Isaiah 40:31

"but those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

As many of you know- I have been a Weight Watchers member many many times! At least 6, but possibly more.  This time though it clicked.  I realize I sound like the commercial LOL but it's sooo true.  I joined in Feb. thinking that I would try it one more time and then I'd give up and look into saving for gastric bypass or some weight loss surgery.  Following the new plan has been much easier then I thought.  I've been on plan now for about 18 weeks and I've lost a total of 39.2 lbs!! The above verse has been my battle cry.  When I get weak or weary and want to cave into food- this is what I repeat in my head- over and over again!  

Update on my goals- I am presently 9 lbs away from 15% weight loss and 10.8 lbs away from my 50 lb goal.  I had given myself until July 13th to lose 50 lbs, but I may be a bit short on that goal.  If I don't make it, I'm okay with it.  I can push is back a week or two if needed.  What I know is that I am on track with my goals and making awesome progress. I am not going to let it get to me.  It's amazing to me that I've lost nearly 50 lbs. LOL I've never made it this far on a weight loss plan and it makes me feel so good about myself.

I am Woman... Hear me roar!

I am so excited! I went in to wi this morning feeling like I had probably gained.  I ate out quite a bit this week (2-3 times, I can't remember LOL) and it was all fast food. :-/.  I was pretty sure that the scale was going to hate me.  I weighed before I left (I know "bad kimmy") and it showed me weighing about what I did last week when I got home from WW. So I figured now loss or a small gain..... Well was I surprised! I lost 1.8 lbs.  :)  I earned my 30 lb star- -31 lbs to be exact! Wowzer!!  This puts me also just 1 lb away from my 10% and also my mid July goal of 50 lbs- only 19 lbs to go. :) :)  Granted I still have 164 lbs to go LOL But that is a much smaller number then 195 lbs.  That's where I started.  When I started this journey in Feb. I was over 300 lbs.  323.2 to be exact.  I had no high expectations of myself because, as many of you know, I have been a Weight Watchers member SEVERAL times. I've never had the motivation to make the program work for me before. I'd lose a few lbs and then gain and gain and gain.  Then I'd just give up instead of redoing the program to make it work.  So this time I went all in. I bought a digital food scale and between that and my measuring cups I make it work.  The food scale has been a life saver.  I also drink a ton of water.  I'm not really even sure how much I drink now, but I know it's a lot because that is all I drink now, except for the small amount of un-sweetend tea that I occasionally drink.  I have been coke (the legal kind) free for 2.5 weeks now.  I'm pretty proud of that.  So now I've added 2 more marbles to my lbs lost jar.  Total of 31 marbles.

So since I've lost 31 lbs and I am in love with the idea of being a  Proverbs 31 woman I thought I'd post a little scripture. :)
                          Proverbs 31:10-12

10	Who can find a virtuous woman?          For her price is far above rubies.
11	The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,          so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12	She will do him good and not evil          all the days of her life.

Long over due update!

I see that it's been a while since I've blogged.  I started a website and was going to start blogging there, but have decided that will be for pictures and this will be my main blog site.  :)

In the weight department- I am now down 28.6 lbs! I ate almost all of my weekly points (I had 5 left) this past week and earned 23 activity points and I had an awesome weigh in! I was down 2.4 lbs. I even went out of town and still managed to lose. :)  I am 1.4 away from 30 lbs, 3.4 lbs away from my 10 %, and 21.4 lbs away from my 50 lb goal by Vacation Bible School week (about 9 weeks away).

I went to my sister's last weekend. I weighed in a day early and had lost 1 lb.  I went thursday and came home on Saturday.  I had such a great time.  I miss getting to hang out with them more often.  It was nice getting away and just hanging out.  My niece Kirstyn made state in track so we traveled to Midwest City, Ok to watch her run in the 3200 relay.  I was sad to leave and can't wait to see them hopefully soon.

