DeniseDavy

Sarah's story

Hi everyone!
The last part of August and early part of September has been really hard for me. I think I got complacent about food choices and excerise. I'm back on track now though.
I set up a new schedule to encompass some of the fall classes that intrigued me and it seems to be going pretty well so far. Last week I lost 2.4lbs. I'm still around the same weight though...it's been back and forth on the scales.
I'm trying to look at this time philosophically... my yoga instructor said something that has remained with me for the last two weeks. She said that yogis often attempt poses not to succeed at them but to learn what it is to fail time and time again before they get it right.
Their journey is about perseverance more than success. That's what this journey is for me.
Sure, I could take lots of supplements and eat an intense diet plan and lose a bunch of weight all
at once, but the journey isn't about a quick fix, it's about staying the course for a lifetime of success.
Have a great week!
Sarah.

Back to school jitters

Hi all,
Well, we got the first day of school over with. Now the real work begins. It's back to homework, back to signing all those forms that come home every day, back to packing lunches and back to remembering all those things you suddenly have to remember.
For all those parents who are still working to find their stride (read: all of us), I found this great web site that's packed with tips. Hope it helps.
Denise

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/back_school.html

Sarah's story

Hi,
So, you thought with all this very comfortable weather I'd have been working out everyday? Wrong! I don't know what it is, but by the time my alarm clock goes off, I'm ready to turn it on the the second alarm
and forgoe my chance to go to the gym. I honestly can't say why I've been like that. I'm trying to work through that. I do know I've been beating myself up about it though.

I felt bad today. Literally and figuratively. I had made arrangements with a friend to go for a "stroller walk" along the harbourfront but I felt so ill I had to cancel. We've been trying to get together since the beginning of July. Yet another thing to beat myself up over.
Why do we do that? We set up expectations of how we should behave, what we should be able to fit into our schedules and accomplish in a day and when we can't meet these ofttimes unreasonable expectations, we
take an emotional nosedive.
We really need to learn to love ourselves. I don't mean in the Whitney Houston theoretical Greatest Love of All way. I mean do little things for ourselves throughout the day to be nice to ourselves. Take fifteen
minutes to read a book.
Do your nails or better yet, get a manicure. Allow yourself to have a half hour nap. We push ourselves aside to meet the daily grind and in the process lose what we really love about ourselves. What about the creative spark your friends have always admired? Are you losing that?
Do you have the gift to comfort others but have decided you don't have time for it anymore? If you ignored
your best friend's gifts and abilities and started to avoid making time for them, do you think they'd be your best friend for very long?
So why do we treat ourselves any differently?
I guess my reason for this rant is that I started this weight loss journey to be nice to myself. By missing my workouts this week I've not been reaching that objective. It's time I take to be by myself.

I've noticed a difference in my attitude. My temper's a lot shorter this week. Don't your kids get cranky and prone to melt downs when they're not getting the attention they deserve? So why am I treating myself differently?
My goal for next week is to take every opportunity to work out. By the way, I lost .6 of a lb. this week, exceeding last week's goal of 30 pounds by .2 pounds. I'm very excited about that, even though for some
reason I feel like I don't deserve to have lost weight last week. I guess that's an issue I need to work on, feeling that I deserve to be smaller.
Have a great week!
Sarah

Sarah's story

Hi,
I went for my 20-week weigh-in this week. I lost two pounds for a total of 29.6 lbs. That’s five months with an average of 6 pounds a month. That may not seem like much, but let me tell you, I’m at least three sizes smaller than I was when I started. I’m just at the cusp of being able to shop at average-sized stores. That in itself is a big deal for me. You may not know how limiting it can be to have only four stores to chose from, at least two of them out of my price range.
Of course there are the health benefits that include the ability to deal with this summer heat more easily than before. That’s a big deal considering we’ve decided not to put our window air conditioners in this summer for economic and environmental reasons. Last year I would have caved by now.
I struggled with complacency the first part of the summer. I guess I got cocky and decided that missing a workout or eating an unwise food choice wouldn’t hurt me. That’s the trouble with losing the weight so quickly at first.
It’s been easier to eat healthfully the last couple of weeks. So many fruits and vegetables are in season right now…it’s easy to try out that 100-mile diet plan that so many people are talking about. I don’t think I could do that completely though…I like tropical fruit too much!
I’m setting a goal for myself to reach the 30 pound mark by next week. It’s only .4 of a pound, totally achievable.
Have a great week…be sure to check out the farmers markets and roadside stands that are so fabulous right now!
Sarah

