August 25, Wednesday Night:  It has been almost 2 years since I started this weight loss blog, and I'm now going in the wrong direction.  So, I think I'll stop blogging.  My heart is just not in it.  I've been trying to lose weight all my adult life and the more I try, the more I feel like a failure.  So, I'm just going to accept that this is the body I'm stuck with and move on.  I'm sick of keeping track of what I eat, how much I eat, when I eat, what not to eat... I've been doing this since I'm 12 years old.  I'll be 50 on August 31st and my gift to myself is permission to just relax and enjoy things like my son and granddaughter.  If I happen to lose weight, well, I'll come back and tell you all about it.  Don't hold your breath.

August 18, Wednesday Night:  This is a very good Wednesday, not only because I lost 2 pounds, but because my son and granddaughter are here!!!  And I'm really too beat to write more.  I have only had a total of about 6 hours sleep in the past two nights.  So I'll write more when I can think straight.  But my beautiful granddaughter is the love of my life!!!  And my son is such a wonderful father.  I could not ask for more.

August 11, Wednesday Night:  I had yet another gain.  I'm very tempted to go off my cholesterol meds.  Ever since I started taking it, I've been gaining.  When my doctor doubled the dose, I started gaining faster.  The doctor insists it's not the medication, but I swear I'm all puff up because of it.  I'm sluggish and miserable.  The two weeks I took myself off, I lost.  Oh well.  I'll figure it all out.  Right now I'm looking forward to my son and my granddaughter coming for a visit.  They arrive Monday and will be here for 10 DAYS!!!  I can't wait!  I'll be sure to post some pics so please check back!

August 4, Wednesday Night:  I can't believe it's August.  It's August and it's hot and I'm miserable.  I don't sleep.  I hurt all over.  My chest flutters are so constant that it's about to drive me insane.  There's no way I can lose weight while feeling like this.  At least I can look forward to my son and granddaughter visiting in two weeks.  I just hope I can feel somewhat human when they are here.

July 28, Wednesday Night:  I had a little gain tonight, but that's okay because I weighed in wearing my street clothing instead of the leggings and light shirt I usually wear.  I'm going to just weigh in my jeans from now on.  Other than that, my biggest problem right now is horribly itchy eyes.  Really, really bad.  I've gone through all kinds of drops and different soap and all that jazz.  I wash my hands and face constantly.  I do the cold compresses but that only seems to make it worse.  Today I'm trying another kind of drop and so far, that one has brought me a bit of relief.  I'm quite sure it's allergies.  It's always something.

July 21, Wednesday Night:  Well, not a good night at the scale.  I started taking my cholesterol meds again and I gained.  I will go off them again for a week to see what happens.  At least we had a fun night at TOPS.  We had our annual pool party.  And it always seems to rain on that night.  It rained like crazy and we also had lots of thunder and lightning.  I love that!!!  There were a couple tornados reported too.  I didn't get to see that.  Not sure I want to see that.  Oh well, I just hope I can have a good week.

July 14, Wednesday Night:  I didn't lose this week but I also didn't gain. So, to me, that's a good thing.  Not much else going on.  My allergies are bad.  I can't sleep.  My chest flutters are still almost constant.  I hurt in my knees, hips and entire upper body.  Yep, things are all the same as usual!

July 7, Wednesday Night:  Is it really July?  Really?  Yes, it is.  And I started the second half of the year with a much needed weight loss.  A small loss, but I'll take it!  Now, the only thing I did differently was stop taking my pravastatin for my cholesterol.  When I started back on the pravastatin at the begginning of the year, my weight loss started to really suffer.  Then a couple months ago my doctor doubled my dose and I gained nine out of ten weeks.  So after last week's gain, I stopped the meds and I had a loss.  I'm staying off it for another week to see what happens.  Not too much else going on.  It's hotter than hell in Maine right now.  It was even worse the past couple of days.  We got close to 100 degrees.  I don't like the heat.  Not unless I have a pool, and I don't.  We had a pool for 20 years and man, did I ever love it.  One day I'll have one again.

