Christmas come, Christmas gone (almost)

Had a great weekend celebrating Christmas.  Had my side of the Family over for Christmas Eve.  We all went to Church and then came back to our house.  We ate snick snacks, open presents and order chinese.  All was great.   Got Donkey Kong Country (oooh Tag Me Tag Me!!!!!!!!!!!!), a car phone charger for my iPhone and a U of I hand made blanket from my 9 month pregnant (and DYING, inside joke) little sister.  I have another one that I use EVERY day and now I have one for downstairs when I play my new video games, so I have MORE Orange & Blue.    Christmas Day was a busy driving day.   Left home at 11:30 to go to Glenview to pick up Deb's 96 year old grandfather.  He is still able to drive, but I just felt safer going to go get him.   So we got there at 12:15 to pick him up.  Then start the hour long trek out to St Charles.   We got to Deb's Brother's house at 1:15.   We ate snacks and opened presents.  I got a Snorkel shirt that has a Sun Factor of 35 SPF so now I can snorkel without having to lather up in sun tan lotion, or worry that my wife will spray STRIPES down my back for all to see. I also got a NEW controler for the Wii.  I got Kirby's Epic Yarn.  A wireless Keyboard for Rock Band 3 (now I just have to go buy that, Santa did not bring).  Got a realy neat pillow with UofI and the Chief on the front and when you flip it over there is a cup holder to hold my "soda".  Around 4 Lynda's family came by.   I played Kirby's epic yarn with Ryan, VERY FUN 2 player game.  Wonder if it will translate as a 1 player game.

Today we are going downtown to eat at the Walnut Room and look at the Macy's window display.   Tonight we are going to Lou Malanati's to see Deb's cousin Carol and her husband Rick.

Going into the weekend my weight was down to 295.  I figure this weekend I gained about 5 pounds.  I am going to start walking next week, so hopefully that will take some of this Holiday weight off.  I have blood work on the 7th and then meet with Doctor on the 11th.

Ok, Guess I have gone 2 weeks without writing

I can FINALLY bowl my weight again.  Weighed in at 300 this morning.   So happy that my little sister is doing great with her Baby progess.  We are having Christmas Eve at our house and this is the weekend I am supposed to eat.  Hope I don't gain to much.  I think if I keep it under 5 pounds I will be okay.  Christmas day will be a fun Driving experience.   Schaumburg to Glen View, Glen View to St Charles then reverse.   I am doing this so that we do not have to worry about Deb's Grandpa driving.  Since I never knew my Grampa, this man means a TON to me and I want him to be safe.   I love to drive.  So I was the one to offer.

WORK

I spent 10 hours at work today.  If only I would not wait until the last minute to do things, then maybe I would not have to do this.  I did get a TON done.  We had 2 good group meetings where we made some strong decissions.   It is SOOOOOO cold outside.   Listening to the Sing Off.  I LOVE A Capella music, so this show is made for me.  So holiday season is the time for parties and luncheons.  I have had to turn down 2 events to prevent giving in to temptation.   So far I am down 14 pounds, and I have YET to start exercizing.  I think tomorrow I will start.

Weekend starting out rough

So I was having a good week then the weekend came.   Today I was halfway through the day on my way to 1,500 calories and Larry called that he was in the area and wanted to go to lunch.  I don't hang out with Larry much and he is NEVER out here in the suburbs, so I said sure.   I ordered a salad and off course the salad was probably enough to serve 3 people.  I ate about 2/3rds of it.  Then tonight was Deb's company holiday party.   They had appetizers out.  I had 1 of each.   I did SKIP dinner and only ate 1 small chocolate desert piece.  But WAY over 1,500 calories today.  Oh well long journy and still have to keep on living.   Tomorrow Deb and I will be setting up the christmas tree and all the other decorations around the house.  That may burn a few calories.

Christmas decorations out of basement

Brought all the Christmas decorations out of storage.  Took about 1/2 an hour.   Deb and I plan to put them up this weekend.   With the SNOW expected tomorrow night, I think I am starting to get in to the spirit.   Still fighting off a cold.

