Just deal with it!

I went to my meeting today to weigh in. I missed the last two meetings and I have been eating like i have the metabolism of a 15 year old boy since Thanksgiving! And before Thanksgiving I had stopped journaling. I dont believe i have journaled since September. I had reached 170 and for some reason decided to hang out there for a while. Well, today I am back and will continue. First goal? Journal and don't worry about the scale.

My incredible daughter continues to loose .5 to 1.0 each week and has now lost over 20 pounds. She has five pounds to go to get to goal! I am so stinking proud of her!

I said when I joined WW this time that I wouldn't quit until I reached my goal, and I won't!

Pilates Anyone??

I'm all about trying new things. New routes to reach my destination, new ways to mow the lawn (the heck with diagonal and perpindicular, I like to mow in a circle, keeps the neighbors guessing) new recipes for dinner, new restaurants,  and new cocktails for happy hour!

I like a bit of a physical challenge, so trying new things in that department in also something I enjoy. I have joined the gym, I ride my bike, I don't like to run, but I will do a bit of a walk/run to get my heart rate up, AND I bought a heart rate monitor (huge help in determining where you need to be to get the full benefit of your workout) walked a few 5K's, took a kick boxing class, did a few awesome excercise video's, took a Zumba class,  and tried a little yoga.

Now, it's Pilates time!

It's tonight and I'm looking forward to it!

Challenge yourself to try something new and different! It keeps things exciting!

This is sooooo wrong................

Maybe this explains my plateau................

UP, down, UP, down........

This roller coaster of emotions of mine has got my scale on a roller coaster of it's own. Stress eating seems to be an area I can't get under control and it has got me at a point of up's and down's with my weight loss efforts.  Lot's of stuff going on in my life right now that I disagree with or I am uncomfortable with, but I have absolutely no control over and it is really eating me up. (No pun intended.) I completely use food when I am stressed out, bored or even excited. I am trying really hard here to just accept the things in my life that are happening and remind myself they are not permanent.
I am utilizing the excercising as much as possible as a way to release some stress. I know how much better I feel when I excercise and I also know it gives me time to think. Sometimes it's actually an escape to NOT think about things. Maybe I focus on the birds, or the sunshine, or the kids at the park, or I just crank up the tunes and hit it hard.

I do have a plan. I tried Yoga, and I liked it, so I'm thinking about doing that twice a week. Then this last Saturday I tried a Zumba class for the first time with a new friend of mine. I enjoyed the class because it was something new to try, and I am thouroughly enjoying my new friendship! We are going to do the class next week too!

My goal for the next three weeks is to not miss a day of journaling everything from eating to drinking to excercise. I figure if I truly make myself write it all down, and own it, I will see a difference on the scale.

Here's to success!

First Yoga Class!!

So I get this coupon about three months ago for five pilates and yoga classes for $15 dollars.....I think.....GREAT! I am needing something new, and this will be perfect! Well, after looking at the coupon in my WW book for SEVERAL weeks, I decided to challenge myself and go to the class this morning! I was really nervous I was going to make a fool of myself. My real only screw up, is that all the ladies showed up in flip flops, because, duh.........you do yoga barefoot! I showed up in my shoes and socks....and I hid down the hall to take them off, and just acted as though I showed up barefoot. L O S E R.....Anyhow, the YOGA???  I LOVED it! And I don't think I did too shabby either. I will for sure attend the five classes I have the coupon for, then check out the price to continue. And I found out I can take the Pilates class before the yoga class....so I will do that next Tuesday and Thursday.

I'm pretty cheap, my gym membership is $10 dollars a month.........so we'll see......

But Today I Feel GREAT!!!

My Workout Buddy Went Back to College

My daughter left last Friday to go back to school. We had really established a great routine over the summer. She lost 12.6 lbs and went back to school looking great! I know she is a bit nervous about being able to continue to make the right choices when she is surrounded with friends wanting to eat out all the time. But she has my support, and hopefully the support of her friends too! We went shopping together and stocked her kitchen up pretty good, AND she found herself a meeting the first week she was back and WENT TO IT! I couldn't be more proud of her, for that, and too many other things to even mention.

She is everything I thought a daughter ever could be, and so much more.

Hanging out in the 170's.

I kind of seem to be stuck. This happened in the 180's as well. I felt really good and found myself hanging out there for a while. I have no intentions of stopping my weight loss at all. Sometimes you just want to take a break from the routine though, and kick back. I know that I have learned I can't take a forever break, and I continue to go to two meetings a week, and also hit the gym, and track all of the food I am eating and also all of my excercise, but I am eating a bit more each week than I am allowed, therefore leading me to go up and down on the scale a bit.
I had blogged about a lake trip we were to take with my husband's work crowd. That trip took place last weekend and I was hoping to be at 170. I weighed in the day before the trip at 170.6! I was super pleased with myself, thank you very much. The following week I weighed in at 174.0. NO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Let's just say that while at the lake, I enjoyed myself very much, I have no regrets, and I understand I will NOT lose that as easily as I gained it.
I'm not really sure where I will be on Friday morning when I weigh in. I have excercised hard this week, but not as frequent as I have been. I have been over eating due to stress. Still trying to figure that one out. I KNOW I need to leave the house when I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed, but sometimes getting out the door is easier said than done.
I am a work in progress. Aren't we all?

