Colletta Is Losing It! ~ A Fresh Start ~ 2/21/2025

I can't count the number of times that I've "started over" on my journey to getting healthier and losing weight.  How many times have I given myself a "fresh start".  Then the same old, same old happens and I give up, give in and quit.

Now, here I am, 46 years old, 301lbs, borderline diabetic, and have aches and pains that I shouldn't have at my age.  Not to mention feeling uncomfortable in my skin AND my clothes.

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Is this time any different?  At this point, I honestly can't say.  But I have HOPE.  Because I'm DESPERATE.  I'm DESPERATE for change.

Here's what I want to accomplish:

I want to lose 150 lbs by the time I turn 50 years old and document my journey.  According to my LoseIt! app, I should hit my goal by January/February 2028.  LORD willing, I'll turn 50 years old on March 24, 2028.

I want to have weekly and monthly weigh ins.  I also want to set goals for myself and celebrate milestones!  I'll probably have journal entries as well to give myself an outlet for emotions, both good and frustrating.

Here's how I'm going to do it:

~  Track my food intake, calories in and calories out on the LoseIt! app.  I'm able to sync my Apple watch to the app and keep track of steps and calories burned.  I have to manually input my meals, of course.

~  To start off, I'm going to set a goal of 30 minutes of dedicated exercise 3 times a week.  Hopefully, I'll have more than that but I don't want to overwhelm myself and burn out...again.

~  Something I'll be doing differently this go-around is getting help from my PCP.  When I saw that my A1C is 5.8 while already taking Metformin, I decided it was time to finally agree to a weight loss medication.  My PCP has sent in a prescription to the pharmacy for Zepbound and I'm now just awaiting authorization from the insurance company.  I'm holding on to the hope that it will go through.

 

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Am I nervous?  Very.  But I'm going to give it my all.  

Why?  Because I'm scared.  I'm scared of what my life will look like in 10 years if I don't do this now.  

There's so much more that I could write but I think that is enough for now.

If you are also on a health journey, whatever that may look like, I'd love to know and would also love your support.  Follow along, if you'd like :)

Colletta

Thankful Thursday ~ 7/23/20

 

Here are some things that made me thankful this week:

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~ 7/16/20 ~ Good Dental Checkups!  Kaylee and I had our dental checkup and cleaning today.   We both had good reports and were told to keep up the good work.  But...we're supposed to floss more...  lol

~ 7/17/20 ~ Highlights!  I made a hair appointment and got in right away for highlights!  I needed to change it up a bit.  I love it!

~7/18/20 ~ Working at the Church!  Doug, Laken and I worked on building a playground for the littles at Church.  We have a playground for the bigger kids but we've been blessed with some toddlers in the congregation and they needed a space of their own to play where they wouldn't get run over by the "big kids".  It was so hot but we got it put together for the most part!

~ 7/19/20 ~ Treadmill!  I am so thankful to have a treadmill on days like today.  It would have been WAY too hot to walk outside!

~ 7/20/20 ~ Progress on Laken's Room!  Laken wants to redecorate her room into a "teenage room".  Doug is on vacation the week and one of his projects is to work on Laken's room.  It isn't a painless process to be sure!  Laken is a hoarder and doesn't want to get rid of anything.  Any progress is better than none!

~ 7/21/20 ~ School Board Meeting!  The School Board for Laken's school met this evening.  I haven't heard yet what they decided to do for the Fall but at least they have to be making progress.  We have no idea what to expect so far!

~ 7/22/20 ~ Lilah's Eye Getting Better!  We had Lilah back to the vet for a re-check of her eye and it is making progress in healing.  The vet added a second eye drop that will hopefully help it heal all the way.

 

What are you thankful for this week? 

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 7/9/20

A few sentences about each day...

June 28, 2020 - July 4, 2020

Sun/28 ~ Happy Lord's Day!  Kaylee had to go into work this afternoon as her company is having a 4th of July Sale.  Laken went down to Uncle Dan's to swim with him, Aunt Kelly and Andrew.  I picked her up in time for Youth Group in the evening.  All in all, it was a nice relaxing day.

