Well, it's 2005 already! I can hardly believe it.... the time goes so fast, doesn't it? New year.... new journal, too. This year will be the year I hit my goal weight. I am determined and I am ready for the commitment and hard work it'll take.

I lost a good amount last year, although I know it could have been more, I am not going to dwell on that and am going to look ahead to the future. I did learn a lot, though ..... and that will help me to achieve my goals for this year!

I've learned that I have to drink all my water every day to feel the best I can. I've also learned that eating healthy is essential! I've also learned that exercise is key in getting as fit and healthy as I can be. It's not all about the food.... it's not all about the water...... and it's not all about the exercise either. It's a package deal and that's what I need to require of myself to get where I want and need to be! It's all about balance!

I owe it to myself and to my family to be as healthy as I can be so I'll be around for a long time to come. I wouldn't expect any less of them, so why should it be any different for me? It shouldn't be and it WON'T be!

Here's to 2005 being the best year yet! I CAN do this and I WILL do this! No detours....... no excuses..... just dedication and determination and that's what I'm going to be all about this year! I've got my sights set on a healthier, happier, THINNER me and I'm focused on that goal! Nothing can stop me now!!

I'm excited, I'm focused and I'm on my way! See you at the finish line!!!

I think you can do this DJ. Matter of fact I would have written the same thoughts if I had a journal.

Carol

What a great, motivating post, Deej!! I particularly like,

"It's not all about the food.... it's not all about the water...... and it's not all about the exercise either. It's a package deal and that's what I need to require of myself to get where I want and need to be! It's all about balance!" --yup yup yup!!!


Does John do the Daily Dose of Motivation thing anymore? Ya wanna get it going again? I know I'm starting from scratch and I need daily help!! (So much so, that I'm willing to help give it.)


Make it a great one--from your tone, I know you will!!

Good Morning DJ,

You are so right our weight loss programs IS MULTI-TASK ... each aspect of it will get us to our goal ....

AND YOU ARE DOUBLY CORRECT ...

THE YEAR 2005 WILL BE THE YEAR WE CAN AND WILL ATTAIN OUR GOALS ....

If you are interested and can participate I am initiating a new chat which is meeting on Thursday January 6, 2005 ... at 9:30 p.m. EST ... I have titled it the "I CAN" chat ... going to be a chat for all who have decided this is the year .. I really hope you will be able to participate ... BECAUSE LIKE YOU I TOO KNOW THAT I CAN AND I WILL MAKE THIS MY YEAR ... and then imo the real work will begin ..

I am glad to see your new Journal and I will be here as often as you post to :cheer: you ON THIS LAST ROAD TO OUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS. Make it a great day... I am as always, Monica :hug:

:snow: Best of luck to you with your new journal and goals, Dj!

Thanks everyone! Nice to see you all here and as excited as I am about the new year coming up!

So far so good for today..... I've weighed and measured and recorded! (very important to record....lol sometimes I just neglect to do that part.... *grin*) I have gained a bit over the last month, but like I said earlier, I'm not looking back except to learn from my mistakes. I'm moving forward!

Carol.... thanks. I can always count on you to stop by and give me encouragement!

jessica!! So good to see you..... I haven't been in your journal and I've missed "talking" with you and hearing about what you're doing. John still has the motivation forum in here somewhere (he's moved things and I forget where he put it...) and I'm going to start posting in there as often as I can. I think that forum is as important as any of them.... we can't do much of anything without motivation! Hope to see you around often!

Monica!! So good to see you, too and yes, I am going to try the Thursday night chat. I usually don't come on in the evenings, but my husband is usually settling down in bed about that time since he gets up at 5am every morning..... so I should be able to do that. Whatever might be on TV at that time that I like, I'm usually taping so Alan can watch it with me and he's always asleep by 10 when all the 9pm programs are over. And besides that.... getting this weight off is much more important than any TV program, right?? lol I do enjoy watching TV, though.... thanks for letting me know and for stopping by!

Thanks, aria! I appreciate the good thoughts!! Good luck to you as well.....

Well, I'm out of here to visit a couple of journals and then back to taking down Christmas decorations. I do love them when they are up, but what a pain in the bum taking them down!! Oh, well.... extra calories burned, right? RIGHT! Every little bit helps..... and I definitely need all the help I can get!

Take care everyone and have a great rest of your day!!

Hi DJ,
nice to see a fresh new journal!
i agree about taking down the xmas decorations..its lots of fun getting them put up but they dont have the same appeal coming down do they?
i know that 2005 is going to be an awesome year for you, i love the no detours, no excuses sentiments!
hugs bell :)

:) Fortunately I didn't go "balls out" (very intentional pun!) on my decorations this year, even still, I agree--pain in the bum!! and I agree--Whee, the extra cals burned!! (esp when all is taken down QUICKLY with many trips up and down stairs!!)

Oh I see how its... Your here all motivated and chipper, while i'm gone, then i come back and your MIA! AHHHHH! :c(

Where are you DEEJ! I needja babes!!!! ;)

LOL, Maxi.... you caught me out. I've been avoiding this place because I'm doing just crappy!!! AACCKK!!! Gotta get a grip and get moving again. It's easy to post when things are going great, but when things are backsliding it's just hard to find the words to say DAGGONE IT!!! (or something like that..... less DT friendly..... *grin*) Glad to see you are back!