June 30, Wednesday Night:  I don't even want to talk about it.  Not about my weight. What I will talk about is how my son is playing (in a band) in South Padre Island for a month.  He's there now during Hurricane Alex.  I asked him today if they were leaving the island, and nope!  They are playing at the resort for all the foolish people who stayed behind.  I told him I was watching on The Weather Channel and how they were set up at South Padre.  Do you see the weather people, I asked?  Yes!  They are staying in the same hotel (they had to move twice due to floods) and he partied with them last night.  Lovely.  I told him I did NOT want to see him jumping in the waves behind the weather man.  A couple hours later, I see him on TV jumping in the waves... with the entire band.  Derrick is 32.  And I still worry about him!  Now he's safe on stage, I hope.  If they lose power, I'm sure he'll venture back outside.  I may get to see him on TV yet again. You can see him here, the big dude on the left.

June 23, Wednesday Night:  I set a new record.  I gained five weeks in a row!  I have never done that while attending TOPS.  At least is was only a quarter of a pound.  But as I sit here writing this, I'm not surprised that I'm gaining because just sitting up and typing is a struggle.  It's to the point that my chest flutters are sooooooo bad that I feel like the life is draining right out of me.  I swear it's like the blood is forcing to go through my arteries.  But doctors say it's nothing.  Constant flutters for 20 months can't be nothing!  It has to be something.  And the PT I started for upper body pain... well that didn't last long.  I found out after my 2nd visit that my insurance gave the therapist the wrong info.  And instead of it costing me $10 per visit, it's $30 per visit.  I can't afford that 3 times a week.  I was so mad that I had to pay $60 for the two visits I already had.  That was a complete waste of money.  It's a very discouraging world right now.  I need a major change in my life.  It's falling apart.

June 16, Wednesday Night:  Okay, I had a gain but at least I'm slowing down on how much I gained.  So I'll take this quarter pound gain and run with the hope that I'm headed in the right direction.  I swear I have not changed the way I eat.  I've been eating the same way in nearly 2 years.  However, I have been really suffering from depression and extreme anxiety.  I'm off the final med that I was taking for anxiety so maybe I just need a bit more time before my body wants to start shedding weight again.  I am willing to wait.  I will lose it all.  I know I will.  I'm in no big hurry.  And just think of how exciting it will be when I beat this backslide period and lose a whole bunch again!  I'll forget all about this slow spot.  It's all good.

June 9, Wednesday Night:  Hmmmmm.... I'm starting to lose anything but weight. I'm losing hope, for sure.  And what is bringing me down is that I know there is something wrong with me and I can't get a doctor to believe me.  My chest flutters constantly.  It even flutters during the few hours of sleep that I get.  It wakes me up.  My head is always pounding. It's pounding right now.  I get dizzy when I walk.  I just took the dog up the street and I wished I had a walker.  I'm flat out depressed.  The doctor wants to medicate me for depression.  How about fixing me instead?  Find out what's wrong with me and maybe I won't be depressed!  I start physical therapy for my upper body on Friday.  Doctor says it's fibromyalsia pain. I say it's because I've been sitting at a sewing machine and computer 20 hours a day for over 10 years.  So hopefully PT will help.  Won't help my chest flutters though.  I give up!

June 2, Wednesday Night:  I'm heading in the wrong direction. Plain and simple.  And not only with my weight, but with my general health.  For those of you who are following my blog, you know I've been complaining about almost constant chest flutters.  I even changed doctors recently because I felt the doctor I had was not concerned about the fish flopping around in my chest.  Well, my new doctor pretty much told me if the flutters were going to kill me, I'd be dead by now.  I swear he does not believe me.  He didn't even put the stethoscope to my chest even though I told him my chest was thumping right then and there.  I asked for a referral for a specialist and he said no. He asked if I get dizzy, have a hard time to swallow, shortness of breath.  Yes, yes and yes.  Just the same, I walked out of his office with no answers and no hope.  I think I need to find another doctor.  Everyone I talk to says I should be very concerned about these flutters.  But doctors seem to just assume it's nothing.

May 26, Wednesday Night:  Well, let's just say it was another lousy week.  Not so much because I had a gain at TOPS, but because I just had a lousy week.  My entire upper body hurts and my chest flutters will not quit.  I see my doctor Friday but I'm not overly hopeful that he'll do much.  And my fourth lasik eye surgery only made my vision worse.  I just wish I could feel good for one week.  I wish I could get one night of decent sleep.  Just depressed right now.  I hope things turn around.

May 19, Wednesday Night:  I had a one pound loss tonight at TOPS and I'll gladly take it.  That ends my gaining streak where I gained 3 weeks in a row. But enough about my weight.  I have something exciting to say... I'm a foster mom to puppies!  Yes, I am fostering 2 pups for one of the animal shelters.  They had a litter of 9 and they are still too young to adopt out so I took home two to socialize them.  They are darling lab mix puppies, just 7 weeks old.  I'm falling in love with them but I only have them for 6 days then they go back.  I'm going to miss them so much!  I'll post pics a bit later.

