Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Beating the Odds

Last Monday: 167.5
Today: 167.1

So much for that average 7-12 pound weight gain over the holidays.  I totally kicked that statistic's butt!!  Instead of gaining over the holiday season, I lost 2.4 pounds instead (between Thanksgiving and Christmas)!  Yesss!!

I wrote a long, awesome blog post earlier, but my computer ate it and I don't have time to write it again.  It's my daughter's first birthday, so I'm getting ready for a day of fun!

I'll write more about my holiday eating later.  But, for now, I'll just end with...

YAYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Boredom = Eating

That's what I realized this week: boredom = eating (for me, at least).  I didn't realize this by being bored and overeating, though.  Just the opposite.  I have been keeping myself busy all week, finishing a book, Christmas shopping, getting packed and ready to head to PA.  And, I haven't been snacking.

Hmmm, maybe that's the key.  Stay busy to avoid mindless eating.  I think I can do that, especially now that I have my Kindle, and my energetic kids.  Instead of picking up the snacks, I'll start doing something instead.

Speaking of doing something, today's tasks are calling!  Here I go.....

Monday, December 19, 2011

Another Loss!

Last week: 168.2
This week: 167.5

I know I've been a bad blogger.  Things have been very busy, with the kids' birthdays and Christmas coming up.  But, I'm still doing well with WW, and still losing!  This past week was a tough one, with all the cake and goodies from Jackson's birthday and temptations from a holiday party.  So, I'm pretty happy with my 0.7 lb loss.  I have a feeling that next Monday won't be so pretty, after all the holiday craziness. 

Ok, so here's my plan for this week:

1. Stay on track with WW Monday through Thursday, while we're home.  Exercise as much as possible.
2. Be good on Friday, and try to track while at the in-laws' house.
3. Splurge a LITTLE on Saturday.  It is my birthday, after all!!
4. Taste everything on Sunday (just like I did on Thanksgiving) but don't go crazy.
5. Monday = back to WW and stay on track!

This seems like a pretty good plan to me.  I'm not expecting to be perfect this weekend, but I'm not saying that all bets are off and I'm going to eat anything I want.  It's a good balance, I think.

I'll try to blog some this week, but I'm not promising anything.  I still have gifts to buy, bags to pack, house to clean, laundry to do...  Whewww!  Only 6 days until Christmas!!!!!!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Slooooooow, but Steady

This week: 168.2
Last week: 168.3

Well, this week's loss was a bit disappointing, but I have to remember that a loss is a loss.  That is 0.1 lbs gone and, in the grand scheme of things, I know the weight will continue to come off.  I'm not looking for an instant cure, after all.  Like I've said before, it's a lifestyle change so, if I stick with it, the weight WILL come off.

This week will be a challenge, as Jackson is turning 3 and we all know that birthdays aren't complete without the cake!  I'll just have to be careful, have a small piece, and count WW points for it.  No problem - I can do it.  And, if I want more, I'll just drink some water and pop a piece of gum... and send everyone home with the leftovers!

While I'm planning for the inevitable cake-fest this month (which includes Jackson's, Natalie's and my birthday), I should also start preparing myself for the holiday season.  Last year, when I was enormously pregnant with Natalie, I was eating all of the Christmas goodies I could get my hands on - cookies, candy, chocolate.  This year, I'm avoiding.  Well, not completely avoiding, but just tasting instead.  Ugh, it's hard.  But I can do it.  After all, I did manage to lose over Thanksgiving.  But, that was only one day.  Christmas eating has seemed to engulf the entire month.

I can do it.  I can do it.  I will stay strong.  I will not eat my weight in cookies.

Stay tuned to see how cake-fest (part 1) turns out!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Happy Birthday to Me!

Ok, not quite yet, but my birthday is coming up in two weeks.  I told my husband that, for my birthday, I wanted a night out (sans kids) for dinner and a movie.  Since my parents are in town this weekend, and offered to watch the kiddos, we had my birthday celebration last night.

