Good Monday Morning!

The last time I wrote, I talked a little about hating Sundays. I still do, kind of, but what I think I hate more is Monday mornings!!! But, I think there is a long line ahead of me of folks who also hate Mondays. In fact, the comic strip Garfield devoted many pages of panels regarding this very issue. Oh well, as a good friend of mine once said "Any day on the top side of the green grass is a good day!" I have to agree.
It was a great weekend though! I finally cleaned out my closet and got rid of 3 bags of clothes that no longer fit. I also found out that I can get into some size 20 clothes!! I am remembering that clothes do not always run the same across the boards in sizes, so I have on a size 22 pair of pants today ( that I had to stop and buy, because I truly have very little left in my closet that fits! I am so not complaining). This is a wonderful feeling for me and a true Non Scale Victory! By the way, for those that may be interested in such things, I lost 3 pounds last week, for a grand total of 24.6 off. I really didn't think that losing just 25 pounds would make such a big difference, but it does. I can't wait to see what happens when I get 50 pounds off! OOOH RAHH!!
I have also discovered another interesting fact: As I lose the weight, I find that I am feeling weird bones and joints that I have not felt in a long time. Like, my hip bones. Who knew? And shoulders. Yup, I have them and they are not just rounded lumps of fat, but actual bones. I have even lost some weight in my feet, because I have gone down a size in my shoes. I used to have to cram them into 10's and today, I have on size 9 loafers. Awesome feeling, to know that I am slowly becoming the disappearing woman. Perhaps I should have named my blog that instead? It doesn't really matter what the name of this journey is though, because it is going to last the rest of my life. SO maybe the title should be " Laura's incredible journey towards the light(er) ". Sorry.

Sunday Night Thoughts

I hate Sunday nights, I really do. It's the thought that I have to go back to work tomorrow that gets me down. Why does the work week have to start on Mondays? I would much rather have to stay at home than go to work. But, I can't, cuz we have so many bills. Anbd of course, I have a husband that has now bought a Harley and a new truck! Doesn't he get it? sometimes, I don't understand why he can't see that we need to save money not spend. And now, my DS2 wants a new car! When is it my turn to have something? End of the whine.

Friday Weigh In

Well, the lost weekend caught up with me and I gained 1.6 pounds. It could have been a lot worse, if I hadn't gotten right back on plan on Monday. I realize now that no prior planning is a bad thing and I am really going to have to work this out if I continue to go to events on the weekend. The question becomes : how do I plan for a whole weekend full of activity and keep my hunger at bay? I can take lots of veggies and fruits but I do not always have access to the cooler when I am out working the event. I am going to have to figure out a way to stock my market basket with good stuff so that I can have it nearby at all times. I am also going to have to learn to not let myself become ravenously hungry right before we go to eat dinner. This is a challenge that I know I can overcome and I would like to prove that to myself when we go off to Charlotte in a couple of weeks to Coronation. If I can prove it at one event, I think that I will be able to continue the challenge at the next.

Thursday Musings

It is Thursday and I am dog tired. We are painting offices at work and I must have been up and down that ladder 30 times yesterday! Add to that the fact that I rolled paint on the wall and bent over a million times and you can see why I am tired. ANd today, we are painting the other office. Good workout but it makes me so tired!
I am enjoying my new found size a little more now. Having lost close to 25 pounds, my clothes are too big and I have been looking at smaller sies. A great feeling to say the least. I got back on plan after my lost weekend and that makes me feel better too. I think the fact that I am not freaking out over the whole "diet" thing, has helped me a lot.

Out of Control Weekend

I have to confess that I had a totally out of control weekend and ended up eating mindlessly. I have to figure out a way to get through my SCA weekends without losing control. It is so hard though, because we go for so long and then I get so hungry that I will eat anything and everything. How do I get control? What can I take that is on plan and will keep me satisfied? I think that I am going to have to invest in a good cooler and keep it stocked.

Today is my Birthday!

Today, I am 52 years old. And I feel great! I am in control of my life, am too old to care what you all think of me and love the world as it is. I have finally realized that I cannot be perfect and will never be Miss America. Not a problem, cuz I am the ruler of my own world and that works for me. This new life that I have started has made me realize that I can control how I feel and how I deal with myself and others. What a great feeling of power and control! So to all or any that may be reading this blog, listen up.....Life begins when you decide it begins. Any age is okay to take control of your space and movement through this world. Enjoy what you have while you have it. And to my dear friend in upstate New York....I have not forgotten about you. I love you and miss your smile. Be safe my dear and drink a cup of Earl Grey for me!

