Thursday, December 30, 2010

We have been at this for 17 weeks! The scales said we gained 5 pounds this week!

We Have Both Gained Weight This Week...HELP!

This is Dave's Water Dispenser! It is already set up with ice cold water and super hot water!  He is going to use it a lot I know it!  This is what he needs to get his water intake better!
It is time to weigh in again.  We were not sure what to expect.  There were days over Christmas that we "indulged" in a few things...We had a couple of cookies, Dave ate a lot more and I ate a piece of fudge.  We kept up with the work out, but we just knew that we were gaining something.  We were not to excited about checking in today.  This is what we found.   I had gained a pound.   At first I was like, " It only one pound, that is not bad!" But I needed to know what I gained.  I gained three pounds of muscle and lost two pounds of fat.  To me that is a perfect week!  Dave had a five pound weight gain...the same weight he keeps gaining and loosing these last few weeks.  He gained 3.2 pounds of muscle, but he also gained 1.7 pounds of fat.  That was his weigh gain.  His water was much better!  He is enjoying his Christmas gift.  I got him a water dispenser that has ice cold, hot and lukewarm water at his finger tips at any time of the day!

Here are the stats for this week:
                      Negatives
* Dave and I both gained weight
*Dave gained not only muscle, but fat too- first time since we started
*It was a tough week with it being the first Christmas without mom
*I ate sweets for the first time since starting this journey
                        Positives
* We both gained a lot of muscle this week
* We got a water machine for the house
*The kids are doing a free week at the gym
* I have been exercising every day
* I am right back on track with the meal plan this week

Our stats for the week
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Dave's starting weight with fawn- 330
Dave's weight last week 280
Dave's weight today- 274
Weight loss for the week- 5 pound gain
Total weight loss with Fawn- 56 pounds
Total weight loss- 106 pounds!!!
Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 218
Kathleen's weight today-216
Weight loss for the week- 0 pounds
Total weight loss with Fawn- 44 pounds
Total weight loss-54 pounds!!!  YEAH!!!!

Total weight loss of Dave and Kathleen- 160 pounds- In 10 months
Total weight loss with fawn- 100 pounds! 

This was a tough week.  We got through and really did not have that bad of a gain, considering most of what we gained was muscle.  I am telling you since my kids have joined us it has made me want to put my all into it again. They are breathing life into us.  We were growing stagnant.  Not any more. We have been at the gym doing weight MWF and cardio on T Th S .  I can't wait to step on the scale next week.  Although I am not losing a lot of weight...I know I am changing my body for the better.  Can't wait till next week.  We are becoming stronger, healthier, and happier every day!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Years Resolution time....are you going to get healthy this year???

New Years Resolution Time.  Are You going to Get Healthy This Year?

Each year people wait until New Years for the time to change their life.  They make New Years Resolutions and keep them for a week or two, and then feel like a failure.  Why not get a head start on your New Years Resolution and start today taking steps to change your life.  If you are not a part of a gym....join one. If you don't have a support group to help you...find one. If you want to start eating healthy...Clean out your cupboards and empty all of the unhealthy food out.  If you want to start exercising...do it.  It only takes getting to a point in your life that you know you need to make a change.  You have to want it bad.  Don't do it for other people...do it for yourself. You deserve it.

Aug 2010 I looked in the mirror and was shocked.  I did not even recognize the person who looked back at me.  I was so covered with fat that I lost the person I was...almost.  It was that day that I realized I needed to make a change.  I needed to reach out to someone for help.  My life has never been the same since.  I was in size 24-26 clothes.  XXL were starting to get small on me.  I had to come to the point where I said,  "Enough is enough!"   If you are at that point...please realize that underneath all that fat and blubber is a beautiful person, just waiting to emerge.  You are being held hostage by your eating habits, and your fat.  I convinced myself that I was big boned and that it was the accident not the fat that was holding me back.  That I was getting older so I could not do as much as I had done in the past! STOP!!! STOP MAKING EXCUSES!  Look in the mirror and say, "I am fat, unhealthy and if I do not loose weight I will eventually eat myself to death!"  I know this sounds harsh...it is not meant to offend you.  It is meant to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT!  If  I can do it...then so can you!  I know you can.  My biggest excuse was: "I have lost weight before, and gained it all back. .I am not going through that again!"  I was too lazy and discouraged  to make a change for the better.  I really had lost all hope of ever getting skinny again.  It took coming to a that point for me to make the change.  I had to see that people really could loose weight and keep it off.  Once I saw that I saw hope!  I felt my hardened heart break and I said..."Lord help me!  I can't do it alone!"
I pray that this new year is one of change for each of you.  That if  you feel no hope...you will realize you can do it.  You are worth it. You are a Holy, Righteous Creation of Father God.  He wants you to be healthy, happy, and lead a blessed life.  You owe it to yourself to do it.

Here are a few steps that will help you:
1. Look in the mirror and see yourself for what you really are...over weight!
2. Look yourself in the eye and tell yourself..."I can do this!"
3.  Look at food shopping list and clean out kitchen of anything that is not on that list
4.  Fill your kitchen with healthy foods
5.  Start exercising daily. If you can afford a gym, join and go.  It has changed our life,  But if you can't afford a gym membership, remember Dave lost 50 pounds just doing exercises at home with things he found on freecycle!
6.  Keep track of your weight loss.  Blog, use a note book, or something to keep track of how you are doing.
7. Spend time with your father God who loves you so very much.  HE will be your encourager...
8.  Please let me know you are joining me on our journey...I would love to pray for you!
9.  Wait and see how much your life changes!

I hope this post shows you there is hope...you can do it!  We, Dave and I, have lost over 179 pounds in the last 10 months!  If we can do it...You can do it.  You will not believe the difference in your life. You will not believe how amazing it is to be able to use your body to get healthy the way it is designed!  I pray that this year will be the year that you will open up your eyes and decide enough is enough!  I know you can do it. I pray blessings upon you and your family this year.!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Brandon Is joining us in our weight loss journey

Brandon is Joining us on Our Weight Loss Journey!
 
 
This is a year of change!  Brandon has decided that since he changed his major, he will be coming home and going to a state school.  That way he can recieve state aid and everything.  Well, that means the whole dynamic of our house will be changing again.  Yesturday he came to the gym with us...did Dave's work out..and he will be following us in or weight loss journey!  I am excited for him.  I am also thankful that when we walked in, one of his friends from high school was there working out.  It made it even more fun!  We will see how things go
Starting weight for Brandon: 285
% of fat.....42%
He is in better shape then Dave was when he started at the gym 3 months ago!  I am excited for him.  Please pray that he will get a job that he loves and will be able to get into school here to.  God has a reason for everything.  I was so nervous about him getting so into debt with college (he would have owed $90,000 when he got out of school)..but he wanted to go to the best one he could find for his major.  It was a good learning time for him in Pittsburgh. He learned how to live without money, how to cook, do laundry and make it on his own.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for him.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

No Cookies for Santa this year!!!

No Cookies For Santa This Year!

