Ugly Truth! Week Four! When Things Don't Go Your Way!

          Hmmmm! What do you do? When your sweet senior Rat Terrier has tummy trouble all over your exercise clothes. Can't blame her. That's what you get when they fall on the floor. Then you don't pick them up right away. Be grateful that you have a few extra exercise outfits! Anyway, thanks Mandie. You gave me an idea. It will unfold in the next couple weeks. So stay tuned!

Today's Weight 136.9
Down 3.3 total pounds
Down 7 ounces from starting weight

     So I am down 3.3 pounds total from the last two weeks. Which isn't really recommended. A good safe rate to lose weight is 1-2 pounds per week. It becomes even slower the closer you get to your goal weight. 

      The reason for including my weight loss from the start of this blog. Is because I don't intend to have to lose this weight again. Having yo yo dieted all my life. I have lost and gained a person. This is the last time that this weight will be lost. 

       

      Here's a bit of my story. I started out many years ago at 160 lbs. Then got down to 140 lbs. Hovered around 140 lbs for years. Then joined Weight Watchers and got down to 125 lbs. Then gained twenty pounds back. Back to hovering around 140 lbs. So my goal is to get back down to 125. I feel like I can get there. In a safe and healthy manner. Even if I could lose enough fat and build lean muscle. If I only looked like I was 125 lbs. That would be great, too.

I got cleavage!
Okay so it is in the wrong location,
but I got cleavage!
Hahahahaha!

        Actually Mandie did do me a favor. I was getting bored with the other exercise outfit. On my phone it was getting really hard to tell the weeks apart. When I get bored.  That usually causes me to give up. Don't want to do that!

Follow me.....
On Instagram: @iheartrescuedog
On Twitter      @iheartrescuedoga
On Sparkpeople Mandieterrier1


Any ad for weight loss products appearing on my blog should NEVER be considered an endorsement

**DISCLAIMER** I AM NEITHER A DOCTOR NOR A DIETITIAN. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE SIMPLY THAT. MY OPINIONS. THIS IS MY JOURNEY. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEATHCARE PROFFESSIONAL BEFORE STARTING OR MAINTAING ANY NEW DIET OR EXERCISE PLAN! **DISCLAIMER**

The Ugly Truth! Week Three! The Reasons!

          The reason this blog series is called The Ugly Truth. Is because it will always be the truth. Even when it is inconvenient. Even when the scale is moving in the wrong direction. Which my scale is moving in the wrong direction.  Just goes to show that even when you feel like you are doing all the right things. The scale doesn't always act like it is supposed to. Seriously scale what on earth are you doing? You're going that way,↗ when you are supposed to be going this way↘.

           

This week 140.2
Last week 139.1
Up 2.6 pounds
Seriously Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!





          I admit, I had a meltdown. In the midst of this meltdown. There were tears and frufrustration. When you feel like you are doing everything right. Then the scale is only moving up! I think a meltdown is an acceptable reaction. Then you realize that even if there are no results yet. You are doing something really good for yourself. No more tears and deddedicated to starting all. I want a different result. So I am going to have to have a different plan of action. Failure isn't an option

 

Week Three

          I am going to stay positive. This is really going to happen. It seems like it isn't going to happen at the rate that I hoped. It is still going to happen. Which is another reason this journey is being blogged about. Seriously, I am not so conceited to believe that you all are waiting for my blog every week. It is a way to keep me accountable. At least to myself.



         

Week Three

    


Any ad for weight loss products appearing on my blog should NEVER be considered an endorsement


      **DISCLAIMER** I AM NEITHER A DOCTOR NOR A DIETITIAN. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE SIMPLY THAT. MY OPINIONS. THIS IS MY JOURNEY. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEATHCARE PROFFESSIONAL BEFORE STARTING OR MAINTAING ANY NEW DIET OR EXERCISE PLAN! **DISCLAIMER**

The Ugly Truth! Week Two, Confessions is Good for the Soul!

          I have a confession to make. I don't like exercise. Still make myself do it. I confess, I also gained two pounds. Weight gain could be because recent intense exercise, maybe? 

Week Two 139.1
Week One 137.6
+1.5 

     Does muscle weigh more than fat? The answer is no. A pound, is a pound. A pound of whipped cream (yum whipped cream) and a pound of steel. Weigh the exact same amount . It is just that the pound of steel takes up less space and seems heavier. Hoping to turn my pounds of whipped cream into pounds of steel.

I look pregnant and I have never been blessed with a child



Normally not a fan of bathroom selfies. It is just that the light is so unforgiving.