Recovery!! :)

Ok, I went to a meeting this morning to rejuvinate! Immediately after the meeting I went to the gym. I did 50 minutes of High Intensity cardio, 30 on the treadmil, 10 on the eliptical and 10 on the arc trainer (I think that's what it's called?) followed by weights and abs. Feel much better about myself today and I knew that I would get back on the right track, I just had to convince myself. I've had plenty of water today, a protein bar for breakfast, and lots of fruits and veggies and a WW smoothie with a little extra protein added for lunch. Planning on turkey taco's and lots of veggies for dinner!

I did go out last night with a bunch of girlfriends to a baseball game. We had lots of beers and I woke up this morning feeling swollen and again, dissappointed.

I had been doing a really good job about only drinking one or two days a week, and somehow, I seemed to have forgotten about that little rule I had made for myself. I will put that rule back in place starting immediately!

I am leaving Friday afternoon with a girlfriend to go on a float trip all day Saturday. I know that day will include lots of cold beers! I am going to pack healthy snacks to take along, and lots of water too! I plan to enjoy the beer of course, but then I will remember on Sunday that I have had my fun and pay serious attention to what I put in my mouth!

I NEED TO SEE THE 160'S!!!!!

Most Difficult Blog Yet....

My last weigh in went so incredibly well. I weighed 170.8. I just KNEW that the 160's were RIGHT around the corner. And they were. But something happened. And I hate like hell to have to write about it and tell everyone. But that was the whole idea of this blog. When I get to goal and become a leader, I want everyone that is trying to lose weight to understand that if we fall, we must pick ourselves up, and go at it again. Well....I fell. I fell HARD! I am a stress eater, no doubt. I have written a bit about that. I am still learning how to deal with stress in a healthier way, but the facts are, we all have our setbacks, and we don't always handle the stress in the healthiest way. I have binged several days in the last week or so. I will admit that nowadays, my binge is on three servings of strawberries and an overload of trailmix, but none the less, a binge is a binge is a binge. And overeating even the healthiest of foods, is not good for anyone. Everything in moderation. I went to weigh in on Friday, and took the "no weigh in" pass. I just didn't want to face the number on the scale. I thought for sure that the weekend would get me back on track. It didn't. I didn't. I couldn't sleep at all last night thinking about how dissappointed I was in myself and how long it was now going to take me to see the 160's.

After a long talk with myself this morning, I know the right thing to do. Stop beating myself up, and get back at it. So that is what I am going to do. I will blog at the end of today with an update. My plan for the day is to eat the minimum that I am allowed, drink extra water, and have an awesome workout at the gym.

I think I gained FOUR pounds!!!

Irritated as heck, but facing it!

Planning.....

So "planning" is a huge part of this new lifestyle. Today, for example, I am going to lunch with girlfriends. I am really hoping to lose 2 pounds this week. Today is a planned birthday lunch for a girlfriend. This particular restaurant that we are going to has an awesome Turkey Burger and Sweet Potato Fries! Whenever we go, we ALL order the same thing, the turkey burger and those ridiculously yummy fries. Sure, I could order it, and probably be just fine, but for some reason, sometimes I challenge myself to do something a little different, and unexpected for myself, and I walk away feeling SO good! Now I realize this sounds absolutely ridiculous, and really not that big of a deal, but oddly, it IS a really big deal. I've had a good, low fat, high protein breakfast, drank lots of water, and lunch is at 11:30. I should not even be hungry by then. I am not even going to open the menu. I will try to be the first to order as to not be tempted by others, and I will order the caesar salad with the dressing on the side.

We will all have a great conversation and I will walk away knowing that I am THAT much closer to my goal!!

Nothing In My Closet Fits!!!!!

That's right! Nothing in my closet fits!! And you know what?? I'm so happy because it's ALL TOO BIG!! So I got out my donation bag and filled it up! All of the 14's are officially OUT of the closet! The 12's are comfortable, and beginning to be a bit baggy. I did find a pair of 10 jeans the other day in the very back of the closet, and I was determined to squeeze into them. I did, and my butt really looked cute!! My daughter agreed. Well, I didn't give her much choice when I said "Doesn't my butt look cute?" But she did agree.  I think they were more spandex than denim, and I seriously have no idea where they came from or what year I bought them, but I just might wear them out of the house soon!

I did go to Target and try on a few things, just for fun. The best part of this unexpected shopping trip (I really went in for bathsoap and toothpaste), was the cute LITTLE dress I bought to wear to a party next weekend. It's a MEDIUM!! I looked at the tag three times just to make sure, AND IT IS A MEDIUM!!! I was so excited. I walked out of the dressing room and handed the lady the items I would not be purchasing, and as I handed them to her I said in my proudest loudest voice, "I WILL NOT BE NEEDING THESE LARGE ITEMS.THEY ARE A BIT TOO BIG. BUT I WILL KEEP THIS MEDIUM SIZED DRESS. THANK YOU, AND YOU HAVE A NICE DAY."

Maybe when I get to my goal weight, I'll spend a little more on my clothes??? But probably not.

I'm at 170 and still have 20 pounds to go, but my clothes are fitting like they have never fit before. Makes me LOVE the gym!

Headed there now!!

Weigh-In! Yipee!!