This year is different than any other year, as far as food goes.  We usually have cookies and candy all over the house. We usually wake up to sweet rolls covered in yummy frosting.  We usually have ham covered in brown sugar and pineapple, with mash potatoes, gravy, candy, cookies, pies and more food then you can ever imagine. This year we are eating healthy.  We are still having ham...but a small ham (small portions) and sweet potatoes, salad, beans, and butternut squash.  The Jello is made with sugar free Jello and fat free cool whip and low fat cottage cheese.  That and rice pudding (fat free cool whip and sugar free pudding and brown rice) will be our deserts! Santa is getting a different treat this year...Carrots, a hard boiled egg and nuts. this is the note my kids wrote to Santa:



This is what Becca wrote!
The problem was Santa...The kids always put out cookies and milk for Santa...When Dave suggested it, they looked at each other and smiled and ran out to the kitchen.  They came back with a plate of 2 carrots, an egg and flax seed!  and wrote the above notes!  They had so much fun.
Once they went to bed "Santa" wrote the following note "Santa does not eat carrots and eggs! I found your secret stash of cookies...next year make some chocolate chip.. not those flax seed ones.  Santa.  PS. I am not fat I am just big boned!"
This is the answer the kids got the next morning!!!!

I think it is awesome that we have changed so much that the kids would think of something like this...instead of complaining that we made no cookies they made it fun!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

We have been at this 4 months...we have lost a total of 175 pounds!

We Have Been at This for Four Months.  We have lost 175 Pounds!

I can not believe how much your life can change in just a few short month!  Fawn came into our life Aug 17, our 20 year anniversary!  Look at all that we have accomplished in that time.  Not only have we lost weight, but we also have grown and changed soo much!  I look at our sedentary life we used to live and am amazed at all we do now!  If you would have told me 5 months ago that I would be lifting weights 3-4 days a week at a gym, I would have laughed in your face!  Never in my life would I have thought the gym would be such a big part of my life.  I also never would have believed Dave and I would look and feel so young.  It is like we found the fountain of  youth.  It is easy, get your life in order, get your relationship with God in order, and start exercising and eating healthy. You just need to come to a point in your life when you stop making excuses and start taking action.  If you do those things, you will look and feel better.

Our stats for the week
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Dave's starting weight with fawn- 330
Dave's weight last week 280
Dave's weight today- 269
Weight loss for the week- 11 pound loss
Total weight loss with Fawn- 61 pounds
Total weight loss- 111 pounds!!!
Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 218
Kathleen's weight today-216
Weight loss for the week- 2 pounds
Total weight loss with Fawn- 44 pounds
Total weight loss-54 pounds!!!  YEAH!!!!


Total weight loss of Dave and Kathleen- 165 pounds- In 10 months
Total weight loss with fawn- 105 pounds! 

Good things
*Even at Christmas we are able to resist the sweets and eat right
*We are able to go out to dinner and get a healthy meal
*We were sick this week and still able to keep loosing weight


Negitives
* I can't think of any!!!! Besides Dave being sick this week!


I know it is hard to loose weight around the holidays!  You can do it!  We can do it together.  When you get descouraged and feel like giving up, stop, sit down, and ask God to give you the strength to keep going.  IF you  mess up, just get right back up and start again...easy on, easy off!  I know I make it sound easy, but it can be, if you are determined to make a life change.
Thank you for all of your love and support!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Isn't Chistmas a time to celebrate...Don't feel like celebrating!

Isn't Christmas a Time to Celebrate? I don't Feel Like Celebrating.

NO this is not my house...I have no decorations out this year!!!
This Christmas Season has been different than any other we have ever had.  We are attending Hamburg Wesleyan, but we have not had time to get involved in a small group.  The past three years, while Dave was the children's director,  I was in charge of the Christmas Play, the giving Tree, and attending lots of holiday Celebrations.  This year we are not a part of anything.  I feel like we are missing out of a whole part of Christmas.  We also are dealing with the loss of my  mom.  As I sat in church this Sunday singing the beautiful Christmas songs, I longed for my mom.  She always spent Christmas with us, went to Christmas Eve Service with us and was there to make sweet rolls, read the Christmas story, and open gift with us.  Since Dave's mom died she has made it a habit  of coming to our house...so we would not be too lonely.  I think it was the reading of Luke 2 during the service that it hit me.  I could hear mom saying the verses from memory, just as if she was saying it as Brandon read it.  I could hear her singing the Christmas Carols with us.  I thought, Wow, mom would have loved this!  I started to cry.  I closed my eyes and the voices around me sounded so beautiful, so full of worship and love...then it hit me.  I am wishing her back.  It was almost as if she said to me, "Honey, I know you miss me, but I have such a wonderful day ahead of me. You think you know how to celebrate Christmas!  What an awesome  celebration we will have up in Heaven, on the most wonderful day of the year!"  I looked around and realized it was true.  Mom is going to have the best Christmas ever!  She gets to celebrate Jesus' Birth with Jesus himself....WOW!  That is amazing. I know my heart will miss her sooo much.  There will be many tears shed this year but there will also be the knowing that mom is in such a better place...that she is going to have her huge smile on her face, and singing her heart out for her Lord and Savior on this wonderful Birthday Party up in heaven.

Cough, Cough, sniffle, sniffle, COUGH...

Cough, Cough, Sniffle, Sniffle...COUGH!
 
 
 That's been my story lately here in sunny Buffalo, NY. I've been battling a cold. It's slowed me down some. I had to take a couple of days off from my regular exercising routine. I did not think the others at the gym would appreciate me coughing and hacking all over them while they worked out. I've been weak and not feeling well this past week, so it's not been a real good time in general.
  
Today I plan on going back to the gym and working out. I really miss it. You'll find as your body gets use to your exercise routine that it will actually miss it. That's right your body likes to exercise. We were designed to be active. It's all the bad food choices and lack of exercise over the years that dulls us down so that were tired all the time...

I have been working out in my own way even though I've been sick. I have been shopping at the mall. I've been pushing and shoving in line, "self preservation" and lifting those heavy bags. It's been a really busy Holiday season for us. Many of you know that my wife and I are professional entertainers. We offer children's programming all over our area. We have been at a whole lot of Holiday parties this December. Even though I do not feel like it, I have been keeping active.

So, I encourage you to stick with the plan of getting into shape. It has helped me a whole lot during this sick spell I've been going through. Even though I'm not feeling great, I use to get a lot sicker when I was heavier and out of shape. Everything is harder when your body is not working at 100%. Eating the right foods and exercising helps your body in times of sickness. You're just that much stronger to fight it off. It's just one of the many benefits of taking care of yourself.

Well, I'll see you on the skinny side of life

Dave

Friday, December 17, 2010

To gain is to lose...

  To Gain is to Lose..by Dave

This was a tough week for me personally. I felt sick most of it, just not myself at all. I could feel that I gained weight, I just knew it. Sure enough weigh in day came at the gym and I was up 5 pounds. I was really discouraged and really did not feel like working out, but I did. We finished our workout just as Gary, the owner of the gym came in. He could tell we were not happy at all.
  
He looked at our read-outs.  We had weighed ourselves on a special machine that can tell you just about everything that's going on in your body. He looked at the numbers and compared them to last week and smiled! He said, "Remember, when I told you that the scale lies sometimes? You gained 7 pounds of muscle and lost one pound of fat. This is a tremendous change for the good."  He asked what I was doing different. It turned out to be a combination of extra cardio and weight lifting at home coupled with FINALLY the proper amount of hydration. This really turned everything on for me!  Kathleen also had a 10 pound change all for the good!