May 12, Wednesday Night:  I can't believe it's May 12.  I was sure it was Wednesday the 5th!  That's the date I put on the TOPS newsletter.  Man, I must need a vacation!  Well, I guess it does not matter what Wed it is, I gained.  I need to turn this around!  I am quite frustrated.  It's not so much what I'm eating.  It's that I just don't feel well enough to move around.  I have horrible chest flutters that practically knock me out.  Sometimes when I drive I have to pull over just to catch my breath. So walking it out of the question.  I see the doctor in a couple weeks.  I changed doctors because my previous doctor could not find a fix.  I hope my new doctor can!  If any of you suffer from chest flutters (more like a fish flopping around in my chest and up to my throat), I'd love to hear from you.

May 5, Wednesday Night:  How did it become May so quickly?  HOW???  And I'm not off to a good start in May.  I had a gain, but much worse, my 4th round of Lasik eye surgery only made my vision worse.  It has only been a week, and I know my eye surgeon will tell me to hang in there and wait when I see her tomorrow, but honestly, I'm not very hopeful.  I wish so much I would have just kept the lousy vision I had before this mess.  Anyway, I don't even want to write about it.  Good night.

April 28, Wednesday Night:  Boo hoo.  I had a big old gain this week.  So there goes my losing streak.  I'm okay about it.  I was stressed out the past few days getting ready for my fourth round of Lasik eye surgery, which I had today.  I stress, not over the surgery itself, but over missing work, having to get up in the morning, missing my TOPS meeting.  I decided to just get weighed but not stay for the meeting.  I'm still groggy from the Valium and I also have a headache.  And my vision is quite blurry so I would not be able to take very good secretary notes.  So, home I am.  And bored I am.  And hungry I am.  Nervous kind of hungry.  I should go heat up some veggies to have on hand.  I insist on having a loss next week.

April 21, Wednesday Night:  Looks like I'm on a mini losing streak!  I don't know if 2 weeks in a row actually qualifies as a streak, but I'm calling it one :O)  I have been gaining lately so I'm glad to see two losses in a row.  I think now that my bronchitis is gone (for the most part), I may start to lose again.  I just can't wait to get under 250!  That will be nice.  Then I'll aim to get under 200!  That will be even more nice.  I have not been under 200 pounds since 1989.

April 14, Wednesday Night:  Finally!  I lost some weight!  I'm still not back to my lowest weight, but I'm determined to reach it and pass it with flying colors!  My lowest weight was 254 and that was way back in December.  I have just been playing with the same few pounds for almost 4 months now.  They say it's a plateau.  I don't.  I don't think you hit a plateau after losing only 45 pounds.  I think it's because I've been sick practically all of 2010.  When I'm sick, I gain.  That's all there is to it.  I seem to hang on to everything I eat.  And the medications don't help either.  But this week I've been chasing my granddaughter around.  So maybe that has helped.  I just hope it continues.  She and my son are leaving on Sunday.  I'm going to be soooooo sad.  I'll have to dive into work and not the refrigerator when they leave :O)

April 7, Wednesday Night:  Boo hoo!!!  I have got to turn this weight gaining around!  I know it's because I still have bronchitis.  But I think I might be on the mend.  I surely hope I am!  I've been sick since the beginning of January.  Everyone who has this bronchitis is stuck with it for weeks and months.  But my chest x-rays were good so I'm happy about that.  I just need to get better and get outside and get some exercise!  I'm hopeful!!!

March 31, Wednesday Night:  Well, it's apparent that I'm still sick, because I gained.  I just can't lose weight when I'm sick.  I just don't know why I can't beat this bronchitis.  I finally had chest x-rays but I don't know the results. All I know is that something has got to change!!!  I need to get well so I can work.  I can barely sew right now.  If I make one garment I need to lay down for an hour.  And my son is coming home with my granddaughter on the 10th and I want to be well!  I'll be done my most recent round on antibiotics tomorrow and they didn't do me any good.  I'm quite down in the dumps right now.  And I miss my dog.