Hey bell and jessica..... good to see both of you, too. I am still sorting Christmas stuff, although it's all down. I want less and am giving stuff I'm not going to use anymore to my kids. Let them deal with it.... LOL I should finish up this weekend and then it's on to the rest of the stuff in the attic. Sort and chuck out!! There's so much stuff up there that I'm sure no one even remembers about..... and my theory is if you haven't missed it in a year or more then you probably don't NEED it! Trouble is, I have to sort and get rid of during the day Monday through Friday because my mom is a pack rat and will crab about me wanting to get rid of things. She always does even though she hasn't used or asked about anything in the attic for YEARS! Soooo..... I'll have to do it when she's gone during the day and just feign innocence if she misses something later on down the road.. :o

I've not been doing very good on my food either... but today is a new day and I'm feeling more enthusiastic and motivated and that's a good thing. I joined Monica's "I CAN" group and haven't done very good on my goals so far, but I've at least managed to do better than the week before, so I'll take that as a good thing. I'm going to join the boot camp thing today, too. I need something to jumpstart me again or better yet...... give me a big boot up the bum! That would probably help me, too.

Alan gets his bonus this month and that makes going back to the UK sometime this year a reality. We're setting money aside out of that first and foremost to go home since we haven't been back there since August of 1998! I am excited to see everyone, but on the other hand am terrified of being heavier than I was when I was over there. So the only thing I can do about that is STOP SCREWING AROUND!!!! GEESH....... I watched the finale of "The biggest loser" last night and was so motivated by them! I don't know what it was, but I think part of it was how happy they were with themselves and how satisfied all their hard work made them. I know I would feel like that because I have lost and have felt good for it. But I've gained some back and I need to stop that RIGHT NOW before it gets too bad and I gain it ALL back! I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN TO ME!!! ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!!!

So...... I am off to do some more sorting and eat my lunch because I have an appointment at 1pm to get on my health walker while I watch "Days of our lives" (which is a bit on the weird side at times.... *sigh*) lol

I'll be back later today to update, join the bootcamp and post in some other journals! Gotta get active and get more involved in my weight loss/getting healthy quest. I can't just sit by and let whatever happens happen. It just doens't work like that for me....... if I want to look a certain way and feel better physically and emotionally, I need to be pro-active in my life and make sure I'm doing everything I can to ensure that happens!!!

No more sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn (or worse...) and waiting for the weight loss fairy to visit me. The REALITY CHECK fairy visited me on Monday when I stepped on the scale and she said the weight loss fairy has left the building!!! *grin*

Have a good day everyone! Talk to you all soon!

Yah :caf: Coming here while your down and out is the best thing to do . I feel that way also, I feell like if I am not being Chipper I may as well keep my trap er fingers shut. It's good to vent. And for me I think when I write it helps to motivate me.

I too watched The Biggest Loser last night and I was motivated by it. Gosh everyone looked so good. In 12 weeks. Look what a differncae can be made.

We can do this DJ.... Lets get our rears in gear and make 05 the year of US!

:hug: I've missed you!

Welcome back DJ. I have missed your posts.

I am excited that you and Alan are getting to go back to Wales this year. I know you are excited. David and I are going to London in June. We have made the committment and made deposits so I guess we are going. Will leave the US June 7th and return June 15th. I am really excited. This is the one trip that David and I agreed was a must before we can't get around. When do you and Alan want to go?

I am trying again this year to nudge this extra weight. I feel more motivated than I have in the recent past. Lets just hope I can keep on a roll.

Glad you are back.

Carol

Deej!!!!! You're back! Or maybe I'm back! Either way, we are here. Wow, you really sound ready to take on the world!!!! You did make some good progress last year and you should be proud of it. You'll do it again this year, no doubt! :D Hope everything else is well also. Your trip back to the UK is exciting!!! You know how I love travel. I think our next stop is a trip to Greece next year to see friends. I don't think a little side tour of Rome would hurt anything, do you? ha ha I told DH that people are going to think that we have foreign citizenship as a requisite criteria for friends so we can travel on the cheap. 8-| How embarrassing. I also thought the Biggest Loser was something! Those folks must have worked out 5 hours a day! (I didn't see the earlier episodes). Are you still singing? You were in the midst of your performance season last time I chatted with you.

Gotta go -- my roasted peppers are smelling quite done and ready for pasta! Talk to ya soon!

That is GREAT news about getting to go back home for a visit ! :D

Dj, you CAN lose this weight - YOU CAN ! - just like I CAN - now we just have to DO IT :coach:

Beth :peace:

DJ,

Where are you? It has been a long time since you last posted in your journal. I hope you are okay.

Carol

X-( Yah what the Hill!

calling DJ - come out come out where ever you are :)

We miss you !

Beth :peace:

Wow….. it's been a LONG time since I've been in here. I had to go to page 9 to even find this journal. Oopps.... I really need to be posting and am going to try to make it part of my program.