   So, stay off the scale and get working out and eating properly! The scale is not your friend. In fact a common home scale is no help at all. It flat out lies to you. You need to know what kind of weight loss or gain your experiencing. You need the percentage of muscle to fat weight as well as other information or your really in the dark. Get to a gym that has a accurate way to measure your results. For about 30-40 per month you can see real results in a short amount of time as long as your eating right.

 Well fellow fat haters, that's it for now. See you on the skinny side of life.

Dave

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Scales lie - Don't believe a word they say!!!!

Scales Lie. Don't believe a Word they Say!
 
 
Today was weigh in day.  We were so disappointed!  The scale said Dave gained 5 pounds, and that all I lost was half a pound.  We were so discouraged...We almost did not go to the gym today.  We had upped our cardio, and were thinking we did well. We were totally bummed.  Gary, the owner of our gym we go to, was not in when we got there.  We were leaving that gym with a weight gain for the first time since August. 

As we were getting our coats on to leave, Gary came in.  I looked at Dave and said, "Do you want him to go over our weights?". He looks down and says, "I don't care!".  Every weigh in day Gary goes over all of our stats, and explains how we are doing.  This time he looked and said, "WOW, Did you guys change your diet this week?"  We were thinking it was because we did so bad but it wasn't. He explained this is a perfect example of how the scales lie. He looked at Dave's first. See the scale said Dave gained 5 pounds.  What it did not say is that Dave gained 6 pounds of muscle and lost one pound of fat.  That is positive weight change of 7 pounds.  Dave also went from 36.3%  of total body fat from when he started to 32.5%.  He said it was an awesome week.   Then it was my turn...All week everything I tried on was to big on me...my pj's  bottoms are literally falling off me.  I was very disappointed when I had only lost 1/2 a pound.  He got a big smile on his face when he looked at mine. He said you did amazing.  This is an even better example of how the scale doesn't show you what is really going on.  I gained 4 pounds of muscle and lost 6 1/2 pounds of fat.  My % of body fat went from 55.7% when I started, to 46.8% now!  He explained I had a positive weight change of over 10 pounds...which he says is unbelievable in one week!

I was so glad Gary came in when he did...that was a God thing.  If he would not have came in when he did, we would have walked out of the gym feeling like total failures.  BUT we know it is not what the scale says, it is how our whole body mass has changed.
If you are not loosing as quickly as you think you should, remember this story.  If you are exercising and following the plan the way you are supposed to, I can guarantee you your body is changing for the better.  Don't give up.  If we did not have the high tech machine that shows our total water weight, muscle weight and bone density, we would have never realized this!  Please realize that your doing the right thing.  Just keep it up.  If Dave and I can do it...so can you!

Monday, December 13, 2010

We did something we said we would never do.....we got a dog!

We Did Something We Said we Would Never do, We Got a Dog!
 
From the time the kids were little I always said... "No Dogs!".  I told them the only dog I would ever have is a rust colored cocker spaniel, thinking that would never happen.  Well...this week on Freecycle they had an add for a dog.  Once I saw the picture...I could not resist!  He was so cute and had the biggest puppy dog eyes you have ever seen.  We contacted the owner and were able to get him, all the toys, leash, dishes, food, everything for free.  I must say he is the best tempered, cutest dog that I have every had the privilege of knowing. Carson has added joy to our life, and everyone has enjoyed him.  I got up at 5 to take him for a walk and go down to the duck pond and pray...and it was pitch dark!! Will have to wait on that one. But He loves walks, so I know he will help encourage me to exercise even more.  I now own a dog! YES!  I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

It is Weigh in time! Dave and I have lost a total of 158 pounds!!! 8 pounds this week!!!


It is Weigh in Time and Dave and I have Lost a Total of 158 Pounds!

 You wanted pictures you got it! It has been a good week for both of us. Here are our new pictures!!!




Merry Christmas everyone! Dave and I have lost a total of 158 pounds!  We have a lot to be thankful for!
 
Dave has gone from a size 46-48 pants to a 40
I can fit into jean sizes I have not fit in since 14 years ago!


We are determined to stick with it and finish the fight. God has amazing things planned for us! We are waiting to see what they are. Please pray that when the time comes we will know it and be ready!


Negatives this week:
*This was a tough week felt like we were under spiritual warfare all week. 
*Saturday I slipped on the ice and fell- I was laid up till Wed
Positives
*Dave and I are both down sizes in jeans and shirts... most of our clothes look huge on us
*People are noticing our weight loss and asking what is going on
*God is blessing us in many ways!
* I feel like I accomplished a lot since I am now in the teens!!! (218)


Dave Starting weight-- 380
Dave's starting weight with fawn- 330
Dave's weight last week 280
Dave's weight today- 274
Weight loss for the week- 6 pound loss
Total weight loss with Fawn- 56 pounds
Total weight loss- 106 pounds!!!




Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 220
Kathleen's weight today-218
Weight loss for the week- 2 pounds
Total weight loss with Fawn- 42 pounds
Total weight loss-52 pounds!!!  YEAH!!!!


Total weight loss of Dave and Kathleen- 156 pounds- In 9 months
Total weight loss with fawn- 96 pounds!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

It's on BABY ....!!!

It's On Baby from Dave

I finally started losing weight again. I've been frozen at 285 for a long time now. Today I checked the old scale and it said 276! I wasn't even expecting anything good. It has been awhile since I've had a nice drop in weight. I have been staying consistent with my exercise and eating the right foods. It proves you just have to keep on keeping on. This is a weight loss journey.

I did change up my workout routine a little. Recently the gym has been more crowded so I can't always follow my routine exactly according to the order I'm use to. This has proven to be a good thing. Many times a little change can shock your body into resuming it's weight loss. The body is very smart and becomes use to your workout quickly. Make sure to change your routine once in awhile and see what happens.

Fawn has done a great job keeping us on track during this weight loss journey. She calls and encourages us and sends us emails all the time to see what's up. This journey is boring some times you know. We all know that eating right and working out really helps us in every way. Every once in a while however it gets monotonous. She is a great motivator and encourager.

     To those of you that have been struggling lately, don't quit! Unless you like being fat and unhealthy. Be honest with yourself and picture your new in shape body. Picture yourself healthy and trim and it will happen. Imagine how different your life will be when you reach your weight loss goals! Imagine how strong you will be. In order to get there keep feeding your mind with the goals you have. See yourself shopping for clothes where all the real people do, right there on the rack with all the normal sizes. No more XX, XXX, XXXX Large SIZES !!! I can get into a XL large size now, I almost made it into the large size. It's been a long, long, long time since I've been able to do that.... It's a great feeling.

     My size 42 jeans I just bought a few weeks ago are way to big for me! I'm headed for 40 real soon, that will be a real victory my friends. I have friends who are wearing size 40 and I'll soon be one of them!!! People comment now on how skinny I look, they don't recognize me anymore. This all a new experience to me, I'm liking it a whole lot. I look 20 years younger. I can't wait until I reach my goal weight of 230-240. It's coming up faster than I ever hoped it would.

     Keep on the journey my friends and we'll all be new people very soon. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. Keep your eyes on the prize, your health and well being and nothing will stand in your way.

I'll see you on the skinny side of life ~ Dave

Help!! I have fallen and I can't get up!!!