March 24, Wednesday Night:  I did it again.  I lost some more weight.  That's two weeks in a row and I'm happy about it.  I'm feeling better about seeing the numbers start to go back down, but I'm not happy to be sick again.  My bronchitis that I had for 7 weeks decided to come back.  I really think it might be pneumonia.  I see the doctor Friday afternoon.  I sure hope some good antibiotics will help.  I've been sick since the beginning of January with just maybe two weeks of feeling good somewhere during that time.  I'm sick of being sick!  But I'm glad to see that I lost because usually I gain when I'm sick.  I tend to retain all the fluids I drink.  I just hope I can lose weight again next week.  I have got to get under 250!!!  I've been waiting FOREVER!!!

March 17, Wednesday Night:  Well that's more like it chickie!  I did awesome this week.  And the only thing I can think of that I did differently is just not think about trying to lose weight.  I was totally stressed because we hosted the TOPS workshop on Saturday and I wanted so much to have a great big loss.  I came in with a 1.5 pound loss since the last workshop... that's all!  But hey, it got me into the top 15!!!  I got 13th place with that tiny loss.  And I ran to the front of the stage with all the joy and my head held high!  It was a loss and that's all I cared about. It also meant that in the 4 months since the last workshop, I maintained my weight.  That in itself is a lot to be proud of. So I'm very happy.  And I think I'll get unstuck now and start to lose again.  And I got a wonderful stuffed yellow chick that I can give to my granddaughter! I love winning the stuffed toys for her.  So I have to keep getting in that top 15 at TOPS!

March 10, Wednesday Night:  I don't understand what is going on.  I'm on a gaining streak!  I have got to chance whatever it is that I'm doing.  I even walked every night since last Wed and still had a gain.  I will have to switch to counting calories for a bit, I guess.  I'm just so sad :O(

March 3, Wednesday Night:  There is good news and bad news about tonight's weigh in.  The bad news is that I gained 3.75 pounds.  The good news is that I gained 3.75 pounds!  That gain was all it took to snap me into the reality that I'm slacking and need to get back on track.  So after the meeting, while others ran to KFC, I ran to the grocery store and stocked up on everything I need to make my veggie wraps.  The last time I got on a wrap kick I ate wraps for 8 weeks and lost 8 pounds!  So I hope it works for me again.  The other good news, at least I hope it's good news, is that we had elections tonight and I will be the new secretary starting in April.  It will be a bit more work but I'm sure I can handle it for a year then I can pass the torch on to someone else. But for the moment, I look forward to a very good week eating my wraps and maybe getting outside a bit if it's warm enough.

February 24, Wednesday Night:  I had what TOPS calls a "turtle" tonight at the weigh in. That means I didn't gain, I didn't lose. I stayed the same. And I was happy with that.  As long as I didn't gain, I'm happy!  But I really would love to start walking.  Especially now that I have only one dog, it's much easier to walk him.  And he would just love to go for walks.  I used to walk all three dogs at the same time and that was quite the task.  But then Cupcake got old and could not walk well. Then Puff would get very tired and I would have to carry him.  So I stopped walking even Scruffy because the others looked so sad if I left without them.  Anyway, time to start walking Scruffy again, but my chest won't allow it right now. I still have horrible flutters that I've had for well over a year now.  I see the doctor about it on March 18. And I still feel like I have bronchitis.  So I need to get healthy so I can get back to doing some walking and get back to losing weight!

February 17, Wednesday Night:  I pulled off a tiny loss.  I expected more.  I'm quite frustrated.  I look forward to warmer weather and longer days so maybe I can start moving around a bit.  I just feel so sluggish and I still have bronchitis.  Still have only a bit of my voice.  I really should go to the doctor again but I'm sick of going there.  My next appointment is in one month and I'm going to try to hold out until then.  Well, I'm not in a bright and cheery mood so I'll just sign off!  On a good note, I am at least happy that I had a loss.  I'll take a loss, no matter how tiny it is.  I've come a long way with tiny little losses :O)

February 10, Wednesday Night:  This has been pretty much a lousy year for me so far.  I've been sick with bronchitis since the first week of January and now I'm even losing my voice.  My dog was old and sick and I had to have him put down. Yes, I got to go to Nashville and see my son and his little girl but we had an ice storm and I was not feeling up to doing much so it was not the trip we hoped for (but still totally worth seeing my granddaughter!!!). My mother has been sick too so two trips to the doctor for us both so far this year. And now I'm having a hard time with my weight.  I swear, I hardly ate for the past few days.  My dog was not doing well and I had no appetite at all.  And I have barely eaten anything since I had him put down.  So I go to TOPS tonight to try and get away from sadness for a bit and I end up gaining 1.75 pounds... just what on earth is that all about?  Can't I catch a tiny break?  I don't know... I'm just very depressed right now and I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired.  And I'm very sick of this weight loss taking so damn long.  I'd love to rev things up a bit but I'm so freaking sick with bronchitis... complain, complain, complain!  That's all I feel like doing for now so I'll just stop.  Maybe tomorrow things will start to look a wee bit better.  I sure hope March is a better month.  So far Jan and Feb have pretty much sucked.  The End.