Another Wednesday has come again...........which means it's time to weigh in! I went through my routine when I got to the WW meeting. I pee'd, I exhaled, I stepped on the scale. I was SO VERY happy this morning! I was really hoping for, and was going to be very pleased with 172, and I got 170.8! I am SO excited! The 160's are JUST around the corner!! I have really been drinking a LOT of water, working hard at the gym, and eating a TON of fruits and veggies and protein. I am literally NEVER hungry. It's amazing what eating the right foods can do for you! Just about every other morning I have this ridiculous routine where I go in my closet and get a few of the items I hadn't been able to wear in YEARS!! I put them on and prance around my bedroom with pride! Yip, I'm a TOTAL loser, but it just makes me feel so darned good!! The size 12's are getting loose and the comments from people I haven't seen in a long time are really keeping me motivated. I still have 20 lbs to go to get to my goal of 150, and that sounds SO far away, but I have to keep my mind set on the small goals. Five pounds at a time. So far I have lost 41 lbs.

I feel incredible. I am happier, stronger, I have more energy, and as a whole package, I just feel more "together"!

My husband gave me a hug the other night, and told me he couldn't believe how different I feel. He said I feel firm and strong. My daughter told me this week that I look more fit than she has ever seen me look! I love my family and all of thier support!

I can't wait to get to goal so I can become a WW Leader and help other's feel this great!

Lovin Life!

Muscles I forgot I had??

So, my fabulous workout buddy ( my daughter) thought it would be a great idea to change things up a bit at the gym. We have been reading lots of workout articles, mostly in Oxygen Magazine, and they do all talk about having a variety in your workout. You get used to a routine, and so do your muscles. The best thing to do? Have a variety in your workouts, so you don't get bored, and you really get a good head to toe workout. So, we switched up the ab workout a bit! HOLY CRAP! Everytime I breathe, stand up, sit down, turn around, lay down or get out of bed, I GROAN!

I LOVE IT!!

Oh! And today was Weigh-In Day. Down another 0.4! WHOOP! WHOOP!

OUTDATED?? Who Cares? They fit!!

There is almost nothing about losing weight that I love more than going through my closet and trying on clothes I haven't worn in years! I have a pair of jeans I keep trying on, knowing one day they WILL fit! I woke up yesterday feeling even lighter than the day before and I ran into the closet, pulled them off the hanger, and slipped into them. TA DA!! It felt sooo good. I decided no matter what the temperature on this hot summer day, I was going to wear them. When I put them on later in the day, with my tank top and flip flops, I realized they were a bit dated. And actually, they were a little low on my hips, and a little wide in the butt. So I decided to roll them up, wear them low, and pretend they were "boyfriend" jeans. I think I pulled it off. My daughter and husband said they looked great!! :)

I am also now wearing regular bra's, instead of sports bra's all day. Because I can.

Bootcamp Anyone?

So my neighbor sends me a text. "Wanna go to bootcamp? It's bring a friend day.". I think to myself, what the heck? I've been hitting the gym hard. Sure! Love to!
So she picks me up at 6:20 A.M!!! Who knew the sun was up?? We head to bootcamp. I am going to KICK SOME ASS!! Well, HOLY COW! That was one hour of nothing but trying to make my body do things it didn't want to do. Well, ok. That's maybe a slight exageration, but it was much harder than I expected it to be. I did feel like a million bucks on the way home. So much so, that I told my daughter (my WW buddy) I still planned on going to the gym after our WW meeting that morning. And I DID!
Weigh in went super! Gained 0.6 last week, and lost 1.6 this week, so in all, down another pound. Weighing in at 173 this week. YAHOO! YIPEEE! Feeling good!
Went to a get together with some girls I had not seen in months. It felt so good when they all made such a big deal about how different and how good I looked. I..... ATE..... IT...... UP!!
That dreaded "Work Lake Trip" was scheduled for this weekend, but has now been put off for two weeks. I was hoping to be at 170 for the lake weekend, so looks like that might happen after all!
Hoping to make some yummy new recipes over the weekend!

Maybe shop for a new pair of pants???

Did that REALLY just happen?

Many mornings, I wake up, and I just FEEL thinner. On those mornings I go into my closet and I pull out this pair of jeans (the first time, there was an actual DUST line where they were on the hanger). I have had this pair of jeans in my closet for a very long time. They are a size 10. I know at one point I wore them, but it didn't last very long. Well, guess what? I put them on this morning!!! I mean, I wouldn't wear them out of the house, and I'm pretty sure it would be hard to breathe if I'd had them on very long, BUT I GOT THEM ON AND ZIPPED!! How freaking cool is that??

Um.......Uh Oh......

Well, I haven’t had a day like yesterday in a really, really long time. I totally lost all control. I let the stress of the day get the best of me. AND to make things MORE frustrating for me, I did ALL the things you are supposed to do when you want to eat out of stress. I took a walk, I called a friend (my hubby), I played with my dog, I read a magazine on the deck! Then……….I lost it. The minute I was alone in the house, I ate cheese and crackers, immediately followed by a handful of pretzels, finishing this off with a WW mini fudge bar. As I am throwing away my fudge bar stick, the oven timer goes off and I eat a piece of baked tilapia right out of the dish it was baked in, followed by two bowls of cereal (WHAT??), followed by a handful of peanuts AND a handful of  chocolate chips, followed by two very large glasses of wine! I was supposed to be saving these “Wine Points” for a wedding reception this Saturday night.  Then I filled up the third glass and headed to the bathtub!! I didn’t actually TASTE or enjoy anything I ate. I was very aware of what was happening, but honestly had no power to stop it! I felt like TOTAL crap!!