Help! I have Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
 
There is nothing as scary after a major back surgery then falling...and having the same symptoms as you did when you had your accident.  I hurt worse then I have hurt in the past seven years.  My back hurt, my neck hurt, my right side was going numb, and I was talking weird. The worst part was the fog..in my head. I felt like I could not think or comprehend anything.  That was the thing I remember the most after my accident.  It was scary.  All I could think of is "Not now God...I have come so far!"  For the past year anyone seeing me would have had trouble telling I was in an accident, and that I have a  plate and screws in my neck.  I have been living my life like a normal person. It has been wonderful.  Since starting this journey, I have felt even better then ever. I have had more energy, less pain, and enjoyed life to it's fullest...until Saturday night. As I started experiencing the same symptoms that I did after my accident,  I curled up in my bed and did not want to talk to anyone.  All I could think of is, "I can't do this again Lord!"  The pain did not get better as I prayed...if anything it got worse.  I was scared....terrified that I would go back to what I was like after the accident.  After my accident, for six months, I could do nothing.  Mom had to come over and help me with the kids and laundry. Dave had to help me dress and fix me meals.  I could not work, play, homeschool my children or do anything that resembled a normal life.  After finding life so fully lately, I was terrified that I would go back to that. I had to double up on pain pills just to keep from crying out in pain.  I was silent and did not want to talk to anyone.  It has been a hard few days in my house. Dave insisted I go to the chiropractors first thing Monday morning.  After looking at me he said,  "What did you do to yourself?"  As he began to work on my I started to pray.  He was able to put me back in place.  I felt the fog lift from my head, and I felt better!  Not completely pain free...but better. I thank the Lord for healing hands.  I thank the Lord for providing shows that we had the money to pay for his services.  I thank the Lord that I am getting better.   My back is still hurting...and I am still scared, but I know that God is in control.  He will take the bad that comes in my life and make good come of it.  Not sure how, or when...but He will.  As long as the "Fog" is lifted and I can think normally, I will be able to continue serving Him and living my life to the fullest.  I will see what I do at he gym today...and how I can handle it.  Please pray for complete healing for me.  I have to much to do, to much to offer the world to spend time laid up.  Please know I love all of you, my readers...You are very special to me, and it is because of Him and you that I keep doing what I am doing.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Something is happening...I have been tucking in my shirts for the past week!!!

Something is Happening! I Have Been Tucking in my Shirts for the Past Week!

Unless you are fat, you wont have a clue to how huge this is!  Fat people cant tuck in shirts.  They have to wear the ones that go over the pants and hang down and hide their stomach.  Lately everything I try on seems huge!  It is good, because I can see progress, but it is frustrating, because I really do not have any money to buy new clothes.  BUT  lately I have noticed that I can tuck my shirts in and they actually look good.  My belly does not stick way out!  I can not remember the last time I have been able to do that. It was many years ago... It feels good to be able to do that again.

Maybe it is just me...although I have lost 50 pounds...many times I will look in the mirror and not see the change.  I will just see that fat person I used to be.  It is frustrating. I want to feel good about myself.  I know it is a lie of Satan...He wants me to feel defeated. I have to continually remind myself, "It is not how much weight I have lost, it is how my life has changed.". When those thoughts come I need to resist the Devil, submit to God, and He (Satan...the bad thoughts....) will flee from me.  I need to daily be renewing my mind.  I need to concentrate on my relationship with God, not my relationship with the scale.

Today I was helping Rachael with delivering her Penny Saver Newspapers ( I like to walk with her and get the exercise) I slipped on the ice and fell down hard.  I am hurting real bad right now.  Please pray that there is no permanent damage (I have a fused neck and herniated discs)  I think I will just need a trip to the chiropractor, but right now my right side is numb.  I do not want anything like this to hold me back.  Please pray for a quick recovery.  Thank you all for continually cheering  me on.  Your words of encouragement mean so much to me.  If you are reading from somewhere other than the US please know that I am so excited to have you read my blog (I like the US too, but I think it is cool that people from all over the world are reading my blog)  I would love for you to comment and tell me where you are from and how you heard about me. You, the people faithfully reading my blog, are the reason why I can say no to the chocolate bars, the doughnuts...and anything else I was eating before I changed my life.  You are very precious to me!  Thank you for your support.  Let me know who you are by sending me a comment!! Thanks

Thursday, December 2, 2010

It is time to reach out...again....when will I learn that God's ways are best!

                                            It is Time to Reach out Again!

Sometimes there comes a time in your life when you say...OK God...what do you have planned now.  This week was one of those times.  I have wanted to host a weekly Bible study in my home for a while. When we switched churches...I thought, "Great, I can sign up for small group! I had it all planned out.  I filled out the paper and was about to put it in the collection plate when I felt God tell me to wait.  So I waited.  Then with all that happened with mom, I waited some more. Then I felt God leading me to start a Weight loss Bible study. See, God kept bringing all of these people into my life who needed help, and said they wanted to come to Bible study.  I was going to start it right away, but thought I had better wait till after thanksgiving. It was all set for today...I had about 5 people that were interested in coming...I was so nervous and excited at the same time.  One lady was a friend of my moms.  She was involved in Women's Aglo with her. I was excited because she told me she was definitely coming. So, I knew I would at least have one person. I put it into God's hands and told Him he was in charge.  When 9:00 came and no one was here, I was a little stressed. When 9:05 came and Jeanette came up the walk, I thanked the Lord.  I must tell you, God was in charge of this weight loss class.  We conected in a mighty way.  We talked, I showed her the website, talked some more, prayed and talked. It was 11:30 and we were still talking.  We had such a great time.  I must say God knew what each of us needed.  He knew I needed to talk about my mom and she needed to talk about the diet.  She was planning on going shopping when she left me.  Please keep Jeanette in your prayers as she starts this journey too.  It is exciting to think that God used me to work in her life.  I did not need a house full of people...I just needed one person who can pray with me and work with me.  God knows so much better than I do.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

I knew Fawn was special from the time she was little!!!