February 9, Tuesday Night:  This is a very sad time for me.  I had my beautiful dog Puff put down yesterday.  His time has been coming.  I got him from an animal shelter who gave him to me for free because he was a hospice case and he just needed a good home for his last days.  I took him because I figured I would not have time to get attached to him.  But the very old dog that was supposed to die soon almost seemed to turn into a new puppy.  And he certainly looked like one after I shaved him to help his skin issues.  He had lots of problems including thyroid disease, bad heart, total deafness, cataracts, two tumors, lots of missing teeth, lung disease and very bad skin.  He was estimated to be about 12 to 15 years old.  I got to love and care for that precious dog for just over 3 years!  And the dog that I was not supposed to get attached to was by my side constantly.  He followed me so much that there were times I hated to get up because I hated to make him get up.  The past few months have been going down hill for Puff and I knew he would die soon.  After all, vets have been telling me he would die any time for 3 years now.  I expected and hoped he would die home in his sleep but he kept hanging on and I finally had to have him put down because I could tell he was suffering.  I know I'll feel better in time because I did not think I'd ever feel better after losing Cupcake but right now I just feel like I lost the love of my life.  I will miss him forever.  You can see him at the bottom of this page... My Doggies

February 4, Thursday Afternoon:  Gee... I have not posted for 2 weeks! That's because on Wednesday the 27th I weighed in at TOPS but was feeling too sick to stay for the meeting.  And I had to fly to Nashville the next day.  So I came home and just rested and did a bit of packing.  Then on Thursday the 28th I flew to Nashville to see my son Derrick.  Then on Friday, during a freak ice storm, we drove from Nashville to Mississippi to pick up my son's little girl, my sweet granddaughter Skylar!  It was quite the trip. Took us 15 hours for a 420 mile round trip. Then I stayed in Nashville with my son and granddaughter until Monday afternoon and got back to Maine at midnight Monday night.  And I'm still sick with bronchitis.  At least this week I lost some weight.  January was a bad month for weight.  It was the first time since I joined TOPS that I had a month with a net gain.  It was only a net gain of 2.50 pounds so that's not bad at all considering I was even on prednisone for part of the month.  And at last night's weigh in I lost 2 pounds.  So I hope to lose the other half pound plus more at the next weigh in.  It's very hard for me to lose weight while I'm sick.  I seem to retain all my fluids and I drink a lot of water, even when sick.  I also feel like eating a lot of crackers when I'm sick and that prednisone made me feel like eating anything in site.  So it was a rough month.  But I'm so happy I was still able to go to Nashville and see my son and granddaughter!  Skylar is just the sweetest thing and she keeps me and Derrick laughing all the time.  And Derrick is the best daddy ever.  I'm so proud of him!  You can see some pics of Derrick and Skylar below on my November 28th entry.  That's when he took her to Maine.

January 20, Wednesday Evening:  We ended up not having a meeting tonight.  At least, not that I know of.  We had snow but TOPS was not officially canceled. But when I went there there were no weight recorders and the other couple members who were there said many had called and said they were not coming. So we just took it upon ourselves to call it quits.  I was not going to stay for the meeting anyway because I'm too sick with bronchitis.  It may have turned into pneumonia, not sure. I'm going back to the doctor supposedly on Friday if they can squeeze me in.  One thing for sure, I'm sure happy I didn't have to step on the scale.  I am on prednisone for the first time in my life and I hear that's a big weight gaining med. I've tried very hard not to give in to the increased cravings the prednisone caused and also just being sick makes me feel like eating junk. Thank goodness I have my soup and I'm trying to stick to that.  What a lousy two weeks this has been with this horrid illness!  And I'm supposed to fly to Nashville in one week to visit my son and granddaughter.  I sure hope to be better by then.

