Themommies Hook

I recently opened a store on Etsy to sell some of my crochet items. Well mostly crochet, I might be adding some bows that people can add to my crochet hats and a few other things as i go along. I am so excited and have been doing nothing but crocheting for weeks. The good news is that crocheting is good for weight loss. Who would have guessed that? I mean sitting on your butt crocheting is good for weight loss? Yes, it is true. Because if I am crocheting I cant be eating. It is hard to eat and crochet and the same time, plus you dont want crumbs all over your crochet. Since i have started crocheting constantly probably about 4 weeks i have lost 3.5 more lbs because i am missing my afternoon snack, due to concentrating and being so into my crafts. Here are a few things i have made. Please go to my site and take a look.....just follow the button that says I sell on etsy.....

WOW OH WOW...maintenance is easier then I thought

Since being in maintenance I have done really well, I have even lost more weight. Now I am at a total loss of 109 lbs or I was before thanksgiving. GRRRrrr. LOL. I have been able to stick with it and most of the time it comes natural now. Of course I do have weeks where I am constantly hungry, don't want to exercise and struggle, but that is life. As long as we eat healthy at least 80% of the time, exercise at least 5xs a week, even if just a 30mins walk and drink lots of water we will be able to stay within maintenance. WE CAN DO THIS. I do really well when I am by myself, but it is when the kids are home wanting to snack constantly. I am invited to dinners or around other people where there is alot of temptation that I struggle. My mom said for her she struggles more when she is by herself and bored. When do you struggle the most with food and eating what you know you should? When you are by yourself and bored or eating out of comfort or when you are invited out to dinner, around the kids and their constant snacking or around family and friends? Just curious as to when others struggle most......

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOM

We were all together for thanksgiving, my mom was reading the sale ads. Planning our careful strategy for the black friday sales and all of our great deals where we were going to save TONS of money (yeah I know, save ourselves into the poor house) when all of the sudden she couldnt see anything in her left eye it only lasted for a few minutes but still scary. We insisted that she call the advise nurse and see if she should go into emergency just to be checked out. Well they told her she should come in immediately, that she may have had a stroke. So my SIL took her to emergency, after running several tests, sure enough she had a mild stroke. They put her on blood thinners and sent her home. She told them that she hadn't even had pie yet and needed to get back home before we ate it all. LOL. Anyway they are suppose to call within the next couple of days to set up an appt for surgery to put a stent in. My mom lives about 5 mins from the gate to Yosemite by herself in a gated retirement/vacation community. God was really watching out for her, she could have been all my herself when it happened and she probably wouldnt have gone into emergency because the closest hospital from her house is about 1 1/2 hrs away. God is so good he protects us even when we dont know it. So my mom will be staying with us for awhile until she has the surgery and is stable anyway. Please keep her in your prayers.....thank you

100+ LBS AMAZING

THINGS THAT SUCK NOW I want to make a list of all the little things that make my life harder right now. Then, as I lose the weight, I can look back, and say, "Hey, that got easier!." I am glad that I made this list before I started my weight loss journey, it is so encouraging to look back and see all the ways my life has gotten easier, it helps to keep me ontrack when I want to eat something I probably shouldnt It helps me to see all the ways that it is worth it to stick with my new active healthy lifestyle. If you are just starting out with your weight loss journey think of how good you will feel when you see all these things become easier in your life..... *Painting my toenails *Shaving my legs *Getting romantic (wink, wink) *Sleeping on my stomach *Tying my shoes *Seatbelts *Sitting in chairs that our designed for outdoor use (Please don't break, please don't break) *Movie theater seats (or any audience seats-arena, auditorium, etc) *Sitting up in the chair after I get my eyebrows waxed *When my hairstylist raises the seat (Oh god, what if it won't raise??!!) *Picking things up off the floor *Sitting down on the floor and getting back up *Crossing my legs *Wearing shoes with higher heals *Wearing boots that fit around my calves *Wearing skirts and dresses *Panties that aren't made for grandma *Sexy bras *Eyeshadow (it creases it my eye fat droopage) *Take a photograph without anxiety *Seeing old familiar faces without embarassment This doesn't even include all of the health benefits, fitness, etc. Just everyday things that are more difficult to do when your carrying around an extra person. Can't wait until I can look back and say I can do that now with ease, comfort, and confidence! Have to add: *Wrap a normal size bath towel around my body *Wear my wedding ring, well not really because I have had to put a ring guard on it so I dont lose it until I go get it resized. Puffy sausage fingers be gone!