Sarah's story

Hi,
Sorry to everyone who's been checking the blog...I decided to take my
vacation a week earlier. It's been up and down with my weight loss.
Two weeks ago I lost 3.4 lbs but last week I gained two. Summertime
has always been harder for me. I'm around the house a lot more because
the kids don't require shuttles to school. That means that I hear the
"Call of the fridge" a lot more. I hope to have better news on
Wednesday.
Sarah

Silly kid jokes

Hi all,
Have you heard the one about the millipede? A guy goes into the store and says to the sales clerk, "I'm really lonely and need a pet who will keep me company when I go out."
The clerk says, "I've got the perfect pet for you."
He hands him a box and opens it to reveal a millipede.
"He loves going out. Just knock on the box when you want to go."
So the fellow takes him home and that night, he taps on the millipede's box when he is ready to go out.
Tap, tap, tap. No answer. He taps again.
"Hey, millipede. Are you in there. Do you want to go out?" he yells.
No answer. He taps again.
"Hey millipede, are you coming out or what?" he yells.
No answer. He taps again, this time louder, and again asks him if he's coming out.
Still no answer. Finally he bangs really hard on the box and screams. "Are you coming out or what!"
The millipede flings the door open and yells back.
"Do you mind. I'm putting on my shoes!"

My seven-year-old daughter loved this joke and we both had a good laugh over it. Check out the site below for many more. As I wrote in my July 19 Spec column, laughter is the language of children. Making your child laugh, sharing a joke with them will help you stay connected.
Happy parenting.
Denise

http://www.ahajokes.com/animal_jokes_for_kids.html

Sarah's story

Hi,
Sarah here. I went for my weigh-in last night and had found out I'd gained .6 over the holidays.
I didn't break down like the last time. I took it in stride, dusted myself off and decided to just go forward from here...counting points, getting all my water, and making sure I made it to all my workouts and
classes.
I feel too good about myself to give up over .6 of a pound. I'll have another posting next week and then after that I"m on vacation so you'll hear from me the last week in July.
Sarah

Father's day and single moms

Hello,
I had something happen recently that I feel is sad and very realistic in the eyes of a child.
There are many children who have little or no involvement with their fathers, and on Fathers Day, there are children who come home to their moms with father days gifts they made at school.
How beautiful were these gifts that they specially hand made with their little fingers. Yet there is no father to give them to. Imagine making these special gifts that the teacher says 'OK kids now lets think of beautiful things to write and draw to your special dads who love you"
These children know there is no dad there when they come home.
My children decided to give me those special Father's Days gifts made at school, now how nice is that? I get Mother day gift on Mother's Day and Father's Day gift of Father's Day.
Perhaps all schools should eliminate those days in school because there are so many children who don't live with or have no relationships with either mother or father and this will eliminate the awkwardness that child feels about making a gift for parents who are not in their lives. LET'S JUST CALL IT HAPPY PARENT DAY.
I tell my children they are loved everyday, but I can't take away those feelings they have when it comes to those specials days like fathers day.
I am mother and father.
Teresa

