It has been forever since I have been here.

What a few months I have had. Had to have a hip redone that I first had replace back in 2008. That surgery was April 25, 2011. I can only say a redo is much worse than the original surgery, and here is it Memorial Day weekend, and I am still on the walker, and won't be off of it until I go back to see the surgeon the middle of June.

My weight loss journey has been going really well, and I had gotten myself off sugar and had been on plan, with planning, measuring, weighing and portion control for almost 2 full months. But, then it happened, I fell off the wagon and even though it was just one day, I feel hard. Good news is I have regrouped and yesterday was an excellent eating day.

Right now exercise is 30 minutes on the stationery bike, doctor said, do it. It does take me two tries to get my 30 minutes, I am doing 15 minutes twice per day. AT least I am doing something.

We have gotten a new leader at our Saturday morning group. I have not met her yet, but plan on giving her a chance to show me what kind of leader she will become. I have already gotten emails from others...and the woman has only been the leader for two weeks....they are ready to jump ship and look for a new meeting.

I think our old leader was ready for a change, and WW's and the cooperate office made it happen. Whether it was her choice or not.

That is pretty much the update. Hot weather has finally made it to Kentucky.

02-21-2011.....Monday

So many time I hear people tell me what they can't do, but very seldom do they tell me what they can do. So I have to wonder.....can they do anything?

02-20-2011....Sunday

I have often wondered how some people think that being rude is the way to do things. A person that I know, and I have to admit I do not know what her private life is like, nor do I need to know. However, she does deal with the public, and with the public that I have seen her deal with she is very cold and comes off as a smart ass many times. This is someone offering a service, but I have to wonder, ''when did customer service'' go by the wayside. When did treating people as you would like to be treated get lost in everyday life.

Things to ponder and things to think about.

02-19-2011.....Saturday

Today someone at our meeting came up to me and thanked me for caring enough to email and ask them where they were last week. It seems this person was ready to throw in the towel and give up on herself, but all she needed was someone to notice that she was missing and to tell her she was missed.

You were missed. How powerful those three little words can be.

02-18-2010....Friday

I have no doubt at all, that I am the world's worst blogger. This is why I have fallen so behind in updating and such. So this morning I thought I'd come by and try my best to remedy this. So here goes.

Several months ago I seemed to have gotten on the Struggle Bus and taken it over where my weight loss journey is concerned. Last year at this time I was recovering from a hip replacement, my second one in two years. Things were moving alone, then in May I began to have pain in my left hip, the one I had done in 2008. So went back to the doctor, had a bone scan done, an MRI, nothing showed up. So I began to think, ''this is just all in my head." So I continued to go to the gym five days a week, but still I was not able to hold out on the elliptical as I have been able to do before. So I ended up slacking off on my exercise. Even just walking was not an option due to I have this place on the top of my foot that burns and stings, and other than Arthritis I have no idea what that problem is from. So long story short, I have been struggling, but who doesn't struggle at some point and time. For me, this had helped to replace 16 pounds back on me that I so don't need. Pushing me over my goal weight by six pounds. So fast forward to right now. I have found out the hip does have a problem, its coming lose from the socket. Have no idea why this is, but it has also formed cyst there as well. So surgery is in my future yet again. Now I need, and want the problem fixed, I just did not know it was going to be such a drastic thing....surgery...again. So many questions I have for my Orthopedic doctor, one of the main ones is....I have two other replaced joints, is this going to happen to those as well???

But even with the weight gain, and frustration of all of this, I have not given up. I am back on track and in the past two weeks have lost 11 pounds, all without stepping foot in the gym, I do my daily stuff, which at times can be overwhelming, but being a full time caregiver, you do not get time off just because your in pain. Which at times is good that way I am not thinking of the pain, I'm just doing what has to be done.

So all in all, life is a challenge, but come on, whose life is not a challenge? We all have something or many somethings in our lives that cause us challenges, the main thing is to never give up. We have to just forge forward.

02-01-2011...Tuesday

Over the years I have found trying to be perfect at just about anything is a waste of time. However doing something well 80% of the time and leaving 20% for screw ups, may work better.

No matter how old we get, we still need to be open for new ways on doing things. Whether it is on our weight loss journey, our relationships or life just in general.

01-31-2011.....Monday

Insanity is doing the same thing the same way, but expecting a different result.

Recently I read that quote, and realized how true it really is. A friend of mine that I go to Weight Watchers with, helped me to see, that with this new WW program it is like the old one. Does not matter if I do stay within my points plus plan if I am still eating the franken foods I am still going to be struggling with the Yo Yo way of life.