When Joe asked me where I wanted to go for dinner, I said I wanted sushi.  I haven't had it since before Natalie was born (and even then, I only had the cooked stuff since I was pregnant).  So, we went to Leesburg to a place my brother recommended - Noku.  It was great!  Since it was my "birthday" and since I had run in the AM and saved all of my extra weekly points, I just ordered what I wanted.  Miso soup, salad and a spicy roll combo.  Yummm!!

Then, since we didn't like the movie selection, we headed to the casino to check out the horse races and play some slots (read: deposit money into a machine and leave empty handed).  That was fun, and, since I was so stuffed from dinner, all I had was a Coke Zero.  No need to use any more points. 

So, this morning, I tallied up the damage on my WW e-tools... not too bad!  I would have eaten MANY more points if we'd have gone to a different place.  Luckily, sushi is not too unhealthy (unless you get anything "tempura" aka fried!).  I'm pretty proud of myself, and hope to see another loss tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Run Run Rudolph...

I started running this past summer, and really got into it.  I did the Couch to 5K program (which I would HIGHLY recommend!) and completed my first 5K on Oct. 1.  I did my second 5K on October 28, in a freak snowstorm!  I loved the races, and can't wait to do my next one. 

However, I am finding it hard to keep running over the winter.  During the summer and early fall, I'd get up and run at 6am, before the kids woke up and before it got hot.  It was so great to go out and run with the sun coming up.  Now, since the sun has practically disappeared in the morning and evening, I haven't found a good time to run.  And I hate the dreadmill (read a couple of weeks back about that).

So, the last time I was able to run was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.  Ugh.  I miss it.

Now, I'm hearing about an impromptu Reindeer Run 5K this Saturday morning in Frederick.  It's not timed, but just for fun.  I think I might have to run it, just for a chance to get out there again.  Plus, it'll be fun to dress up in festive garb and don my favorite reindeer antlers to run :)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Starving!!

I'm sitting here, kids in bed and wanting to snack.  Must. Resist. Temptation.  Now, I didn't go over my points today, which is amazing and pretty surprising, but I didn't eat a whole lot either (which is why I'm starving).  Let me explain...

It all basically revolves around Christmas cookies.  Now, I LOOOVE Christmas cookies, so I have a hard time saying no.  Today, I was in a situation where I had lots of yummy cookies in front of me, so what did I do?  Did I say "screw it" and eat whatever I wanted?  Nope (although that crossed my mind!)  I did, however, taste a few cookies.  We're talking bites, not whole cookies.  Luckily, I have two kiddos who were happy to finish Mommy's cookies for her :)

When I went to calculate my WW points, I guessed how many points my bites added up to.  That, combined with my slice of pizza for lunch, didn't leave me with a lot of points for the rest of the day.  But, I did it.  I resisted temptation.  And my stomach is growling.

Time for a big glass of water and bed!

Monday, December 5, 2011

All About Food (and my weekly weigh-in, of course!)

Today: 168.3
Last Monday: 169.5

Yay!  1.2 more pounds gone.  Lots to go still, but I'm inching closer and closer to my goal of 145lbs - slow and steady.  This past week, I did well tracking my points and measuring my portions, even though I ate out quite a few times.  I had Chick Fil A twice, Panera Bread and even Papa John's pizza. 

So, today I wanted to blog about favorite go-to foods.  Even though I track everything I eat in my WW online program, I still like to make lists every now and then so that I can see what's working and what's not.  Here's what I've been eating and snacking on lately:

- Brown ricecakes and peanut butter (very filling, and really good!)
- Banana-blueberry smoothies with milk, splenda and vanilla extract
- Flatout brand wraps
- Buffalo chicken deli meat
- Nathan's NY style kosher pickle halves (SOOO good!)
- Orbitz bubble mint sugar-free gum
- Baked Lays (BBQ)
- Walmart brand sugar-free drink mix (cherry and grape are my favorites - tastes just like koolaid)
- Diet Dr. Pepper (I'm a borderline addict)
- Yoplait 100 calorie yogurts - I love lemon meringue pie and french vanilla
- Polly O string cheese
- Tacos on soft corn tortillas - delicious and surprisingly low in points
- Chicken kabobs with rice
- Smart pop mini-bags of microwaved popcorn

I also love getting ideas for healthy snacks and food swaps from http://www.hungrygirl.com/.  This website is great, and posts WW points right on the recipes.  So easy!  http://www.skinnytaste.com/ is another website that I'm always browsing.  The blogger has some great recipes, and also lists the WW points. 