If you are a WW member, you know we have an allowance of points we can use throughout the week for whatever we would like. I kept thinking to myself, this CAN’T be more than 49 points of crap! Can it??? I really have NO idea. But probably.

So I spent my time in the bathtub reflecting…….(finishing my wine)……texting humorous (or so I thought) messages to friends. I REALLY needed a laugh. I accepted responsibility for my poor handling of the stressful day, and then sent a text to a WW member for support. Of course she said all the right things to make me feel better, and to remind me that I am human, and not perfect. Thank you Jo!

What I have learned. I have been going to WW meetings now for almost two years consecutively. I have lost 32 pounds VERY slowly. I have changed so many things about my lifestyle in general. There are going to be bumps in the road. Maybe yesterday was more of a hill. But it happened, and it’s over. To help me avoid that in the future, I will remember how crappy I felt afterwards, and take a drive, turn up the tunes, and get myself out of the house until I know I have dealt with the stress. 

Today? Make the best choices and hit the gym hard!

It’s a new day.

Wednesday Weigh-In!

Up 0.4 today. No Biggie. We went to a party Saturday night and I may have over indulged on the snacks a bit, but I had a great time getting dressed and feeling great about the way I looked. The compliments at the party were great too!
I upped my weights at the gym last week, and I upped my reps, and I upped the amount of things I am doing, so I think I will chalk up the gain to nothing more than MUSCLE!! :)
Crazy busy day planned, so off to the gym, but had to get an update in on the weigh in.

My daughter has lost over 7 pounds in 4 weeks! I am SO proud!!

Can't sleep from excitement!

This is crazy, but the last few weeks have really gone well on the scale. I'm averaging a pound a week, and although that really doesn't sound like much, lets keep in mind I stayed around the same weight for about six month's. This morning I couldn't sleep and all I could think about was getting up and trying on clothes in my closet! Now, I pretty much spent all day YESTERDAY in my closet trying on and re-trying on, just so I could say, "Yep, that really does fit now!" Or, "This seems big enough now, I'm adding it to the donate bag." So, what did I do this morning? I got up at 4:00 a.m. and fixed a pot of coffee, added my 1 T. of fat free half and half (sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?) and 1 T. of sugar free carmel syrup (I swear it is delicious!) and headed to my closet. I spent about 2 hours trying to put together an outfit for a party we are going to on Saturday night! Then I snuck into my daughter's closet and started stealing stuff from her! I found some REALLY cute stuff I'm certain she forgot she had! Well, that just encouraged me more to shed these pounds, so I headed to the gym for my 30 minutes of cardio, and instead, I did 50 minutes!! Yay me! Pat's on the back all the way home from the gym!

Just think about how much beer I'll be able to drink Saturday night!!

Can I get a Whoop Whoop??

I was VERY pleased at the scale today! I worked really hard at the gym this week, drank LOTS of water, went to a wedding reception Friday night (I assigned myself the designated driver and didn’t eat ANY cake), and a bridal shower on Saturday afternoon,(the hostess did a fabulous job of having TONS of fruit and veggie options) and I lost 3.2 lbs this week! I got another 5 lb award at my WW meeting, and my total loss is at 32.6 lbs. I am not very happy with the way my legs look. I may always have that cellulite thing going on, but I am very pleased with my new arms!



Here’s to success next week on the scale!

Husband's Work Party....AT THE LAKE!!!!

Ok, even I know, skinny girls are self concious in a swim suit. So here I am, a big girl, going to a my husband's work event, at the lake, for an entire weekend. I'm going to be spending this time with people I either don't know very well, or have never met, in my SWIMSUIT!! I don't want to embarrass my husband. (He would say I look great though. I'm so blessed to have him.) I've always been pretty good at pretending like I am completely comfortable in my swimsuit, (you know the drill, great sunglasses, lip gloss, cute jewelry, pedicure, great hat, cute cover-up wrapped around the butt and thighs), but I never want to appear TOO comfortable in my suit. I try really hard, TOO HARD, to give the impression that I am confident, but I'm always thinking to myself, "Try not to appear TOO confident, because I don't want anyone to think that I think that I look good". I KNOW what I look like, I'm just pretending like I don't care!! Wow, the whole thought process is exhausting, and this trip is three weeks away!
Okay, I have three weeks. Maybe I up the leg weights at the gym! Increase my existing glute workout! Add more cardio! Yip, add squats to the workout! Drink a gallon of water a day for the next three weeks! Go to the gym twice a day for the next three weeks!! Eat no red meat!!! Ride my bike to the gym!!! No carbs at all!!!! Add an excercise class!!!! Have liposuction on my thighs!!!!!
Okay, really? Follow the plan. Live good. Be positive. Be confident. Make healthy choices.
Go to the lake. Have a great time. Listen to my husband.

I Really Do Like Beer!