I love my job

I have not posted here about my job until today. It actually is something that I love doing and would want to continue for a very long time. I work in higher educationa dn I am an admissions/academic advisor for a major university in North Carolina. But, more importantly, I work for a great boss! She is my motivation in so many ways and is very supportive in everyhting that I do. It has taken me a good year to finally feel comfortable around her, but we are more like a team now than ever before. I love my job!

The jeans fit!

I bought a pair of size 22 blue jeans about 4 weeks ago. At that point, they did not even zip up, but I was not discouraged. And today, they zipped up. And I wore them!!! OMG, they are 2 sizes smaller than when I started this adventure! It is working and I am so happy. It may be coming off in small umbers, but the inches are coming off. I am learning this time to be more patient.

The weekly result

Well, fighting the demons paid off this week and I lost 1.2 pounds. This puts me below the 250 pound mark and for me, that is a big victory! I am now looking to go below 240 and I know that this will take a while, but, what the hell. I have little else to do with my life right now but to get healthy!!! That's a joke folks!
Another big decision that I have been toying with is to start and finish, a PhD program. Now that UNCW has gotten their Educational Leadership program almost started, I think that I am going to try to get this one done. It really makes more sense than doing another Master's level program ( as much fun as this one is) and it will ultimately lead me to the job area I want, which is higher education administration. And, if they will pay for it, why not?!

Fighting old demons

On my way home from class last night I had a major melt down! I started to feel so sorry for myself. Wanted to stop and eat at every fast food restaurant possible and top it off with an ice cream sundae! I was majorly ready to quit. These are my demons! I just can't seem to hold a charge for the duration. And I started thinking "why bother?" It's not like I am every going to get thin, right? Well, I fought the demons, stayed on the road for home and went in and went to bed. I thought about it a little while trying to fall asleep, decided I was too comfortable in bed, and fell asleep. I woke up this morning feeling much better about the whole thing! I want to be healthy, I know that I can eat whatever I want to eat, but in better portion sizes and made myself a healthy, on program breakfast and lunch to take to work. I know that this is just the beginning of the fight against my demons of old, but I am not quite ready to give in . I want to be healthy more than I wanted the ice cream sundae! For today, at least, the win is mine!

What is it going to take?

What is it going to take to stay on this journey? Well, not willpower, as that fades in the sunset. And, not just eating alone, without exercise. Not just exercise, because I may end up using that as an excuse to eat more.No, I think it is going to take a lot of planning for everyday and every occasion. I found that out when I tried to get thru an SCA event without prior planning. Wrong! I had no choices and I was so hungry that I ate everything that I could. So, prior planning is the key. But, will I end up getting tired of planning everything in advance? I have in the past and that is what killed my good intentions. I am going to have to talk this out with my leader and see what suggestions are out there.

Good week and some thoughts on commercials!

I actually gained .2 pounds this past week but that is a good week because I did have a rather lost weekend at Ymir. I knew I was going to gain and I really thought it would be a lot more. Since I really didn't exercise nor did I drink all my water and stuff, a .2 increase is pretty good. I got back on plan on Monday, so I should show a loss next week. If I don't, oh well. I refuse to let the scales rule my life anymore. I did that for most of my life and it hasn't worked for me. It is time to try something new!
Now, my ranting about commercials. Okay, so I am watching the program "I Lost It" on the Discovery channel. I watch this program usually every morning. And every morning, it is the same thing. The program showcases 2 people who have had remarkable weight losses, by a variety of means. And it is very uplifting to see how the weight loss has positively affected their lives. And every morning, the commercial that they show is for Keebler Fudge Cookies! It shows this river of fudge cascading down a lovely mountain of cookies while the elf is saying something like " That ends today's lecture on cookies. Any questions?" And of course, the elf students are drooling and falling over in the chair in a daze. This commercial is run at least 3 times during the program!!! All the other commercials basically talk about the newest low-fat cooking shows coming up on Discovery channels. Keebler must be paying a great deal of money to be showing this commercial so many times in a row during a WEIGHT LOSS SHOW! Come on people. Do you have to be so blatant about your marketing scheme? This is so obvious as to be obnoxious.
Ranting over.

