I did it!!!

Finally!!! It has taken me a year and 10 months to reach my goal weight... what a long road this has been. Now the hard part begins...maintaining!!

weighing in!

No change for me this week... I feel frustrated and relieved about that. Relieved that I didn't gain but frustrated to be so close to my goal and unable to get there!!






We were able to speak with Spencer last night!! He does not have internet access. He is rooming with 6 other young men. Three are from Ukraine, one from Russia, one from Turjikistan and the other from Kurgistan. They all speak Russian so that is the language Spencer is having to communicate in with all of his roommates... lucky for him he speaks very well!

He says that there are 20 students all together, and including him there are only 4 Americans! He is going to school from 9am-4 or 5 pm daily and says that he is learning a lot!!!

They put him and his roommates to work right away there... they were told they would get a discount on the rent if they wallpapered the rooms themselves, so the guys worked together and got it done!

weighing in!

I am finally back on the right track... I am down two pounds this week!

I did a better job not succombing to the temptations of potato chips and chocolate this week. But I HAD TO eat some of Stephanie's homemade cinnamon rolls... I know Tom will read this question my use of the phrase "had to" but I am gonna stick to it. If you tasted one of Stephanie's cinnamon rolls you would know that they are one of those "had to eat" things!

I did get the courage up to join in over here:




it is not too late to join in the fun!!


For those of you wondering where Spencer is right now... we believe that he got across the border safely! We will know for sure once he gets on Facebook or he buys a Ukrainian SIM card!

weighing in!

I am up a pound.

I didn't want to post that... I wanted to say that nothing changed.


But that wouldn't be true. And Tom keeps reminding me that the "truth is always your friend".

We had several meals out this week due to meetings with EastWest and I was not very good at keeping portion sizes under control or getting out to walk.

So there you have it. I was going to join this group today but I need to get motivated to sign up!




The other reason I am most likely overeating is that Spencer is leaving next week for Kiev, Ukraine. He leaves Russia on the 25th and arrives in Ukraine the following day. I was doing fine until we purchased the tickets... and now that I know my family will be spread out over three different countries I am feeling rattled. With Nathan in the US, Spencer in Ukraine and us here in Russia... I just wonder what the holidays will be like for us this year.

Please pray for me as I adjust to an empty nest!! Tom on the other hand is thrilled that we finally have time alone!!

weighing in!

another week of staying the same... I am actually relieved. We have had a busier schedule this week and I found myself stress eating. I would rather just stay the same as opposed to gaining!

weighing in!

Three pounds to go!!

weighing in!

So far today is a great day!! I got up and weighed myself and I am down a pound... so I guess giving up ice cream actually works, go figure!

I went to school and had a great lesson; afterwards I went to do some shopping because we have a young Russian couple coming over for pizza.

As I was riding the bus to the supermarket an older lady came and sat down beside me... the man behind her asked her which stop to get off at to go the Ocular Micro-Surgical Center. She starts to answer, turns to me and gives me an "I can't ask her, she doesn't speak Russian" look. So I just let her keep talking because my mama taught me not to interrupt my elders! When she finished her round-about explanation I turned to him and said "it is better if you get off at the next stop and walk across the road at the light". They both look at me wide-eyed... and finally she says to him "what a great young lady...you should have asked her to begin with!" And we all laughed!

We all stood up to get off at the same stop and she turned around and said to me "you look like that beautiful man who is going to be the president in America, have you seen him, his name is Barack Obama?" I thanked her for the compliment and she smiled and went on her way.

It made my day. One of our lessons at school was about Russians not smiling unless there is a weighty reason to do so... to see her walk away smiling was truly a blessing to me. I pray that she has a good feeling about interacting with foreigners and that she will experience kindness from the next one she meets!

As I was walking home from my trip to the market a young man from our church was driving by and he waved me over to his car... he was coming to my house to deliver a painting of Tom's that he had framed. So I got a free ride home from the supermarket and Tom is thrilled to have his painting hanging up in our hallway.

Some days I wonder about what life would be like if we had chosen to purchase a car instead of our apartment... but days like today make me glad that we are seen regularly by our neighbors, church family and friends that we have made in our region. And with how much rent has risen here (and how much our property has appreciated in value) since the announcement of the 2014 Olympics coming to our state, we can see that God had His hand on our decision to purchase the apartment! I was talking with someone about rent and they don't know if they can afford to live in this area anymore... thankfully, we don't have that fear to contend with.