My husband and I went to the B&B this weekend and had a great, relaxing, wonderful weekend! There was a little Irish Pub about 50 feet from the B&B, so you KNOW we had to visit. (That was my plan all along.) It was a little cloudy, a little cool, but lots of people were out and about. There were families, older couples holding hands, young couples on dates, and a few scattered bikers here and there. I loved the variety.  I was starving and couldn’t wait to be seated, order a beer, and enjoy the people watching. We had a little wait, so they directed us to the brewery next door. Thank you very much! I was introduced to their summer brew. It had a great taste, not a dark beer, but much more flavor than my MGD 64 I had become used to. Apparently a little higher alcohol content too! As we were seated, all I could think about was indulging in something I hadn’t in a long time. I had no desire for a salad of any kind. NOPE. I went for the beer battered fish and chips. Okay, I did order the kids meal. Kudos’ to me here. It was one huge piece of fish, and I’m pretty sure my French fry portion was equivalent to the regular order. I also ordered a bowl of Cheddar Ale soup. I am just now seeing the BEER pattern here. Oh dear. I rinsed all of this down with two more beers! I did however leave quite a few fries in my basket. I did give myself a little pat on the back for knowing when to stop with the fries. The next morning for breakfast we were served lots of yummies. The first course was fresh fruit and yogurt with a cranberry muffin. I ate it all. I even added real butter to my muffin. The next course was a croissant, three slices of crispy bacon, and a wonderful Italian quiche. I finished off the croissant, two thirds of the quiche and one and a half slices of bacon. I ACTUALLY LEFT FOOD ON MY PLATE!! I have had a hard time with that, feeling like I am wasting food. But I am learning to get over it. Typically, at a restaurant, I can take the leftovers home, and usually, I do. All of that being said, today was Weigh-In Day. Up 0.2 lbs. No surprise here. I knew from journaling I had overdone this week. My only real surprise was that I didn’t gain more than I did. It is possible my over indulging could show up next week on the scale, and I am determined to not let that happen. This gain, as I have learned, is expected in the weight loss journey. The fact that I didn’t hit the gym ONCE this week didn’t help either. My schedule was CRAZY this week, and I had two over nights away from home. I try to plan well for those occasions, and I have become much better at it. My plan to only consume an alcoholic beverage one day this week went drastically down hill. I think I actually had ONE day that I didn’t have an alcoholic beverage? EGADS!! That’s where the journaling can really be effective. I can look back at my week and see the mistakes I made, even though I had a pretty good idea.

Today after the weight watcher meeting, my WW buddy (who is kicking ass and lost 1.0 lb this week) and I headed to the gym. We both had an awesome workout of cardio and weight lifting! Then to the grocery store to the salad bar to load up on veggies and a little (very little) taco meat topped with salsa! This is our favorite new lunch!

Here’s to a successful week!

One of THOSE weeks!

It has been an emotional, crazy, busy week of unexpected events. These are the weeks I turn to food. I haven't figured out why, but I think knowing it is at least a step in the right direction.
My daughter and I went to Pittsburg, Kansas to move her from one apartment to another for next semester. We were so close to Joplin, and it was the day after the tornado, that we knew we couldn't be that close and NOT do something to help. So we picked up some food and water and took it to Joplin to donate. The devastation of Joplin was truly horrifying. It's still unbelievable to me to see such devastation, and know that there is nothing you can do to prevent it from happening.
Two days later, we had our own Tornado Warning here in Overland Park. I was at the dentist office where we were all sent to the basement, my daughter was home with the dog, in the basement, and my husband was working in a building with no basement! It all seememd like it was happening so fast.  The warning passed and so did the storm. We were all safe.
The following day I went to a friends farm, about 45 minutes away from home. I always love to go there, because it is so relaxing and always feels like a mini vacation. It was good to get away, but I still can't get the images of Joplin out of my mind. And even though my family is safe, the tornado season is still here, and the thought of something tragic happening here is so very real.
I have dealt with all of the weeks past events by spending time with my family and friends and talking about our fears, trying not to abuse the food. I've done pretty well, but have not made time for excercise this week like I needed to. I'm also trying not to beat myself up about that.
Mike and I are headed to a Bed and Breakfast today around noon. We plan to enjoy the day relaxing, probably sharing a few beers together and enjoying some good food tonight. I am going to enjoy myself, but do my best to make good choices and not let myself get caught up in focusing on the beer and the food, but focusing on our time away together, and the fact that we have each other, and that our family is safe.
Is IS a Bed and Breakfast, so the focus Sunday morning WILL be the breakfast, and I plan to enjoy it!

Hug your family and tell them you love them.

Headed to the Farm!

Going to the farm for an overnight with a friend. This usually involves good food, lots of snacks, and LOTS of drinks. My dear friend Stephanie let me know what was on the menu for dinner just in case I needed to plan around what she had planned. Portabella Mushrooms and Marinara Sauce? Yum! She is having pancakes for breakfast, and since I know I will be using my points allowance for adult beverages, I'm going to take fruit for breakfast, and pass on the pancakes. I am taking lots of veggies and low fat dips to snack on.

Looking forward to sitting around the fire and enjoying my MGD 64's!!

Weigh-In Day!

Yay! Success all the way around. My daughter and I had a great week of being Weight Watcher Buddies and work-out pals. I'm down another .4 lbs. I am now at 177! She had an AWESOME week and lost 3.2 lbs!!!

Here's to another great week to come!

150lbs??? Are You Insane???

