A new year is ahead of us. This year has been a very wild ride for me personally. I have not been posting here at all for sometime for various reasons but have not stopped writing because writing is something that helps me learn about myself, my ways, and my weight loss journey. I hope that I have not lost all my friends here. I am going to start posting regularly again and I am pretty darn excited about it. Please feel free to join in on my adventures for 2011.
For starters, I have gained about 50 lbs. Yeah that is a lot but what can I do about it now except move forward into a new and exciting dawn.
This was during my run tonight.
Here I am just days ago during my family christmas
Running
Part of the weight gain came about because of a serious burn out on running that was largely due to personal life stuff that I described on the blog earlier this year. I tried hard to hold on to all the running I was doing but I just couldn’t, not with the mental stress and life changes. Plus, I was working really hard on balance. I think I went to far with it though………….LOL! So I never stopped running but I cut way back and am currently on my way back to running more and getting fit. Come along with me as I progress again in my fitness, endurance, and running. I feel like I am practically starting all over with running but I am far from that I think. Still, way out of shape in my opinion and the extra wait is not fun to run around with.
Weight Watchers
I am, as you may have guessed, doing weight watchers for the “healthy eating” portion of my journey. I get lots of points on this new POINTS PLUS plan. Seems pretty well. At the current time I am not going to meetings but doing it online. I am having good success with it so far and plan to continue that for sure. With the exception of xmas day I am eating pretty good and counting EVERYTHING. I know what to do, I am not making excuses, and I will succeed. Soon enough I will look like this again. LOL
Stay tuned to the blog to follow my journey-a-fresh. I am excited and I hope that my posts can help you on your own journey with real life inspiration. IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK. I AM COMING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD!!!
My angle on weight loss 
I am so glad you are back and have been thinking of you a lot lately and wondering how you were doing. I gained back 50+ pounds so we’ll all be in this together!
Ahh thanks Colleen, we are in this together and we will beat this darn thing together too. Thanks so much for your comment, I appreciate you
Jason..
Right there with you! Still struggling with the weight I have gained back… Not blogging much on my blog either. Mostly because I am embarrassed.. This journey of weight loss and life is hard.. not doubt. Glad to see you blogging again and doing OK.. supporting you all the way..
Carrie,
Although in my mind I feel that it is dumb to feel guilty about gaining weight or not being as succesful as I would like……………………..it is most certainly a hardcore reality. So much of this journey is a mental game we play with ourselves. Guilt has kept me away from blogging, people, meetings, talking, etc. So many things. I hate guilt, but like you I experience it first hand and see the detrimental effects it has on me. Thanks for your comment and encouragement.
Jason, Great to see a post from you when I opened up “my yahoo” (your blog is on my homepage).
Connections you have made seem to be firmly intact, despite a short absence, so fear not, we’re all out here 🙂
I look forward to more stimulating conversation in 2011. Instead of just plugging along, I want to find some passion again. I have been doing a food plan of my own making for most of 2010 but by Oct I had hit a wall with journaling and stopped – and have gained 5 lbs as a result. Since I’m still a good 25 lbs from my goal weight, that is not a good thing. Want to be able to focus on doing my half2run challenge with time goals again, not just ticking off States. My next half is Jan 16th in Naples FL and I’m not expecting much since I’m pudgy. BUT I was THRILLED to do my 11.5 miler on 12/26 in 20 degree temps with a windchill of 10! Hard Core if I do say so myself!
But anyway,I’m with you and your other posting friends; let’s help each other go through the upcoming weeks towards being healthier, happier, skinnier (ha), more athletic people in 2011.
Sheila
You will get to where you want to go Sheila. Great job on the progress you have already made. Lets keep that progress and move foward too. Great job on your running and that is some COOOLD weather you ran in.
