"The struggle is real"

That is a quote I stole from my daughter this week.  She's struggling with money and I am struggling with my weight.  Last week being up .6 was disappointing and discouraging.  But, I moved past it.  This week I was down a whopping 3.4!  Which made me hit my 25 pound mark (got a new charm for my charm holder) with a total of 26 pounds lost!!!  All I can say is "WOW". and "HOT DAMN".

My WW leader said something today during our meeting that I wrote down because I thought it was speaking to me.  "We make 200 food decisions a day".  Holy cow - I think that is a true statement.  I have been trying to NOT make food the main thing in my life.  It's my struggle.  But, I can honestly say that I probably DO make 200 food decisions a day - if not more.

So, what did I do differently this week?  Nothing much, really.  Still eating healthy.  Still exercising 6 days a week.  Oh.  I did add a walk after dinner.  Not a super long one...just around the block and enough to get over 10,000 steps for the day. Sometimes hubby goes, sometimes he doesn't.  I am getting almost an hour worth of exercise a day, which is pretty good considering 6 months ago, I hated just the walk to my car at the end of the day and only went up the stairs once.  

I was concerned about this week...had some alcohol last Saturday night (3 points worth) and 1/2 a doughnut Sunday night (4 points - totally worth it).  Moderation truly is the key.  

This week coming up is pretty quiet.  I have loosely planned our meals, which makes me nervous so I will probably tighten the menu up some before I go to the store.   I should be okay.

Builds Character

That's what hubby said when I told him I was up .6 this week. He said that I can't be down every week.  I have spent all morning beating myself, thinking that I shouldn't have done this or I shouldn't have done that.  We shouldn't have gone out to dinner last night, even though I ate within my points. I shouldn't have had WW ice cream EVERY NIGHT just because I had points left.   I should've drank more water...exercised more...left points at the end of the day.  Instead, I need to think - "Okay, I'll be better next week.  I am going to pick myself up and brush myself off and MOVE ON.  I know in my head that it's silly to be this upset over .6 (not even 1/2 a pound) but in my heart, I am disappointed.

This weekend might be tough.  Cook outs and grad party.  All with potential to have really tempting foods.  Bringing what I can, when I can will help with that.  

Stay tuned....

Food for Thought

Just because something is better for you, doesn't mean you should eat it. Today, I really wanted a burger but didn't want the points. I knew that Elevation Burger had burgers wrapped in lettuce (vs. a bun).  So, I headed there after a work meeting.  First of all, for 7 points, all I got was a "kiddie patty" which must have been MAYBE 2 ounces.  I added a piece of cheddar, ketchup and grilled onions. The lettuce it was wrapped in was nice and fresh and crisp.  But,it was messy.  It tasted just OK and left me unfulfilled.  What a bummer.  I felt a little nauseous this afternoon.  Is it the burger or hunger?  I don't know.  I guess I will find out after I eat dinner.  Shrimp and grits tonight!  YUM!

Full Dislosure

I am losing weight for myself.  I want to be healthy - I want to be around for a long time, I want to be an active grandma (whenever that might occur), I don't want to be a diabetic or unable to walk around without help.  Anyway, I really am doing this for myself.  But, I have to say that hubby's attention is wonderful.  And hearing the compliments at work and by friends just encourages me more and more to keep on this track.  

Now, I am starting to think more about the future. I want to be 30 pounds lighter for this years vacation (almost there!). I want to look good at the family weddings we have coming up this fall.  I want to look awesome for The Kid's graduation next year (a sort of in-your-face to the ex).  I want to be smokin' hot for my 30th high school reunion. I want hubby to keep being attracted to me and my body.  I have my eye on the pie (so to speak).  I know that I will never be the size 2 I once was but I will get to a reasonable size and stay there.  

Today, I bought a pair of jean capris - size 14.  And, my God, they fit.  I'm not going to lie.  I cried.  I can't believe it.  A few months ago, my jeans were size 18.  18.  18.  I cannot go back there.  Truly, I can't.  

So, I am going to keep on keeping on.  

It's All About Choices

When you are a weight watcher, you make your points count. I plan every meal, down to the last point.  I scour Pinterest and the WW site for recipes that sound interesting and have foods that we like.  It has to be pretty, too.  That's probably a mental thing.  I think if it's appealing to the eye, it will be tasty!  Whether that's true or not, I don't care.  

Anyway...losing weight is about choices.  I mean, think about it.  I CHOSE to join WW. I CHOOSE to be 100% on board (or is is overboard?!?).  Every week, I CHOOSE meals that are healthy and filling.  Even Saturday (weigh in day), which people tend to call their "cheat day".  I just can't allow myself to cheat.  I might not eat the healthiest but I still tend to stay within my points.

