NATSHELL's SparkPeople Blog

Mi Vida Loca!

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:14:41 EST

Just a quick update since I never have time online anymore. I have gone back to work after 18 years. Right now my schedule is 1-10 pm which is just crazy. We had to move because of water damage and all sorts of other problems with our house (the mold just about did me in!) and the engine on my van is messed up! CRAZINESS!

For the good news, I was on a weight plateau for a while but I'm slowly inching down again. I am officially at my first 10% goal. WOOHOO! 291.6 this mornin...

Little breakthroughs

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:48:13 EST

I had two "little breakthroughs" this week. It has been a VERY tough week on a lot of levels but on the bright side, I weighed in under 300 on 3 different mornings the past week. Note: I weigh daily but only chart my Monday morning weight. I've been between 297 and 302 all week. Soon, I will never have to put a '3' at the beginning of my weight ever again.

I have mixed feelings about this. In a way it feels like I just got back to the starting line. I started at about 297 wi...

Seeing the Real Me

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:41:03 EST

I've been really obese for a really long time. As a consequence, I am not a fan of mirrors. In fact, I spent years rarely looking into mirrors other than to make sure the hair wasn't going crazy or to inspect an age spot. Recently, a couple of things have happened to change that. No, I'm not thrilled at the wonderful changes in my body. Going from 324 to 301 doesn't really show much. Feels great but the mirror just doesn't believe you quite yet. First, my little granddaughter swiped my...

Pride Journal a la The Slow Fat Triathlete

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:44:43 EST

Jayne Williams, aka the "slow, fat, triathlete," recommends keeping a "Pride Journal" of your achievements, big or small on the path to fitness. Love it! Doing it! (And I highly recommend her book "The Slow Fat Triathlete." Funny and inspiring.)

I wish I had entries for all the little steps I've taken since March 1st. Where I am right now would be a sad, slow starting place for most people but for me it represents mountains climbed and getting my feet firmly planted on the righ...

Chapter 5

Tue, 4 May 2010 18:46:42 EST

I have made some big changes in my life in the past 3 months or so. Changes I've talked about and thought about and wished for for many years. It may seem like just a surface thing... like, "Oh Natalie is finally actually exercising." But, believe me, it is more than that. The biggest change is in my head and my gut. Most of 2009 I spent sitting on my backside, feeling hopeless, feeling like a failure, feeling that nothing would ever change. I ballooned up to a really disgusting weight, my hi...

Coming back to life...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:21:48 EST

We have had a Y membership for almost a week now. I have been eating much healthier, cut down on the coffee and upped my water. I've done a water aerobics class or done the treadmill or both every day except yesterday. I can't even describe the difference in my mind and body. With no car and no access to anything I was allowed to do physically, I had really sunk into a black hole of just letting my body fall apart and waiting to die. That sounds dramatic and harsh but I'm not exaggeratin...

Starting from Scratch... again.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:21:47 EST

Today is my birthday. I am now 48 years old. When I joined SP I had one big, long-term goal in mind; to be fit and ready to live a much more active and FUN lifestyle by the time I hit 50. I want to ride horses and hike and swim. I want to play with my grandkids rather than just let them sit on my lap for a while. Well, I've certainly got plenty of lap! Now, here I am, 48 and I have regained every pound I ever lost. My top weight ever was 315 and I now weigh 315 again. A friend on Rave...

A rough week

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:22:20 EST

It's my birthday, barely. I am actually getting ready for bed on, technically, the day before my birthday and I wanted to go around thanking the people who have sent wishes and goodies and all because the support means so much to me. Spark people are the best people in the world. This community of people has somehow grown into such a place of love, support and encouragement! It's really awesome. I decided just to blog a bit tonight and send round my thanks tomorrow (well later today... w...

Step one: identify the problem

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 17:19:48 EST

Well, I'm slowly getting to feeling better and thankfully, some of the fluid retention seems to be subsiding. I feel like it has anyways. So I got back on the scale this morning. No gain, no loss for January. I am still 295.6. Poopie. So I decided to be "proactive"8O) I started journaling about the last few weeks and realized a few things. I have let my water intake slip. Instead of 10-11 glasses, I've only been getting 6-7. Not good. I've been eating more bread again. My grocery...

Just when things are going good....

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 21:14:38 EST

I had just gotten back into the swing of things here on Spark after not having the internet for so long and my handy dandy little internet card went bust. I haven't been able to get online for almost a month so I have to apologize to my teams for the January challenges I joined and couldn't complete.

January was an... interesting month. Lots of craziness around chez Hodges. I really could have used all that great Spark support. But January is over and February is here along w...

All the little changes...

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 04:04:37 EST

I have been overweight forever. Since Jr High anyway. I was raised by a Mom who was feeding a bunch of 6 feet plus field hands (literally) and she failed to notice that it didn't work as well for the lone girl in the house. Breakfast consisted of 2 or 3 meats, biscuits, gravy, eggs, hash browns. Supper was deep-fat fried several times a week. What veggies we had were pretty much always fried - okra, squash, potatos... all fried. I drank a couple liters of soda a day from about 6th gra...

I'm still alive!

