125!

keeping it off...

I realize the format of "meeting twenty-seven" and "the twenty-seventh week" have gone by the wayside for the most part but I will continue to update this blog periodically to keep you posted on my "keeping it off" progress.

As you my recall, my goal never was to lose the weight, but to keep it off. So, now we are at the keeping it off stage and so far, so good.

I missed the first Weight Watchers meeting last night in twenty-eight weeks. I had another commitment and now that I am a Lifetime member I am only required to go to one meeting per month to maintain that status. My plans are to go the first Thursday of each month -- that will be next Thursday for September.

However, some of the ladies continue to attend. One called last night to report a weight loss of 1.2 lb. for the week which is exceptionally good since she is ill with an upper respatory infection and is on steroids and other medications! See, it can be done, even when you're sick.

Keep on keeping on...

125

I saw 125 briefly the other day. I keep bouncing back and forth between 128 and 126. I think my body is just taking some time to readjust.

Coffee: For most, it's safe

Coffee has been blamed for everything from moral turpitude to cancer. But none of the bad raps have stuck. Coffee may even be good for you.

Despite 20 years of reassuring research, many people still avoid coffee* because they worry about its health effects. Their concerns are understandable. Older studies had linked coffee to a range of health problems, including pancreatic cancer and heart disease. But this early research didn’t take into account the real culprit: cigarette smoking, which was once a common habit of many coffee drinkers. We now know that in moderation — that is, a few cups per day — coffee is a safe beverage. New research suggests it even offers some health benefits.

Coffee isn’t totally innocuous. Its main active ingredient, caffeine, is a mildly addictive stimulant. Getting too much may give you the jitters, keep you awake, and make you irritable. If you’re a regular coffee drinker and miss your morning dose, you may get a splitting headache. Some people develop indigestion, stomach problems, or other intestinal distress when they drink coffee. And inconclusive research suggests that high doses of coffee can contribute to bone loss. But for most people, coffee in moderation is harmless.

If you don’t enjoy coffee or it bothers you, don’t drink it. But if you consider it one of life’s pleasures, a rundown of some of the latest findings on coffee’s health effects may assuage your concerns.

week twenty-seven

Well, last night was an EXCITING night for me at WW. I made LIFETIME with a total loss of 40 lbs.! I lost my 3rd 5 lbs. I received my 3rd and final charm for my key chain.

My friends and I began this journey 6 months to the day the day before yesterday. So, it took me 6 months to lose 40 lbs. I believe that's a reasonable goal.

I will probably continue to attend the WW meetings for the next couple of weeks with my friends and then I plan to attend the first Thursday of every month. I have to weigh in at lease once a month below my goal weight of 140 (that shouldn't be a problem since I am so far below that now) in order to retain my FREE status as a Lifetime Member.

I also gained the opportunity last night to receive a FREE 6-month subscription to WW magazine for attending 10 meetings this summer. AND, I can enter to win a $5000.00 wardrobe shopping spree if I write a 150 word essay about attending WW in the summer. THAT would certainly be nice! I sure need it, or at least some of it -- I really can't imagine what $5000.00 worth of clothes would look like in my closet -- I think I'd have to have a new (bigger) closet!

So, what now? Well, I will continue to eat the way I've learned, continue to journal to keep track of my points. I'm at 126 and that's pretty low so I may start to add a few points a day (up to 4) to see my weight stabilize some - that's an option.

It's almost frightening to be at this point because I know that NOW the REAL work begins. The real work wasn't GETTING the weight off it's KEEPING the weight off. I almost feel like I graduated last night and now I'm on my own and that scares me a little bit but I know that's not really the case. The leaders at WW are there to help me any time I need it and I can attend the meetings any time I wish.

So...the journey continues...on to the next chapter!

twenty-seventh meeting

.02 for me this week -- exactly what I need to lose to make it an even 40 lbs.! The group as a total was down a bit (it was actually a down week for me in the weight loss category) .08 total for the group but with 4 unaccounted for.

126!

week twenty-six

This week I hope to lose at least .02 lb. That will put me at an even 40 lbs. loss. ;~)

twenty-sixth meeting

This week the group lost 4.2 total -- that's with 3 unaccounted and one maintaining. I personally contributed with a lost of 2.2 lbs.!

128! I am shocked at how easily the last 5 lbs. have come off. I thought it would be a real battle but it has actually snowballed it seems and has been quite easy.

Cravings are the worst. Sometimes it seems that the only way to cure one is by ploughing through a pint of Chunky Monkey or by shoveling an order of curly fries down your throat. Luckily, there are ways to kill those dreaded cravings without blowing your diet. For me, the best way to squash a desire for food is to pop a super strong mint or minty piece of gum in my mouth. If the gum or mint is intense enough, your tastebuds become too preoccupied to focus on the chocolate, cookies, chips, or pizza you had wanted so badly. Try it, it really works! I recommend keeping some Dentyne Ice (Arctic Chill is the strongest!!) in your purse.