Becoming a Weight Watcher Leader has become my new motivation for losing weight. The whole idea of it sounds like such a great lifestyle change for me. I am changing my health, my looks, and my dress size! I love it! However, I have come to a bump in the road. My goal weight has always been 160 lbs. I have weighed that in my adult life, and I know what it feels like, and I know that by changing my lifestyle, I can maintain that weight.  That is actually 10 pounds over the maximum weight for my height according to the BMI chart, which is the same chart WW’s uses for determining your goal weight.  I was very happy when I found out you could get a note from your doctor and set your goal weight to what your doctor thought would be a healthy weight for you. I got the note! What is the bump in the road? I was reading on the WW website about their employment information, and I had read that you could apply for a leader position if you were within 10 pounds of your goal weight, according to the BMI chart. Then when you reached your goal, you could become a leader. So at my meeting today, I asked my leader if I had to be at the BMI chart recommended weight, or could I be at my doctor’s recommended weight. You know where this is going. I am going to have to weigh 150 pounds if I want to be a leader. I was telling my husband this, and how scared the thought of failure was that I couldn't do this. I never remember weighing that. I know I weighed 155 in high school. He just looked at me and said, "You can do this." I WANT to be a leader. So in saying that, my new goal is 150 lbs. I will reach my goal. I will be a WW leader. 

I CAN DO THIS! (My husband said so.) By the way, how cool is HE??

The Weekend Obstacles??

We headed to the neighborhood bar to listen to one of our favorite local musicians last night! I had a glass of wine before we left. It had been six weeks (?) or so since I had any wine. It tasted sooo good. I had a BIG glass too! 8 pts! Then off to the bar for dinner and tunes. I planned to have 2 bud lights, at 3 pts each, AND I DID! Had a grilled chicken caesar salad, dressing on the side, enjoyed my beers, drank lots of water, and feel GREAT today!
Headed out to Shawnee Mission Park to meet my weight watcher's leader and several other members for a very informal 5K. Looking forward to it!
Then headed to my brother's house for a cookout to celebrate his 50th birthday party. I know the menu is hot dogs, burgers, baked beans, chocolate cake and ice cream. I offered to bring an appetizer plate and a side dish. My appetizer plate is a mix of raw veggies, hummus, ranch, dried apricots and smoked almonds, a little havarti cheese and some crackers. My side dish is a mix of roasted veggies, asparagus, potatoes, new potatoes, red and yellow onions, fresh green beans mixed with a little butter flavored olive oil, fresh black pepper, a little kosher salt and some rosemary and thyme. I just took it out of the oven and it smells DELICIOUS!! I'm going to chill it and serve cold.

Here's to a successful and fun filled day of healthy eating, excercise and some good old fashioned family fun!

Breakfast is SO important!

Headed to the Weight Watcher meeting this morning for some great breakfast ideas!

Low Fat Nutri Grain Waffle toasted with 1 T. Better N Peanut Butter! Add a few banana slices!
Kashi, yogurt, fresh fruit parfait!
Toasted English muffin with an egg and a strip of bacon! Add a slice of cheese!
1 C. Rice Crispies with 1 C. skim milk topped with sliced strawberries!
Sauted bell peppers, onions and mushrooms and scrambled egg whites with salsa wrapped in a tortilla!
Oatmeal topped with a chopped apple!

All great ideas! Remember it's important to eat breakfast to jump start your metabolism, and to help you avoid over eating at lunch time!

Make that first meal of the day a great one!

THE WEIGHT OF MY WEIGHT - AGE 10

I remember going to the nurse’s office in grade school, as a class, to be weighed, and get our height. I suppose this was for the school health records? They were teaching us how to eat healthy and take good care of our bodies. I remember specifically learning about the food pyramid. I also remember specifically learning that my weight was more than any of my girl friends. All of the kids were asking one another, “How tall are YOU?” or “How much do YOU weigh?” This was the first time I was aware that I weighed more than any of my friends. I had never thought about it before. I hadn’t noticed our differences. Nobody was teaching me or mentally preparing me how to process this information. I don’t remember anyone saying, “This number is a little high for your age and height”, but I wonder sometimes if someone may have said that to me. I do remember feeling embarrassed.  I remember feeling bad about myself for the first time. I felt like I wasn’t as good as everyone else. I felt ashamed. I had never felt that way until we all shared our numbers. I didn’t know it the day before we were weighed, when I thought I was just like everyone else, but now, because of the numbers, I knew. I was different. I was the only one. I was fat.

Happy Hour!

I do love a Happy Hour and socializing with my friends, but after reviewing my food and exercise journal, I noticed my Happy Hour’s might be getting in the way of me reaching my weight loss goals and the Happiness that THAT would bring me. So I tried a little experiment. I decided I would go two weeks without having an alcoholic beverage and see if I could break my plateau of the 180’s. I sound like maybe I need to attend a meeting other than Weight Watcher’s here? I really just need to remember just because there is beer and wine at the party, I don’t HAVE to drink it, and nobody at the party is going to care what I drink.  I went to two Friday night Happy Hour’s, two Saturday night’s in a bar listening to music with my husband and friends, one book club, and a couple of  driveway casual parties on a beautiful sunny evening. You know what? It really wasn’t a big deal after all. Week one, I lost 3.6. Week two, I gained 0.4. Week three, I had my light beers on two different days and still had a loss of 2.6. I’m torn, but I have an idea that those two weeks made a bigger difference than I think. I think I will limit the adult beverages to once a week, or possibly, have a few weeks with none at all, and remind myself it really isn’t a big deal. It’s all about the lifestyle change. 