Follow me.....
On Instagram: @iheartrescuedog
On Twitter      @iheartrescuedog
On Sparkpeople Mandieterrier1


Any ad for weight loss products appearing on this blog. Should NEVER be considered an endorsenent

**DISCLAIMER** I AM NEITHER A DOCTOR NOR A DIETITIAN. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE SIMPLY THAT. MY OPINIONS. THIS IS MY JOURNEY. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEATHCARE PROFFESSIONAL BEFORE STARTING OR MAINTAING ANY NEW DIET OR EXERCISE PLAN! **DISCLAIMER**

The Ugly Truth! Week One! Beginnings



            

     All of my Real life Friends and Family. Plus my Facebook friends and family. Know  that the past two weeks have been crazy. Plus before the last two weeks. I had let myself go and wasn't exercising at all. Nor was I following any sort of healthy eating plan. I would love to blame Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Those holidays are only part of the equation. Neglecting myself has got to change. If I am sick. I cannot care for anyone. 

             I was hesitant to share these pictures. As someone who doesn't really want to share anything that is inappropriate.  The Ugly Truth is that I look great in clothes. Hearing comments, You look fine. You don't need to lose any weight. Although those comments are well meaning. I don't feel fine. I need to lose this extra weight and body fat. Especially since it is that dreaded Belly Fat. The kind of visceral fat that can cause problems in the long run if not dealt with.

Week One 137.6 lbs

         
          I wanted to share my journey with you. Think that sharing my progress every week will keep me accountable. How will this be done? The old fashioned way. With a healthy diet and exercise. I will use Spark People. My favorite go to Health, Wellness and Fitness website. What I WILL NOT use. Overpriced diet pills, powders, shakes or gimmicks. I know that in the long run. Those things only make your wallet thinner. Have yet to meet anyone that needs to lose weight in their wallet.

          That is why I love Spark People. It is free. Their advice is free. Their nutrition tracker is free. Their exercise plans are, you guessed it, free. If you really want to commit you can buy Spark Premium. I haven't, but I hear there are no ads on Spark Premium. They are really pulling for you. They only profit from our success and not from our failure. Unlike the sellers of false hope in a jar.
       

Ugh! I have a lot of back fat.

       So I hope that you all will stick with me. As we all know. I didn't gain it in a week and I won't lose it in a week. Since this is going to be done correctly. It will take a while. I want this to be the last time I lose weight.

Follow me.....
On Instagram: @iheartrescuedog
On Twitter      @iheartrescuedog
On Sparkpeople Mandieterrier1


Any ad for weight loss products appearing on this blog. Should NEVER be considered an endorsement

**DISCLAIMER** I AM NEITHER A DOCTOR NOR A DIETITIAN. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG ARE SIMPLY THAT. MY OPINIONS. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR HEATHCARE PROFFESSIONAL BEFORE STARTING OR MAINTAING ANY NEW DIET OR EXERCISE PLAN! **DISCLAIMER**

Tales of a Piggy Squirrel

         Last week the East Coast was slammed with a blizzard.  My city got 28-30 inches, approximately. Just a couple pictures to let you see what we were dealing with. It was cold. It was so cold that I saw a crow out walking around in a parka and snow boots.

Behold the Piggy Squirrel in its natural habitat

 

Is that a car or a marshmallow? I vote car.
Do marshmallows have windshield wipers?

I went to sleep on Friday night. These things were
covered with three inches of snow. By Saturday night
they looked like this

Beautiful Icicles



Beautiful blue sky with more beautiful icicles

Another picture to show how much snow we
really got

      I don't want to write a blog about how much I dislike snow and winter. That would be depressing. People like snow. I get that. Personally I don't dislike it, per se. When we get a couple little storms here and there, three to six inches. Bring on the snow. As far as precipitation goes. Snow is much better than ice. When we get over one foot. Snow seriously loses it's luster. Over two feet and that is all she wrote, double dislike.

         Don't know if anyone else has this problem. When it snows 25-29 inches. Which causes us to be stuck in the house for days. I get a little blue. Then I get a little hungry, umm no make that ravenous. I become like my friend. The Piggy Squirrel. You see the Piggy Squirrel eats or tries to eat all the bird seed that was left out for the birds. I get a little down and I eat everything in the house. Preferably if it is carb and calorie laden. Sweet or salty, I am an equal opportunity binger. No food is safe. Everything is fair game. Well broccoli is safe. I don't binge on broccoli. Wish that broccoli was binge worthy. Then the scale wouldn't have delivered bad news of a three pound gain.

       Recovery from Piggy Squirrel Syndrome is a long process. When it only took a week to gain. It will probably take two weeks to lose. You would think from all my years of yo yoing, this would finally sink in.

    After all "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result" ~ Albert Einstein.

