Life Update: Did I Quit Weight Watchers?

    Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by for a quick update on what is going on in my life and most importantly why you haven't seen any recent posts.

    First things first: I haven't quit Weight Watchers. I am still in the program, I still very much intend on continuing with the Weekly Weigh In series.  So if you were a fan of that, don't fret.  It has not permanently disappeared. It has, however, been TEMPORARILY set aside.

   For those who don't know my youngest 2 children are a pair of twins that were born very prematurely.  As a result of the premature age at which he was born, my youngest son has Cerebral Palsy (you can read about when I first found out here).  For the most part, he is a VERY healthy and happy kid, so I try not to focus too much on the diagnosis. However, a reality of his condition is that once a year we have a boatload of doctor appointments.  And I mean just a TON.

    Well that time of the year happened over these past two weeks, and it just threw my schedule off.  First I wasn't able to go to my WW meeting (and I subsequently didn't blog), then I was able to attend the meeting but my Internet was out (not an uncommon occurrence). To top it all off this week BOTH of the twins were diagnosed with RSV.

     If you are unfamiliar with RSV consider yourself lucky.  To sum it up it's a really bad cold that can be really dangerous for young kids. Especially those born prematurely.  It isn't uncommon for RSV to develop into pneumonia and require some hospitalization.  So far we have been able to avoid that nonsense (thank God).  Unfortunately, as a precautionary both kids have to stay home from pre-school this entire week. So again I am missing my WW meeting.

     In summary my schedule is a bit of a mess. And I apologize for my absence from the blog, but that's just kind of how this lady rolls.  I still have some future posts planned that are not the WWI series (although I do plan on continuing those as well), I am trying to get those organized and written up. I'm not promising on a posting date, but I can say they will be up sometime in the future.

    Again thank you all for your continued support and understanding.  Also your patience with me during this chaotic time.  I hope to see you next week!

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Weekly Weigh in 6: February Goals and Measurement Update!

    Hello everyone and welcome back to week 6 of my Weekly Weigh-In series!   It's been a pretty eventful week in our house. My daughter caught a nasty virus and was sick with a high fever most of the week.  There was little sleep to be had, and as a result the last two days have been pretty off the rails as far as adhering to the program.   I didn't track, prepared very little meals, and snacked a whole lot (also at random times).

     All of this made me realize just how important a good nights sleep is when trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  I don't know about anyone else, but when I am tired I lose all motivation to do... well anything really.  As a parent it can be really challenging to get that full 7-8 hours of sleep in a night. Even when I do manage to get myself into bed before 11 pm, many nights I find myself catching up on social media, watching an episode or two of my favorite show or simply just enjoying the highly sought after moment of silence.  All of which eats into my time actually sleeping.

     So my first goal of February will be to get myself into bed a bit earlier and to be ASLEEP by 11 pm.  This may be a bit of a lofty goal for me, as I am a classic night owl.  But I figured it wouldn't hurt to try out for a month or so and see if it has any positive effect on my motivation and weight loss.

     Second big goal of the month is to move more.  I slacked a bit on the treadmill/walks this past week (mostly due to exhaustion).  My goal last month was to simply get on the treadmill.  I think its time to also put the minimum time of 15 minutes on each session.  I'd like to do longer, but realistically speaking I can get a solid 15 minutes without child or dog interruption (this is training for them too!).

      I'd love to hear what your goals are for the month of February if you have any.  They don't have to be weight loss or health oriented (I too have other goals). Comment below what you would like to achieve and we can help keep each other accountable!

   And as promised, at the beginning of each month I will post the most flattering of selfies and keep you up to date on my measurements.  I'll admit looking at this month's picture I didn't see any change at all.  I wasn't expecting to see much difference, I have a lot of weight to lose and it's only the 1st month.  So imagine my shock when the physical measurements actually reflect my weight loss! It almost made posting the photo and measurements worth it (almost).

Special guest star: Loki the fluffy pup

Measurements:

Bust: 52" (-2")            Bicep: 18" (-1.5")
Waist: 51" (-1")          Thigh: 35" (-1")
Hip: 64" (+0.5")


Starting Weight: 342.4 lbs
Current Weight: 330.8 lbs
Weekly Loss/Gain: -0.6 lbs
Total Loss: -11.6 lbs

Motivational Song of the Week:

Different kind of song this week.  'Avalanche' by Bring Me The Horizon (listen to the song and watch the video here).  Several of my close friends have confided to me that these past weeks have been rather hard for them mentally/emotionally.  Many times it helps me to simply hear that I am not the only one struggling, that I am not alone.  So while this song isn't motivating in the traditional sense, it does help convey the feelings that I sometimes struggle with.  Know that you are not alone in feeling this way.  Also I just really like Bring Me The Horizon.


     Thank you everyone for checking in and your continued support!  I will see all of you next week!
   

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