                          I knew Fawn Was Special from the time She Was Little! 
I look at this picture and it represents two things to me.  First...how very special Fawn has been to me from the time she was little. The second thing is how skinny I used to be!  Don't we both look awesome!  This is Fawn and I when she was only two. Even then she held a special place in my heart! I was 18 and in college in Pennsylvania near my brother Larry and my sister in law Marcy.  When I needed a break I would go up and visit them.  I used to sit and play with the kids, read them books, tell them stories and take walks in the creek with them.  They were my home away from home.  
     I thank the Lord my niece, Fawn.  Dave and I would not be losing weight and enjoying our life the way we are if it was not for Fawn!  She  adds excitement to everything she does.  To know that I have someone, besides my immediate family, that loves me unconditionally. She is always there for me...is priceless.  As I look back over my life their are only a few people who really have changed my life in a way that I will never forget.   
My mom: 
To me my mom was the epitome of a Godly women. She did not just preach it, she lived God's love every day.  God was sooo real to her.  I thank God for that example. That is the kind of women I try to be. She has changed my life.
My friend Sue-
I don't know if any of you have had a best friend in your life...but I did.  My friend Sue, growing up, helped me become the person I am today.  The walks, talks, bike rides, endless fun...I learned to laugh. I learned to look at the world around me and appreciate it. I learned that I could be myself, and I did not need to be like everyone else. She has changed my life.
Miss Marcy:
At circle C ranch I met this lady named Miss Marcy.  To me she was everything I wanted to be. She could sing, act, tell stories, and have soo much fun.  I use one of  Miss Marcy's stories every time I tell a story.  Dave and I do our puppets the same way she did.  I am proud to say,although we loved her first., my brother fell in love with her and she is now my sister in law.  Her and my brother continue to be there to support us and love us in all that we do.  I am so glad they are close enough to spend time with them. She  has changed my life.
My Husband Dave-
We were 16 and 17 when we met.  We had so much fun from the time we met.  We knew we had to spend our life together.   He has been my best friend, my protector, my provider, and my love. He has given me three wonderful children.  He makes life so much fun.  He continually makes me laugh. I thank God that he is a Godly man, who loves me unconditionally.   From the moment I got to know him I knew I wanted to spend my life with him.  He has changed my life.
Fawn-
I must say six months ago I felt desperate for change.  I truly had no hope.  I hated how I looked, hated what I did...I was not a happy camper.  I told Dave I really wanted to die early, by 50 so my kids would not have to take care of a fat unhealthy person.  I had lost weight before, only to gain it all back when I went off my diet.  I was depressed and felt there was no way I could enjoy life.  Fawn offered me hope. She showed me not only that I am worth something but that I have so much to offer other people.  If I felt like that, because of my weight, I know there are others that feel like that too.  She came into my life and has totally changed, revamped, reorganized, and rejuvenated me.  I know she would say, "It is God that did that!"  and I agree 100%.  But it also is this wonderful women of God who wants to change the world one person at a time.
Think about how many lives have been changed since she started with Audra. It started with one...and now hundreds of people are being effected.  Over 2100 people have read my blog since I started in September. That is in Three months. Everywhere people are coming up and telling me that my story is inspiring them.  It all started with a women that taught us something very special. When you look her in the eye and tell her you are committed to working with her, you better hold on to your hat.  You are in for the ride of your life.  Never have I met such a Godly inspiration who has so much zeal, energy and love inside of her.  Her middle name is Patricia,after my mom.  She has her grandma's faith and love for life.  One of my last conversations with my mom was about Dave and I working with Fawn.  I can still see my mom looking me in the eye and pointing her finger at me and saying, " Honey, I am so proud of you.  Just keep at it. You can do it.  I don't think either you or Dave or Fawn realize just how big this is going to become. Just be ready for it!"  I know that God is using Fawn in a mighty way.  The "Ripple effect" is happening.  She is working with 10 people now...and each of those ten are impacting people all around them.  I am so excited to see what God is going to do with all of this.  Please pray that God will open doors for each of us to know how he is going to use us even more to reach the people who are hurting around us.  Help each of us to be ready for what he wants to do...and to be willing to reach out and do whatever He tells us to do. 
This is where they are from
 
 
United States
 2,185 Canada 23  South Korea 21 Russia 6
 
Germany 4 Denmark 4 United Kingdom 4 Slovenia 4
 
 France 3 South Africa 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Why did this Thanksgiving have to be soo hard????

                               Why Did This Thanksgiving have to be so Hard?

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful...and I do have so much to be thankful for.  I have a loving family. a beautiful house, friends I can count on...but today my heart feels so heavy.  We decided as long as the family was together we would go through the house and each person could claim what they want as we get the house ready for sale.  Sounds easy right...NO! Paul set himself up as an auctioneer and we quickly moved from room to room.   For three days we sorted through thing, read love letter that my dad had written to mom when they were first married, found letters and cards that we had written, school projects, and special memories that mom had tucked away for each one of us.  It was amazing what she saved...letters of me apologizing for being such a rebellious teen, locks of hair (carefully labeled for each of us), drawings from grade school, and  clippings from newspapers (whenever we were in them).  She saved so many special things that we had forgotten.  Each box was like a treasure chest...with some sort of memory for someone.  At first it was fun, even a little exciting, but when the tiredness settled in and the reality that mom's house will never ever be the same again after this weekend, my heart began to hurt.  She would have loved to be a part of this day!  She would have loved having 20 people visiting her, fixing the meal and enjoying one another.  As they moved to the kitchen and held up each thing that soo reminded me of memories with mom. She would cut up fruit and make it fancy by putting it on her fancy dishes just to make my kids feel special. She always had a cake made in her bunt cake pan and put it on her fancy cake holder when she knew we were coming. She would get out her fancy wine glasses and sit with my kids and drink milk out of them to make them feel special. We would have tea and just sit and talk. using the special tea pot I got her. Then I saw the fancy Christmas dishes, the little nick knacks that my kids have gotten her and so many other  memories came flooding in. As I looked around the room it hit me...I am loosing people once again. I really do not believe there will ever be a time when the whole family will be in that house together again.  After this weekend there will be no reason to...(and no beds for them!)  Everyone started emptying things into their cars and pulling away... and I felt like I was loosing my family once again. See, they all have a home and a life to go back to...my life revolved around mom and her house for the past 5 years.  I know we will talk and see my brothers and sisters sometime...but who is to say where or when or if ever again. I just know that it will not be at that house again.  I feel like I did when I lost mom.  My heart feels so heavy, like it is breaking and I don't know what to do.  I know it is a fact of life and that life goes on, but I feel so lost right now.  I used to love to just go into mom's house and sit on her bed and be surrounded by her things.  They are all gone now. My heart is as empty as the house I grew up in. Am I thankful this thanksgiving.? Yes, I am thankful that I had such wonderful parents that brought us up to love the Lord.  I am thankful that I grew up in the house my daddy built and never had to move from place to place. I am thankful that my parents instilled in each of us a desire to do what is right.  That we could go through the house and divide things up with no fighting and no hard feelings.  I am thankful that I have three wonderful brothers and three wonderful sisters that love me unconditionally.  I am thankful that I know that my parents are up in heaven in God's glory. That is what is keeping me going.  I know mom is no longer struggling for breath, or hurting, she is dancing and singing in God's presence.  As this Thanksgiving day comes to a close...if you have not told your mom or dad how special they are, how much you love them, and how thankful you are for them....take the time to do that.  I would love to be able to look in my mom's eyes and tell her " I love you" one last time.  You have a precious gift from God...that is priceless...

It's Thanksgiving (O.K to cheat Day) ... Right?

                                            Dave's view on Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving (O.K to cheat Day) ... Right?
the answer is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It's time to show yourself that Thanksgiving is all about the fellowship, not the food. I'll bet some of you are dreading this Holiday because deep down you know how people like us use to anticipate all the goodies we could devour. Lets be honest we would eat until it came out our ears. We'd literally make ourselves sick and some how we thought it was our fat person duty to show those wimps how to really eat at Thanksgiving time.
 AAAAH the sweet memories of my over eating  past. I remember the sick headaches, stomach aches, inability to move. As I laid in bed that evening reveling in the aftermath of my thanksgiving day, I'd think to myself, "only one more year until I can do it all again!"  It didn't matter that I felt like I was going to die. I was up most of the night running to the bathroom trying to survive all that I had stuffed into my body. I did my duty!

 It's a wonder any of us survived Thanksgiving Day. It took us a week to regain our health after that one day. Well, we're not like that anymore, right? Drop that cherry pie, pass the butter laden mashed potatoes. When your tempted to eat that stuff, remember who you are now. You are a thin ,healthy person in training. This Thanksgiving your going to eat right and leave the table full but energized with because you are the one eating right.