     Didn't feel like exercising. From shoveling so much I was completely drained and sore. Probably sub consciously thinking, I must have burned thousands of calories. I deserve to eat this. That may have been true on Sunday, but not the rest of the week. Couldn't go anywhere stuck in the house and so I ate to compensate for the winter storm blues. One thing that would be good for me to finally learn. Is that eating everything in sight. Won't make the snow melt. Skipping exercising will cause worse feelings. Which will lead to over eating. Which will lead to worse feelings. Which will lead to over eating. A never ending vicious cycle.

         "Tomorrow is a brand new day, with no mistakes in it" ~LM Montgomery. So here is to Monday, Exercise and getting back on track!

This is Piggy Squirrel
Piggy Squirrel eats all the bird seed
He runs the other squirrels off
He runs the birds off
He runs away when he hears a human coming
Don't be like Piggy Squirrel





How About Those New Year's Resolutions?

     
        Last year I said, I wasn't going to make any New Year's Resolutions. I didn't. I tried to be a better person throughout the year. I believe I was successful. My resolution was to make a series of small goals throughout the year and keep them. Did I do that? Did I keep them? Well there is always room for improvement.

      There is something magical with the thought, that tonight at Midnight. Everything is erased and we get a brand new book to write our stories in. Let's think of life this way. Instead of once a year. Every night at midnight, no matter what we did the previous day. We get a brand new blank page to write our stories in.

      Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a brand new day with no mistakes in it? ~Lucy Maude Montgomery

      That quote is somewhere in one of my favorite books, Anne of Green Gables. Anne had gotten her bestest friend in the whole entire world, Diana drunk. She mistook the port wine for strawberry cordial. Or did she mistake the strawberry cordial for port wine? Well that is not important. What is important, she made a big mistake and was able to rebound from it. The mistake had consequences. Diana's mother thought she was an evil trouble maker bent on destroying her daughter. For a long time Diana was forbidden from having any contact with Anne. You see, even when we make mistakes there are consequences. When it isn't a mistake and we choose to do something willingly. There are consequences. The good news is that we are able to learn from mistakes or choices and turn our lives around.
 
      We are free to choose our actions, but we are not free to choose the consequences. ~Stephen R. Covey

      In life and everything else choose wisely.

      I am not going to make resolutions. That is so intangible and seems so unworkable. I am going to choose to make small goals. Whether you choose to make small goals or resolutions. If you slip up, try again. If you don't give up. Even if you have a few set backs. You are still working at your goals. Even if you are running slowly, you're still lapping everyone on the couch.

      It also helps if you think of your resolutions, or small goals. If your resolution is to lose weight and exercise. That is rather vague. It seems insurmountable. Break it down into small and doable goals. I will talk to my doctor. Find an exercise plan that he or she approves. Then I will work on losing five pounds. And then I will work on losing five more pounds, and then five more pounds, etc.

     If your goal is to lose weight and exercise. I highly recommend Spark People. I will no longer recommend that other weight loss plan with two W's in their name.

     My small goals, in 2016
      ~ Run, actually run, in three 5ks
      ~ Start training for a half marathon
      ~ Make better food choices everyday of the week

 Make 2016 your year! And be Fabulous!

Vintage Schwinn exercise bicycle. My best and worst friend!
 

PS. I rung in New Years 2014 watching Downton Abbey. I rung in New Years 2015 watching Downton Abbey. Guess what I am going to do New Years 2016? Watch NCIS, well maybe a little. There is a marathon on the USA Network. I guess I will also watch Downton Abbey

I Did It! I Didn't Give Up!

     What I have been working on and blogging about for two months. Before stuffing myself like a turkey. I participated in the Turkey Trot to benefit LARS, Laurel Advocacy and Referral. A great organization that helps the homeless and people that are having trouble making basic ends meet.  

      Whenever I sign up for these events. I am happy until they day of the event. Then when having to wake up early in them morning. The same thoughts run through my head. Why did I do this? I don't want to go. I wonder if I can get out of it?

My number and my lovely chapeau

         Then upon arriving at the event. I want to go home. Can I go home? How can I get out of this? Sadly in the past. If I didn't want to go through something like this. I wouldn't. I just wouldn't show up. Desperately want to quit that type of destructive behavior. It is destructive. People learn that they cannot rely on you. Being considered unreliable. Is possibly the worst thing ever. 

Standing around waiting for things to begin. It was a very cold morning.

     When I started practicing for the Iron Girl 5k. I was finishing at one hour four minutes. By the time the Iron Girl came around. I was finishing at 54 minutes. This time when I did the Turkey Trot. My official finishing (according to Blue Cheetah Sports Timing) time is 47 minutes. I thought I had finished in 49 minutes. Finishing in 30 minutes, will be in my future.

My first 5k

     My new goal for the end of November, December and into the New Year. Is to not gain any extra weight during this delicious Christmas season.

**NOTE** This is my journey. Yours may be completely different. You should always discuss any new exercise program with your doctor.**