McSkinny Friday

I am reporting to you this week a few pounds lighter!

187.7 on the scale this morning. 3.3lbs in a little less than two weeks, not too shabby! We've been consistent with the gym, even when I really didn't want to be. I took my lunch every day this week (chicken, veggies, fruit and/or a yogurt) and have managed to behave myself.

I'm proud of the progress I've made so far. I'm already feeling like I fit in my clothes a little better. Isn't it amazing what a few extra pounds of bloat and fat will do? It's nice to be able to breathe in my jeans!

The weekends are the hardest for me. When we get together with our friends we tend not to make the best choices. Thankfully the other wives and myself have banded together to put in a better effort. If we grill - let's make chicken and eat a salad, instead of burgers and potato salad. The little changes make the biggest difference!

What little changes do you make that have helped?

TGIF peeps!

McSkinny Friday

Well hello again McSkinny Friday!

I haven't updated in a bit because there hasn't been much to report. I decided that I was going to take a break from weight loss until after my globe trotting adventures. So, I did!

I'm happy to report that in the nearly two months of going it alone I have not gained! While in England/Ireland I drank beer, at things like cottage pie, and enjoyed my time. However, I was also walking multiple miles a day and out enjoying the fresh air in God's country! (Or the smokey/polluted air of London, but either way - exercise!)

It felt great. Feels great. But, I am ready to refocus my energies. I would like to lose 5lbs before I go to CA next month. That gives me about 6 weeks. That builds in minor slack for the bachelorette/wedding events I have coming up and is completely doable. If I can do about 5lbs a month, I will be at my first goal by the end of summer, AKA my birthday!

I cannot think of a better gift to give myself. Can you?

McSkinny Friday

This week was less than miraculous. BUT, I refuse to be anything but positive about it.

Official Weigh-In: 184

That is a loss of 1lb this week. A total of 17lbs in 5 weeks! It isn't the 4lbs of last week, but it is still a loss! This week the thing I am most proud of is that I lived my life. I went out for girls weekend, had a marvelous time (that may have involved one -or 5- too many drinks, not diet approved...), I was too busy to bother with the gym but for one day, and you know what? I loved it. At the end, I lost a pound, and it was just a little icing on the cake. Not a bad week, eh?

This week I am focusing on drinking more water. I've been kind of slacking in that area, so its time to get with the program.

One more week of this diet and then it's back to the real world! Let's see if I can go out with a bang.

Peace, love, and a size smaller jeans,

McSkinny Friday *Updated*

Good morning! If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that I was pretty excited with my progress this week. I won't delay your suspense any longer. This weeks weigh official weigh in:

185lbs

That is a loss of FOUR POINT EIGHT EL-BEES! I could not believe it. I was astonished. At almost 4pm, full clothed, I weighed 185. That felt great!

The real celebration for me came this morning. It caused me to dance on the scale: 183.6. Do you know what that means? I have lost 20.4lbs since the beginning of the year and 17.4 in the last month. I could not possibly be happier with the progress. Twenty pounds! That is half way to my 40lbs goal. Already! I can see my stomach getting flatter and my jeans getting too big, it is a pretty great feeling.

Folks, I am about to weigh the actual weight on my drivers license. Whoa nelly. Wait, does that mean I can lie again and drop it another 20?! (J, just read that and said, "No!" lol) I suppose I can wait to fix it until I actually weigh 160. I never thought that day would actually come. I honestly had given up for awhile there. To have this control and confidence back is priceless. For those of you out there really struggling to find your place in the weight loss regime - it can happen. You will find that thing that works for you and it feels amazing. Worth the suffering and the having to do without. Worth every moment.

I had a really great acupuncture appointment again. He is continuing to step up our regimen each week, so there are a couple of points that were pretty sore yesterday. We had another really great chat. We talked a little about the power of a genuine compliment. I have been receiving quite a few of them, especially at work, recently. Intellectually I understand that receiving a compliment feels good. But, I don't think I really knew how deeply insecure and depressed I was until these compliments started pulling me back up. I didn't realize that I even needed that. And to have this realization and to really feel good about myself, is excellent timing considering I have an interview later today. It could mean even more good things for me!