Mon/29 ~ Grocery day was not good to us.  I bumped into the bank in our parking lot with the front corner of the Subaru.  I didn't think anything happened but when we were almost to the grocery store the inner fender and all the attachments started flying everywhere!  We bought a roll of duck tape at the store and taped the fender together to get home.  What a day!

Tues/30 ~ I called our car insurance and since we have full coverage on the Subaru I was able to make a claim.  The "claims guy" was a bit aggravating.  He kept asking me the same questions over and over.  Very irritating :(  We took the car to a local body shop to get an estimate.  Hopefully everything will go smoothly.

Wed/1 ~ Happy July!  I had a dr's appt and a test done today.  I'm happy to say that everything is good and "normal".  I'll leave it at that.  But... on the way home, in the Nitro, the brakes started sticking.  Once, again, we limped home.  All Doug had to say the whole way home was "You've got to be kidding me!"  That put both cars out of commission.  We called my brother, Dan, and he picked up the brakes and calipers from the parts store for us.  He also lent us one of his vehicles.  Thanks, Dan!

Thurs/2 ~ As of 7am, Doug is on "holiday".  He came home and put the new brakes etc. on the Nitro.  Then went to town and got a watermelon for the 4th of July.  We also swung by Dairy Queen and picked up a patriotic ice cream cake for Saturday's picnic and Fireworks.  Doug stayed up all day and is now crashing on the couch watching Hallmark Movies :)

Fri/3 ~ Today is Dad's 73rd birthday!  We went to Bob Evans for breakfast where I got pancakes or as they called them "hotcakes".  Kaylee had to go to work this afternoon.  The rest of us went to Shawnee.  The guys fished and us girls sat in the shade at a picnic table.  Laken colored while I started working on a new project.  We then stopped for ice-cream on our way home :)

Sat/4 ~ Happy Independence Day!  I love the 4th of July and all the festivities that come with it.  We had a quiet morning and then went to my brother and SIL's for a picnic and swimming at noon.  The kids stayed there to swim but Doug and I came home about 3pm to let the dogs out and take an afternoon nap.  At 7pm we all went to my Aunt Donna's and Uncle Charlie's for more food, fun and fireworks!  I love the USA!!!

Until next week,

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 6/30/20 ~ with pictures

A few sentences about each day...

June 21, 2020 - June 27, 2020

Sun/21 ~ Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad and to my awesome hubby :)  We had Church at the Lion's Park today with a picnic to celebrate the father's afterward.  It was such a nice time of food and fellowship.  We followed the picnic with a nice Sunday Afternoon Nap.  Kaylee feel asleep on the couch while Laken made Doug a Father's Day Card.  She's one to wait until the last minute but they are always very elaborate :)

Mon/22 ~ It was so hot this morning but then this afternoon storms rolled in and cooled the temperatures.  We went for groceries as we usually do on Mondays and I got this sweet little Cross Stitch Kit.  I'm not letting myself open it until I get my current crochet WIP done though :)

Tues/23 ~ I've been crocheting, crocheting, crocheting on my WIP.  I really want to dig into learning Cross Stitch!  We decided not to cook tonight and instead went to Sundae's for hot dogs and ice cream.  I got my favorite Peanut Butter Sundae with peanuts on top!  yummy...

Wed/24 ~ Kaylee found out that we got Sundae's without her (she was at work) so she "insisted" we go for lunch today.  She had to twist our arms...Not!  Laken wasn't feeling too perky this evening.  Her temperature was normal.  I think she has just been staying up too late at night and was overly tired.

Thurs/35 ~ I hung the laundry out on the clothesline today but when I started to hang the second load, I heart thunder.  I barely got the first load off the line when it poured down rain.  It moved through pretty quickly.  I got my WIP all joined and started working on the border this evening.  It is going to take a while to get all the rows of the border completed.

Fri/26 ~ We have been looking everywhere for Mountain Pie Irons!  I know we went to at least 5 stores and looked online and everywhere is sold out!  Laken really wants Mountain Pies at her party in late July so we figured we better start looking now.  On the way home from work this morning, Doug stopped by the little bait shop near our local State Park and lo and behold:  Mountain Pie Irons!  Daddy saves the day...again!  We went back to the State Park in afternoon to fish and relax.  It was a beautiful day even if it was a bit windy!