Now on the job front.  As many of you know I have worked in children's ministry/child care at Coulter Rd. Baptist Church for the past 3 years.  I finally made it my church home in August.  I got the approval to start my new job as the Children's Ministry Intern/Assistant this past week.  I'm really excited.  My degree is in Christian Ministry/Children's ministry so this is pretty exciting.  I am trusting God to guide me and I'm just enjoying life.  I love ministering to the sweet Preschoolers at CRBC and am so thankful that God allows me to be such an important part of their little lives.

I am a foodie

I love food. I'm sure that's obvious with my battle with my weight. LOL  So I decided that I was going to really try and start eating healthier.  I have had a loss every week for the last 9 weeks, but I've decided that I need to really eat healthier.  Sooo... I went shopping today!

The first new find are the Kangaroo brand Flatbreads.  Oh my! They are so yummy.  Only 4 points plus each so I've had two today. LOL I fixed a yummy pizza on one for lunch.  It was amazing and only 6 points plus.  I LOVE pizza and could probably eat it every meal.  I however don't know when to stop eating and most SLICES start out at about 5 points plus, depending on the type and crust,etc...  So to be able to have a nice sized pizza for 6 ppts. is great!

My second new find is greek yogurt! I have researched greek yogurt to the point that I know pretty much all there is to know about greek yogurt.  LOL Except for the taste.  So I went out on a limb and bought a single serving Chobani green yogurt in the apple cinnamon flavor.  Oh wow! Sooo good.  I can't wait to have it for breakfast tomorrow AND it's only 3 ppts. for the 6 oz

I think I've told everyone I see about the new Kraft MilkBite granola bars.  They are kept in the refrigerated dairy products (by the milk at Wal-Mart). They are sooo yummy and only 4 ppts. per bar.  I've only tried the chocolate, but there are several different flavors. I bought strawberry, but haven't tried them yet.  They are also 4 ppts.  :)

I never knew how fun and yummy eating healthy could be.  My past experiences have been health = something that has no flavor and probably no real nutritional value.  After doing lots of research I am so glad that there so many new products out to try.  Some have been bad.  I bought the Flatout brand flat breads (look more like a tortilla) and that was a bad choice. LOL I am really enjoying this healthier eating and I feel so much better.  I know that with weight watchers I can have ANYTHING in moderation (serving sizes), but I feel so great today after eating healthier food choices instead of greasy, sugary, fattening choices.  I love that I can usually have a bigger serving if it's something healthy vs. having a small serving of the bad food choices.

On my way to Twoterville

That's what we call the 200's on my weight watchers message board. LOL  After my weigh in today I am very close.  I weighed in today at 301.6.  I've lost a total of 21.6 lbs in 9 weeks.  It feels sooo good too!  So hopefully next Friday I will arrive in Twoterville.  :)


I have one more big project for school and then 3 weeks and finals and I am out for the summer.  I can't wait.  School is good, but so draining too.

My newest addiction this week are the Kraft MilkBite granola bars.  They are in the dairy section because they have milk in them so they must be refrigerated! Soooo good.  I am totally addicted.  Only 4 points for the chocolate one too.  I haven't had any of the other flavors that they have yet, but bought some strawberry ones to try.

I went and bought some seeds and seedlings to grow my own veggies. I've never had luck before, but this time I plan on keeping the poor things alive.  There is nothing better then fresh veggies and the farmers market is so expensive.  Hopefully I have will have some great pics in the next weeks of my awesome fruit and veggie garden.  :)

Stickers are so fun

Yep, I'm a dork! :) One of my big weight loss motivators is the stickers that we get  in the meetings when we lose 5 lbs, 5%,10%, etc... Something about a colorful sticker and lots of praise from our awesome leader and all of the other members is great for your spirit.

