STACIEPETE's SparkPeople Blog

Divorce after Weight Loss? Feedback Needed

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:15:57 EST

Most of my SparkFriends know I've lost a significant amount of weight over the last few years (104lbs ish) and kept it off. Doing this took changing my lifestyle, but also changed who I am. When you have that much weight to lose, to successfully keep it off, I believe you have to deal with all the emotional baggage you have that is leading you to the refrigerator.

So, I did. I worked very hard at getting to the root of why I was eating. I figured it out, and in doing so became...

Staring Supreme Unfairness in the Face - I will win

Fri, 4 May 2012 10:03:00 EST

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, I abused my body with food and inactivity for over 30 years. But, I'm doing all the right things now, so I thought I'd dodged some bullets.

So, 3 months ago I was surprised and irritated to have lost a bunch of weight and then have my always great blood pressure be all the sudden really high. But, most everyone in my family gets high blood pressure in their late 30's/early 40's, so I took the diagnosis, the unnecessary health/lifestyle lec...

Ode to Muscles

Tue, 1 May 2012 09:41:13 EST

I've been a teeny bit down on myself lately, because I haven't been able to get the scale (otherwise known in my mind as the Evil Scale of Doom) to move down much in the last few months.

I met with my health coach yesterday. (I meet with her weekly. She reviews my food and exercise log and takes my measurements, etc.) I expected her to get down on me because, again, the scale hasn't budged. Instead, she looked at my measurements from my lowest weight ever (18 lbs ago) and my mea...

Two Promises You Can Make To Yourself to Help You Make Changes You Will Stick With

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:19:39 EST

I think we’ve all been there. I know I have, more times than anyone can probably get me to admit. For me, I’d be cruising along living life any dang way I wanted, eating cheeseburgers and sucking down sugared sodas while watching the world go by out my window, and mocking the walkers/joggers/cyclers/stroller moms, etc. until I’d get one of the following wake-up calls:

•A horror story on the news about an obese person.

•A person at the grocery store waddling around wit...

Three Secret Sentences Helped Me Lose 90 plus lbs and KEEP IT OFF

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:58:12 EST

I've lost a fair amount of weight and kept it off. I'm now a person I only ever dreamed of being. A happier, healthier, more successful version of my old self.

People ask me all the time what my secret is. I could write an entire book about the habits I've changed, the steps I've taken, and how I've kept motivation (and how I felt when I didn't). But really, my whole weight loss journey can be summed up in three very meaningful "Secret" sentences.

I live by them.
...

April Power Brings May Results

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 10:58:56 EST

This is my April Goal/Plan blog. I've been bad about doing blogs lately. Frankly, I've been bad at doing anything I should lately. I know all the right things to do, I just can't seem to make myself do them. So, here we go...this is the first step to making my April feel good fabulous!

"A goal without a plan is called a wish. Make a plan."

1. I will do 30 minutes of activity every day...no matter what. Classes, walking, swimming, whatever it takes. 30 minutes. No excu...

It's Been Awhile , But I'm Back on Track!

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:47:29 EST

Hi Sparkfriends,

I just realized how long it's been since I've done a blog. I've been so down in the dumps for the last 3 months. Probably more than I even realized at the time. First, my aunt died unexpectedly, then my best co-worker friend was diagnosed with pretty aggressive cancer, and without her my already unbearable job got bleaker. I took a great opportunity at work I was ostracized for, and am finally settling in to my new role (which I love!)

Emotionally, th...

So Hurtful - I think I need to thicken my skin

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:41:54 EST

I'm so unexpectedly hurt by what I'm about to describe that I had to get it out somewhere. :(

A little background...I have a co-worker who I am very close to. I consider her a good friend. We both have the same job, but I had the job role first, and I shoulder the majority of the complicated portions of our workload. Not by necessity, but because she hasn't yet felt comfortable taking on more complicated tasks.

We recently got a new manager, and the expectations, workl...

Holiday Revelations - Time to Hit the Reset Button

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:19:18 EST

This Thanksgiving weekend, I pigged out, and I hardly worked out.

198

I told myself I wouldn't overeat, that I would only have a piece of pumpkin pie (which I worked out like a mad woman to earn last week), and that I'd work out every day but Thanksgiving. Instead, I ate everything in sight, including three pieces of cheesecake, almost an entire family size box of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers, and at least 6 dinner rolls (why did I buy all that crap anyway?...

My World's A Changin - Update on Me

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:00:04 EST

Hi Everybody. Been a bit since I've focuses on SP, or written a blog, so here goes.

I'm still stuck at this nasty plateua. Lost 100lbs, and then NOTHIN! At least I'm maintaining, which is honestly my goal through the holidays, but it's still frustrating.

Anyway, a couple of changes in my life in the next month or so.

I got a promotion/new job! I finally figured out exactly what it is about my current position and my career that drives me crazy, and had an ...

My BodyBugg SP Experience So Far

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 16:02:29 EST

I've worn my BodyBugg SP for two full days so far, and overall I love it!

The Pros: The empowerment it gives me not to have to guess what my calorie burn is, and to use that information to make more informed decisions about my lifestyle is tremendous. The armband is easily attachable, and I completely forget I'm wearing it. Plus, seeing how many steps I've taken is a very big motivator to take more steps.

The Cons: if I don't keep my iPhone within a few feet of me a...

OMG! OMG! Look at My Ticker!!!!!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:42:50 EST

100.0 lbs lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

244 248

Where's an animated happy dance smiley when you need one!?!

