Weight loss!

This may sound like a commercial but I am just so excited. My mother called me a week and a half ago and offered to pay for me to join L.A. Weight Loss. Everyone thinks it was really nice, but realize that she was saying that I wasn't just fat, but so fat she was willing to pay large amounts of money to fix me. I wasn't sure I wanted to. My husband insists that I work right now, and even though it is a part time job and is very flexible (I am practically my own boss)- it leaves little time for me to focus on anything other than meeting my family's needs and caring for my home. My weight was just not a priority at all. I talked it over with my husband and he said "why not?" so I said yes.

My starting weight was 195. I have been on it for one week and have lost 11.2 lbs. I am so excited. My only setback today was that I accidentally ate a piece of cake. No, this isn't one of those "I tripped and fell on it with my mouth open" jokes. I just forgot I was on the diet. I was so mad at myself because I would never have cheated at this point. I am doing great and I didn't really want cake. I had to weigh in today and they told me how to count it so I didn't mess up too bad. It uses a portion system and I had to count it as 2 starches and a fat.

I love it, love it, love it. I like how it teaches me to portion out my meals for the day and not to overeat in any one area, like starches or fats. My LAWL person told me the other day to hang in there, that the first four weeks are the hardest. I just laughed because I could eat like this forever. I do hate the 2 day "Take Off" diets, but those are few and far between.

New blog

I cannot remember my password in xanga and since we changed email accounts, I am locked out. So here I am, some place new...

I hadn't blogged in a while because I had emergency surgery and we moved from the apartment to our new house. The house has needed so much work, it has stifled my creative energies. I haven't finished one crochet piece or sewing piece since the move. I have made some bows and paintings, but only for sale under immense pressure of deadlines.

I read about this in today's paper. http://thomaswhite.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/southwesterns-degree-in-homemaking-discussed-on-crosstalk/

I am excited to see homemaking skills being taught on the college level. I am a self taught cook, but I was lucky to have done work study in the costume shop of the theatre department my first two years of college. I learned so much even though we didn't follow patterns for the most part. We even made clothes for ourselves under Ms. Patti's direction when there wasn't a production to prepare for.

I also read on Anna's blog (of Lullabies and Lace Crochet) that there is a knit-a-long for Anne of Green Gables. I don't know how to knit, but that might be worth learning. I haven't read the books since college (slightly less than 20 years ago), so I am due for a reread. The girls and I have been reading Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm (the Great Illustrated Classics edition) and when we are done we need a new book to read together. They might be up for it. I love to read with them, especially when it is a book I actually enjoy. The link: http://anneknits.blogspot.com/

I am going to pick up the books today or tomorrow, and I'll start checking Crochetville for a CAL. If not, I may have to learn to knit. I keep meaning to, but I always have other projects that seem more pressing.

I saw these skirts today. http://madewithlovebyhannah.com/skirts1.html Aren't they beautiful? I especially love the schwarzwalder, the distlefink, the winter woods, and the tea towel. If only I had tons of extra money to toss around... I wish I could make something like that, but I don't think I could find fabric anything like that locally.

The girls' choir, Taylor's youth activities, and a women's Bible study on the Power of the Praying Wife starts tomorrow. I have to work nursery, but if no babies show up for the BS, I get to go. I started reading it today. I pray about hubby all the time (thanking God for him) and ask for him to have a good day or for his health to improve (new diabetic), but I need more direction on how to really pray for him.

The girls had their first Upward Soccer game today. They did great! They had a few meltdowns from being knocked down, but mostly I was impressed at their efforts. I had worried that they wouldn't have the skills that the other kids had (since every child I meet goes to soccer class regularly at Soccer Blast), but they seemed to be on the same level. I think this will be a positive activity for them.

I never did sports. I liked dance. I do want the girls to learn dance, because I think it teaches you grace, but I read that girls that do team sports are more likely to resist pressure to drink, smoke, use drugs and have premarital sex. That was enough to sell me on a team sport. Soccer seems the best choice for them. When soccer is over, I do want to try a dance class. I have been thinking about Irish dance because of our heritage, and also because it is supposed to be a very modest form of dance (moving only the legs, not the upper body). They aren't old enough for piano (not having broad enough hand width), but eventually they will take that along with Taylor. He has never been much into sports, but we decided he will try out for track this winter. We ran every night for most of the summer, but we have slacked off during the heat wave. We desperately need to get back into the routine. Maybe it will help me get past this plateau with my weight.

I recently lost almost 25 pounds, but I have hit a plateau. I cut back my exercising due to the heat and so much going on. I have such self-control issues when it comes to food. I know I could do better with that. I thought buying a scale would help, but I actually think it hinders me. I get depressed when I don't lose a pound every day when I have worked hard, so I slack off. I would like to lose 20 more pounds before I buy/make any new clothes. My clothes are loose now, but not falling off. I hate wasting money on clothes that fit if I am going to lose more weight soon. I would ideally like to lose 50 pounds more. I would be thrilled to lose just 40 pounds more (that was my lowest weight in the last 10 years). My doctor says my asthma and reflux should become asymptomatic if I lose enough weight.

Well, I hope to not forget the password to this blog and maybe I'll have some new FO to show off soon! The girls and I are sewing them snack sacks that I found here: http://www.sewnews.com/resources/library/0807lunch/ Of course, they picked princess fabric and they want dresses to match their sacks, so maybe I will have those done by next week. Time to dust off the old sewing machine...