This week was a pretty great one. Tomorrow night I am headed out with some of my favorite girls and I'm going to wear the hell out of my new party dress. This one (in dark gray):

This week has certainly been cause for a little celebration. Go Me!

ETA: Folks, today I bought a pair of new jeans. Not just any jeans, but a pair of size 12's! She same pair I looked like a busted can of biscuits in a couple of weeks ago. Yup, they FIT! Like, totally, fit. Really well. No muffin top. No camel toe. No squishing of any kind!

McSkinny Friday

Thursday official weigh in: 193.5

That's an additional loss of 3.5lbs!

I've got to stop weighing myself at home first, because I'm always disappointed with the doctors scale, which is about 2 full pounds higher than mine. But, official weights it is and 3.5lbs is actually something I'm quite proud of! GO ME!

After two weeks, here are my measurements and the changes:
Acupuncture is still going very well. I feel a bit better after each treatment. I've got less neck/shoulder tension (it isn't cured yet, but it is better!), I haven't had a headache since my last visit, and the circulation (to my hands and feet especially) seems to have improved. In addition to my treatments I am trying to focus more on my posture. Not until I started paying attention to it did I realize how often I am hunched over with my shoulders scrunched up to my ears.

I feel as though I'm in a really good place right now. I've discovered recently that I have a bit of an obsessive personality. Basically, once I get an idea in my head, it is really difficult for me to shake it. All of my thoughts surround it. That becomes very clear to me when I examine our TTC adventures. Not only did we decide to ditch the pill, but I started researching names, doing budgets, researching our health care, looking at nursery designs, and window shopping. Not to mention the blogging, the message board, the temping, charting, ovulation tests, meds, doctors appointments, fertility yoga, vitamins, diet changes, etc, etc, etc. I basically jumped right in the deep end and have now spent over two years drowning in it.

While I don't think I'm cured (hello my constant posts about my diet...), I think my energies have been focused in a more productive direction. Onto something I can control and that is actively improving my life. My diet, managing my stress, improving my job situation, and lastly (my favorite) our trip to Europe. I finally feel like I am living my life again. I have goals and a purpose. Do I still want to start my family? Absolutely. Can I control exactly when and how that happens? No. So instead of stressing myself out in a spiral of unproductiveness, I had to redirect my efforts.

I believe doing so will help me in a two important ways....

1. Dropping weight will do nothing but help me manage my PCOS. Improving my health, self image, confidence, and lastly my ability to conceive.

2. Focusing on aspects of my life I can control helps me manage my stress, to enjoy my life, and to relax. And we all know what 'they' say about relaxing... it certainly can't hurt in the baby making process.

So, in a way, while we're not focusing only on baby making, we're still working towards our goal of conception. Sure it may be a little less of a direct route, but that road wasn't really working out for us anyway, now was it? Part of me knew all along that I wasn't acting in a way that was productive and healthy. While I was in that tornado it was really hard to step away. I suppose I had to wait until the time was right. Until I was ready to focus on me again. On my relationships, my health, and my life.

I'm happy to report that I'm back. A little banged up after that ride, but I'm ready to trudge forward.

McSkinny Fridays

I don't like to conform, so 'McFatty Monday's' were out of the question. I'm also not a fan of the whole 'fatty' part of that equation anyway. As a result I'm taking a bit of a more positive approach. Plus, that word isn't going to apply to me anymore, right? So, let's just ditch it from the get go.

For at least the next six weeks I am going to be reporting my stats. Feel free to drop in an check 'em out. If you're also fighting the good fight, I'd like to encourage you to comment so that I can follow your progress as well. Accountability and support is where it's at!

Here goes nothing. Close your eyes and the page if you're squeamish. lol Okay, okay, their not that bad...

Weight: 201 lbs (again.... ugh)
I would like to give myself a bit of credit here because this was after breakfast and fully clothed!

Arm: 14
Bust: 41.25
Chest: 36.5
Waist: 34.25
Hip: 46.75
Thigh: 29.25
Calf: 16.75
(all measurements are in inches - unfortunately)

BMI: 32.5 (for reals?! that's gotta drop asap!)

There you have it, my dear friends, the start. Let's just hope those numbers are a distant memory in a couple of months.

Peace, love, and smaller hips,