Back on plan and weird dreams

Okay, so the two things don't actually go together but this is going on in my life right now. I got back on plan yesterday by journaling my food and taking a brisk 1 mile walk. Made me feel so much better after the wild weekend that I had. I know that I can let go once in awhile and still maintain control, whihc is a real breakthrough for me. In the past, I would have just said "screw it" and never looked back. But, I really want this lifestyle to work and I know that I have few choices. It is either get healthy or die. Simple as that!
The weird dream is another issue. As I have stated in a previous post, I life kind of an alternate life when I am away from work and that is with the Society for Creative Anachronism, my medieval group. This past weekend, we went to Raleigh for an event and I was Lady Katharine de la Vache for the whole weekend. Well, last night I dreamnt that Ralph had one Crown Tournament, an event where fighters contend to become King and their significant others become Queen. It is a big deal and for a whole year, you are caught up in living this dream. You wear a crown and you get dressed up in some very fancy garb and you attend events as the royal representative. It is a very big deal and a very important one. It also can be very demanding. Well, in this dream, Ralph won and I was freaking out because we would be King and Queen for Pennsic War, held every August in Pennsylvania. Unless you have been around the Society, you may not grasp the significance of this, but it scared the hell out of me in my dream! I kept telling my husband "We can't do this! We have never been Royalty and we know nothing about running a war!" Everybody around us seemed to be ignoring me. An Ralph wasn't too worried either. This is very weird because Ralph does not fight anymore. I wish I knew what it all meant.

More thought needed

I have come to the realization that if I am going to continue this journey, I am going to have to really think out my weekends. Especially if I want to continue to play in the SCA (my medieval group). We went up to Raleigh this past weekend for an event known as Ymir ( pronounced ...ee-mirror) and I did not plan much at all in the way of what we would be eating. As a consequence, we ate a lot! And not all of it was good-for-you food. I had cookies and cake ( a couple of pieces) and meat and bread and beans and....well, you get the picture ( and not a very pretty one at that). My problem here is that I find myself on such a strange schedule when we go to these things and I never can plan ahead nor have access to my cooler of food or a place to cook anything, so we catch things on the fly, so to speak. I want to really sit down and plan out hiow I am going to handle the next event that I go to ( which will be in a couple of weeks) so that this all out eating thing doesn't happen again.

Another 5 gone!

I weighed in this morning and lost 2.8 pounds so I made it to the next 5 pound marker of 15. Actually, I now have 17.4 gone and am looking at 2.6 to make it to 20 pounds. I am really kind of suprised because I did not drink as much water as I should have and only walked once this week. I did however, track everything I ate and stayed within my points allowance. I am so relaxed about this whole lifestyle now. We even went out to dinner last night to Golden Corral and I did very well with a large salad w/ vinegar, steamed broccoli, steamed carrots, a broasted chicken breast and some fruit. And I was happy. Didn't do bread, dessert or coffee. I was full and content.

Tea Drinker

I love tea! I really do. Especially during the winter monts when I struggle to stay warm here in my office. Since the door to the outside lies right outside my office door, I get a shot of icy air whenever someone comes into the building.l So, I drink hot tea. And I have discovered a way to make chai tea that is drinkable and low in points. I mix the spices needed (basically ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) into fat free canned evaporated milk. I then mix a portion of it into a cup of brewed hot tea. 1/2 cup gives me one of my milk portion for the day and I can get at least 3 cups of tea out of it. Awesome!! Before, I was buying chai tea from my local coffee house and it was made out of sugared mix that was I am sure not very healthy for me. I do love it when I can trick myself into liking an alternative brew!!!

Relaxing at Home

I am a homebody, I will admit. I love to curl up in my chair with a good book or some knitting and just be at home. Now, when I was a young and naive child, I would think my parents were so old and stodgy cuz they would do the same thing. My, how the circle has gone around! Now, my 85 year mother is much more active than I am. It is really amazing what she can do and will do during the day. I envy the fact that she can do it all but I know that some days, she just doesn't have the energy or the stability to get moving. And that scares me. I think that she is getting more and more frail. I do not want to lose my mom and be an orphan. I hate growing older.