day 29 of 30 day shred

WOW .....I am no longer a Shred drop out. I did day 29 of Jullian Michaels 30 day shred and I will finish tomorrow. Every day at the end of her video she says and I will see you tomorrow and I think GRRrrrr yeah. Today I yelled at her "YOU SURE WILL and then I wont see you for awhile" Ok I know you are thinking crazy yelling at Jullian but remember where I was over 2 yrs ago when I started. I was falling asleep in mid-sentence, drifting off in the middle of things all day long, I was having falling spells where my legs would just give out from under me, I was in bed 2-5 days a week. Now a little over 2 yrs later I am AWAKE, ALIVE, LIVING LIFE, walking without falling down, out of bed everyday. I have my life back and I am doing the 30 day shred. Not just able to do it but finish it. This is why i am able to stick to my new lifestyle. Everytime I think about hot fudge sundaes (my indulges before) I think about what my life or lack of life and realize it is not worth it. My life is so much better now. I would highly recommend the 30 day shred to anyone who really wants to see results. I am trying to figure out what exercise program to do next. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I would like something a little bit easier for now

30 day shred

I have had the 30 day shred by Jullian Michaels for over a yr, I have yet to do it. I see all the before and after pics and the incredible results and think I really should do that. Then I hear how hard it is and with the fibromyalgia think if I do that I will be in bed. It is just excuses really. Now that I have lost 105 lbs I think it is time to get rid of some of the last excuses. This week Wedsnesday I am going to start the 30 day shred. I will let you know how it goes. I may have to modify it,I may have to stay on level 1 longer then a week. I may have to take a few breaks. It may take me longer then 30 days but I am ready. I am going to do it. Is there anyone else that would like to challenge themselves to do this with me? If I start on weds that will give you a few days to get it. Come on , together WE CAN DO IT......

105 Lbs WOW OH WOW

I can't believe I have actually lost 105 lbs when i first started I thought 100+ lbs was impossible, overwhelming.I just took it 10 lbs at a time ,logged my meals on myfitnesspal.com everyday and exercised 6days a week at first it was just swimming for a little bit with the kids, then when it got too cold I started walking at first just around the block. When I had lost 65 lbs I joined the gym. Truthfully though I havent been to the gym since before my kids got out of school for the summer. But I have kept up exercising on my stationary bike,exercise dvds, walking etc. The important thing is to just stick with it and not to cut out everything that you love. Make time for things you love to eat just make sure they fit into your calorie count by eating less the rest of the day and eating small portions. I used to eat HUGE BOWLS of ice cream,but now I eat skinny cow ice cream bars or McDonalds ice cream cones, they are only 150 cals and are really satisfying. I also still eat out but I look up the nutritional info before i go online, when I am not starving. When I get to the restaurant I already know what i am going to have. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them

getting close to maintenance EEEKK

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Here is my post from myfitnesspal.com for today. This site has helped me to stay on this weighloss journey.

I love coming here and reading all the posts it really helps to keep me going, you ladies are so encouraging and motivating and even when you are down in the dumps or going through a hard time I know I can't give up because you are counting on me to reach my goals and show you it is possible. It might take me awhile but I will get there. Maintenance here I come..... I hope I am ready.....LOL I will figure it out as i go along just like i have figured out the weight loss journey one step at a time, sometimes only a 1/2 a step, but moving forward is the key no matter how slowly......

I have lost 89 lbs so far and only have 11 more to lose to reach my original goal of 100 lbs. WOW this has been an incredible journey full of many ups and downs. For many years I have said when I lose the weight I will be happy, when I lose the weight I will go hot air balloon riding, when I lose the weight I will be able to take the kids to the waterparks, when I lose the weight feel in the blanks.....LOL. I am happier, but simply losing weight doesnt make us happy. We are still the same people. I did take the kids to the waterpark this summer, 3xs even AWESOME, what an accomplishment. So I guess it is time to plan a hot air balloon trip , me and my hubby. That has been my dream for yrs. I am sure there is a weight limit, but now I dont have to worry about it.YEAH. I now weigh 167.4....WOW I haven't weighed in the 160's in about 10 yrs.

I am scared of maintenance,I have been here before was down to 128 lbs kept the weight off for 4 yrs then got sick with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, hypothyroid and gained all the weight plus some due to meds, being in pain and not exercising then got depressed and turned to comfort eating. If you have any tips for maintaining please share them.....thanks

family day at the snow

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This weekend we decided to take the kids and the dog and go up to the mountains on a pic nic and a hike. We had no idea we would run into snow. The kids were so excited and had a great time throwing snowballs at each other and the dog tried to catch all the snowballs mid-air. It was a great day and even though we weren't dressed for snow noone complained. My son didnt even have a jacket. Of course I told him to grab his jacket but 15 yr olds know best. LOL. Maybe next time he will grab his jacket. Naaa probably not. LOL

family trip to the snow

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For the Love of Cooking: Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Tangy Slaw

For the Love of Cooking: Pork Tenderloin Tacos with Tangy Slaw: "I had a pork tenderloin to use up so I decided to make tacos. I found a recipe on the Food Network for a tangy slaw that looked good so I a..."

plateau

I have been eating healthy, watching my weight and exercising since last july. I have been losing pretty consistantly. I have lost a total of 77 lbs, I have gone from a size 24 to a size 14. I feel so much better and am able to do alot more then I ever thought i would again.Since the kids have been home from summer school (the last 3 weeks) I have not been able to go to the gym. I am still exercising, walking, swimming, badminton, bike riding, but I have only lost 2 oz in the last 3 weeks. I really think once the kids go back to school and I am able to go back to the gym regularly I will start losing weight again, but it is still frustrating. So this week I am upping the exercise to see if I can kickstart my weight loss again.