Sat/27 ~ It was supposed to storm so we had thought our plans to make a trip to Swallow Falls would have to be put on hold.  When it hadn't rained by noon, we decided to make the 1 hr 30 min drive and just see what would happen weather-wise.  We had some rain on the way once we hit Garrett County but by the time we got to Swallow Falls and parked it had slacked off.  We had a nice time at the park and then stopped at IHOP for supper (my first time).  I plan on writing a post with more pictures sometime this week.

Until next week,

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 6/9/20 ~ with pictures

A few sentences about each day...

May 31, 2020 - June 6, 2020

Mon/31 ~  This should be the last Sunday Kaylee has to work for a while.  The Anniversary Sale ended May 29th and they should be getting back to normal hours soon.  Right now she is a temp, so I'm praying that her position becomes permanent.  I made Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies this afternoon to take to evening Church.  The edges were pretty crunchy but the Peanut Butter Icing was so yummy that it made up for it :)

Tues/1 ~ Happy June!  I'm so excited to turn the calendar page to a new month!  I love when a new month starts on a Monday.  It feels like a fresh new start and I, for one, am hitting the reset button!  I walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes this morning and it felt great.  I'm still using the MyWW app to track my food and exercise but have been really lackadaisical about it.  I'm also excited about today being June 1st because the #20booksofsummer20 starts today!  Whoohoo!  You can see more about it by clicking on the picture in my sidebar.

Tues/2 ~ It was a weird day weather-wise.  It got to be 80F but was so dreary and dark for most of the day.  Finally this evening, the sun came out for a while.  It didn't rain, so I was able to hang laundry out to dry.  The first rose of the summer is blooming on the rose bush that my Mom got a cutting from my Grandmother's rose bush.  It is beautiful and brings back such great memories.  Laken and I made a Graham Cracker Pudding Dessert for Bible Study tomorrow night.  We made it up as we went :)

Wed/3 ~ Big excitement here at the house today!  My Dad saw a snake going up a tree by the garden!  He came in the house to get a gun and told everyone to stay inside.  The snake disappeared into the woods before Dad could get to it...  The kids (Laken and Dex) decided to stand guard from the deck and keep an eye out for any more snakes!  The cats helped :)  Thankfully, none were seen.  I hate snakes! 

Thurs/4 ~ Kaylee registered for her classes for the Fall 2020 Semester!  She'll be taking two classes online.  That will make her a part-time student.  She's still not sure about her work situation as right now she is just "seasonal".  My devotional books that I ordered from Christianbook.com arrived!  They were a long while getting here with the distribution center being shut down until last Monday.  I think I'll start with the "Devotions from the Garden".

Fri/5 ~ Laken made Doug's birthday cake today so that we can have his birthday "celebration" tomorrow at lunch because Kaylee is going to a friend's house tomorrow evening.  This evening cooled off beautifully so I walked around the house taking pictures of the flowers.  They are blooming so prettily right now.  It has been raining a bit each day so we haven't had to water the flowers or the garden very much.  I imagine that will change though.

Sat/6 ~ Today we celebrated Doug's 52nd birthday with lunch and a cake.  His actual birthday is on Tuesday but he works and we have Ladies Meeting in the evening.  Kaylee went to a work friend's house to watch scary movies.  I won't watch a scary movie so she has been a bit sheltered!  I had an appointment at 5pm to get my hair cut and eyebrows waxed.  It felt so good to get some pampering in :)  Lilah went to the groomer today also!  She looks and smells so much better :)

Until next week,

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 6/2/20 ~ with pictures

A few sentences about each day...