   Beware of  "FRIENDS" that want to topple your eating right life style. They would love to see you eat like a pig and prove them right. "I told you, you wouldn't stick to it! This new lifestyle was just another faze you were going through. Your still just a fat person that will never change." So, stay strong when they smile and say, " ah, go ahead it's Thanksgiving Day live a little". You just smile back and say, "No thanks, I've had plenty to eat, haven't you?" Prove your friends and family wrong, show them that your not the same person anymore. This will be the best Thanksgiving you've ever had. Have a great and healthy Thanksgiving,

See you on the skinny side of life

Dave

This man caught my eye at the gym and thought he was sooo HOT!!!!

                          This Man Caught My Eye at the Gym.. and he was sooo Hot!

I have never been one for a wondering eye...I met Dave when I was 16 years old and he has held my heart in his hand since that day.  I have loved him, and only him, my whole life.  But...I was feeling kind of skinny and pretty yesterday at the gym.  I had lost another pound...and I was feeling great!  I was heading over to the drinking fountain at the gym and a man caught my eye!  He was working on the machine for legs and he looked hot!  It almost took my breath away!  I was instantly attracted to this person...and I felt funny about it.  I had to get a closer look.  Would you believe that man was my husband!!! I did not even recognize him for a minute!!! He looked so good!  I had to run over and tell him about it and he teased me about looking at other men!  At least he knows that he can still take my breath away!  The men in the "Man's area" were looking at me like who is this lady running over and kissing this man!  It was just funny!  It was one of those times that just make us realize how very far we have come!
My relationship with my husband is sooo much more fun now! We are able to do things together that we have never been able to before. We are praying together....I mean really praying together...and asking God to not only transform our bodies...but our whole life. Our mindset, our love for each other, our relationship to God.  He is doing it, slowly, but it is happening.  I believe God is preparing us for something awesome.  He just tells me to get ready...and that is what I am doing.  We are believing great things for the future.
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord...Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to your.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you declares the Lord, "and I will bring you back from captivity."
 That is what I feel God is doing in our life. we were held captive by our weight, our discouragement,
and lack of confidence. Once you start living the way God wants you to live...everything else falls into place.  Keep going my friend. It is worth every moment of struggle.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

You can make smart choices this Thanksgiving - A joyful but sad time!!!

                            Thanksgiving with Family at the Burke House
This Thanksgiving  is going to be different then any other...My whole family (except Ken) will be heading back to New York to spend Thanksgiving Day together at mom's house.  This will probably be our last big gathering...we are putting the house up for sale after thanksgiving.  I am soo looking forward to seeing all my brothers and sisters...but it will be such a hard time without mom.  The last time we were together was with mom, and at her funeral.  I pulled up to the house yesterday evening and saw the lights on...my first thought was "Good mom is still up..." Then it hit me...she is up but not where I can see her.  It is those little things that just catch at your heart and make it want to cry out!  You think that you can not live without someone, and than two months have gone by and life is still going on.  I miss her so much sometimes.  Tonight I found the video of our wedding.  We laughed and cried as we looked at the pictures of the people and realized that so many of those people have gone on to be with the Lord.  I will be bringing this video over for us to watch at mom's house.
Will I stay strong...I have to.  Tomorrow night is pizza and wings.  I will bring my wheat crust pizza and make my buffalo chicken pizza which I am sure they will love much more than the greasy pizza!  Thanksgiving meal I am in charge of the sweet potatoes, the squash and the vegi tray.  This way I know there will be things that I can eat.  I do believe I am at a point in our life that if I want to have a piece of my son's apple pie...I can. I only need a small one...but I will be eating it non the less.  I think it is all in making smart choices.  I was cleaning out today and I found a menu I had planned for a trip to the cabin over the summer....sweet rolls, pancakes, grilled cheese, pizza and chips...I say wow...our whole eating has changed.  Tonight when my sister and family came up we had tacos...lean ground beef drained, salsa, lots of vegies, fat free sour cream...and whole wheat baked tortilla chips and wheat soft taco shells.   It was awesome.  Normally I would have eaten 2-4 tacos...tonight one and a salad filled me right up.  It is not in what you can't eat...it is what you choose to eat that will be healthy for you!  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Our Disney 281 vacation!


Dave's View of Our Vacation!
We had a fantastic time at Disney World in Florida. We were worried about gaining weight while on this trip. We brought enough of our own food to feed us and our two girls on the long drive, 24 HOURS and for the hotel stay. We did not eat out the entire time we were there, 8 days in all! We simply brought our health eating lifestyle right to Florida with us.
We had a great time at Disney. We carried a back pack with snacks for the day. I remember the last time we went to Disney almost 10 years ago. I was so out of shape that I had to keep finding a shady place to sit down and catch my breath. This time I zoomed all around Disney with my kids desperately trying to keep up with us, They kept asking us to slow down and wait for them.
     On one of my earlier post I talked about how mortified I was when I was unable to ride with my kids because I was too fat to fit in the seat. Not this time fellow fat fighters, this boy fit just fine on any ride we wanted to go on. I can't express in words how good this felt, I could even fasten the seat belts with out getting back up to search for them under my larded big butt. It's been a really LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG time since that has happened to me. I could even see extra room next to me in the seat because I no longer take the whole thing up.    I still need to loose another 50 pounds to reach my goal. I can't wait to see how I feel then. I'll probably be too skinny to ride some of the rides because the seat belts wont be able to adjust that small. Being fat is like being in prison. No I take that back, it's much worse. You can get out of prison but you can't escape your fat. Fat must be dealt with or it's a life sentence with no parole, EVER!
   Once we came home from Florida we wanted to see what our weight was....did we gain even though we brought our own food and exercised when we had time? I weighed in at 284 when we left, I weighted 281 when we returned home!!!!!!!! Not to shabby considering all the temptations to eat out and spoil ourselves. We stuck to our guns and lost weight. So, you see it can be done this lifestyle travels with you. Be encouraged my friends, FAT is a detestable foe. You can take charge and lose weight no matter what happens in you life. In our journey together we've experienced; sickness, hunger, long trips, sorrow, and even death with out gaining one single pound. If we can do it so can you, Remember I use to weight 380 big fat ugly pounds.
     I use to eat myself into a stupor. I hated myself and everything about my life. Now I exercise every day east right and feel fantastic. My life has changed completely. Here's the best part, it's not that hard folks. I use to think that I would have to starve myself to death to lose all this fat. I have not been hungry or suffered any of the things I imagined for myself. I used any excuse I could think of to hold onto my fat even though it was killing me.
     So, fellow fat fighters, are you ready to get off  DEATH ROW or would you rather wallow away in fat forever? Stick with the plan folks and get your freedom! Those of you on the outside looking in...you know you want to be free so what are you waiting for? Come on the journey with us, the journey to freedom!

See you on the skinny side of life ~ Dave

Weigh in day! We Have now lost 149 Pounds total!!! We lost 10 pounds on vacation!!!