So last Friday I made my first mini goal of 5%.  I was so excited that I CRIED after the meeting.  No 5% isn't much, but to me it was a goal that I had set and I beat that goal.  I had actually lost about .6 more then I needed for that goal.  So now my new goal is 10% and I have updated all of my tickers. LOL

Today's weigh in was great as well.  I lost 1.6 lbs.  Total of 17.8 lbs in 6 weeks.  I think that's pretty good.  The plan is getting so much easier to follow.  I feel so miserable now if I overeat and I am thankful for that.  I also started out of the blue on Monday tracking my measurements.  I didn't exercise or anything a lot this week, but stayed on plan. I didn't figure I'd lost much in the way of inches, but in my waist I lost 5 INCHES!!  I'm pretty excited about the progress that I'm making.

A sweet lady in our meetings who has been at this longer then me (she started Jan of 2011 I believe) met her ultimate weight loss goal of 118 lbs today.  I am so excited for her and can't wait till I'm sitting in her same shoes.  I have a LOT more to lose then she did, but if she can do it I know I can.

I found the weight loss boards on weight watchers.com.  I LOVE them.  I can go and vent, ask questions, celebrate with others, and be an ear for someone else who needs to talk.  The support is amazing and I have met several people already who have a lot in common with me.  They even have a daily prayer thread. I LOVE it.

Here's to another great week. :)

Happy Birthday to me!

Another year has come and gone.  27 was good, but I am going to make 28 the best year ever!!  I had a great day with my parents yesterday, bought some life insurance (haha), and then my parents took me out to dinner at Salt Grass!!  YUM! I love that place.  I did pretty good with dinner.  I ordered my normal steak and garlic mashed potatoes, but I only ate half of all of it.  I also didn't have cake for my birthday.  Instead I bought some of the Weight Watcher desserts.  They can be found in the freezer section.  At Wal-Mart they are by the Smart Ones meals.  I bought the cookie dough sundae which is cookie crust, low fat ice cream, chocolate syrup, and some cookie dough on top.  4 points plus! :)  The brownie ones are good and my mom actually went and bought the cake one that I am going to try tomorrow. LOL  I haven't tried a dessert yet from weight watchers that I don't like.  They have ice cream bars, cups, and sandwiches that are great too.  My faves are the Cherry Cheesecake ice cream sandwiches (2 points plus) and the Cookies and cream ice cream bars (4 points plus). It's so nice to be able to have dessert when I want to.  Of course with WW you aren't limited to eating just their foods, but it's nice to not have to bake and also to not have to try and figure the points.  It's already on the package. :)

My weigh in this past Friday was great.  I was down 2.2 lbs.  :)  I hit a 15 lb weight loss.  So stoked.  That leaves me 1 lb away from my first mini goal which is 5% of my body weight.  I am currently at 308 and my 5% is 307.  I also decided that instead of making 1 huge goal (e.g. 140 lbs when I am finished) that right now I would make some mini goals.  My first of course is the 5%.  After that I am trying to lost 70 lbs. by VBS time.  I've lost 15 so I only have 55 lbs more to go.  It works out to an average of about 3.3 lbs a week.  I think that if I track everything I eat and work out more then I should be just fine.  After that 70 lbs. then I will make more goals.  I added trackers to the side of this page so that you can keep up with my progress if you would like.

School started back today and I am absolutely exhausted.  I also have 3 papers I need to write.  Well 2 papers and a power point.  I know I can do it, I just lack motivation sometimes. LOL  I also have a boat load of sewing projects that I need to work on.  BUT before I can do that I need to find my sewing chair and my bedroom for that matter. LOL  It's a giant cluttered mess.  I also have a booth at a Vendor show this Saturday and then a team meeting with my awesome Scentsy Sisters at Ruby Tequila's.  So looks like this week and next weekend will be crazy busy.

As if that isn't all enough along with some new job responsibilities at work, I am taking the FAITH class that my church is offering.  Basically we are learning the appropriate ways to approach people about the Gospel and to try and help them to reach a decision about their faith.  At first I was skeptical, but I signed up anyway.  Last night was the overview class and by the end I knew I had to do it. I'm nervous about it, but I know that God will guide me through it.

Now I'm off to watch my Tuesday night shows.