You can be certain I will be blogging about this subject some more. 

MY NEW WW AND FITNESS BUDDY!

My daughter is home from college for the summer and would like to lose a few pounds and change a few of her “college” habits. She has always been one of my biggest supporters in my weight loss journey. Today, she joined WW with me and I am so excited to have a buddy to share my journey with over the next 10 weeks. We will be going to the gym three days a week for weights and cardio, and two days a week we will be mixing up the cardio outside the gym. Tomorrow she say’s we are doing a “Fat Blaster” video. EEEEKKK!!!  After joining WW and going to the gym, we spent the rest of the morning talking about how excited we are to have each other as a support system. Then for lunch I showed her how to make a salad full of veggies that she actually LOVED! As a kid, she was a pretty picky eater, so her willingness to try new things has me ecstatic! She has a few concern’s about making changes while at home over the summer, and then being able to take those changes back to school with her in the Fall. I am going to do my best to put myself into the mind of a 19 year old and see what I can come up with.

Wish us luck!

I GOT IN THE TRUNK!

I remember the day I stepped on the scale and it said 212 lbs! That was the same day I had bent over, while sitting on a bench, to tie my shoes. I couldn't figure out what was lying in my lap all bunched up. It was my stomach. I can't rember if I laughed or cried, I'm sure one or the other happened.
It feels so good to be able to touch my toes now or tie my shoes without feeling that "bunch".
My daughter recently purchased a new "used" car. We have discovered that the trunk is leaking somewhere. I thought it would be a good idea to get in the trunk, have my daughter close the lid,  and see if I could see any daylight. The most amazing part of this little test? I could comfortable climb IN the trunk and MOVE a bit! NO WAY I COULD HAVE DONE THAT AT 212!!

It's the simple things, really.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Banana Pancake

This is a GREAT way to change things up a little bit for breakfast!

You gotta play with this a couple of times. I mastered it by the third time.

1/2 C quick cooking oats

2 egg whites

1 smashed banana

1/2 t vanilla

1/2 t cinnamon 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Heat skillet on medium-low, coat with cooking spray. It's really important to not get your skillet too hot. Pour mixture onto heated skillet. Spread out into about an 8” circle? Let cook about 4 minutes or until you can scoot it around the skillet a bit. I cut it into four pieces to flip. Flip and cook about another 2 minutes. Put on plate. I put 3 choc chips on each quarter and top all with 1 T. syrup. Let set while you fix yourself something to drink. Then the choc will be melted just enough to spread around.  The secret is not to cook too high or it will really brown before it is ready to flip.  

I would admit this doesn’t really taste like a pancake, but I love oatmeal and was looking for some new ways to eat it when I found this. 

Enjoy!

Smashburger! Yikes!

So I probably should have looked up the nutritional information BEFORE suggesting to the family that we head to Smashburger for a Sunday Funday! Most of the burgers are around 50 grams of protein, 60+ carbs, and 60+ grams of fat! It's around 30 PointsPlus!! Egads. I'm really gonna have to work hard at the gym tomorrow and Tuesday for the results I was hoping for Wednesday morning when I step on that scale at Weight Watcher's.

But seriously? It was DELICIOUS!!

Dear Size 12,

It’s really nice to see you again. I was never really happy with your neighbor, size 14, and frankly, size 14’s neighbor, size 16, really pissed me off and stuck around WAY too long.  I hate to be rude, but since I’m 5’5”, I’m really more interested in your neighbor, size 10. I’m sure you and I will be hanging out for awhile, so I’m very appreciative of you showing up again, but I just wanted to be honest with you, and let you know this is going to be a short term relationship, then I’m going to be moving on.

But Welcome Back!

Love My LUNA!

For breakfast I had my favorite Luna Lemon Zest Bar (9 grams of protein, VERY tasy, and very filling) and a Starbuck's Grande, non-fat, 2 splenda Misto! If the Starbuck's menu is overwhelming and freaks you out, a Misto is simply one half coffee, and one half steamed milk. Delicious! And I get in one of my milk's for the day. The Luna bar is 5 PointsPlus and the Misto is 2 PointsPlus. No need for a midmorning snack on that breakfast! :)

I met a friend at the gym this week on Tuesday morning and on Thursday moring. She has been doing the stationary bike to get her heart rate up, and that's one I hadn't tried. So I gave it a go! WOW! My thighs burned and my BUTT hurt! I'm pretty sure my butt looks different already! Great workout Linda! Thank you!

Going to make lunch now. Another favorite of mine. Taste like a yummy desssert!

2 Cups sliced strawberries (0 pts)
6 ounces Non-fat Vanilla yogurt (2pts)
1/2 Cup Kashi GoLean (2pts)

Sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips on top for a little extra treat! Just don't forget to add the points value.

Mix it all together and enjoy!

Pee, Exhale, Step on the Scale!