January 13, Wednesday Evening:  I had another gain this week but I really expected it to be a lot more.  I've been sick with a bad cold for 1 week now.  It started just after my TOPS meeting last week and now it's all in my chest and I have a world class headache.  My mother has it too. We see the doctor on Friday.  So, I think all the fluids I've been drinking and the crackers I've been munching on are sticking right to me.  I hope I feel better soon.  I leave for a vacation to Nashville to see my son and my granddaughter on the 28th!  I've got to feel better by then!

January 6, Wednesday Evening:  I started my new off with a gain.  But with losses there will always be some gains along the way.  I look forward to taking it back off plus much more!  On a good note, I was the biggest loser at TOPS for the month of December.  I lost 4.75 pounds for the month.  Normally you need to lose more than that to get the top spot but December is a month of gains for many.  I didn't really do anything different for the holidays when it comes to eating.  I tried to stick to the same old same old.  I did have chex mix last week which is why I blame myself for not losing last week.  And this week I did have chocolate and that is FOR SURE the reason I had a gain this week. Now it's all behind me and I have an entire new year to lose lots of weight!!!  I hope this is the year that I drop down below 200 pounds!!!

December 30, Wednesday Evening:  Well all I wanted was a tiny quarter pound loss and I didn't get it.  I stayed the same.  In TOPS language we call that a turtle.  But hey, I didn't gain!  And the past week has been a bit more crazy with the food.  Not too crazy, but my husband made Chex Mix.  Usually he brings it to work but this time he didn't.  And he didn't lock it up.  Did you know we have a lock on one of our cabinets?  Yes, we do!  And only my husband has the key.  It's where he keeps his stash of junk.  And that's where the Chex Mix should have gone!  But instead, I ate a bit too much of it.  But now it's gone and I'm starting the new year with a brand new attitude!  I hope to lose 60 pounds in 2010.  That's an average of 5 pounds a month.  I should be able to do that.  Happy New Year everyone!!!

December 23, Wednesday Evening:  Whoopie!  The best Christmas gift I could ever give myself was a nice 2.50 pound loss at the weigh in tonight.  We didn't have a meeting because everyone is busy with the holiday.  But we did have a weigh in and I'm thrilled with my loss!  We have one more Wednesday this year and I hope to end with a loss... even a tiny loss.  I've lost big the past two weeks so I'm not expecting much next week.  But I know that I'll be eating right and staying on track through the holidays.  Holidays are not about food.  In fact, I have absolutely nothing planned for food but a nice pot of soup :O)  Merry Christmas everyone!!!

December 16, Wednesday Evening:  We had our TOPS Christmas party tonight, delayed because of last week's snow storm. What fun we had!  First we all ate.  It was a healthy soup and salad pot luck with some desserts (I had a few cookies!).  Then we had a wild auction using TOPS dollars that we earned for the past 6 months for various accomplishments.  Like if you lost weight you earned some money.  If you donated something to the weekly fruit basket you earned some money... and so on.  I had earned over $300 in TOPS dollars and won a crazy big stuffed gorilla that I will keep here for when my granddaughter visits.  I thought it might scare her, but instead it scares my mother!  She can't even look at it.  She's afraid of real gorillas, but a stuffed one?  It's just too funny.  But it was a fun night and I had a 2.75 pound loss.  I wanted more because that was for two weeks since we didn't get weighed last week.  But hey!  I'll take it!  It's over a pound a week for the two weeks so I'm happy about that.  I can't believe I'm getting close to weighing under 250!!!  I hope to get there by the end of January.

December 9, Wednesday Evening:  We did not have a weigh in tonight at TOPS because of a little thing called a snow storm.  Not really what I call a storm, but still, very messy and lots of shoveling to do.  So we did not have a meeting and tonight was going to be our Christmas party.  Now the party will be next week.  I sure am glad I didn't make the big pot of soup I was bringing to the party.  Right now I'm eating wraps and the soup would have been wasted.  I also wish I could have weighed in because I think I might have lost a little.  Now I just have to do even better for next week!

