The One Pound Perspective

Another one bites the dust! Yep...another pound down. It is not fantastic....but I am one pound closer to my goal. In the big scheme of things, one pound really doesn't seem like much (especially when you have put a lot of work into losing it), but  put into perspective....a pound can be quite significant. Here is what a pound looks like: I have lost a newborn puppy!

I have lost a really big package of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! I can't even imagine in my wildest dreams....eating this much chocolate and peanut butter at the same time. It makes my teeth hurt just to think about it.

 I have lost a one pound dumbbell! Which is what we work David out with to build up his little arm muscles. (Not like he needs it....his upper body strength is amazing!)

And finally....I have lost one of those HUGE one pound burgers that you  get at one of those fantastic places where they make the burgers homemade and oh so yummy. You know the ones, with the grilled onions, and cheese, and......oops! I'm drooling! Where was I? Oh yeah....I've lost a one pound burger! So when you look at the big picture....I guess losing only one pound isn't bad. And it is certainly better than gaining all those things!

I am a little perplexed though. I have really been good and I have worked out 6 days in a row this week. Since Sunday (when I started counting my calories burned) according to my new pedometer....I have burned about 1500 calories and walked a little over 12 miles. This does not include the elliptical workouts or the weights I have also done. So my perplexion (its a word if I say it is) comes from the fact that with all of that....I have only lost 1 pound. Hmmmm. I am thinking that maybe my thyroid meds need to be adjusted a bit...but believe me....I will take the 1 pound loss. Slow and steady wins the race....right?

I did go ahead and treat myself today. Not for the one pound loss....but for the effort I put in this week. I went and got the mani/pedi that has been beckoning me....even in my dreams. Seriously! I dreamed the other night that the horrendous shape of my hands and feet was a crime (which it should be if it isn't) and that I was being arrested. YIKES!

I decided that it was high time I remedied this situation or next I would be dreaming that  I got the death penalty for my cuticles. It could happen! I went to my favorite nail place (shout out to Hanna and her girls at Diva Nail Salon). The pedicure was so awesome that I almost fell asleep....and my favorite part is the nail art they do. While I may not feel 100% pretty....my feet and hands sure do!





You know...as time goes on....I am seeing more and more changes in myself and how I view things. For instance it has been over 2 weeks since my last diet pop. I just realized that today! I do still occasionally miss my dear sweet diet Dew, but I am surviving and  now a days.... I ALWAYS reach for water or tea and nothing more. I also notice that I am parking farther and farther away from my destination so that I have to walk more. Working out is becoming something I want to do instead of just need to do and I really look forward to my evening walks. And today....I had to go and return some pants at the mall. I got there about half an hour early, but instead of just sitting in the car and waiting for the store to open.....I went into the mall and walked until the store opened (me and a bunch of 70+ year olds). For those of you interested....it takes 7.3 minutes to start at Old Navy and walk the entire upper level of Towne East. One time around is 1973 steps. In 30 minutes you can walk the upper level just a little over 4 times and take about 7900 steps. Here is what my GPS pedometer recorded. I burned about 400 calories and I now know what styles are in, what is on sale and why I need to lose weight so I can fit in to all the really cute stuff! (Oh...and a lottery win would be nice too!)

I am also changing meal size and when I eat my meals. My evening meal which used to be my largest is often times more of a snack than an actual meal. I have found that WW has some new cheese sticks that are smoky cheese flavor. They are 1 point and I love having them for supper with grapes or apple slices and maybe a few Melba Toast Rounds to round the meal out (no pun intended). I have also become quite a fan of apples. Pink Lady and Honey Crisps are my favorite and between those and oranges....I am a happy camper. I need to develop the same love for veggies that I have for fruit. I also need to expand my palette and try some new varieties of both fruits and veggies. I tend to be quite a creature of habit.

Well...all in all, when you put everything into perspective, I am doing fine. I may not be losing the weight as quickly as I would like, but I am making some very important changes in my life both mentally and physically. I read just the other day, for every simple positive change you make health-wise, you add 2 years to your life. Hopefully I am on the path to increasing the years instead of the decreasing. I have much to do and I am going to need every second God gives me to get it all done.

Tomorrow I am taking the day off from exercise and probably Saturday too. The muscles and joints need a break, but Sunday I will get back at it. So to all of you I say....onward and upward....or in my case....let's make it downward please!