Lost 2.8

Yes folks, it was a great week. And we went out to eat twice. I am having fun now, trying to manipulate a menu to fit my eating lifestyle. I have found out that grilled shrimp and a plain baked sweet potatoe are a great dinner if you also have a salad with vinegar and oil and lots of water. This weekend, I may even have a small steak with my son when he comes home from college. The idea that inside of me, my body is literally jumping for joy, makes me giggle.

The news!

Yes folks, I have lost 2 1/2 inches in my waist since starting this new lifestyle! I cannot believe it. And, my clothes are now getting so big that my boss has suggested that I start wearing a belt, as she is tired of seeing me "hike up" my trousers. I feel so good and so motivated.

I have seriously thought about writing amemoir for my graduate thesis. Something along the lines of what this journey has been and is like. I know that a lot of people have written diet books and the like but, this would not be a how-to book as much as a what-has-always-gone- wrong book. More for myself than anybody else. Of course, this blog would be a part of it so folks, if you want to see some of your comments being used in my graduate thesis, please feel free to comment away! The program that I am undertaking is a liberal studies degree, so "liberal" is the theme here. They allow just about anyhting to be a subject for your paper. It does not need to be an academic study, although I will use statistics and numbers to relate the whole dieting experience that I have had. Any thoughts from you all regarding this?

Family Support

I know that I spoke of my husband in an earlier post. We have been married for over 25 years now and our relationship is getting better than ever. He is also with me on this journey and has taken to eating healthy in a big way. He has lost almost 15 pounds and I am so proud of him! He walks almost every night ( something I have a hard time doing when it is so cold out. I know, another excuse. I'm working on it). He is also making sure not to tempt me into bad behavior and for that, I really love him!!
My sons are also supporting this journey. They never knew their grandpa as he died before they were born. But, they do know how much I miss him and do not want to have me taken away before my time.

Good Morning!

I feel about 100% better. Yeah! Thank goodness for modern drugs. I had a great weekend and now am actually looking forward to a new week. I know, that sounds so Pollyanish, but after having so little energy for most of last week, feeling this good seems so marvelous.
I had one of those epiphany moments yesterday. I was thinking about how I have chosen this new lifestyle and almost started to feel sorry for myself and then, I though about living a long and useful life as a healthy, balanced human and my thoughts changed. Drastically! I do not want to die in my 60's and I will do anything and everything it takes to live. I lost my Dad when he was 61 and I will not put my family thru that. Not if it is in my control. And it is.

My other life

I live in a fantasy world. I really do. Actually, I am a 14th century English maiden that is from mid-England. My name is Katharine and I have the clothes to prove it! What I really do is play in the medieval group known as the Society for Creative Anachronism. I have been doing this for about 5 years and I love it! I have made so many new friends and many that I consider very close. And, my husband and I get to go camping together during the summer. It is a lot of fun. I love living out my "lust in the dust" fantasies and I get treated like a lady. Who could ask for anything more?

It's Cold here but...

Not as cold as it is in Western New York. Sorry Julie, but the case for me moving into the house across the street just got weaker! I grew up in Michigan, remember? And I can still feel the cold in my bones.
Well, being sick has not caused me to lose a great deal of weight this week. I am down 1.2 pounds, for a total of 11.2. I am NOT complaining. I didn't eat as much as I should have but I stayed on program and wrote everything down, so it is what it is. I am just happy to be feeling better. Tonight, I start back into walking, but just an easy few minutes, cause I am still not a 100%. I am not willing to kill myself for the big bang at the scales. One of the things that I have decided on is not to let the scales rule my life anymore. I have lived that way for too long. I want to be balanced in my life and live it to the fullest. The scale is just another tool. If I focus so much on how much I lose, I will fail to enjoy my life. Any fool can lose weight if they do nothing but count calories. I want to have enjoyed my life and not just be a skinny body in a box at the end.

Finally Feeling Human

I am finally feeling like I belong in this world. The antibiotics are kicking in and my face is not nearly as swollen. My jaw still aches some and is a little stiff, but overall, getting better.
I doubt if I will lose any weight tomorrow. Not because I have been eating poor choices but that I haven't been eating enough! I know, sounds like an oxymoron, but it is true. If you do not feed your body enough, it will shut down and go into starvation mode. I think I may even have gained some, because I have just been sitting around doing nothing. No PT, no walking, just resting. Oh well, this is also a part of living better. Life happens and we cannot agonize over it. I kept my food journal and I kept on plan, so it will all come off in the end! My body needed to rest and for once, in a very long time, I listened to my body. That, in and of itself, is a great leap forward.