Wednesday is "Weigh In" day for me. I usually step on the scale at home before I head to my WW meeting so I have an idea where I'm going to be. Sometimes it's accurate at home, other times I wonder why I continue this unpredictable routine. Today however? SUCCESS! I was a little worried about over indulging on the Mother's Day Feast I had prepared last Sunday. Monday and Tuesday I made a huge effort to keep the intensity level of my workouts as high as I could tolerate, without falling off of the treadmil, or becoming so dizzy on the stationary bike, I fall off of THAT! I walked into my meeting, pee'd, stepped up to the scale, exhaled, prayed, and stepped on!! I broke the plateau! Today's weight? 179.6. I plan to never see the 180's again. In saying that, and with my experience of ups and downs, I know the four tenths of a pound is going to be crucial for me this week. I'm going to work hard, but not feel defeated no matter what the scale says next Wednesday.

So here's to a week of lot's of cardio, drinking plenty of water, and filling up on fruits and veggies and lean protein!

Points Plus

If you are not a Weight Watcher's member, or if you live in a cave, you may not know that the Weight Watcher's system is based on how many points you are allowed to eat in a day to lose weight at a healthy rate while also learning portion control and a proper well balanced diet. So I will be talking a lot about PointsPlus values. Every food has a PointsPlus value based on .....

a) Protein
b) Carbs
c) Fat
d) Fiber

One of the things I love most about the meetings are all of the members and the new recipes they bring into the meetings, or the products they find while shopping. I get bored REALLY easy, so I love to try new things. I'll try just about ANYTHING for zero, or little points.

Newest find? Kale Chips! That's right! It's green and leafy and you can turn it into a CHIP!!! I LOVED it!

Recipe...

1 head of Kale, cleaned and patted dry, torn into bite size pieces
1 T. Olive oil (or Olive oil flavored cooking spray)
1 t. kosher salt (or seasoning of your choice)

Put kale on baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or just until the edges begin to turn a little brown. Don't burn it!

Let cool, and enjoy!

Brutally Honest

I can't really make this blog a success unless I'm completely honest. My life has always been an open book (not always a good thing), so why stop now? If I skip a planned day of excercise, I will be honest about it. If I over eat for the week, I will be honest.

I'm 5'5" (5'4 1/4"), and weigh 182 lbs. According to the BMI chart, I am OBESE. I'm just BIG BONED! Okay, that has worked for me for awhile. In highschool I weighed 155. I always thought I was fat. I was "the fat friend". Never really seemed to hold me back though. I look back at highschool pictures, and I think I look pretty normal. So in the confusion and panic of getting to a goal weight of which I have never been, and maintain, I went to two personal trainers and my doctor. After much pinching and measuring, it has been determined that 160 lbs. is a healthy weight for me. Thank you God!

I have joined WW at least six times in my life. I've never reached  my GOAL weight, according to the WW chart, which is based on the BMI chart, because it seemed so unrealistic to me. After talking with my leader, and determining that a doctor's note could help me reach my own personal, and healthy weight of 160, I knew this time I was joining, and not leaving until I met my goal.

I weighed in at a whopping 207! AND I lost 5 pounds before I joined because anything over 210 seemed WAY more ridiculous! Whatever.

I have been in the 180's now for about six months. The changes I have made in the last six weeks are to get me through the plateau. So far, two weeks a loss, two weeks a gain, one week a loss, one week a gain. I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

Off to run/walk for 60 miniutes in an attempt to burn off the Mother's Day feast I participated in!

Six Weeks of Changes

The last six weeks have included many changes. I am now attending a Wednesday Weight Watcher meeting AND a Friday Weight Watcher Meeting. I love my leader, Joan. Every single meeting I leave with something new! Sometimes it's a new "Food Find", other times it is a recipe, other times it's a change in attitude, other times it's a new friend! I leave every meeting knowing I have made a wise decision in going!

Another change I have made? I have never enjoyed excercise. I almost panic at the thought of it. I know how important it is for my health, so I have begun to approach it that way. I met with a trainer for one hour for $50. Totally worth it! Before, I would go to the gym, do the treadmil, then feel lost. So I'd call it a day and leave. Now I have a routine, a heart monitor, (so important to have to really gage how hard you need to be working).  No matter how unenthusiastically I may begin, somehow, my energy picks up and I LOVE the feeling of accomplishment at the end in a way that I never have.

Another change? I journal every single bite of food I put in my mouth! I journal every excercise I do. I include what I did, how long I did it, and what the intensity of the excercise. I love to look back at my week and see what I have accomplished, and where I have made mistakes.

I love to buy Peolpe magazine, come home, put the groceries away and read it front to back. WHY? Do I think I'm going to run into Jennifer Anniston and we're going to have this great girly chat because I know all about her from reading People??? Now, I buy the lastest fitness magazines. I recently bought KC Fitness. I loved reading all about the local people that are participating in weight loss competitions, or the 45 year old grandma who I fantasize about looking like. She is in amazing shape!!

Just a few changes to aid me in my journey!

The Beginning

This is day one of my blog. It has taken me about six weeks to figure out how to do a blog.........probably shouldn't be admitting that? I hope by putting it all out there, I will be able to reach my weight loss goal with a little humor, and hopefully encourage others to do the same. I plan to blog about the food I eat, my excercise routine, my mood and how it affects my weight loss, and recipes I've found that make the weight loss journey and the lifestyle change a bit more enjoyable! I hope you'll follow me!