                                      We lost 10 pounds on VACATION!
I can not believe that we did as well as we did on vacation. I am so happy that we did. Today was weigh in day. Was scared because we were not able to weigh our self for the last two weeks.
Good things that happened:
We were able to fit on every single ride at Disney
We brought all of our own food and we ate according to plan
We exercised at the resort in weight room, in pool and lots and lots of walking
We Did not even eat out when we were driving...got to be experts at fixing meals in the car
We had more energy then we ever have...our kids had to tell Dave and I to slow down

Negatives
We missed blogging and keeping you up to date on things
We were very sore when we finally got back to the gym today
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Daves starting weight with fawn- 330
Daves weight last week 284
Daves weight today- 281
Weight loss for the week- 3 pound loss
Total weight loss with Fawn- 49 pounds (in 12 weeks)
Total weight loss- 99 pounds!!!


Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 227
Kathleen's weight today-220
Weight loss for the week- 7 pounds
Total weight loss with Fawn- 40 pounds (in 12 weeks)
Total weight loss-50 pounds!!!  YEAH!!!!

Total weight loss of Dave and Kathleen- 149 pounds- In 9 months
Total weight loss with fawn- 89 pounds! (in 13 weeks!)






I am so happy.  Thank you all for making me feel so loved when we were gone!  You made it worth it! We did work hard and I am proud of what we did!  God is blessing us and preparing us for something awesome. Please pray that he will lead us in His direction. We are willing to do whatever He has planned for us!  We are going to fly!!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

We are Back!!! Wait till you hear about our trip to Disney..the girls had to tell us to slow down!!!

We are Back... and ready for anything!
 





I will tell you...we loved being on vacation, but almost two weeks without access to a computer has been brutal.  I missed writing on here so bad!  It has become a way to voice my feelings to the world!! I love it!  Well...we did it...we went on a 10 day trip and stayed on track just about the whole time.  Who else can go to Florida and say they only ate out two times the whole week.  Once to Subway and once at Pirates Dinner we took the kids too (that one was not good...to greasy...even though it was supposed to be rotisserie chicken with vegies) We packed a cooler and a plastic tote of food and followed our meal plan the whole way.  We became experts at fixing sandwiches in the car...and eating on the road. We did it.   I have not stepped on the scale yet but I know I have lost something...we were busy.
There are times in your life that you will always remember, and think back "Wow, that was amazing...." this vacation was one of those times! From start to finish it was one of the most amazing times in our families lives.  We started out in Virginia visiting dear friends from our church in East Aurora... Becca's best friend.  We had such a fun time.  The kids just had a ball!!! They did not get much sleep...but that is ok! They slept the 12 drive to Florida...then we got to our Villa...After taxes last year we had paid for the use of my sister Faith's time share...I am so glad we did...It was amazing...nine pools, miniature golf, tennis. 6 work out rooms...huge slide....anything you could imagine.
We went to Disney on Tuesday..(We had done Disney give a day, get a day and got free tickets!)  My kids had to tell Dave and I to slow down!!! It was so funny!  We were enjoying the park, walking every where...and they kept saying..."Wait up....cant we take a rest...slow down!"  It was awesome.   We had a ball.  Five years ago when we went Dave had to go some where and take a nap...while we went on rides, not this time!  We went on everything...and I must say we fit on everything with room to spare!  We totally enjoyed our day.  Last time we went we were so tired we left before the fire works...not his time!  We stayed and walked around until almost everyone was gone...we were one of the last ones to leave...it truly was a magical day!!! We felt like we could accomplish anything that day! We were amazed that we were able to keep up like we did.  We also carried two back packs with us the whole time...one for drinks and one for lunch and dinner!  I was so proud that we were able to go there and not spend any money...and a great time!!!

Don't Let your weight or fears control you or stop you from doing what you want to do

I'm Going to Fly!!!

There are defining moments in your life that can change you if you let them. Here is one of them...We were amazed that we did not get tired!  We planned out our day and did active things all day long....and we exercised, and swam...and ate right.  It was so amazing.  6 months ago we would have had to take naps every day and not do 1/4 of the things we did! We were not tired at all and I don't think we took a nap once!!! It is awesome when your body is getting into shape, you have so much more that you can live for.
They had this huge RIP slide at the place.  The first ride was free (we literally told the kids we are only doing things that we can do for free...we are not spending any money!)  so the girls and I decided to try it. I would never have even considered it a year ago!!! We climbed up the 40 foot slide and I did not even think about what I was doing, I just was having fun.  Once I got to the top I allowed my fears to set in. All of a sudden I heard my mind telling me, "What are you doing? Are you crazy!  You can't do this...You are too big...to fat...you will get hurt"  I was petrified!.  I started clinging to the side and did not know what to do.  I literally was thinking of climbing all the way back down the slide. If I was not so scared...I probably would have.  I had talked myself into almost a panic!  I was actually at the top of this huge rubber slide clinging to the side unable to move.  The little children were running past me and sliding down like pros. Here I was telling myself they are going to have to send someone up to rescue me.  My daughter Becca looked at me and said..."you can do this mom!"  I finally stood up at the top and looked down.  It was a long way down!  But at that moment I knew I had to make a choice. Would I allow my fears to stop me from doing something or would I live my life to it's fullest??? I looked at Becca and said..."Yes, I can!"  I sat down and went for the ride of my life!  It was soo awesome! I loved it.  God spoke to me that day.. I could have let that opportunity pass me by.  I could have allowed my fears to dictate and climbed down those stairs and felt like a failure...instead I decided to embrace life.  I wanted it all.  I no longer wanted to use my injuries, my weight and my tiredness to hold me back!!! That is what I want to do from now on!  I woke the girls up the next morning to me singing Amy Grant's "I am going to Fly!" Song... and it is true.  "If I had my life to live over again, I would run barefoot, relax a bit more... I would talk to more children and I would learn how they laugh...and I would teach them how I learned to fly....All my life seems I have waited for the time to start being this person inside of me, unafraid of being me...even if I am the only one who knows how to fly!!!"  That day I learned how to fly!! I learned that I can do anything I set my mind to...and I don't need to just do it , for something to do...I need to do it...and enjoy it!!!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Dave and Kathleen are on Vacation!




Dave and Kathleen are on vacation and don't have access to a computer! But I wanted to share a few pics of them on vacation! I'm sure that there will be more! : ) I know it's hard to recognize this man, but it's DAVE!!! He is disappearing!!! Looks like he's having a nice time and getting some rest!

AND just because they are on vacation does NOT mean that they are going to be eating like they used to!!! They are choosing healthy options as you see above! Kathleen packed a lot of snacks so they will always be prepared!

They have been physically active by playing volleyball and swimming laps in the pool. I'm sure that they will share all of this with you, but for now, I am their voice! We miss them, but they are doing GREAT!!!




Thursday, November 4, 2010

We have been at this for 3 months...Dave and I have lost at total of 139 pounds!!! We are booking now!!!!