December 3, Thursday Afternoon:  I had a little gain this Wed at TOPS but only 1/2 a pound and I'm fine and dandy with that because I had my son here and my brother and we had lots of holiday food in the house for Thanksgiving and I also went to my nephew and new niece's wedding and had lots of beer.  I did my very best to really watch what I ate but I did stray a bit, including the beer.  But I had a blast at the wedding and I danced and so did my little granddaughter.  It was such a nice evening.  Now the holiday is over and my house is empty and I'm back to eating my veggie wraps.  I'm confident if I stick to my wraps and broth that the weight will continue to come off.  I just love my veggie wraps so much!!!  And I never dreamed that broth could taste so good and be so filling.  I drink a cup of hot broth while preparing my wrap then I have another cup with my wrap.  It really is quite satisfying.  My son and my granddaughter left on Tuesday and I hang on to the thought that they will return, hopefully soon.  I miss Skylar so much. She lit up this home!  She is just a living doll and my son is the best daddy ever.  Skylar truly is a joy to us all.

November 28, Saturday Afternoon:  Before I even talk about my weight I have some very important news... MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS HERE!!!  I didn't dare mention it before because I was so afraid it wasn't really going to happen but my son took her from Mississippi to Maine!!!  Oh, I can't even begin to tell you how completely thrilled we are to have her.  She arrived on Monday the 23rd and is here until Tuesday, December 1st.  How I'm ever going to let her go is beyond me!!!  These are the very first pics from when I picked them up at the airport.  There will be many more pics coming as soon as I set up her gallery.
You can click the pics for a larger view.
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Now let's talk about my weight!  It has been a good week for me.  Not only did I get to bring my son and Skylar to my Wed weigh in to show her off, I was granted a 1.50 pound loss for the week!  That wonderful loss means  I reached my 40 pound mark so I have new photos for you to see.  Once again, I don't see any difference from the 30 pound photos, but I sure do see a difference from when I started my blog.  You can see my weight loss photos here.  This has been a busy month for me so I have not been listing my tunics on eBay.  But that is about to change.  When Derrick takes Skylar back home, I will be filling my time with sewing.  And I will look forward to seeing Skylar again in the spring.  That surprise granddaughter of mine has become my greatest joy!  And Derrick is the best daddy ever!  I'm so incredibly proud of him.  When I learned about Skylar just 3 short months ago, I cried for a week thinking how the circumstances would probably mean I'd never get to see her or at least not see her for a long time.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think Derrick would be bringing her to Maine to visit us.  We are all so in love with that little girl!  And I'll forever be thankful to Skylar's mom for letting Derrick take Skylar on such a big adventure!
 

November 18, Wednesday Night:  This was a good Wednesday for me!  Not only did I lose 2.25 pounds, but that got me the title of Biggest Loser at my TOPS chapter for this week!  And I also won a random drawing and got a $10 gift certificate for Kohl's.... how sweet is that!  And I attended our TOPS workshop and I got 3rd place in the top 15 losers for our county.  I lost 12.5 pounds since the last workshop which was 2 months ago.  Our next workshop is in 4 months and our chapter is hosting it so I hope I come in the top three for that workshop too!  I'm going to do my best :o)  I also had 5 losses in a row and now our chapter gives you a charm for every 5 week block that you lose weight.  I love little incentives like that.  TOPS ROCKS!  And I'm very, very close to losing 40 pounds and that means I'll have to take more pics to add to my before and after gallery!  And soon I'll be in the 250s!  I can't wait to break the 250 mark and be in the 240s.  When I started this blog I was not quite 300 pounds but at one time I did see 306 on my scale, so getting to the 250s will be a real treat for me. I'm FINALLY starting to feel a tiny bit lighter.  I still have a long way to go, but getting off my butt is a bit easier.

November 13, Friday Afternoon:  I can't believe I never came to post my latest loss.  I guess I must be getting bored with losing weight... naw!  Can't ever get sick of that!  I'm only 3 pounds away from my next set of weight loss photos.  I hope I see a bit more difference this time.  At least my hair is different.  It's sort of short and shaggy and nearly black.  Now that I think of it, it looks very much like the picture of David Cassidy I have in the column on the right!  Like this!  I guess I must be looking at this picture too much!  That is just too funny!  I'll have to take a picture of my hair and we can compare to see who is cuter, me or David!

November 4, Wednesday Night:  I lost again!  I love it!  My new eating plan is working!  I'm doing wraps.  Wraps, wraps and more wraps! I've been eating veggie wraps for 3 weeks now.  And I'm not even close to being sick of it.  I get all my wrap ingredients ready on Thursday and they last me through until the following Wed when I get weighed.  Then I go out and buy more wrap stuff and start all over again!  I have a wrap for each meal with a nice hot cup of broth. Any time I'm hungry I make a wrap. I'm always full and I'm losing weight. No complaints from me!

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