Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge: Initial Post

Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge (CDCC)

It is a great time to start a challenge.  Let me tell you, I need it.  The past month has been challenging and I have not lost any weight.  My energy has been shot, have had an injured foot and I have felt nauseous a lot.  Not only have I been having troubles, my kids have been sick too.  When the kids get sick I am not able to go to the gym.  Needless to say my work outs have been minimal.  I really would like to get back into the routine I had over summer of going to the gym 5-6 times a week.  My mood reflects the need as well.

I have been teetering +/-2 lbs.  I ended the Slimmer this Summer at 187.9.  Today I am at 189.  I have been suck in this little slump for a month.  I am ready to break away from the 180’s, almost 190’s.  I want to start feeling better.  I am not sure what is going to take.

I have a doctor’s appointment next week to get my thyroid checked.  I have had it checked before and supposedly it is in the normal range.  I just want to see if there is something I can do to help me feel a little better.

So on to the dress….

Right now since I am a stay at home mom and we are a “one income family” money is tight.  It wouldn’t be so bad, but my husband works for the state and with budget cuts and our house falling apart all around us, money is hard to come by (especially because we do not believe in debt).

In reality I don’t need a new dress, and probably don’t have any fancy shmancy Christmas parties to go to.  So I perused the local thrift store to find my dress of choice.  I wanted to find something a little bit retro, a little bit 50’s inspired, a belted dress of some sort.

I got lucky and found something up my ally.  It is a size 12. Right now I am pushing a 14 (with things being tight in the belly area).  I was happy that when I went into the dressing room that I was able to squeeze into it.  Granted, I wouldn’t wear the dress today in public, but for the purpose of this challenge I will post pictures.  Bear with me here honeys! I am looking a bit pregnant, argh!

I spent $23.00 on the dress and shoes.  Not a bad bargain, but for me it was like pulling teeth.  I don’t spend money on myself very often, and right now we don’t really have a whole lot to spare.  I had to have a long drawn out conversation with myself after leaving the store that I better get back on the wagon and get moving.  In the mean time I got sick, which has been really annoying.  I am feeling manageable, just now if I could get my son’s nose to stop running.  We will be gym bound soon!

Part of the challenge is choosing a book to assist us through the next few months. The book I choose is The Low Blood Sugar Handbook by Edward and Patricia Krimmel.  I have read it in the past and I would like to revisit it.  It will be a great reminder of what I need to change with my eating habits to get me on track.  I hope to share my insights from this book. I have found in the past this is a helpful tool in keeping my blood sugar in balance.  I am sure there are others out there too that can benefit from this book too.

Challenge Details:

-September 11 through December 18... That's 14 Weeks to a Smaller Dress Size

-Get the dress: One size smaller with pictures

-Caloric intake goal

-Exercise minimum 3x week

-Be consistent: Don’t be a yo-yo!

-Hydrate sufficiently

-Choose one or more books and work on your main obstacle to losing issue

-Initial post September 11 post your weight and goals

-One update a post a week by Sunday evening link up.  Also one additional blog post a week.

-Be supportive visit and comment on at least 3 blogs Challengers blogs

My Stats:

-Start Weight: 189

-Dress Size: Aiming to fit into a size 12 (currently 14+ish)

-My Book: The Low Blood Sugar Handbook: Edward and Patricia Kimmel

-Calories: 1300/day 165 carbs a day with fiber adjustment (see here for explanation)

-Water: 10 glasses of water a day (80 oz)

-Photo: Here are my lovely before photos!