May 25, 2020 - May 30, 2020

Mon/25 ~ Happy Memorial Day and Happy Unofficial Summer!  We got Subway for lunch before Kaylee had to go to work and ate at the picnic table on the hill.  After Kaylee left for work, while Doug was napping for work tonight and Laken was doing who-knows-what, I got on the treadmill for 45 minutes.  I'm trying really hard to find the right time of day to make walking on the treadmill a habit.  Mornings and evenings are busy so maybe afternoons will be the right time???  After Doug's nap, we went for ice cream and fishing at Shawnee.  It was a beautiful day :)

Tues/26 ~  It was another gorgeous day!  I think the nice weather is finally here to stay :)  Laken spent most of the afternoon outside on a blanket with the cats.  Fluff decided that the blanket was solely for her and wriggled all over it.  We had to water the flowers and the vegetable garden this evening as they were getting a bit thirsty.

Wed/27 ~  Even though it was a bit cloudy, I was able to hang clothes on the line today!  I love being able to do that.  Damon and Dexter were here today.  Laken played with them outside (when she finally got out of bed).  They played ball and drew with sidewalk chalk.  When we came inside, the kids helped make a Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake.  It was utter chaos but we got it made :)  It turned out super yummy and I'll be sure to share the recipe sometime soon.

 Thurs/28 ~ Kaylee wanted to go shopping this morning this morning to get some cooler work clothes.  Apparently it was unbearably hot in the warehouse last evening and she was wearing a pair of sweatpants!  We stopped at Hebrews, a little coffee shop, and the girls got their morning caffeine.  It was very muggy this evening so we had an easy supper of weiner winks and french fries.  For dessert we had fresh strawberries with whipped cream :)

Fri/29 ~ Green!  Green!  Green!  We're going green!  Next Friday, that is, but I'm still excited!  Restaurants, hair salons,theaters, etc., etc., etc.  I know we still have to be cautious, don't get me wrong.  It will just be good to get just a little bit closer to "normal".  Kaylee got a letter in the mail from the College saying that she received a scholarship that she had applied for.  It is for $500.  Every little bit helps :)

Sat/30 ~ My recipe for "Irish Stew" was featured on the blog "Scraptastic Saturdays"!  I got a new pretty orange cup to hold my ice water.  they didn't have my favorite turquoise color so I picked the orange one.  I'm hoping that I'll cut back on the pop and drink more water.  We went shoe shopping for Kaylee's work shoes.  She got a pair of Sketchers that are very cushiony.  I hope they work well for her.               

Until next week,

Colletta

Journal Entry ~ 5/26/20 ~ With pictures

A few sentences about each day...

May 20, 2020 - May 24, 2020

Wed/20 ~ We had Prayer Meeting and Bible Study this evening!  It is so good to be getting back to normal!  Doug has tonight to work and then he's off for four days.  He wants to re-do the dog yard and porch.  Hopefully we have nice weather so that he's able to get done what he wants to complete this weekend.  Right now the dogs are enjoying being able to stretch out on my bed.  Where am I going to sleep?

Thurs/21 ~  Doug worked last night and then stayed up all day working on the fencing for the dog's yard.  As I'm waiting for Kaylee to get home from work, he's snoring away on the couch.  It is supposed to rain all weekend, so he was hoping to get it all done today.  Unfortunately, he needs to get two more boards to finish up the project.  My poor hubby...

Fri/22 ~ During a break in the rain, my Mom and I walked around the outside of the house looking at the flowers.  I always plant Marigolds in honor of my Grandmother who had a green thumb.  We plant Impatiens in honor of Doug's Mom.  She always planted them in her flower boxes, just not the white ones!  She hated white flowers for some reason. We tried out the new food truck in town called "Lumberjack Snacks".   It is run by one of Doug's best friends from high school.

Sat/23 ~  Laken and I repainted my swing today.  First we had to  scrape the old paint.  Laken was a big help.  I absolutely love the color.  It is called Milano Teal.  My porch swing is my Happy Place :)  Kaylee and Shawn ordered us all Chinese takeout for dinner.  Kaylee was happy to get her sushi.  She loves the stuff...

Sun/24 ~ It was great to once again fellowship with other Christians at Church.  I made some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies to take for snack in the evening.  They turned out a bit flat but were quite tasty.  Next time, I'll add some more flour.  I'll share the recipe soon :)

Until next week,

Colletta