Anyone have other great ideas for healthy snacks, dinners or swaps?  I'll post mine here and there, but I'd love to hear other ideas!!



-

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Must. Get. More. Exercise.

Foodwise, I'm doing really well so far.  I've rediscovered lots of WW-friendly foods that I used to eat all the time (I'll mention those goodies later!) and am staying within my points allowed.  I have noticed that, for the past couple of days, I've been picking at the kids' plates a little again, so I need to make sure I am aware of that temptation and staying away from their food.  I've also noticed that I've been getting to the end of the day with extra points, so I need to make sure that I'm snacking throughout the day instead of hoarding points.

Now, exercise is a whole other issue.  I want to get out and move, but I just can't seem to get myself out there.  The weather has been crappy, and the kids make it hard for me to work out during the day.  Ugh, I know these are excuses, but I'm just not sure how to get in more exercise.  I did take the kids to the mall today to walk, so that was good, but not nearly enough to break a sweat.  I will definitely be running this weekend while Joe watches the kids, but running once a week isn't going to cut it.  Any suggestions would be welcome :)

So, about those WW friendly foods, here's a list of some of my favorites.  I like to make a list so that, when I'm in a rut, I can come back to this post and say "Mmm, that sounds good - I forgot about that!"  Oh, and feel free to share your favorite healthy foods!

- Laughing cow cheese wedges (on Wasa crackers, tortillas, sandwiches...)
- String cheese
- Grapes
- Baby carrots
- Smoothies
- Banana with 1 Tbsp melted Nutella (YUMMM)
- Tortilla pizzas
- Baby dill pickles
- Apple slices
- Grapefruit with splenda

The list will go on...

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Not Too Bad at All!

Yesterday was my second weigh-in: 169.5 

I am down 0.3 lbs from last Monday and I'm pretty happy with that.  No, it wasn't a big loss, but it was a very tough week!  Temptation stared me down literally every day I was at home in PA - from Thanksgiving meals to Vincent's Pizza (legendary at the Brewers!) to leftovers and desserts, I had my work cut out for me!

I'll admit - when I first saw the number on the scale, I was a little disappointed.  After losing almost 2 1/2 lbs last week, I was hoping to see a bigger loss.  Then, I came back to reality and realized that losing ANYTHING over the holiday week was a success.

This made me curious about weight gain and the holidays, so I just Googled the average weight gain during the holiday season.  I was thinking it was probably 2 or 3 lbs.  But nope: the average American (according to http://www.healthguidance.org/) gains 7 to 12 pounds over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.  WOW... that number surprised me!!  I know that the next few weeks will be tough, with Christmas cookies and candies and treats at every corner, but I'll just have to be strong and avoid the temptations!  Of course I'll indulge every once in a while, but I'll make sure to be smart and use my WW points wisely to fit in some treats.

So, here's to staying strong and sticking with WW during the holiday season!!  I know I can do it, and will be so happy when I do.  Instead of going into New Years with another new resolution to lose weight (like every year!), I'll go into New Years lighter and fitter than I was before Thanksgiving. 

Take that, Mr. Healthguidance.org statistic!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Operation Thanksgiving: Success!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!  I had a great day with family, and felt so blessed to spend the day with them.  I could go on and on about how thankful I am for the MANY blessings in my life, but this blog is about weight loss.  So, let's get to it... 

Joe's and my parents live pretty close together, so we did the double turkey dinner today.  So, not only was I battling with my inner eat-a-holic self, but I had to do it TWICE.  Oy!

So, a few days ago, I told myself that I wanted to:

1. Taste everything in small portions
2. Save all my WW extra weekly points for Thanksgiving dinner
3. Go for a run on Thanksgiving morning

Here's how that went...

When it came to the dinners, I was able to taste everything - just like I'd planned.  I had a little of everything, which was plenty to fill me up and left me feeling like I didn't miss out on anything.  It felt great to walk away from the table comfortable instead of overfull and lethargic, like most other years.  I also stayed busy in between meals, so I skipped out on the snacking and tasting in between.