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:58:00 EST

In case any of my spark friends have been wondering where I've been, I thought I better check in. We bought a very old (95 years) house that is in need of lots of TLC and we are busily remodeling, repairing and restoring. It is a lot of fun, work, frustration, sore muscles and pretty much every dime we have to our name but it is all good;o) Unfortunately, the phonelines need almost $400 worth of work before we can get phone/internet. I finally scoped out some nearby wifi hotspots so I'll ...

Aargh!

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:48:58 EST

Not exactly a zen week for me.... Last Thursday, I was minding my own business going through emails when my internet went dead. I tried everything I could think of before calling Tech Support. Tech Support spent a couple of hours trying to get me back online when finally, this guy says, "Let me check something..." He comes back on and says he has found the problem and is transferring me to someone who can help me. So, gal comes on and says that our internet service has been disconnected...

Ups and Downs

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:16:51 EST

Last month was pretty rough. In fact, it has been a pretty rough winter in many ways. Every virus and bug known to man seems to have made its way through our house this winter. My poor Bonni has been sick more often than not for the last three months. I have gotten off really lucky. I had a go-round with the upper-respiratory virus and then this past weekend, I got a nasty little stomach bug but it was of the 24-48 hour variety, thank goodness. But BOY was it nasty while it lasted! And...

Trying not to give up.

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:05:58 EST

I didn't think that I would be this discouraged by a go round with my symptoms. This swelling and weakness is just so discouraging. I am not quite as puffy as I was but still pretty poofy. I dared to step on the scale and all I can say is that BETTER be fluid!

It doesn't help that my darling daughter has been bringing chocolate into the house like crazy lately. She is on SP too and wants to get fit too but I'm going to have to have a sit down with her. If she doesn't read th...

Yucky days

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 22:31:47 EST

I've been sick off and on for the past couple of weeks. In fact, everyone in this house (and most of the rest of the planet, I know) have been taking turns being sick. That's when we aren't all sick at once8-O Everytime I think it is passing, it comes back on me. I guess the stress on my system has gotten my MG going because I am weak as a cooked noodle and can't even knit for very long at a time. Fun fun fun.

I love my new scale. Not ambiguous or hard to read in any way. ...

Danged scales and calories!

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:00:05 EST

Well... my piece of junk scale has become more and more unreliable over the last few months until now, I have no confidence that I really know what I weigh. It is a digital that you tap to activate, right? So, you tap it and sometimes it comes up 0 so you can weigh and sometimes it comes up E for Error. So you tap again, etc. I got a new battery and it didn't help. I didn't think it would because the battery was only a few weeks old. Now, I always weigh at the same time and wearing th...

Here Comes 2008

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:55:57 EST

Well, it is New Year's Eve so here I am commiting to paper my wishes and hopes and plans for the new year. I have had to come to terms with the fact that weight loss and especially fitness isn't the same game for me (with Myasthenia Gravis) as it is for most others. So, okay. I will work however hard I have to for each and every pound. I have revised my goals to reflect my new reality and to be realistic. The thing is, even if I only lose 20 pounds in a year, that would mean that I am 20...

MG is kicking my Butt!

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:58:14 EST

Well, I made it through Thanksgiving relatively unschathed. I've even managed to lose another pound, finally. It is just so much harder than it would be if I could work out regularly which is just so frustrating! My MG symptoms have really been in high gear this month. In fact, this past few days, I have barely been able to stand. It hasn't been this bad in years. I really am afraid that the antibodies are jumping all over my muscles because I started "irritating" them with workouts. T...

Too FEW calories... who knew!

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:18:56 EST

I am so thankful for the support and advice I got last week when I was so discouraged. It was really hard for me to admit I was in a bad place so thank you for the support!!!!! And I am proud of myself that the thought of actually just giving up and going back to pigging out just didn't ever occur to me. Even though I was really discouraged I just wanted to figure out what I needed to change to make it work. And I think I did!

1. I bit the bullet, pulled out the Ibuprofin and...

I'm so discouraged!

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:25:28 EST

Since I got back online and really started trying to use SP to the fullest extent this past few weeks, I haven't lost a single pound. I have been eating way, way healthier than I ever have before for four months now and only lost 11 pounds. Now, this week I have gained two back. I started a strength program for the first time this week. I need to do my cardio more regularly but I can't do this if I'm going to gain weight even though I am eating right. I'm getting the fruits and veggies, ...

Oh Lordy Here They Come Again

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:16:01 EST

I've had a couple of people ask me how/if I plan to stick to my eating plan through the holidays. I can't believe you people!!! It can't be anywhere near the holidays yet. Oh, wait.... Dangit!

Yes, I am a scrooge. I hate the holidays but I have kids (and grandkids) so I have to make nice. And this year, I'm staying with Bonni (oldest dd) aka Cntrygrl1 and my two grandsons so it is going to be especially... uh, fun.

First, Halloween. I will threaten them with their...

My epiphany

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:28:47 EST

I joined SP back in mid-July and just started figuring things out and getting excited about it and then my daugher had her baby and I moved in with my oldest dd to take over babysitting duties. No internet. I almost went into withdrawal. I managed to keep things going for a while but I gradually started slipping back into bad habits. I had gotten down to 293 but when I went back up 2 pounds, I realized that I better get back on track. The first thing I did was start journaling my food (m...