Is it spring yet?

Hi!

Sorry I am so terrible about updating this blog. People ask me about it and I mean to but.....

Well March is here and it has officially been ONE YEAR that I have been under goal & at lifetime with Weight Watchers. The year has gone so fast and it has not always been easy. Holidays are a killer!

So some things I have been up to are............

I have been using the Weight Watchers 'active link' that I was given as a gift from my leader-I was really on the fence about it before she gave it to me but after using it these past few weeks, I really like it. I really am pushing myself harder each day to be a little competitive with myself.

It really does show every activity you do any how many points you are earning each day. I also find it a little disappointing on my 'day off' from the gym when I get a big fat ZERO points earned those days! Last weekend, I walked around the Cleveland Botanical Gardens for an hour or so and it registered but just not enough activity to even count for me. Makes you think and push that bit harder.

I somehow talked my mom into taking a spinning class with me at the YMCA, and last night was our first night! I really liked it! I am surprised by how much I liked it, I felt like the instructor was to the point and nice.  It was challenging but didn't make me throw up! The backs of my legs are sore today, but not at bad as I expected. I am proud of myself taking this class-I have wanted to for a long time, but was too shy. I'm glad I finally did it.

People ask me a LOT about food/meals/menus/recipes. So I wanted to talk about it a little bit. I always make normal foods-I make stuff that my husband will eat and my soon to be 9 yr old son will eat. I do not make 'special' meals for anyone!

We usually have some kind of chicken dish at least one or twice a week, we DO eat pasta, we DO eat shake and bake and hamburger helper. Not every week, but it happens.  I still measure my food at every meal.  Pinterest has been awesome, you can always find a good recipe on there.  We love Mexican at our house, so we are always trying to healthify our favorite dishes! Some of my favorite websites to get some good lower calorie/healthier menu ideas are: green lite bites, eat yourself skinny, skinny ms, skinny taste, skinny kitchen, Danica's daily, Emily bites.

Hope everyone is having a great March so far!
Love
Julie

NBC segment link

HI
Here is the link to the NBC segment-I think it was good! Let me know what you think! :-)

Julie

http://www.wkyc.com/news/health/article/279312/7/Obesity-linked-to-Multiple-Sclerosis-risk

ALL YOU magazine

Hi!

"All you' magazine has done an article about me, with some nice photos of my son and I and also my friend Jen and her son too.  I am also on the cover! (I am in the orange sweater) I will link to the website below.

Also Monica Robins came to my house last week to interview me and talk about my weight loss and my health issues. It will air after 'The Biggest Loser', Monday the 21st at 11 p.m. and rumor has it, it will be a national story! Let me know if you see it and watch you think. Hopefully I look okay and don't sound stupid!

Thanks!

Julie

All you magazine:

http://dailysavings.allyou.com/2013/01/18/all-you-coupon-index-february-2013/

January 2013

Hi everyone! Hope 2013 is starting off great for you! I have been interviewed by two online blogs/publications and wanted to give you the links here:

First one is:
http://www.nomocameltoe.com/the-faces-of-fitness.php

and the second one is:
http://www.itsuxtobefat.com/weight-loss/success-stories/weight-loss-success-story-julie-mead

I also was interviewed by "All You" magazine and the article will be in stores at Walmart on Janaury 18th for Februarys issue.  It's a nice article and I am even on the cover ;-)

Thanks for reading!

Julie

p.s. Sorry I am not great about updating, you can always find me on twitter: @jules23 or on Facebook or on Pinterest (Julie Mead). And now you know why I am too busy to blog ;-)

Listen up!

Hi,

Heather from the website/podcast http://www.halfsizeme.com/ interviewed me last month!  You can
download it or listen to it on your computer.

Hear me talk about the ups and downs of losing all my weight, motivations etc.

Heather is pretty awesome and she has lost 170lbs herself.  Stop by and check her out!

Here is the link-let me know what you think!
http://www.halfsizeme.com/011-the-half-size-me-podcast-weight-loss-success-story-with-julie-a-mom-who-lost-312-pounds/

April, life and maintenance

Hi everyone,

Middle of April?? Where has the time gone? Well I figured it was a good time to share some updates in my life

I am lifetime with Weight Watchers! I have been for about 5 weeks now.

It's so weird in so many ways. I am still struggling with my points in-so-much as I can't seem to get my daily total right and I keep losing. I KNOW it's annoying to hear someone is losing weight without trying! I get it.

I have only been losing .5 or .8 each week and am still within the Weight Watchers healthy weight range but I am working on NOT losing and staying the same. I was told this was the hardest part and it's true. It's hard to work out as hard as ever and not expect to see a loss on Fridays. I am still adding a point a week to try to stabilize myself but it's slow because you have to give your body some time t adjust to the new point amount.

Also it's the first time EVER that I have been told to 'NOT lose any weight'. It's almost ingrained in me that I am overweight and always will be.

It's also weird to not weigh in each week-I know I *can* but don't *have* to. I have been taking advantage of the 'courtesy' weigh-ins that Weight Watchers lets you do whilst I am still getting used to being lifetime.

I have to admit its also hard to know that once I weigh in, I dont *have* to for a month and the urge to go grab some Ben & Jerry's and sit in my car and eat it is there sometimes but so far I get my skinny coffee from Starbucks instead :-)

At the end of the month, Laura kessel has asked me to come talk about my experience losing weight at a weigh in for a contest the local paper has been running. I don't know what it will be like but I am always happy to try to help someone. Losing a large amount of weight is so daunting.

Aside from that, the only other news I have is my sweet 7 year old is now a sweet (usually!) 8 year old. It was a week of birthday celebrations and I am glad it's over for a while. I wish I could freeze time, especially where my son is concerned!

Here is a picture my husband took about 2 weeks ago and also a picture of my son.

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

Hi!

So it's true, I finally hit goal. I think it's taken me a few weeks to actual believe it!

My grand total lost is 312 pounds. It has taken me over 3 1/2 years, through a broken wrist, through a fractured ankle (same time) and through the most serious medical issues I have ever even dreamed of happening to me. I started this journey when my son was just a pre-schooler, and now he is a big 2nd grader.

So many people have been instrumental to me in just believing in me and supporting me. Everyone at my Friday morning Weight Watcher meetings-strangers who have become friends, my neighbors and fellow school moms and most of all my family. Even the teachers at my sons school have been awesome, they are always so positive and supportive. If you are reading this, thank you so much.

I was so ready to start maintenance but so not ready. Never in my life have I been told to NOT lose weight. Actually I still find it a little perplexing...it's this crazy balancing act.

So my 1st week of maintenance, I increased my pointsplus by 2 a day (Weight Watchers recommended upping a max of 6 pointsplus a day) and I added a fruit a day. I know fruits are 'zero' pointsplus, but I usually stop at 2 but now I am 'allowing' myself 3 a day. Exercise stayed the same (5x a week).

ANYWAY-my first week I gained .8- I get that it's pretty normal but still hard to figure out what should have happened. I decided to not increase or decrease points again just yet...going to give it a few weeks and see how it plays out when my body catches up.

So week 2 of this and I think my biggest issue is trying to not use up my newly added points target with junk-i.e. mini snack bars, pudding etc...so far I am doing just fine with that.

Here are some pictures my husband took over the weekend. I also added a before so you can truly see the before and after now...rather then the 'in progress' :-)

Have a great month!

Julie