As far as WW weekly points go, I have stayed within my daily points all week, so I had all of my extra points to play around with today.  Since there was no good way for me to calculate points for the dinners, I just relied on portion control to make sure I was doing well.

Then, because we had to go to two different houses, I decided to do my run yesterday morning instead of this morning. That actually worked out great, and Joe and I ran about four miles (well, we ran most of the route, but walked up the enormous hill!). Today, we rested, and tomorrow we'll go run again.

Overall, I think everything went according to plan and I'm pretty proud of myself, which feels great!  For the rest of the weekend, I'll skip the leftovers and head straight for the fruit and veggies!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Here We Go...

It's the start of the long Thanksgiving weekend, and I'm feeling pretty good about my game plan so far.  Just because I'm not at home doesn't mean I can't stay on track and eat healthy.  So, this morning, I pulled out my mom's measuring cups and measured out my breakfast, like I always do at home.  Then, I came online and tracked my breakfast on my WW online tools like I always do.  And, I came online and blogged.  So... so far, so good.

Now, if any of you know my mom, you know that she's a great cook.  She is also an amazing baker.  So, I need to be careful that I don't overindulge in all the goodies she makes.  Luckily, she also reads my blog and cheers me on, so her fridge is stocked with fresh fruit and healthy snacks.  Thanks, Mom!  I'll make sure I'm munching on fresh berries and pineapple when those cookies and pies come my way!

Ok, gotta go play with the kiddo...  he's been chanting "Mommy go play!" for the past couple of minutes, so I'm off.  I'll check in later to let you know how I'm doing!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Goodbye 170's! Don't Come Back.

I weighed myself this morning: 169.8! 

Last Monday, I was 172.2 and bummed out.  I was frustrated and ready to change.  Now, I'm excited and proud and 2.4 pounds lighter!

Here's what I noticed over the last week:

- I'm hungry more often, which means that instead of fueling cravings or boredom, I'm actually fueling my body.
- I'm drinking more water and less soda, and actually liking it.
- I'm very conscious of everything that I eat and drink
- I'm making good decisions

All in all, I'm happy with how the week went, and with the weight change.  I was able to go out to eat, go away for the weekend, and snack while losing weight.  Now, I just need to keep up this positive momentum going into this week, which will be a HARD one. 

Yep, I'm talking about Thanksgiving.  Ugh.  I'm not looking forward to all of the temptations I'll encounter this week, but I need to remember how good I felt looking at that lower number this morning.  I need to think about how I'll feel next Monday morning.  Will I be proud, or disappointed?  Is eating that big slice of pie or that second helping of turkey worth the disappointment?  I don't think so. 

So, here's my strategy:

- Try a little of everything, but just taste... don't shovel :)  And, drink lots of water.  And chew gum directly after dinner to avoid snacking!
- Save all of my extra weekly WW points for Thanksgiving day.  That way, if I want that slice of pie, I can have one.  But, just one.  And, if I don't finish my extra points that day, I can use them for the rest of the weekend if I want to.
- Go for a run Thanksgiving morning.  Joe already said he'd come with me!

If anyone else has any strategies to add, I'd love to hear them.  Let me know!!  Now, it's time to make some breakfast.  Good thing, too, because I'm hungry!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Unexpected, but AWESOME!

When I first got the idea to write this blog, I was thinking of keeping it private - kind of like a personal journal.  I would take my frustrations out on the keyboard instead of the bag of chips in the pantry.  I would look back on my meals for ideas when I got bored with the same old breakfast.  I would keep myself accountable by inputting my weight every week.  Then, I realized that I'm lousy at keeping myself accountable.  That's the kind of thinking that got me in trouble in the first place.  So, I sucked it up and went public.

And something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, people are messaging me and telling me how much they like reading my blog, and how it has inspired them to make a change.  Wow - I was not expecting that!  I was expecting to be embarrassed by the fact that I just told my Facebook friends how much I weigh.  But I'm not.  I'm glad that people are reading my blog, commenting, and giving me ideas.  It makes me realize that I'm not alone in this, and that I can't slack... don't want to disappoint my fans :)  Haha.  So THANK YOU to whoever is reading this!

