Breaking the 11 Day Dry Posting Spell With a New Weight Loss Challenge

I've been battling a bout of depression--the Blue Ghoulies. I can sense when it's coming, cause my feelings flatten out, and I just want to sleep, and when I'm not sleeping, eat. I even told my hubby last week, "Oh-oh, you need to pray. I feel the black cloud coming back."

I've had periodic blues since I was 9. Eating well, resting well, controlling stress, praying, and singing usually help a lot. But when I get into a stressful time or miss sleep or whatever, I'm more vulnerable. And it will come without warning, for no reason (ie, life is going just fine and dandy). Anyway, I'm still beating it off, and trying to win this round. (Yes, I was prescribed Cymbalta, but I'm terrified of side effects, so I've stayed away from antidepressants as much as I can and just wait for it to pass. Inevitably, it does, though the bout I got when my mom was dying lasted more than a year and really, I think I was close to a heart attack or something, it was pretty bad and I was gaining weight at a scary pace, medicating with food.)

So, I'm starting the New Year on a cusp--waiting to see if it will be sunny or cloudy internally, and hoping for sun, of course. :) I haven't fully slipped over the edge to the gloom, and I think that's partly because of family gatherings and the season itself, which compels a certain amount of joy from one's soul.

But...this is a diet blog, not a Princess Blues blog, so on to the diet stuff:

I totally crapped out of the old challenge toward the end. (Granted, ended it lighter than I began, but fizzled all the same.) But I'm 15 pounds lighter than I was when I started this blog in May. So, this blog has helped me lose, as has the encouragement, inspiration, and support of you fatfighting bloggers out there. Thanks, y'all.

For me, a new challenge is always a good thing, because it makes you accountable, no matter how lightly, sporadically, or iffily. I need that accountability.

Thanks to the TALES FROM THE SCALES crew for their challenge. On to Shannon's Easter Challenge.

Here's the deal. The starting weigh-in is today.

I got on the scale after NOT doing so for a couple of days, and, voila:

274.0

I kind of like that I'm starting on a Point Zero weigh-in. I don't like that I'm up from my previous low. But, considering the holiday excesses and the empanadilla feast yesterday (one and a half large meat pastries sopping with grease and two handfuls of barbecued potato chips. Two cups of sangria. Two amaretto sours (very unlike me to have more than a glass of wine at an occasion, but dang those were tasty.) The only healthful thing I had was the Vitalicious cake slice. hah. Sad.

So, I was up almost two pounds from my low.


Time to stop with the holiday gorging on fried or gravied delights and back to veggies, fruits, and healthful meals.

This challenge takes us nearly to Easter.

December 31st – 274.0
January 7th – Week 1 WI
January 14th – Week 2 WI
January 21st – Week 3 WI
January 28th – Week 4 WI
February 4th – Week 5 WI
February 11th – Week 6 WI
February 18th – Week 7 WI
February 25th – Week 8 WI
March 3rd – Week 9 WI
March 10th – Week 10 WI
March 17th – Week 11 WI
March 23rd – EASTER--Goal of being at 250 (or less) by this day

It's an 11 (or 12 week challenge if you want to weigh-in on Easter Sunday), and calculating a 2 lb weight loss per week, then my goal is to be 24 lbs lighter by Easter (yep, let's consider it a 12 week challenge.) It would be very nice to fit into a smaller size Easter Dress. (Though we don't really call it Easter, but Resurrection Day around my house, or Dia de la Resureccion, but I'll go with EAster since it's Shannon's challenge and that's what she calls it.)

The hardest part for me, without question, will be the exercise portion. To exercise 4 x a week at 30 mins. Sigh. It's really hard to move at my size--with knees complaining, ankles creaking, back spasming. But, I will be talking positive to myself every day. Even if I have to break it up into 3 10 minutes sessions, I do believe it's doable, so I need to "Just do it!"

Let me know if you're doing this challenge, too.

And here's The Princess wishing you all...