So ... now I can go and get the pizza dough ready... our guests are coming after work so I expect them to come hungry!!

weighing in!

I only lost a half of a pound... despite all the walking I do each day. Maybe it is time to give up ice cream??

weighing in!

I am down a half pound this week. Slowly but surely I am making progress toward this goal... I hate the slowly part. I like instant gratification!

weighing in!

I think my scale is broken... it has not moved all week. Oh well, in the past I would have used my disappointment as an excuse to eat chocolate. Today I chose a fresh strawberry juice instead. And am resigned to keep plugging away!

weighing in!

Finally movement in the right direction!! I am down two pounds... walking and sweating in the hot Krasnodar sun is truly the best diet around :-)

weighing in!

I didn't want to post this today... according the the scale I was using in California I had lost weight while we were in America. But, my scale here in our apartment is telling me otherwise. I have to accept this as fact and move on... I am up four pounds and need to get outside and walk it off!!

weighing in!

Despite enjoying ice cream sandwiches with Nathan I managed to lose another pound this week!

Nathan is leaving tomorrow and it will be very hard to say goodbye to him... we have really enjoyed our family time this week. Remember to cherish your loved ones and show them how much you love them!!

weighing in

Normally I weigh in on Friday... but since I am at Joann's I weighed in yesterday. I am down a half pound but I will have to update my ticker when I get more time. My goal while here in America is not to gain weight!!

We are off to Solvang today, then on to the beach and then out to Magic Castle for dinner. It is just awesome to be here with my online buddies!

weighing in!

It has been hot this week and I think all the ice cream I have been eating has caught up with me... I am only down a 1/2 pound!

We will be on a train to Moscow Saturday and Sunday so I will check in again here on Monday as soon as we find an internet cafe in Moscow. Sasha called to remind me that there will not be food or toilet paper on the train... oh joy! Now I have to make another trip to the market to get food for the trip and I need to pack some toilet paper!

weighing in!

My fear for this week was that I would gain weight... that didn't happen. Instead, the needle on the scale is not moving at all. I must have offended it again and it is giving me "the silent treatment"!

weighing in!

This has been one of the most challenging weeks to be watching what I eat! I successfully managed to fight off the urge to "stress eat", which I have been known to do when we have a lot going on. And that lead to the loss of 1 pound this week!

Yesterday, we had an end of the school year barbecue and there was so much good food it was hard to restrain myself!! Don made a Key Lime pie, which is my favorite... I did acquiesce to one small sliver and really took the time to savor that treat!

Many years ago I realised that I am a binge eater... or at least I used to be. I would binge and then fast as a way to lose weight.

I very clearly remember the first diet I ever went on. I was 17 years old and needed to lose 20 pounds because I was a contestant in the Miss Wichita Pageant and the coach we had told me that I would do better in the swimsuit and evening gown events if I lost twenty pounds. I weighed 125lbs. and thought I was VERY overweight! So after talking with a few friends of mine I chose to eat every other day and I lost 20 pounds in two weeks.

Twelve years after that, in 1992 I read an article in the LA Times about bulimia. I always thought that bulimics were bingers and purgers. Wrong. Bulimics are also bingers and fasters... and that was me.

I can say honestly that for the past 16 years I have not fasted as a way to lose weight. I only fast if I feel that it is for a spiritual purpose. I am committed to eating when I am hungry and only normal sized portions. This is not always easy to do but I don't have to feel deprived of eating things like Key Lime Pie if I control the portion size. Healthy eating along with moderate exercise is something I can do as a way of life and not feel as if I am on a diet!

If you or anyone you know has problems with overeating or has a difficult relationship with food there is a 12 step group that can help... http://www.oa.org

weighing in!

I am so excited to be getting closer to my goal!! I read an article a month ago about weight loss being connected to getting enought sleep. In addition to eating less and moving more I am also sleeping more.

weighing in!

This is the second week in a row that we had birthday party food on Thursday. Yesterday, I baked four homemade pizzas and a birthday cake and today I weighed in... thankfully, I am down a pound so I didn't suffer too much!

weighing in!

This morning I was a little nervous approaching my scale... I was not sure if it was going to continue being so nice to me. I am excited that despite having birthday food yesterday, I still managed to lose 2 pounds!!