Ok, so now that the mushy stuff is out of the way, here's what yesterday looked like:

B: English muffin with pb, banana and tea
L: PB&J on whole wheat, mandarin oranges and baby carrots
S: String cheese, two pretzel rods
D: Pot roast with onions and mushrooms, noodles, grapes
S: Grapefruit

And, today:

B: English muffin with pb, banana and tea (sense a trend?  I don't mix it up much for breakfast!)
L: Chick Fil A grilled chicken sandwich w/ fruit instead of fries
S: String cheese, veggies with light ranch dip
D: Spaghetti with meatballs, cucumber/tomato salad
S: Hot tea with fat free creamer (it's cold outside!)

I'm doing great with WW points, and have stuck to the points allowed per day.  Now, in the WW plan, you're also allowed extra points per week to do with however you like.  I saved those this week on purpose, because I'm going out of town this weekend and would love to splurge a little.  So, I probably won't post until Sunday, but I'll post honestly when I come back.  Hopefully I don't crawl back with my tail between my legs... :)

Until then, have an awesome weekend!

PS.
I am amazed that I didn't pick any fries or chicken nuggets off of the kids' plates today at Chick Fil A!  This new me has much more willpower than I originally thought.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Five Ps

You've heard them... Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.  The five Ps are relevant in pretty much every aspect of life - especially weight loss!!  I must pat myself on the back today for adhering to the five Ps and having an awesome WW day.  I even have two points leftover for a bedtime snack (hello, m&ms!!).

Today looked like this:

B: Two eggs, English muffin and tea
L: Peanut butter sandwich, yogurt and grapes
S: Pear and 20 almonds
D: Tortilla pizza (YUMM!) and veggies w/ light ranch dip
S: Halloween m&m's

First off, I planned a fun day for myself and the kids since we spent yesterday cooped up indoors.  Today, it was rainy, so I decided to go to the mall.  While we were there, I planned on walking a few laps with the stroller before sitting down to let them play.  I purposely didn't leave for the mall until after an early lunch because I didn't want to get caught in that "well, we're out and it's lunchtime, so we better stop and get something" routine.  I don't mind eating out every once in a while, but, the more times we go, the more times I'm tempted to get something bad.  Plus, I was already planning on eating out for lunch tomorrow.

So, I knew we would be out during snack time, so I packed the kids a snack and grabbed a pear and almonds for myself.  That way, we weren't out and starving and tempted by Auntie Anne... you all know her, I'm sure!  Not only was I able to get in a little exercise by lapping the mall with the kids in tow, but I was also able to get in a healthy lunch and snack, all the while having fun with the kiddos.  Not too bad of a day!

Oh, and the tortilla pizzas were pretty awesome!  I was originally planning on making pizza on the refrigerated Pillsbury dough but, when I got home, I realized that I must have used the dough without remembering.  Oops.  So, in a pinch, I used flour tortillas.  I sprayed a cookie sheet with Pam, laid out a couple of tortillas, then topped them with sauce, a bunch of veggies, cheese and pepperoni.  Then, I baked them at 375 for about 15 minutes.  Even Joe and the kids liked them. 

Now, I'm off to get those m&ms I saved up for tonight :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

So Far, So Good

Well, it's day 2 of my journey and I'm feeling pretty good.  I followed WW to a tee yesterday and realized that, by dinnertime, I was hungry!  I haven't felt like that for a while now, because I've been snacking and grazing all day.  Bad bad bad.  That needed to stop.

Yesterday looked like this:

Breakfast: Toast w/ Nutella, a banana and a cup of tea
Lunch: Tuna on a flour tortilla, pickles, baked Lays and a pear
Snack: Apple, string cheese, 13 almonds (and yes, I counted them out!)
Dinner: Grilled chicken + red peppers, 2/3 cup noodles w/ butter.
Snack: Klondike

Now, this seems like a decent ammount of food, and it was.  I am still nursing Natalie, so I do get some extra points for that (which is nice!)  I love that I am able to eat pretty healthy, but still have a treat or two along the way.  Even though, looking back at this menu, I realize that I should be eating more veggies and less carbs.  This is why I love writing these things out - I am a pretty visual person after all.

