and am already looking forward to my class on Monday. On top of my gym time I try and walk with Al when I'm in the mood for some extra activity.  Last week I got 7.5 miles in while walking with the love of my life.  How great is that?

I've covered the sleep and the exercise.  I'm proud to report I haven't missed any of my weekly Weight Watcher meetings.  I've also listened to Dr. Roberta's Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after my workout at the gym.  I'm feeling great!

As for my eating, I've been staying on Program and within my Points allowance.  I've been slowly taking most 'junk food' out of my eating as they eat up my Points so fast.  I like to split my Points for the day like this - half for breakfast until dinner and the other half for dinner and after. For breakfast I like a serving of oatmeal and a slice of bacon.  Then, until dinner, I like to 'graze' ~ that is every couple of hours I have a little something, usually fruit, cheese stick, etc.  The rest of my Points are for dinner and after. It works for me.

I haven't had any problems getting enough water in since I've not kept any diet pop that I love in the house.  Amazing how that works - no redlight food or drinks - no problem getting in the right food and drink. 

I just celebrated my 51st birthday on October 5th  and I have to tell you all, I'm feeling better than I have in a long time.  I would like to thank all of you who have signed my birthday threads on the Message Board and who have sent me Happy Birthday emails.  You're the best!  THANK YOU.

Here are a couple pictures I took at the Portland Zoo with my Nikon, 300 mm lense. I just love the animals and their expressions - such great photographic subjects!  As you can see, I love taking pictures too.

How would I rate my last three weeks?  Awesome!  I've gotten on a regular
sleeping and exercise schedule.  I'm losing weight, feeling great and sleeping!
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is up, up, and away!

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.

September 15, 2007 - My Journey continues, as does everyones.  It truly is a lifelong Journey with all sorts of twists and turns but one thing always remains the same ~ we never give up wanting this healthy lifestyle and we will continue doing the best we can day by day.  My Weight Watcher program, Dr. Roberta's Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs and all our friends on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone help keep me keeping on the Journey. These three things are an integral part of my continued success on Program. 

Every time I fall, I get back up ~ sometimes quicker than other times. During the summer months I took a break from everything I knew that I was supposed to do to continue staying on Program.  The result was a weight gain of most of what I lost during the last couple of years.  Why do we do this to ourselves when we know the outcome?  I wish I knew the answer.  I'm certainly not immune to this kind of behavior - self destructive?  self-sabotage?  temporary insanity? 

So, that brings us to now.  I am back to my Weight Watcher meetings with my old leader, the first time since 2004.  I certainly feel like I've come home, if you know what I mean.  I have an awesome leader!  I have also started listening to my Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs again which is a great tool along with my Weight Watcher program.  They give me the positive attitude that I need while on Program.  When I listen to my Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs Program seems almost automatic. 

As for exercise I've rejoined Bally's and will be working up to getting there at least 3 times a week.  I want to also look into water aerobics which I believe will be helpful with my joint issues from my rheumatoid arthritis.  Between the gym and my walks with the love of my life, Al, I should be getting plenty of activity in. 

I started Weight Watcher meetings again on Wednesday, August 22, 2007.  I go to the early meeting at 9:30 am.  I am enjoying browsing through the E-tools site. My starting weight was 218 lbs. As of my 3rd weigh-in I was 215 lbs. so that is a   3 pound loss, which is more than I've done in a long time.  Woo! Hoo!  Wish me luck!

I would like to again thank all of you for your continued support.  My Journey continues to be one that I must always stay on top of.   I will never give up wanting this Journey as the alternative is far worse.  I'm going to string together OP days and soon I will have strung them right back down to goal. 

I can do this!  I will do this!  I am strong!  I know Program and will work the Program!

I'd like to share a few of my favorite photos.

Here is a great shot of Al, myself, Tammy & Jim, our bestest friends, which was taken on Sherrard Point and there were 5 major volcanic peaks visible from Sherrard Point that day ~ Mount St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson and Mt. St. Helens
Our precious Hunter very tired in Jim's arms.  Awwwwwww!	One of my favorite photos of Tammy and our precious grandson, Hunter
Our wonderful niece & nephews:                    One of my favorite photos of Al & I taken on Cameron, Kaydee, Talon & Brady in front.                   Midway Island the year we were married 1976
Here is our little Abbey, our adopted granddaughter with Alistair & Rebecca	Isn't our little adopted grandson, Jonathan, a handsome movie star!  He poses well for the camera! Abbey is lucky to have a big brother like Jonathan!  Love you JJ!

How would I rate my last three weeks?  Great!  My head is in a good place
and I'm confident that I'm finally back on the right track.
How would I rate my confidence level?  My confidence level is great!

I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn't here yet,
so I will just deal with today.