Great to see you back, Jason! You will do great. I love this new PointsPlus program. Seems to me that the weight comes off so much easier when switching foods to more fruits and veggies (particularly free veggies) and lean meats and proteins. I still haven’t hit goal. I gained back about 5-10 lbs this last year with my daughter’s pregnancy, new baby, and subsequent hospital visits. I’m on track though. I have about 12 more pounds to go to hit goal and I am determined. I can’t run though now because my patella is unstable and the doctor won’t let me. Ugh. Oh well, I cheat though and run on the treadmill sometimes.
Hang in there. 2011 HAS to be a better year, right?
Ah so great to hear from you Claire. Missed your encouraging words. Glad we are on track right now. Thanks for your encouragement
Life brings many changes and I hope you’re ending your year with lots of postive change. Your Xmas pic looks like you are very happy and have lots of love surrounding you. Never be embarassed about the obstacles… it’s life.. it makes you stronger..it’s a lesson. You are an amazing writer and inspiration to many people. It is truly whats on the inside that makes you wonderful. I hope you reach your goals for the coming year. I know you have great support and lots of love around you ready to help you through your journey.
Here’s to a New Year… and a New Journey
Ilodido, you have written some seriously inspiring words in your comment and I am truly appreciative of them. thank you
Good for you! You will succeed! 🙂
I sure hope so, I am pretty sure I will I just have to be patient. Thanks for coming over to build me up a bit. have a great last part of the year.
Good to see you back, man. You sound really optimistic and up for it so I know you can do it. Winter snow running – hardcore!
PS is that like seven coffee dispensers behind you in the photo on the bottom?!?
Lol, yes that is like 7 coffee dispencers. Where I used to go for WW meetings was in the basement of a church. It was kind of like a cafeteria. So that behind me is a full on kitchen that serves lots of people. I loooooove coffee by the way. HAHA. Thanks for your encouragement.
Welcome back, you’ve been missed and I am inspired by your perseverance. If you need online WW support come on over to GoaD (Guy’s on a Diet). It is a great supportive community of guy’s and “guy’s” (gals who are really focused and are fun). Also there is a daily running thread with people from all stages in running. I post as DouloScott on the board. Jason, you are truly inspiring and I am glad that you haven’t given up on running or your health. Press on towards the goal!!! I have about 40 lbs to go and am looking to run my first marathon this year, hopefully Portland. I ran my first half at the Seattle Half Marathon and loved it. Keep up the good attitude and rely on God’s strength to pull you through the tough times.
~Scott
Thanks for the info. scott. and the encouragement.
YAY! I haven’t checked in for a few weeks and I’m so excited to see you are back posting regularly. I’m happy about this!
Teresa
ahhhhh……..Teresa thank you so much. THat really made me feel good. I hope to see more comments like that one. lol thanks again
Jason, good to hear you’re back on the fitness and health wagon. I can completely relate as I’ve been through a similar wringer lately. In 2007 I was in some of the best health of my life having lost 50 lbs, and being near my ideal weight. I maintained it for about a year, and then some serious family health issues for my wife happened, and I started falling off of the workout and healthy eating bandwagon.
Thankfully my wife’s health has improved, but things are still extremely busy, and we’re now new parents as well. So time is short.
I could go on making excuses, but it really boils down to the fact that I haven’t made the time to make my health a priority. I’m changing that this year. I’ve gained about 60 lbs in the past 4 years, and now I need to lose about 70 lbs.
My wife and I joined weight watchers a few weeks back, and we’re now both dedicated to making a change. Part of the reason I was ok with joining WW was because I had read a lot of your posts, and how much of an impact it had made on you (see – it’s not just for women!).
I’m currently just over 2 weeks in and about 10 lbs down, so I know Weight Watchers is working for me. My missing piece has always been the eating portion of the puzzle, and WW has filled that part in for me.
So thanks for being an inspiration, and good luck as you work towards losing some of the weight again yourself. I’ll be following your progress!
Peter,
thank you very much for your comment. I highly appreciate it and it could not have come on a more perfect day at the perfect time. Thank you sir for your encouragement and inspiration that will keep me going.
I still love the way you write, twinny twin twin. I’m rooting for you.