Weight Loss Wednesdays 2010 Kick-Off

Today we kick off the new year of Weight Loss Wednesdays. Now, if you haven’t joined our little cyber group of girlfriends, don’t fret! Newcomers are always welcome. You can get caught up by clicking on Weight Loss Wednesdays in the side bar. Just leave a comment on the last post listed there. You can read the others, if you’d like, but it isn’t imperative. Just hop over each Wednesday to join us and check in with how you are doing. You don’t have to tell us what you weigh. You can tell us how much or little the scale moved, if you want. The point is accountability and encouragement for each other. We’d love to have you!

It feels so good to be through the holidays and back into my regular routine. While I love taking time off from schooling, blogging, etc and doing up Christmas and New Years big, there is something to be said for normal, daily days. They feel familiar and comforting.

So, how did your eating go over the holidays? Which of the three plans did you choose? Were you glad you did or regretful?

I choose plan number two opt to sample the goodies in a sensible and occasional manner, savoring them slowly and hope to just maintain my current weight and not gain or lose.”

What it looked like was this:

  • Actually planning out at which functions I would sample a treat and at which ones I’d only sip herb tea or decaf coffee.
  • Purposefully eating a small salad for lunch on the days I wanted to indulge in a holiday goodie or two in the evening.
  • Intentionally waiting until there was only one piece of peanut butter fudge or serving of eggnog left before sampling. That way, if I wanted to binge on more, there wasn’t any!

I also tried to keep up with moving more by walking, doing light weight training and visiting the gym, although I couldn’t always make it there. My goal was just to maintain my current weight or maybe see the scale only go up a pound or so in this two week span since we last met here. That would have been grand!

However, it seems my eating habits and appetite have really changed since we began in October. I just don’t pack away the food like I used to. And I felt full just sampling those Christmas treats. One piece of fudge was plenty instead of 5 or 6.

In fact, I am amazed at just how little food a gal really needs to live.

So, my plan to “sample sensibly” and try to keep moving paid off. I really expected to stay the same weight. However, when I hopped on the scale today, I discovered I actually lost 5.5 pounds.

Ladies, that is a major miracle! 5.5 pounds lost over the two-week holiday span….without writing down my calories; by just being sensible. God is good…..

And I did not starve myself. Over the last two weeks I had fudge and turkey with potatoes and dark chocolate from my stocking and spinach dip and cheese and crackers and four pieces of black forest cake! And I ate out twice too!

The key was, the rest of the time, I ate veggies and lean meats; fruits and whole grains.

It was a fun two weeks “off” my normal routine and the results made me happy. If I had been super strict, eating celery sticks while the rest of the world celebrated, I would have lost more weight. My guess is though, I would have only lasted so long, felt deprived and left out, threw in the towel and gorged.

Then this morning the scale would have showed at least 5.5 pounds in the other direction!

Now it is back to recording my calories and hitting the gym 3 or more days a week.

Normal.

Routine.

Wonderful.

Now, let’s hear how your time away from our little support group has gone. Please still comment even if you gained some or perhaps totally blew it over the holidays. It is a New Year and time to start fresh, right?!?!

And, no matter if you are a regular, a returner or a newbee, please tell us your goal. How much would you like to lose? Or how many sizes would you like to go down? Also, if you have been here since last year, how much weight have you dropped? I’d love to figure out our total and post it next week!

Also, stay tuned to WLW over the next weeks and months. We’ll be having some special guest posts, sharing recipes and winning giveaways!

But most of all, we’ll be encouraging each other on our journey to a healthy lifestyle and weight…..

Now leave your comments. I’ll go first.

My goal is to be a size 10. I started a size 22-24; got down to that size 10; then when I regained weight, I went back up to a 16-18. Right now I am a 14, but some of my 12s are starting to fit. And, since we began in mid-October, I am down 29.4 pounds!

I could NOT have come this far without you all! Thank you!!!!

Your turn- how were your holidays? Or what is your goal? Or how much have you lost by being part of WLW?

Or all of the above! :-)

New Year’s WLW Blessings,

71 Comments

  1. New to group. Looking for women to inspire me to be a Godly woman in learning to live a healthy lifestyle.

  2. I got off track during the holidays. It started small. It has taken me three months to get back to finding a spiritual foundation and an emotional stability again. It feels so good to be pleasing Jesus rather then chasing a number on the scale!

  3. I am just getting started. Reading your book and this blog. I am at 285 and want to get down to 160. I have been on all kinds of diets, each time I failed I gained more weight. I need support and encouragement. Thank you.

  4. Hi all!! So I am new to this site. I have lost 60 pounds I have 40 more to go! And they are stubborn 40 pounds!! So I decided I need to figure out why I weighed the amount I did and figure it out in my heart/brain so I don’t go back. So I am doing the “Made to Crave” online bible study and found Karens website through the book. My holiday season goal was to maintain. Which I did and now back to my fitness pal logging! Looking forward in going through this journey with you!!