If any of you are trying to lose weight I would love to hear how you are doing it and how much you have lost. I really want to lose 23 more lbs to make it 100 lb loss then I will evaluate it and see if I want to lose more. Have a healthy active low-cal day......

just a quick ramble about my weight loss

I have lost 63 lbs now. I never thought when I started that I would have lost this amount. It seemed so overwhelming, so out of reach. I just kept looking at the next 10 lbs. For every 10 lbs I have lost I have bought myself a pair of earrings. Nothing fancy, just some funky earrings that I happen to like. I think maybe for the next 10 lbs I should buy myself some new makeup. After loosing so much weight I think it is time for a mini makeover. I am going to get my hair colored and cut this weekend. I usually do my makeup very soft in neutral colors, I think I would like to do something a little bolder. Not way out there, just a little bolder. I really dont feel like I have lost that much but when I see pics, or when I try on clothes, or I see other people on here that have lost about the same it sinks in. I know I still have a ways to go. When I first started I decided I would try to lose 100 lbs and then decide if I needed to lose more. So that is the plan. But now I know I can do it, it is a plan not just a dream......

If You Give A Binge Eater A Cookie

If You Give a Binge-Eater a Cookie...

If you give a binge-eater a cookie...

Chances are he’ll want a second one.

And if you give him a second one, you might as well give him the entire box.

And if you give him the entire box of cookies, he’ll probably want a glass of milk to go with it.

And all that sweet stuff will probably make him want some cheese and crackers.

And if you give him some cheese and crackers… well, you’re probably going to have to get him some more cheese and crackers.

And since he’s probably f’ed up his weigh-in at this point, he’ll probably go ahead and order a pizza.

And if he orders a pizza, he’s going to want a beer to go with it.

And then another beer.

And another.

And another.

Etc.

And if he drinks all that beer, he’s probably going to want a little something sweet to settle his tummy.

How about a cookie?

For the Love of Cooking: Green Chile Chicken

For the Love of Cooking: Green Chile Chicken: "This is one of my husbands favorite dishes (and mine too). My Mother in law gave me the recipe & I tweaked it just a bit. The chiles add..."

weightloss update

I have been trying to lose weight, eat better and exercise since mid july. I cannot believe the difference it has made in my life . I have lost 57 lbs so far and I feel like I am starting to get my life back. Before my health was so bad with the fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and hypothyroid that I had no energy. I was in extreme pain daily and if I over did it my body would just shut down,. For awhile I was falling asleep in mid sentence. I felt like I was only surviving, only doing what was absolutely neccessary. I feel like I am starting to live life again. Infact I went to the park with my 14 yr old son this weekend and played him a game of basketball (horse) of course I lost. LOL. But only by one letter. I also jumped on the trampoline with my daughter and went to the nature trail with her. It felt so good to be able to do these things with my kids again.
We are also planning a trip over to the ocean during Easter Break. It will be a great time, and this time I will be able to participate instead of just sitting back watching everyone else. I thank God for giving my life back to me.......

I am doing awesome

I have been watching what I eat, keeping a daily food and exercise diary. I have been trying to stay within about 100calories of 1200 calories a day. also I have been trying to walk about 3 mile total a day by wearing a pedometer. I have been at it now for about 4 1/2 months and I have lost 40lbs. I am thrilled but have quite a bit more to lose. I really think the main thing is the mindset. If you do not have the right frame of mind you are not going to stick with it.
My fibromyalgia is doing better also probably due to not carrying around so much weight. I did have a flare right after thanksgiving. I think due to the weather change and overdueing it. My mom came down for the holiday on monday and my daughter and her husband on wednesday. we also had my older daughter, her husband and 3 kids(my precious grandbabies, my oldest son and my son in laws sister, grandmother and great grandmother. So we had a whole house full. We had a wonderful time but alot of work. And I lost 1.8lbs thanksgiving week YEAH for me. So pray for me and wish me luck as I try to lose another 60lbs. It sounds like alot but I am trying to break it down into 10lb increments , so that it is not so overwhelming.I will be posting before and during pictures

weight loss update

I have been using myfitnesspal.com it is a great site full of alot of information, motivation and encouragement. I have only been trying to lose weight for 3 months and I have lost a total of 28lbs. I have a ways to go but I am diffinately off to a good start. Keeping track of my daily food and exercise has really made me aware of what I am putting in my mouth and the calorie and fat content of the foods. It has really helped. I have memorized the best things to order at my favorite restaurants or the families favorite places. One of my favorites is the honey chicken bowl at I love terriyaki. I only eat 1/2 the amount per meal so it is only 250 calories and it is delicious. I have also been walking alot the kids love it because I take them to the park and they play while I walk around the trails. Also tomorrow we are going for a day trip to do some fishing and hiking. I also do the wii fit, it is a fun way to get in some exercise. I am really happy with how I am doing so far......