First weigh in day

Weighed in this morning at 314.2.   5 pound loss!!  Inspiring start.   Still fighting a cold so have not day any walking.   Stayed at home to work from home today.   Went to bowling.   Shot a WONDERFUL (not!!!) 568 series.    Average now stands at 198.  I am 215 on Monday.   Oh well we won 2 games and series and that is what counts.   Off to bed now to get sleep.

Day 2, and getting a cold

Woke up this morning with a scratchy throat.   Have been taking Advil Cold & Sinus.  This has made exercize a  NON option.   Also with no sense of smell due to my stuffed nose, I am not that hungry.  I only plan to weigh myself every other day, so tomorrow will be the first.  My goal is to see if I can lose 10 pounds this week.  Watching the Illini beat North Carolina!!!  Good revenge from the championship game.

Day 1 of the diet

Back to the 1,500 calorie diet.   Here is the food for the ENTIRE week.  HECK this is probably what I was eating for LUNCH on the cruise.  

Did not do any exercise today.  I need to start!!!

Here is the food I ate today.   (this looks like what I ate on my WAY to the meals)

It is 10:25 and I am STARVING, but I know that in a few days my body will get used to this.

Tonight was bowling night.  Shot 195 - 215 - 233 (opened 10th in last game. DOH!)  my average is 215 so only 2 pins short.



How I got to where I am today.

Last year I lost 85 pounds, then life happened.  

My little sister Traycie got married on New Year's Eve and all things were looking great.  In January my Dad was told he had to go on dialysis or else be sent to a hospice, since his kidney's were not working.  He chose dialysis and the 3 time a week trips to dialysis took a toll on my life and more so on the lives of my 2 sisters.  If that were not enough strain, on February 25th my Mother was in a SERIOUS car accident that required MAJOR spinal surgery and required 3 months of intense therapy and recovery at Northwestern Rehab center downtown.  She initially could not walk, had lost movement and feeling in her arms and legs.  So she had to fight to relearn EVERYTHING.  We 3 kids rotated vistiting her and taking or picking up Dad.  In late May we got good news that my Mom would be coming home from Rehab on June 3rd, so things were looking up.  Dad seemed to be doing better, dialysis was keeping his fluid levels down and he was getting back to being himself.  On Memorial Day we were all over at my sister Deb's house.  My Dad had dialysis that day, so he was not over.  We were all talking about how it would be good to get Mom home and now that it was warming up Dad could do some more outside stuff.   We got a call from the dialysis place that my Dad had not showed up at dialysis for his time.  At this point we had arranged a pick up service to take him to and from dialysis.  My brother-in-law and I went over to his house to see if he was there, he was not.  We then got a call from the hospital that they had to bring my Dad in.   Unfortunately this was NOT an unusual event, so we just sent Thad over to see what was going on.  The problem was that this time was different than any of the others.   He had suffered complete heart failure and they had to revive him in the hospital.  He was completely sedated and on a breathing tube when we got there.  They said they would monitor him over night and re-evaluate in the morning.   At 4 AM my sister Deb got a call from the hospital that my Dad had taken a turn for the worse and she should get over there.  By the time I got there 1 hour later he was already gone.  We knew that he was not in good health, but we thought things were getting better.  I had the typical Son-Father relationship, we talked about sports and not much else, but he influenced EVERY part of my life.  I am a Cubs fan because of him, I love Elvis because of him, I bowl because of him, I have a temper (because of him).  I talk to him every day now.  I regret that I did not talk to him more when he was here.  It is nearly 6 months, but I still can't believe he is gone.

In times of trouble I turned to food.  With the running around and stress it became easy to turn to food for comfort and to forget about what was really happening in life.

I can NO LONGER use those as excuses.  I am going to start my diet and exercize today and get down to 225.  This morning I weighed in at 318.   My plan is to go back to my 1,500 calorie diet and to start my walking which will lead to jogging/running.