Stress can be good?!! Monday Weigh IN

Last weigh-in weight: 247.9
Today's weight: 245.5
This weeks loss/gain: -2.4
Total weight lost: 32.2
Weight to lose to mini-goal(240): 5.5

Stress, yes that helps. Can't give you any other secrets for how I did it this week? I don't know how. I ate at the airport, at drive thrus and on the fly most of the week due to travels. Who knows, maybe I ate less, maybe its just a couple pounds? I felt like I gained because the way my pants fit, so I don't feel good.

I was going to exercise today, realized it was too late to go to gym and get back in time, then looked out the window and the rain started to fall. I have new work-out pants too!

I just found out my old friend from grade school lost 45 lbs and can run two miles (and he started in July), so I am super psyched to get on the treadmill and train for the 5k in the spring. I would love to step up my gym attendance, especially because of SAD kicking in, I need to be more vigilant.

Goal: 4-5 days at gym per week. Minimum 2 days on treadmill working up to running for 5k. I hope to meet this goal by Thanksgiving, and will twitter my workouts... twitters run on the right side of this blog for you non twitterers and show up as my facebook status for you facebookers.
By the way, I also want to lose the 5.5 by my first November weigh-in. I think I can, I think I can...

I just re-connected with a long lost friend via Facebook, and am super excited to find out what is going on in his life.

Keep praying for me, I need it. My mood wants to dive a lot lately, and I can use the support. Emails work well too.

I did a 5K today

I did the 5K walk for NAMI DuPage today. Thank you to all of my friends who supported me in prayer, thought, and the few who sent money for NAMI. I raised 75 bucks for the cause, so thank you!
It felt great to finish. My legs are killing me though from sciatica, but they were just fine for the walk! The weather was perfect!
Dave and I celebrated with breakfast at Butterfields. It was awesome.

Now off for the 5KK at work, just kidding.

monday Weigh-IN

Thanks Tam for the e-mail, while I might or might not have forgotten, your accountability is exactly what I need. So, here goes nothing....

Last weigh-in weight: 248.1
Today's weight: 245.5
This weeks loss/gain: -2.6
Total weight lost: 32.2
Weight to lose to NEW mini-goal(240): 5.5

I decided to add in the" this week" thing and post my exact mini goal weight, and make it a "mini" goal!
I had gotten to almost 40 lbs, and fell off the wagon, but I am back on track.
I also re-did some math using my original weight and found that I have lost more than I thought. My original weight was 277.7 at my first WW weigh in (oh that hurt to put) and I found my calculator disagreed with my blog,(so there.)

Now my challenge is to get to the gym, and be ready for my 5k THIS WEEKEND. Also not to read the headlines and worry about the depression headed to the US, but denial is my friend... right?

The sun does come up every day, even if I see it or not.

If you wear it, they will laugh

It all started with Jason's post here. It was the end of July, and me having just signed up for the NAMI DuPage Walk for the Mind thought how great this story was. This t-shirt is not only funny (because it says balls) but anti-stigma for depression. I am so all about this. So I commented, jokingly, that I wanted one. Well, Jason said he had a few left, so he sent me one. I told himI would wear it to church! And here is the "ballsy" thing, I did. Above you see me in church, at our Welcome Table, (photos taken by our very own Amy) and in front of the Yellow Box with the infamous "balls tee." This was taken at the start of our 5pm service, so I did wear it at church, in service.

Yes, it did take me an entire month to get the photos on to the blog, life has been a bit busy, so you will have to cut me a break.

The best story for me was being concious of myself. Never before have I worn something that I wanted people to see and ask me about. But that meant everyone. Some people smiled, some made rude comments to others they were with. Some laughed to themselves. Some nerd named Eric thought I was just being wierd until I explained the story behind the shirt to him. (Truthfully, I still think he thought I was just being wierd.)

Most people were in good humor. Infact, I did continue to wear it on my date night with my husband. As we were leaving our favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse (hint for gift certificates,) this guy saw my shirt and busted up laughing, even pointing his finger at my shirt. It took everything I had just to keep walking and not do the same. Try explaining busting mental health stigma to a guy who had one too many beers while trying to be on a date... no thanks.

I just didn't have the "balls" to ask J. Ferg for a picture with him and me and the tee. It is a "New Thing" story, but I just couldn't do it!

I did promise to upload them to Facebook, and I am, as well as blogging about it... Thanks to Jason for the inspiration, you truly deserved your BVD award!

I will be wearing the Balls Tee for my 5K walk... there is still time to support me!

Support me in my first 5K (walk)

I would like to ask if you wouldn't mind sponsoring me in my first 5K. It is a walk, I am not planning on running until the spring, I might try some jogging, but I haven't been training to run yet.

This benefits NAMI of DuPage which is an organization that helps with support, advocacy and education in order to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness and their families.

I am walking to help fight the stigma of mental illness.

I myself am treated for chronic depression, and I have and know many friends who have also been diagnosed with several different mental illnesses. So often people with mental illness are treated differently than people with physical illness. I am a case where I can definitely say that there IS HOPE!

If you would like to help support me and NAMI please do so before September 6th.

Make all checks payable to NAMI of DuPage County. Please ask your employer if they have a matching gift program as well.

You can email me, and I can send you my address if you do not have it, or give me the check in person. I will turn all of the donations in myself.

If you would like to read about the run/walk, you can do so by clicking here to view the PDF of the brochure.

If you would like to join me, let me know.

Thanks and God Bless!