  5. Looking forward to being encouraged & hopefully encourage others. I lost 39 lbs in 2005. Had a heart attack 2007, foot surgery 2010 & gained back 15 lbs. Struggling to take it off again. I’m 60 years old very active post menopausal. Very difficult journey. My biggest struggle is late night eating. I can’t let it go. It has such a grip on me. I am a born again Christian. That’s it in a nutshell..

  6. Just discovered this site ( I subscribe to the Proverbs 31 Ministry) and have decided to join as I both need & desire to loose weight. I am 5?10? and weigh about 220 lbs. I’ve never been a skinny person, and am fortunate to carry my weight well. People never believe how much I weigh, but I know this is not healthy and that my high blood pressure would probably decrease considerably if I loose weight, not to mention I’d look & feel better.

  7. Hi! I’m just joining because I’m fed up! I had my third baby 10 months ago, and I am struggling loose the last 13 pounds. That might not seem like a lot, but I am short, and even 5 pounds make every bit of difference. I joined weight watchers for the third time, but this time it’s not working for me. I just seem to stay at the same weight. Three months have passed since I started WW, and I have nothing to show for. Ironically, I weigh in on Wednesdays, and after weighing in this morning I turned to Lord. I asked him for help, and he answered this prayer with Proverbs 31 and this blog! Thank you.

  8. Hi Jenine, do you know what exactly you don’t like about raw veggies/fruit? If you can figure out if it’s taste or texture or what, then maybe we have some good recipes or creative ideas. Have you tried smoothies? I don’t know if this is such a great idea, you have to watch the sodium/calories/fat invthese meals, but casseroles, pot pie & stir fry offer ways of gettting a variety of veggies. There are healthier recipe versions online, you just have to google them.
    Maybe we’ll do a recipe swap sometime.

  9. Okay so I am thinking to be serious about this I may have to actually invest in a scale. Hate dieting and exercising but need to get healthier and want to look better too.

  10. I’m having a hard time sticking to my calorie budget. However, writing down what I eat has made me more aware of what I’m eating, so I guess that’s a start. The good news is that I have been exercising more. That is the only way that I can account for the 1 lb. I lost this week. I am going to have to really try this week not to binge (pms). I am definitely a meat & potatoes gal. I’ve tried eating apples in a pie and pineapple in an upside down cake, but they just don’t seem to work the way I’d hoped. Does anyone have any good ideas for those who don’t really like raw fruits and veggies very much?

  11. Love the idea of WLW. Thanks for providing the forum. I’ve been up and down several times over the years and as I’ve gotten older, my problem area is really ingesting too much sugar. So, I’ve started Monday really cutting back sugar again. I’d like to lose about 35-40 pounds. I used to love to exercise but have gotten away from it, so another goal. Overall, I’m living by the mantra “fit by forty”, which will be in November this year.

  12. Thanks for the incentive to restart WLW. I am checking in here to see what others find helpful, but also a friend from MI and I SD (where it is really COLD -20) are keeping each other accountable with what we eat. I am amazed at how little I have been eating and feeling great. Staying away from bread completely and that is difficult as I bake my own.
    The only sweet I am having once a day is a little caramel round candy called Nips and they have 30 calories. Nice to have with a cup of coffee. I am also riding the stationary bike and doing Leslie Sansone’s one mile walk.
    Best of everything to all of you!

  13. I’d like to trim down & shape up by this summer; so, I can hike up Harney Peak with my family this summer! My plan is to do some in-home walking 3 x’s a week and Curves at least 2 x’s per week.

  14. Help me! I’ve been struggling to lose weight for the past 5 years, and I can’t stop my indulgence in beef and pastries. My wife now thinks I’m a fat loser, and will not have sex with me! Please let me know any weight loss advice. My email is: [email protected]

  15. I’m really confused. I’m stumped. I’m checking back in today, even though I did Wed. Wed it looked like I was right back to where I started. Understandable. I had exercised MTW, that was it. This morning I got back on the scale, I don’t normally and I am back down those 3# I had gained!? How did that happen?? I really wish I knew. Because if it meant I lose 1# every day I exercise, then I’d reach my first goal in less than 15 days! LOL It cannot be that easy!
    Oh, and I am now a week before my period. I don’t normally retain water and never see weight fluctuations due to my cycle. So this is just a mystery to me.

  16. Ok, so I went to Weight Watchers and got on the scales. I gained !.2kg over my 4 week Christmas break! But that’s fine. I know that I have lost weight this week since I got my eating back on track. So, back to it, sticking to my points and being self-controlled. Hope you all are having a healthy week.

  17. Oh. Other goals: I’d love to wear sleeveless dresses and tops this summer. And be down at least one bra size. And wear my belts before my daughters wear them out.

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