family – Pants Fallin Down

I have been so busy these past few weeks, I had to put my blog on the back burner. I have missed sharing my highs and lows of my weight loss journey. But life has gotten in the way. I have been busy at work, which is a very good thing. I also made a trip to Evanston, Illinois to visit my family. I always love visiting with my family and this visit was an extra special one for me.

So to let you all know about how I did on my staying off the scale challenge – I failed. I could not stay away. I very rarely fail at challenges. But this challenge hands down got the better of me. I love my scale at times and sometimes I hate my scale. But one thing I decided is that it keeps me in check. It makes me accountable for what I put in my mouth. It is a tool and only a tool, just like my measuring cups, food scale and daily points tracker.

Before I went to Evanston, I got on the scale. The number was the same number it has been for a month. Oh well. I had been so good with my eating throughout January. And my weight would go down a pound and up a pound. It just had not been going down consistently. I will admit with the weather being so bad, I did not work out as much as I had been in the past. So that could be the reason for the no weight loss in January.

Every time I go see my family, it is like a free for all for me. I love my brothers cooking. And I eat things that I normally do not eat. My sister in law had a bowl of chocolate covered cranberries sitting in all its glory on her table. How dangerous for me to have a bowl of goodies right within my reach. I tried hard to resist it. But when that sweet tooth kicked in I found myself reaching for them. There is so much truth to the saying “out of sight out of mind.”

But I was determined this time not to come back from my family visit to see a higher number on the scale. And we all ate very healthy. We ate plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean meats. I cooked one evening preparing roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables. We had a wonderful salad to round out the meal. And for dessert we enjoyed sorbet. And the key to eating the sorbet was eating one serving which is a very small half cup.

I did not weigh myself for almost 5 days. Because one thing I have learned is that there are only two scales that I can count on. My Withings Scale and my Weight Watcher meeting scale. These scales are very consistent. I trust them. And I weigh myself wearing the same thing and at the same time of day.

When I came back from my visit, I hopped on the scale and I had lost one pound. I was elated. I had been very good with my eating. But when you are visiting people you are really at the mercy of what they are eating. I just made sure that I kept track of my points. Unfortunately, I did nothing in the way of exercise. There was three feet of snow on the ground in Evanston and I used that as a good excuse to not get my walk in. Excuses-excuses.

So for today, I am looking at my scale not as a demon nor as a friend. I am looking at the scale as only a tool.

February 25, 2014February 25, 2014 by lisanordmann Categories: Family, Inspiration, Weigh InsTags: Evanston Illinois, family, healthy eating, Weight Watchers, Withings Scale Leave a comment

Yesterday was the Webster/Kirkwood Turkey Day Run, put on by Big River Running. This run is a tradition between two rival towns. We lived in Webster Groves for 18 years and all of our kids went to Webster Groves High School. So I am definitely a Webster fan. 4,000 runners participated in this run on a very cold Thanksgiving morning.

If you want to know how I got roped into this run you can read this past blog. It explains how my daughter, Maria, for my birthday present signed me up for this race.

I was so nervous before the race. I was pretty sure I could run the six miles. I was just not sure I could run the whole way. I was definitely confident that I would finish the race. And when we arrived there were so many runners there. My son Kevin joined Maria and me in the race. And my sister, brother in law and husband were there to cheer us on. And then Kevin’s wife and daughter arrived. I knew this was going to be a great morning. I was nervous but with all this support around me I was totally pumped.

And then I started to look around at the runners. I always seem to compare my body to others. Was I the fattest runner out there? Nope, definitely not this year. My body actually blended in with the other runners. I mentioned that to my son Kevin and he said “Mom, you got to quit saying that about being the biggest one. Because you aren’t anymore.” What a sweetheart! So then I started to look at the runners again. I definitely saw that I was one of the older runners there. And that made me feel very proud. I was so proud that at my age I was out doing an activity that I never thought I would be able to do.

The race started and Kevin, my very fit son, who plays basketball every morning and my fitter than fit daughter who works out and runs everyday ran right beside me. They never left my side. We started with a decent pace. And I was able to keep up with them. But when we got to the three mile mark I was really starting to get winded. There were a lot of hills. Maria and Kevin kept encouraging me. I tried to let my mind wander and not think about what I was doing. I imagined my grandchildren at the end of the race and cheering me on. “Come on Grandma, you can do it.” That thought calmed me down and gave me new energy.

And then Kevin said “Mom we are at the end. The finish line is right over there.” That really gave me a renewed energy and then I saw a group of young children holding up signs. And I thought how cute. It said “Grandma your number 1.” And then I saw that they were my grandchildren. I was so overwhelmed and excited! I had no idea that they would come out on such a cold morning to cheer us on. Maria’s husband also came out. My daughter in law, sister and brother in law and grandchildren were cheering us on. I was really feeling the love.

It was a great feeling to cross that finish line. And then I saw my husband waiting for me. And I could not have been happier. He has been so supportive. And to have two of my children right by my side crossing that finish line made for a very memorable day.

And were off