I also CHOOSE not to eat my activity points or my flex points. I CHOOSE to exercise almost everyday.  I am choosing to become a healthier woman.  

And so, when I have a choice of what to eat, I keep in mind that....  

THIS is what 6 points at McDonald's looks like:

THIS is what my 6 point dinner looks like:

A snack wrap vs cod and veggies.  I think it's a no brainer.  

A Great Weekend!!!

Ok first of all - SUPERSTAR!!  I hit my 10% goal!  I am beyond excited and proud of myself.  I was so nervous when it was time to weigh in yesterday (incidentally, we were camping and still went to the meeting).  When I got on the scale, I actually held my breath.  And when she said "down 2.4", I wanted to scream!  Last week, I missed 2 work outs, which totally bummed me out.  And, actually I was surprised that I was so upset about not being able to work out.  Careful meal planning and drinking lots of water really makes a difference.

As I said, we were camping this weekend.  Good thing about being in a small group, easier to control the food consumption.  I brought healthy fruit (from the fabulous Edible Arrangement I got for Mother's Day) and veggies and we planned our main menus carefully. I counted everything I ate and made sure I had plenty of water.  I even skipped alcohol, which is hard for me when we camp.

With camping season upon us, we have several trips planned already.  I know that when we go with our bigger group, it might be harder.  I will make sure that I pack lots of really good-for-me foods. But, I know what we usually eat and it will be extrememly difficult to stay on plan.  Seeems silly to worry about this already - it's weeks away.  But, I think this is my life now.

Happy Mother's Day!

Exercise is the new norm

Last summer, hubby and I bought a nice elliptical. We didn't want to buy something cheap that we would hate so we shopped around and got the best we could afford.  We used it after it was delivered...sporatically.  I have Morton's Neuroma which causes pain and numbness so it was hard for me to do a lot.  Then, last fall, I had ankle surgey. Recovery was easy and I felt better.  So, when I started back on the elliptical (which I started when I started WW in February), I had to start slow.  15 minutes every other day...wasn't much but it was a start.  I got excited when I was up to 1/2 a mile!  By the middle of March, I was up to 20 minutes 3 times a week.  Then, I was up to 5 days a week!  And I increased my time by 5 minutes, which added 25 minutes to my weekly workouts.  Man, I was feeling GOOD.  Now....

...Now I am up to 35 minutes a day, 6 days a week and I feel AWESOME.  Now, when I look at the distance, I am happy to see that I have gone over a 1 1/2 miles!  I am sweaty and out of breath but my goodness do I feel good.  I never thought I would be excited about exercising.  But I look forward to it every day. 

I am trying to get in at least 8,000 steps (BTW, have I mentioned I love my Fitbit?!?).  Use to be that weekends were sluggish.  Not anymore.  Over 9,000 steps both yesterday and today!  YAY!!!  Corina challenged me to making sure I have at least 8,000 steps every day.  Challenge excepted.  

My own next challenge - use the resistance band I bought more than once a week (and without hurting myself).  

Stay tuned....

I can hear you...eating

Ever since I can remember, I have hated hearing people eat.  Chewing, crunching, slurping - you name it.  It's an issue.  My sister used to scrape her teeth on her spoon or fork when she was little, made me CRAZY.   For YEARS I couldn't go to the movies because people who ate popcorn made me so nuts that I couldn't concentrate on the movie and my anxiety level was extremely high.   
My parents raised us to eat with manners.  You don't talk with food in your mouth, you chew with your mouth closed, you don't suck your fingers and you eat quietly.  (You also don't sit with your elbows on the table or hold onto your glass the entire meal, but that's a whole different topic!)  Anyway, it wasn't until the noise "thing" started to effect my daughter in high school that I did some research.  It's a real thing...a disorder. Misophonia - defined as hatred of sound. Who knew?  

Why do advertisers think it's okay to HEAR the food they are advertising.  Take the Kit Kat commercial that has people crunching the candy bar with each bite.  It is like nails on a chalkboard!  I wrote to Nestle complaining - their response was we're sorry it offends you, blah blah blah.  When it comes on, I have to change the channel. The dislike I have for that commercial is followed by Washington Apple (crunch), Lays potato chips (crunch), Pringles (crunch), Cheerios (crunch), Panera (slurping), soda (slurp). ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Yesterday, I got to thinking.  Seems like the noisy crunching commercials are foods that are bad for you.  Well, except apples (which I can live without) and maybe Cheerios.  But, Kit Kat and potato chips, not so much.  Interesting idea, eh?

Now, where's that remote?