The Bewitching Hour

I have a friend that recently lost a huge amount weight. Of course, envious as can be but happy for her, I asked how she did it. She gave me several general tips. They were:

1. Don't drink soda. (Check, already live that way. So why aren't more pounds coming off?)
2. Use lemon juice. (This is instead of sauces, salad dressing, etc., especially on fish, veggies and such.)
3. Don't eat after 8:00pm.

These seem simple enough, especially the first two... but the last one...ouch! I guess that's one of my weaknesses. I like to eat later. Call it my "after-dinner-snack". But I know that that's probably the reason I haven't been losing pounds. I should just quit after dinner. Or, if I want a healthy snack, just eat it before 8:00pm. Also, I noticed the later I stay up at night (which is common for me), the more I'm tempted to eat late at night. I have a friend who also struggles with eating late. He called it "the bewitching hour" because he would get extremely tempted to eat after 9:00pm. It's gonna take a bit of will-power to do this until it becomes a habit, but I so desperately want to lose the weight!

How 'bout y'all? Does anyone else have problems with late-night snacking?

Cheers,
Elena

Weight this morning: 177 (lost 1 pound...wa-hoo!)

Old Friends

I miss you old friends. When I look at you, my heart aches. I want to be with you again. There was a time when we weren't weren't comfortable with each other. When I was single we were very close. Even after I got married we maintained a good relationship. Suddenly when I got pregnant I noticed the distance. It was me who pulled away, but you were always there patiently waiting for me to come back. You always added such color and style to my life. When it comes to friends, you were always a perfect "10". Now I'm hanging out with others, "12"s and "14"s. I'm quite comfy with my new friends, but I sure miss my perfect "10"s. We'll be together again; I promise. Just give me time to feel like myself again. You always were and always will be my beautiful size 10 clothes.

Cheers,
Elena

Current weight: 178 lbs. (lost 2 lbs.) Yay!

Tip o' the Day: Water, water, water! At least 100 oz. per day.

Initial Inspiration

I watched the movie, "Julie & Julia" a few weeks ago and that inspired me to start a blog. Like Julie Powell, I didn't know anything about blogs. Looking back, I now realize I read quite a few blogs, mostly friends' blogs. I didn't understand the world of blogging and its possibilities until I saw the movie. So, I'm going to see if this thing really works.

Gentle readers, if there's anyone reading this--especially if you find yourself in a similar situation--please let me know who you are.

Cheers,
Elena

Current Weight: 180 lbs. (Will it ever come off?!)

Tip o' the Day: Pray for help. God CAN help our efforts.

The Beginning

I am your typical, American woman, mother of five and domestic goddess. I will call myself "Elena". Like many mothers in my situation, my body isn't what it used to be. I'm in desperate need to lose the weight I gained.

Now when I say "desperate" I don't mean I'm going to do anything harmful to my body and join pro-ana websites. I want to do this the right way.... healthy, steady, consistant. I'm just tired of my body aching more than it should with all the extra weight. I'm tired of looking in the mirror wondering who that chubby woman is.

I currently weigh 180 lbs. I could lose 25 pounds and be a happy 155 pounds, which I was before I got pregnant the first time. I could lose 40 pounds and be my ideal weight, 140lbs., or I could lose 50 lbs. and be at my dream weight.... the ever-elusive 130 pounds. (Just for the record, the lowest I've ever weighed in my adult life is 123 lbs. when I was too poor to afford food in college.)The task--even just 25 pounds--seems so daunting.

This is why I started this blog. I need help. . . advice, support, counsel, etc. I keep failing on my own. I can start off well, but then within a few weeks I fall. When I was single it wasn't as hard, but now that I cook and shop for a husband and five children, I find it quite difficult.If there's anyone out there reading my adventures and confessions on my weight loss journey, please let me know. Could definitely use the help!

Cheers,

Elena

Current Weight: 180 lbs. (Ugh!)

Tip o' the Day: Watch less TV, under 2 hours per day. (But I'll admit, it's so difficult with the Olympics going on. Maybe I can do sit-ups and watch?)