The Power of the Booth - VICTORY!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:31:26 EST

Two years ago, Old Spaghetti Factory opened its first restaurant in our city. Hubby and kids and I hurried down there for dinner, anxious to try them out. The kids were extra excited to get to eat in the trolley car.

We requested a booth in the trolley car, and the kids and hubby scooted right in, while I eyed the booth with a mixture of trepidation and determination, and the waitress asked if we'd rather have a table. I wasn't going to disappoint the kids by chickening out. I wa...

Tragedy = Wake Up Call - Sparkers

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 13:41:43 EST

I've been seriously committed to my health and weight loss journey for over a year now, and I've had wonderful results. With the unexpected death of my Aunt Karen this week, I've lost sight of my committment, motivation, and focus.

Karen was 61, and not the picture of health by any means. She was overweight, a smoker with COPD, an uncontrolled diabetic with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and she had a debilitating mental illness which led her to isolate herself from so...

October Goals (and September recap) + Before/Current pics (99lbs down)

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:49:37 EST

First, here's a before and current picture of me that just blows my mind. I still see the before sized girl when I look in the mirror, so this picture helps keep me focused:

Ok-now on to the topic of this blog. A great SparkFriend of mine inspired me to set some monthly goals and post them in a blog each month to hold myself accountable. Great idea, isn’t it?

So, September recap…
...

My Hubby's 40th Bday - You won't believe what his dad did...

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:21:40 EST

Yesterday was my hubby's 40th birthday. He wanted to be pretty low key about it, and not really celebrate, but his parents kept asking what he was doing for his birthday, so he caved and invited his parents and his sister to go to The Cheesecake Factory.

We arrived after his family was already seated, and eating bread. Dinner was great (I ordered a 900 calorie dish and only ate 1/2 of it - yay me!), and several people ordered cheesecake, which they ate while my husband opened his...

What a Difference a Year Can Make

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:03:52 EST

I did a Yoga/Pilates class for the first time tonight, and I find myself completely free of tension/stress and feeling fabulous. I'm also feeling a little reflective. I started thinking about what my life was like a year ago, and what my life is like today, and how much of a difference a year can really make.

This time last year:

I thought weight loss was a myth.
My daily exercise was the walk to and from my car into/out of the office
I wore a size 4X top and ...

93 pounds lost. Reality Shift

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:53:43 EST

I've been a heavy girl since I was a toddler. I was a chubby adolescent, a pudgy teenager, a fat adult, and I was okay with it.

I figured it was just who I was. Another unchangeable genetic trait, like height, hair color, eye color, whether or not you can curl your tongue.

Describing myself, I'd say "Tall, heavy set blond girl with green eyes." That was my reality.

18 months ago, I started making small changes, not for the unachievable idea of weight loss,...

I'm Throwing a One Day Only Pity Party - Where's My Tiara?

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:45 EST

As many of you know, I started "Phase 2" of my "New Me" plan on July 11th. Since then, I've lost between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week doing the following:

1700 calories a day
60 minutes exercise a day (4 days cardio + 3 days strength training)
Drink at least 12 cups of water
Sleep at least 7.5 hours a night

I haven't wavered, I haven't complained, I've subsituted favorite food staples for healthier alternatives, I've ditched refined flours/grains, and I've worked o...

My "Shuckit" List - I Hope You'll Make One Too

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:43:44 EST

In the last 18 months, I've lost almost 80 lbs. I've gone from a size 26 to a size 18. But, when I look in the mirror, I still see the size 26 me.

As I go through my day, I find myself adjusting my life and activities as if I was still that large.

I choose tables instead of booths
I pull the seat belt strap out as far as it can go before I buckle it
I walk as close to the wall in hallways as I can
I use the handicap stall in the bathroom so I won't bang ...

Photo Progression to my "mid-weight" point

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 12:02:34 EST

The picture above was me in October of 2007. I'm the smiling big girl in the middle, and at the time I thought this picture made me look slimmer than I was.

This above picture was me in July of 2010. Smaller than the first picture, but still, hiding behind a great dane/retriever mix, I thought this picture made me look ...

How Being Halfway To My Goal Weight Snuck Up On Me

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 21:38:54 EST

When I first really started my weight loss journey - not the many times I half-heartedly committed to losing weight - but when I really first committed to being the me I knew I could be, I tipped the scales at 346 lbs. That was a year and a half ago.

This morning, I got on the scale and the digital display I've come to both love and loath in equal parts flashed a new number at me: 268.5. I haven't seen that number since before I started having babies, so I was happy, but I was ev...

Bountiful Baskets - What a healthy experience!

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:11:15 EST

If you haven't tried Bountiful Baskets, you really should. For $16.50 ($15.00 contribution + $1.50 processing fee), you get approximately $50 worth of fresh, healthy produce. Usually 6 types of fruit and 6 types of vegetables. Today we got 1 cantaloupe, 4 mangos, 5 peaches, 5 plums, 4 bananas, 1 pkg of strawberries, 1 head of romaine lettuce, 1 lb. fresh green beans, 1 pkg organic cherry tomatoes, 2 onions, 5 sweet potatoes, and 1 bunch of celery.

Bountiful Baskets is completely...

Restaurant Wrangling, Internal Dialogs, & Compromise

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:41:09 EST

I'm a life-time fattie/foodie. Eating out has always been my recreational "sport." So, when my husband said last night "Let's go use that Chili's gift card you got for your birthday." my Inner Fat Girl (IFG) rejoiced, and then the new girl, my recently employed Inner Calorie Accountant (ICA) slapped her down.

I wasn't too worried. How bad could it be? Surely there was something on Chili's menu that would appease IFG and not bust ICA's calorie budget. So, I went online and downloa...