Feeling a little better

I don't have the mumps but I do have an infection that is related to something going on in my teeth! And of course, the dentist office was closed yesterday so I have been at home, waiting for today to try and get in. The doctor at the clinic did give me some antibiotics and I have seen an improvement in the swelling, so that is a good thing.
All this has had an interesting affect on my eating. I only wanted soup yesterday, so I made another big pot of veggie soup to eat and ended up having a small bowl yesterday. Just not hungry. But, I did put in some barley and fat free cheese, which made the soup thick and rich, which was a good thing and helped me to feel all warm and cozy. I am trying some new grains in my eating, because I have read that fiber is more filling and a better souce of fuel for my body. I am all about filling up on healthy stuff.

Feeling blue

No, really I am ill today. It started yesterday afternoon at work and now, I am home, not going in today. The whole left side of my face and jaw is swollen! I thought it might be the mumps but it is only on one side and I do not think I am running a fever. I have a doctor's appointment at 10:45 this morning, so hopefully I will get an answer. I had a bowl of veggie soup yesterday for dinner and went to bed at 7. It's not like I feel horrible, just tired and icky.Someone told me it may just be an infection related to a viral thing. If so, there is not a lot I can do for it other than keep pushing fluids and stay warm. I have a paper due for my online course today, so I will finish it and get it posted before I go back to bed. Must maintain my school status ya know?!

Selling thin

Have you noticed how many commercials there are for diets, diet products, get thin quick stuff? It is obvious a big income business or advertisers would not be bothering with it. But, the ads come right next to ads for fast food eats. And these ads are gross! I hate to see someone gulping down french fries like they were the last food available on earth. And people eating the residue off of paper wrappings makes me ill. There has to be a better way to market these things. I just have to wonder what consumer these are aimed at? Listen up ad agencies; I will not eat at your restaurant and neither will my firneds because you make the food look so unappetizing!! I know in the grand scheme of things, this isn't much, but it is to me.

I didn't go to the gym. I slept in and that means that I will be going this afternoon, after work. No more excuses, just do it!

My 10 greatest songs list

Okay my friend, here is my list of 10 greatest songs, according to Laura:

1) The Marine's Hymn - Makes me feel all goosebumpy and proud
2) Beethoven's 5th - sorry, can't beat the classics!
3) Turn the Page - Bob Seeger - again, can't beat the classics :)
4) Black Water - The Doobie Brothers
5) I Believe in You - Il Divo
6) You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban version
7) Amazing Grace - Anybody's version
8) Notre Dame Fight Song - Hey, no rules here
9) Hotel California - The Eagles
10) Anything by the Beatles

My music list is very eclectic, but that's okay. I am a child of the 70's and we are known for a wide range of thoughts. I have a lot more favorites and my list might change from day to day, but the first 3 on the list will always stay the same. Being a former Marine, the song always makes me stand and be proud. That is why my work out music contains running chants from the US Marine Corps women Marines. I get so motivated when I put on my MP3 player with these chants playing. And at 250+ pounds, I can still get my feet to pound out a short running stint when I get going. Of course, I don't run very far, but hey, I am running! Hoo-Rah! And, my goal for the end of 2007 is to run in the New Year 5k run at Camp Lejeune. I will do it!

Imade it to 10!

I lost 1.2 pounds last week and I made it to 10 pounds gone! Yeah me! I feel so much confidence that I can do this, because I was out of town last weekend and the pickings were not the greatest. I even went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch on Sunday, ate well, and still lost. I am happy because I can be normal and eat well. I am not on a diet, but a new lifestyle.

I don't think I mentioned that my husband is also on Weight Watchers now. He has lost 8.8 in 2 weeks. I am proud of him and it makes it so much easier to be on program, cuz he now understands what I am doing. He is on core which I equate to an Atkins like plan. He eats mainly lean meats and veggies. Any starches that he eats he counts as points. I love him dearly because he has gone thru our pantry and pretty much labeled the point values on everything for us. It makes it so much easier and convenient to know before you eat something how many points it will cost.

I am going to start going to the gym this Monday. I figure that the only time I can fit a workout in is early in the morning, like 5:00 am. I know, sounds like a nightmare, but I want to make exercise a habit and I really detest working out after work. I just want to go home. So, I will get up, put on my gear, go to the gym, work out and then come home to eat and get ready for work. We'll see how this works out.