Summer's here

Hi all,
Oprah once did a show on weight loss (I know - that's nothing new!) and throughout her show she kept saying, "Don't spend another summer fat."
What she meant - and all women know this - was that, for those who are overweight, summer is a more difficult time. You can't wear the summer dresses and spaghetti strap T's as easily and it's just plain uncomfortable when you're carrying extra pounds and it's hot out.
That's one of the many reasons I'm so happy for Sarah, the weight-loss mom whose agreed to go public with her weight-loss journey. I did a story on Sarah in May and have been following her weight-loss travels through her postings to my blog.
I was thrilled to hear that she's almost reached the one-third mark (read her blog posting below). It means she's been losing weight at an average of 2.5 pounds a week. While Sarah is quick to say it feels great being able to fit into new clothes, weight loss is not about vanity and wanting to be a Kate Moss skinny minny.
Countless studies will show you weight is a health issue. Being overweight puts one at risk to everything from heart attacks to diabetes.
You can read all about her latest trials and her victories below. You can also watch for Sarah's regular postings via my blog. You can also read about her in my next parenting column on July 5. For those of you who have joined along on Sarah's journey and are trying to lose weight yourselves, good luck and I hope you'll keep reading.
Hope everyone has a great Canada Day weekend!
Denise

Sarah's journey

Hi everyone,
My weight loss journey hasn’t been just comprised of the past 14 weeks. It goes a lot deeper than that. It’s something I’ve dealt with in since before my first child was born.
Reagan was born in 2000 and at the time I got pregnant I was in the best shape of my adult life. I ranged between 140 and 150 and was walking everywhere. I allowed my self to eat things I’d felt too guilty to eat before and really went overboard.
After Reagan was born my weight was in the 180-190 range. I joined Weight Watcher for the first time, reached my 10% weight loss goal and then stopped for various excuses. Please note that I said excuses, not reasons.
After Piper was born in 2002 I went back to Weight Watchers but that stopped as well. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and started pulling my self back together. As a result the weight loss plan was moved to a back burner in my life.
In between the twins and Piper, I had two pregnancies that I couldn’t carry to full term. That was a large part of the depression/anxiety. After the twins were born in 2006 I signed up for Weight Watchers again but found with two infants and 2 school age children it wasn’t a priority.
So I guess that disproves the old adage “third times the charm” as this is my fourth enrollment in the Weight Watchers program. Now one might ask, “If it didn’t work the first 3 times, why would you go back?” You have to understand; the program worked wonderfully when I applied it to my life.
When I started getting cocky about the weight I had lost or decided to use all my daily points on inappropriate items, the missteps started adding up. It’s not a magic pill they hand out at each meeting. It’s truly a support group and accountability agent.
Speaking of accountability, this blog has truly helped me in my weight loss journey because everyone knows how I’m doing and it’s not just my dirty little secret if I don’t succeed.
I’ve seen a lot of different perspectives this journey. On YouTube there’s a beautiful woman who has posted a Fat Rant. She’s a very eloquent advocate for accepting yourself the way you are and being comfortable in you own skin.
That’s a wonderful outlook if that’s the way you’re genetically predisposed as she very well probably is. She eats healthfully and exercises regularly. But it’s a dangerous platform to stand on if you’re not as healthy as she is. It’s easy to get caught up in excuses. I became a master at that.
You really need to talk to your family doctor about what a healthy weight is for you. I’ve met some really unhappy skinny people, so don’t get caught up in the thin=happy equation.
I’m a lot happier on this bout with weight loss than I ever have before. I think that has a lot to do with finding a community of people who feel the same way and a facing the same struggle. If you don’t know where to start, find your favourite Internet search engine and type in weight loss blogs or fat blogs.
It opens your eyes to how many people share the same issues that you once thought were singular. Weight Watchers Canada also has a great community of people to talk to, and you don’t have to be a weigh-in member to belong.
So far, in large part because of the support of family, friends and the Internet communities I’ve found it easy to keep on track with my weight loss. I exceeded my initial 10% goal of 21 lbs last week and this week lost 2.8 lbs for a grand total of 25 lbs in 14 weeks. I can’t even begin to describe all the benefits I’ve received because of it. I have more energy, the workouts that I found challenging 3 months ago have become simple and best of all; I get to buy new clothes! I’m at the cusp of the plus size/average size range right now and that feels so good.
My goal for the immediate future is to lose an additional 19 lbs (My next 10%) I only have 15 more lbs to go to reach that goal. I’m just taking it one step at a time until I get closer to my goal weight. That’s 60 lbs away and seems like a huge amount so I’m breaking it into smaller steps…that means there’s more chances to celebrate along the way!
Speaking of celebrations, have a wonderful Canada Day!
Sarah