I’ve been really busy getting ready for Serenity Singers rehearsals that started last Sunday afternoon and this week I’m busy getting some more Serenity Singers stuff done, but mostly getting ready for the combined birthday party we’re having on Saturday night for Cory, Christen, Shay and Alan. Should be fun….. (son, daughter, eventual son-in-law and husband)

My eating has been crap….. and my attitude towards myself matches. I did manage to get on the Health Walker for 20 minutes yesterday and while I was there, I was thinking about how to get myself back on track. Usually lent works for me, but this year it didn’t even phase me. I think I made it through one complete day…maybe two, but since then I haven’t even tried. Honestly, I just make myself sick sometimes….. geeze. This losing weight and getting healthy should be so simple…. so black and white….. but it’s all so complicated and confusing, too. The fact that I hate the way I look and more than that HATE the way I feel…. I have no energy...... I’m extra achy...... I struggle with things that should be ordinary tasks and I am tired all the time. I’m also incredibly self conscious and that makes it a struggle to do anything out in public. SOoooo WHY do I continue to eat poorly and not exercise when I really want to feel better and look better??

What I’ve decided to do at this point is to make a starting point.... a place to gear up to so I can see if mentally I can get myself in the “game” again. I honestly don’t know if it’ll make a difference, but that’s what I’m going to try for now.

I’m gearing up to start “gang busters” on March 1st..... that gives me one week to get my head in the right place and get myself mentally AND physically prepared to get busy. I’m making a new goal for myself to get under 200 by June 1st. That gives me 3 full months to work hard to get to my goal and maybe even surpass that goal! I’ve gained back about 20 pounds by now, at least and that’s just a pisser considering how good I was doing. But I can’t sit around and have a pity party about it. I need to get a grip NOW before I come back here and say I’m starting at my all time high again..... I’m vowing NOT to let it get to that point.

I know there’s a lot to be said about not waiting to start.... start NOW right in this minute. But that doesn’t seem to be working for me right now. But with all that said, I’m not going to let this week be a license to pig out or eat whatever I want to either. I’m still going to try to get on the Health Walker once a day and I’m going to start the reading that I had said I was going to and didn’t. I finally got the work book to Dr. Phil’s “Self Matters” and I am going to set aside ½ to 1 hour a day and devote it to a study time for me. I know deep down that part of my self sabotaging that goes on when ever I reach a certain point in my weight loss journey is part of how I feel about myself and not so much a matter of discipline or will..... Not to say I won’t have to work on my discipline, but I know that’s all interconnected with what feel I deserve and how I treat myself. I am determined once and for all to get to the bottom of it!!

SOOOOO..... after ALL that blabbering, I am off to get into the shower and start my day. It’s late and I have been thinking this morning about all of this and wanted to get it on paper before the clutter of today muddled my thinking.

I miss all of you and hope you’ll all be right there with me on my journey..... I want to live a long and healthy life..... I want to be a person my kids and husband and family can be proud of. But the first step in making that happen has to be with me. I have to want it and believe in myself to make it happen. So that’s where I’m going to begin.......

......wish me luck! I know it’s not going to be easy, but nothing worth while ever is, right? *grin* Love to you all.....

Hi DJ,

So glad to have you back here at your journal.

I am here to be a cheerleader. You can do this, go, go, go.

Carol

Hi Dj

So very nice to a have you back. I'm finally doing ok If your interested in how i'm doing it just come browse my journal. I've been slipping and falling for many years this is day 29 for me on this no sugar no while flour no white rice or pastas and for me it's working.

Good luck girl you can do it you've done it before.

Hi Carol.... thanks! I can always count on you to cheer me along.

Good to see you, too, Linda! I know you've been doing well.... that's awesome! For 11 months last year I was doing what you're doing and it really worked for me, too. The sugar is the killer for me..... like poison to my system! I don't know how I ever got off my program, but now I'm so far off it's like being on another planet!

But I'm still determined...... I am gathering my strength and am not giving up!

I have a big day planned today. I have cleaning to do and am reorganizing all the "gadget" drawers in the kitchen. I'm also going to re-organize the front bathroom's linen closet. Along with rehearsing and getting started on the practice tapes for the sopranos and altos...... we have a ton of music this year for Serenity Singers. It's going to be quite a challenge for all of us! But one that's worth the work for sure!

I'm going to get in 15 minutes minimum on my Health Walker, too..... I did once this week already and it felt great! I actually got in 20 minutes and that was a 5 minute bonus.... lol

Have a great day everyone! I'll be back.....

Good for you Dj to get back with it. And if you fall pick up and get back with it. None of us can say that on this walk, we didn't fall and bruise but I think I did more than most.
I'm so glad that I found this new way of eating. Sugar was my killer. I've been off now since the 24th of jan. with just one slip I won't even call it a fall. I slipped on the ice on my road LOL.

take care we can and will get there.

Over a month and on page 8..... wow..... couldn't hardly find this. But it really doesn't matter much anyway. I haven't been in here to offer support, so it's no wonder I haven't had any. I have no one to blame but me......

Some day, I'm going to get this right..... lol