It's Friday

Friday is my weigh in day. Now, in the past, that would have scared the heck out of me, but I am so much calmer now. And yes, it was a good weigh in this morning, as I lost 1.2 pounds, making it to my second 5 pound goal. Workin on 5, dontcha' know? So, now, I have 5 pounds to lose. Doesn't seem like much and I will do it. I have realistic goals in that I am trying not to think about when this will happen, only that it will happen.
It is Friday and the weather is still rainy and cold. For North Caroliona, that is not a normal thing. It is normally very pleasant here ( unless it is in the middle of summer, then it is just hot and humid) but overall, not a bad place to live, climate wise. Being a Northerner by birth, it has taken me some time to get used to the climate in the South. I must admit, I miss my snow and I especially miss the colors of Fall, my favorite season. And yes, I would love to live across the street from my bestest friend ever, Julie, but that is still a dream for the future. Don't give up hope, I may show up on your doorstep one day and ask to watch a movie and maybe share a cuppa.
It's Friday and I have a weekend to look forward to. Don't we all. Happy Friday!

It's Raining and it's Cold

Now, that title sounds a bit whiney but it is not meant to be. Our weather here is not bad compared to other places and I really do not want to complain. We were supposed to have ice, so rain is a good thing.
Thanks to those who have already responded and commented on my blog. Garsh, I didn't realize that there were so many neat people out there that cared about a stranger! Thanks folks, you have made my day.
As I have stated, this is about the millionth time I have started and stopped a diet. My life has always been a battle with weight. I remember being on some type of diet when I was about 8 and diet pills were all the rage. Thankfully, my mom decided that controlling food was better than medicating me, but it didn't work. It was just controlling and it made me sneak eat. You know, hiding what I was eating from my folks, maybe waiting until I got to school to eat something sinful in the cafeteria ( Oh, those cinnamon rolls! I can still taste them). I bounced up and down with my weight and always felt like the "fat girlfriend" to all my skinny friends. You know, the one who couldn't wear all the cool clothes but hey, I didn't care, right?! I provided comic relief.
Back in the late 70's, I graduated from college and decided that what I wanted to do was get out of Michigan and see the world. How could I do that, you ask? Well, my crazy brain said "join the military!" So, I decided to join the Marine Corps! Yup, the Marine Corps. Of course, they didn't want an overweight (by about 75 pounds) college graduate, so I went back to Weight Watchers. 75 and 1/2 pounds later, I was in! And the real fight began. The Marine Corps will stay on you about your weight every day. And, in Officer's Candidate School ( the equivalent to boot camp) I was weighed pretty much every day! Horrors!!! But, I did okay. To make a long story longer, I survived enough to make it through 3 years. Although I loved the Corps ( and still do) I couldn't take the constant focus on my weight. I married me a Marine though, and as the story goes, "lived happily ever after". More on this journey in later issues. Thanks for staying with me during this journey.

Good Morning

Good Morning! Another busy day ahead for me and I find that these kind of days present specific challenges for me. I have to plan very carefully to ensure that I have enough to eat during the day and that I not get caught without something to eat. This is what has caused problems in the past. I get so hungry that I eat asnything that is available. This is bad! I am trying not to be so focused on what I eat though. It is a delicate balance for me.

Presenting my life on-line is very interesting. I know that there are many folks out there that are blogging their weight loss efforts and this is not a novel concept. But, it is for me. I have a few close friends that I have always counted on to provide support but I think that I am looking for a broader base to gain support and encouragement. Weight Watchers offers a lot of in-house support and great ideas, but somehow, I think I need validation. Strange concept.

My blogging mentor, Julie, has already seen my blog and that was a suprise, as I only started yesterday. But, a great suprise! I can only hope to make my entries as interesting as hers.

The battle begins

Yes, this is the last battle I plan to fight in this war. I have fought the weight lose battle for so many years that I just don't ever remember not being on a diet. Now, I am stepping off of the yo-yo cycle. This is my last yo folks! I have it in my brain and in my heart that I need to be healthy and "dieting" doesn't do it. What does do it is a lifestyle change and I have gon back to Weight Watchers to start this new concept. My weight started at 267.8 and so far, over 2 weeks, I have lost 8.8 pounds. I will take this thing 5 pounds at a time, cuz anyone can lose 5 pounds.