Its not rocket Science as we say so often, it is all about making better choices. Do our bodies really need that entire box of Russell Stovers? I really don't think so, but a piece or two now and then won't hurt, but the secret to this is ''now and then" not every single day and maybe half a box instead of two pieces.

Yes, this is not hard, but we try to make it difficult.

1=30-2011......Sunday

We are just about done with the month of January. January always seems like such a long month to me and I think it has to do with we are done with the festivities, the Christmas decorations are put away and life begins to get back to what it was. A bit boring. Good news is this will just put us closer to Spring time arriving.

I did much better last week with my food choices. Exercise is still not there, and I go in this Tuesday for my CAT Scan and Ultrasound on my hip. I am glad that no problems have been found, but I am not happy that I still have no clue why I am having all this pain. Just does not make sense.

Of course this is a small problem compared to the things other people have to deal with. My goal for this week is to stay focused and stay on track and not to dip into the 49 bonus points anymore. I made quite the dent in them yesterday.

If anyone comes by welcome, and hope your day will be a good one.

01-23-2011....Monday

Every time I tell myself I am going to be better at my blogging, I seem to fall even further behind. This has been a very busy few weeks, and I have been dealing with hip pain, so that has kept me from the gym, as well as the cold and snow. But, after our Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, I knew that everything I was saying was nothing but an excuse. Sure I can't make it to the gym, but I really think the thing that has made me gain the weight is the boxes of candy I have consumed. This is what a compulsive person does when they have no clue what to do...they eat themselves into a stupor.

Good news is, my eating is now on track. I'm tracking every morsel that enters my mouth. I've had to pay at our meeting for the past 3 weeks, and since we only have one more weigh in for this month, and that is this Saturday, I really want to be back at goal. If I work hard and watch every thing, get my water drinking in, I should do alright.

Its not the end of the world, but a new beginning.

01-12-2011....Wednesday

I was reading an article the other day about how sometimes we get more support from total strangers than we do from those that are actually closer to us. We all have people that are not blood relatives that are as close or at times even closer than some of our family members.

There are times in our lives that when we make changes, we will share it with a friend way before we mention it to a family member, this happens especially when it comes to losing weight. So many times we have tried and failed at any number of weight loss plans and our family can have the look of, ''here she/he goes again," on their faces. But, if we share our hopes and dreams with our friends, they at times can be much supportive.

I have to admit Bob is very supportive of my goals, and he is the first one to tell me when I am driving the Struggle Bus, ''you will get past this." Then I have my Weight Watcher family, when I am struggling you all have always been there to help push me in the right direction. This I call a blessing.

So if your family is full of encouragement, and are not telling you, ''you just need a cheeseburger," then thank them, just as I am thanking all of you today. If your family Is not, then take some time today and let them know how much you need them to be there for you through this journey. Sometimes just by sharing what we need, we may well find the support will soon follow.

The thing we do have to remember is our friends and family are not mind readers, so we have a part to play in making our wishes known.

01-10-2011....Monday

Have you looked in the mirror lately? Are you noticing any changes. Have you changed physically? Are you standing a little taller or maybe carry yourself a bit differently?

Maybe you have gotten used to wearing lose, baggy clothes or standing behind others in photographs, or even avoiding the camera at all cost. Is this you? Or was this you?

I have to admit, even at my heaviest I never was camera shy. I know, no one is surprised there. But too look back at those earlier pictures and now to look at the present day pictures, for me it is a real transformation. So I say NO MORE HIDING!!! No more being a wallflower, its time to come out of hibernation and show off all your hard work. What better time to shine than during the cold, gray Winter months.

Shine as if it were the first day of Spring.

New Year's Eve 2010

Happy New Years Eve. How time seems to be flying by so quickly. I always love for the new year to begin, not that the old year was a bad one, but I just love looking forward.

Yesterday I took in a WW meeting at another place and had made my mind up I was getting on that scale. I did not have to since I am a lifetime member and had already weighed in once for the month of December. But, I also knew my eating had been off the charts as of late. So I got on the scale and had to pay my 12 dollars. I have to admit that is a very humbling thing to have to do. Sure I over the past year and a half had gotten cocky about doing the program. I knew it all, I had gotten away from tracking. My workout have not been as extreme as earlier this year, and part of that is due to the pain I have in my hip. However, I can still get in some type of activity.

So I am looking forward to the coming New Year, there will be new surprised, new disappointments and oh yeah, new challenges, but I will face them head on, and continue to work on my better health.

Wishing all a very safe, Happy, Healthy New Year.

December 28, 2010....Tuesday

I keep putting it off and putting it off, but going to have to get myself into see the Orthopedic doctor. My hip I had done in 2008 has been giving me pain for several months. To the point that I cannot do my workouts at the gym. Thus, making my weigh go up. Now to be quite honest, my weight in not going up just because my workouts have backed off, there is that overeating that has also come into play.