This has been a week of change....we both did great on not only our changing fat to muscle but on loosing weight!  I have finally gotten over the plateau and I am working on losing weight. In the last two weeks I have lost 7 pounds!  That is huge, considering I had not lost any for a whole month.  I am inching my way down below 200!  That will be soo wonderful!
This will be a crazy week.  We are heading on vacation soon.  We have never taken a vacation that was not a working vacation in our life. We did disney give a day- get a day this last spring and got 4 free tickets to disney.  We also used my sister's time share and paid for this vacation over a year ago...so it is almost like a free vacation. (which is good because we are broke!)  Pray that God gives us good travel mercy and that we get down there and back safely.  This time we are heading to a "Villa" that has 200 acres nine pools, nine tennis courts and lots of hot tubs, golf courses and fun.  A year ago...this would not have excited me as much as it does now. I would have been worried about running around all day...getting to tired and having a horrible time because I was in such bad shape.  Not now, I look forward to running around with my kids.  I plan on swiming every morning...bike riding, playing tennis, using hot tub...doing everything available.  We have our food all planned, everything all packed...and we are ready to go.  I plan on loosing 10 pounds this week instead of gaining the 10-15 that I normally did when I went on vacation.  I cant wait to post pictures!!! We are sooo excited about it.

Good things this week
*I continue to loose weight...even when I missed two days of exercise due to working.
*I found a new exercise machine (actually two of them) to add to my routine...they help inner and outer thigh..boy I wish I would have seen that from the beginning...would have looked much better in my swim suit!
*Dave thought he was doing bad and he ended up loosing not only weight, but turned lots of fat into muscle.
*I am below 50% fat!!! I was at 56 when I started...I am now at 49%. That is big!
*We have our meal plan all worked out for the week and are bringing a lot of the food with us.
*Dave and I have lots more energy!!!
*When Dave and I went to the girl's chorus concert the chairs felt big to us...usually we are to big for the chairs!
*I upped all of my weights this week and added two more weight machines.
*My arms are getting skinnier...I always hated how fat my arms were.

Negatives
*I have to figure out what to do when I sub at the school all day...need to get my exercise in.  Missed exercising on Monday.  Wednesday,  I went after school.
Where are the stats:
Dave Starting weight-- 380
Daves starting weight with fawn- 330
Daves weight last week 288
Daves weight today- 284
Weight loss for the week- 1 pound loss
Total weight loss with Fawn- 47 pounds (in 12 weeks)
Total weight loss- 96 pounds!!!


Kathleen's Starting weight-- 270
Kathleen's starting weight with fawn-260
Kathleen's weight last week 229
Kathleen's weight today-227
Weight loss for the week- 2 pounds
Total weight loss with Fawn- 33 pounds (in 12 weeks)
Total weight loss-43 pounds!!!

Total weight loss of Dave and Kathleen- 139 pounds- In 9 months
Total weight loss with fawn- 79 pounds! (in 12 weeks!)

All I can say is stick to it...when you hit a plateau..don't give up.  Keep working at it.  My friend who lost 150 pounds keeps reminding me..."Slow and steady!"  That is what is needed to keep it off. I do not want a huge weight loss to only gain it back later...I have already done that.  I need the weight to come off slow...2-4 pounds a week would be great!  When you stick to it, and are standing in front of the mirror and notice the difference..it will be worth it.  Even when I did not loose weight for 4 whole weeks, and was ready to quit...I felt better and looked better than I have in such a long time!!!  If Dave and I can do it then so can you!!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

AH HA I out lasted the fat maker!

   I've been frustrated as of late due to my lack of weight loss... I've kept the faith brother. Ive worked out every other day and even added a 20 minute cardio segment to my work out, " this was Fawn Woodfin's idea, my life style coach". Add cardio, she kept preachin! Cardio bores me to tears, I'm crying as we speak at just the mention of it. At the gym this means the stationary bike. Twenty minutes of peddling my butt off with out moving a single inch. It just does not make any sense to me but I did it anyway. 
   Low and behold, I've been in a pretty bad this week because I was sure that I did not lose even a single ounce. I've been hovering between 289 and 291. Well, the moment of truth came today. It was time for our weekly weigh in on a machine that measures weight loss (it can even tell what kind of weight loss, you know was it water I lost or actual fat). It can even tell how much muscle I've put on. The object is to lose fat and gain muscle weight. This is why at times I don't lose a whole lot of weight, as long as the fat is being replaced with muscle it's a win - win situation for me.  What this machine is, is a computer that's able to determine your body mass.
   So, I hop on this machine, knowing that my body has been telling me all week, "you ain't lost a pound, fat boy". My body can be very rude at times! My wife Kathleen gets this big grin on her face and says, " your down to 286 and you've gained 4 pounds of muscle, your today body fat is 36% - down from 39 the week before! My body has been lying to me all week long, Bad body,Bad!
   So what's the lesson here, don't live by your feelings. Keep on working your exercise and good eating routines. Your body may fight you tooth and nail but eventually it will relent to your will. You see, YOU are in charge of your body and not the other way around. The reason we become fat is that we listen to our body and fill it's every desire ... what's that body, eat an entire carton of ice cream just before bed time - NO PROBLEM., OOOOH and don't forget to wash it down with a diet coke, after all we're trying to lose weight here.
   Let me break it to you gently here folks... your fat because your body is pushing you around! QUIT doing whatever it says. Tell your body NO! At first it will laugh at you and say, "OH your on another I'm gonna lose weight this time kick" DIET is a dirty word, SLAP yourself if that's what your calling trying to follow us on this blog and lose weight. Diets are temporary by definition, that's why they don't work. Your mind simply tells your body...Hang in there old friend, we'll make up for lost time when fatso here goes off the DIET. 
   We're on a lifestyle journey not a DIET journey. Some of you are fooling yourselves. Your still going out to eat all the time and ordering things that will destroy any chance you have of losing weight. Get SERIOUS, drop that donut, ice cream, or whatever else your eating, knowing that what your doing is damaging your body...and to top it off your paying top dollar to do it. It's like going in front of a firing squad and supplying them with the bullets!
   I'm going to help you get motivated here. Go to the mirror, check out that fat face and quadruple chin, it's a wonder you don't trip over it! Pull up your shirt and check out you fat saggy body... TRY THIS take all your clothes off and stand in front of the mirror, what do you see? Be honest, brutally honest! It's a disgusting sight ain't it? Now do whatever you have to, get mad really mad, cry if you have to - do what ever it takes to see it like it is... None of this, I know people who are fatter than me crap either, I use to do this all the time.
   Now, here's the real test as to your ability to lose weight or not. What did you tell yourself as you checked yourself out in the mirror? Did you give yourself a thousand excuses to let yourself off the hook or are you sick of looking like that? Tell yourself the truth here..... You will never be successful if your o.k with the way you look if your fat. plump, big boned or whatever watered down term your using to avoid the truth....YOU ARE FAT!!!!!
   Say it, your fat... Once you say it and feel the pain, your ready to go on a weight loss journey. Until then your just fooling yourself. I use to pretend all the time. I never went swimming,even in my own pool because I hated the way I looked. I worked up a sweat just putting my shoes every morning...this was a wake up call for me by the way! I almost blacked out once because bending over my FAT stomach was a major problem! I can bend over now with ease and tie my shoes, in fact i don't even give it a second thought now.
   NOW people are we ready to really lose weight, take control of our bodies, quit lying to ourselves or not? Quit reading this blog and returning to your FAT ways. Come on now, you know that you can do it. You want to be around for your loved ones or not? You want to have a life or not? It's up to you... So, get up and go to the mirror and tell your body this, Take a long last look body because you work for me now...prepare for a journey. Oh, and by the way I'll be making all the decisions on this trip! When your body laughs, and it will - tell it to SHUT UP!!!

I'll see you on the skinny side of life,  Dave