Good news is I did 1 hour and 20 minutes (not at one time) on my Gazelle yesterday, and have two full days of better eating under my belt. Baby steps, sometimes that is what we have to do.

Day after Christmas 2010

WOW!!!!! Another Christmas has come and gone, and I did what I have done on most Christmases and that was I ate way too much from October up to December 25. I had been hanging onto my goal weight by the very tips of my fingers, but alas, when we over indulge we end up having to pay the price. So when I weigh in for January 2011, I feel pretty darn sure I will be having to pay up. But you know I am okay with that due to my first thought was.....don't go back to a meeting until I have lost back to where I need to be....well anyone that reads this and has ever struggled with their weight, we all know that is the first nail in the coffin so to speak. So instead of repeating what I have done in years past. I will pull up those big girl panties, go with my 12 dollars in hand and face not only the scale but the look that I have heard about that our leader gives.

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas.
So hard to believe it is Christmas Day already. For anyone that drops by I do wish you all a very Merry Christmas and prayers that this coming New Year will be filled with many blessings. I hope the goals you set for yourself in 2010, if they did not materialize then I hope 2011 will be the year you finally reach whatever goal you may have set for yourself.

Just always remember love and forgiveness is the two greatest gift we can give or receiver.

Merry Christmas.

12-13-2010.....Cold, Snowy Monday

Have any of you ever noticed that when you began to make a more healthy lifestyle change it seemed to become threatening to those around us? Especially this time of year we are all hearing...on just this one time won't hurt. And, as a rule, we do give in due to we do not want to hurt anyone's feelings. We even tolerate rude comments, which by the people voicing the comment may not deem the rude at all, but here is one of my favorite one...she can't eat that, she's still on that diet kick.

We continue to spread ourselves too thin, agreeing to do things that we really and truly just do not want to do. Why are we afraid to say, ''no, just cannot fit that into my schedule today or tomorrow." Are we afraid people won't like us? We tend to always have that feeling of being overextended and running on empty. And we begin to take things as a personal attack. We all have at least one or two manipulators in our lives, could be an aging parent, could be a sibling, hey it could very well be our spouse, but we won't go there today.

And God forbid if we ever put our needs first. The few occasions we have done that, I would bet money the guilt came rolling in, so we could not enjoy the time.

If any of the things I have mentioned ring a bell, or the ole light bulb comes one, then you know what we have to do? Draw a line in the sand. We have to not only understand our own limits, but we have to let others know that , enough is enough.

A boundary is a limit we set. We have to do this to protect our relationships, our time, our health everything about ourselves. They are not brick walls to isolate us or alienate other, but messages that keep the unwelcome behaviors of other from invading our space.

So during this stressful time, maybe it is time to think about setting some boundaries just to act as a filter, permitting what's acceptable into our lives and keeping what's not out. Just remember, the first step to setting boundaries, is we must accept the idea that our wants and needs are not only important enough to define and defend, but are essential to our happiness.

We all need some boundaries, and its not something that can happen overnight, but I do believe it is something worth working on.

December 12, 2010.....Sunday

Our Christmas party/open house was a great success...or at least in my eyes it was. Bob was able to see lots of his family and lots of my friends from WW showed up, even if it was just for a short while. I will admit I did eat lots of stuff that was not the best choices yesterday, but that is okay too. Everyone seemed to have a great time, its over and now back to doing what I am suppose to and that is taking care of myself.

December 9, 2010.....Thursday

"Give yourself Praise."

Why is it we find it so hard to give ourselves a little praise. We have no problem giving others a high five and a pat on the back when they have had a good week, but when it comes to ourselves, we seem to be much more reserved.

Were we trained to be modest? I know our Mom always told us not to brag on ourselves, but with this weight loss journey, I think Mom may have been wrong. We need to give ourselves that praise for our achievements.

Oh the new WW program if you are now eating fruit instead of all those 100 calorie packs, then you need a pat on the back. If you are giving this new program a real ''college try'' then pat yourself on the back. Self-praise is important, more important than praise from others. Others are not always dependable. But we can always count on ourselves.

So how about today, maybe as soon as you finish reading this you begin your journey of self-commendation. Praise yourself for each pound lost, each time you made a more healthy food choice, each time you decided to park a little further away from the store doors. Praise yourself, watch yourself achieving as you go about your day. And give yourself a pat on the back ---you deserve it.

other half of our little front porch. The wicker rocker will be brought in for the guest bedroom. We have a guest coming and they will need a place to ''rock."

Enjoy the pictures.

Merry Christmas

half of our front porch, other half is next.