I have also been drinking a lot more water.  I have my Tervis tumbler (which is awesome and keeps my water cold for a while!) and keep filling it up instead of reaching for another diet soda.  I'm limiting those sodas to one a day, and will have those with my snack around 3pm or so.  That's when I find I REALLY need that caffeine!

One thing I am not doing is eating off of the kids' plates.  This is a really bad habit that I have gotten into lately.  Jackson is notorious for eating like a bird, and I realized today that I am constantly picking off of his plate.  I don't know if it's some subconscious way to make sure the food doesn't get wasted, but, whatever it is, it's all done.  No more finishing the kids' food!

Tonight, we're having leftover chili for dinner.  Better plan out some good veggies to go with that!

Monday, November 14, 2011

It's a Lifestyle Change

This is what they preach at Weight Watchers (WW), and I couldn't agree more.  A diet has dos and don'ts... eat this, not that.  WW allows for chocolate.  It allows for wine.  It allows for the goodies that you're going to ultimately encounter sooner or later.  No, I'm not a paid WW promoter (though I kind of sound like it, don't I?), but I know that the program works.

I'm getting to a point here, and it doesn't have anything to do with WW, but with this lifestyle change that I'm trying to make.  I want to be able to go to peoples' houses and eat what they're eating.  I want to enjoy what I'm eating.  I want to make this change a liveable change.  I don't want to give up carbs, or sweets or dessert.

And I don't want to run on the treadmill (or dreadmill, as I like to call it).

This is what I learned today, as I struggled to run while the kids watched Sesame Street.  I didn't even make it a mile before Jackson pushed Natalie down, and she started crying.  Then, she tried to climb the gate I have around the dreadmill, crying more.  This has been the norm every time I've tried to run indoors.  I make it about 10 minutes before I find an excuse to quit, or am forced to quit.

Am I going to keep this up if I hate it so much?  Probably not.  Should I find another way to work out during the week?  Yep.  That's the realization I came to today.  Now, I really really like to run outdoors.  And, I loved running this summer at 6am while the kids were still sleeping and it was nice and cool and quiet.  So, I am going to give myself a break.  I'm not going to make myself run on the dreadmill during the winter.  I'll run on the weekends outdoors when Joe can watch the kids.  During the week, I'll do Just Dance 2 on the wii (which is TONS of fun and Jackson loves!) or I'll do wii Active after the kids go to bed. 

No more dreadmill.

Let's Be Honest...

Some of you might be reading this and thinking - wow, she's baring it all via the web.  Has she gone crazy?  Nope.  In fact, I think this might be one of the best ideas I've had in a long time!  While I am definitely not thrilled to be admitting to everyone that I need to change, I DO need to change.  So, I promise to be brutally honest in this blog (and to myself) in order to get healthier.

I weighted myself this morning: 172.2lbs.

Before I got pregnant with Natalie, I weighed around 165.  Before Jackson, 150.  I'm inching up the scale, and definitely not happy with that upward movement.  So, it's back to Weight Watchers for me.  I know firsthand that it works.  I just need to stick with it.

After my wedding in 2006, I began Weight Watchers for the first time.  I weighed around 160 at the time and wanted to be thinner.  I followed the program, and lost 22 lbs.  I weighed 138 at my lowest, and it felt great!  Then, I got lazy and started gaining some of that weight back.  Then, I got pregnant.  Now, I have two wonderful children and a saggy waistline.  While the kids were so worth gaining that pregnancy weight and those stretch marks, there is no reason for that weight to be hanging around.

So, I started this blog.  Partially to keep me accountable to someone other than myself and partially to give myself an outlet for all the frustrations of losing weight.  I know that losing weight is much more than dieting - it's a lifestyle change.  So, here goes...

My goals:

1) Track all of my food intake with Weight Watchers online etools, and stick to my target points.
2) Weigh in every Monday morning, and post that number (good or bad) online
3) Run at least three times a week, either outside or on the dreadmill :)
4) Use this blog to vent frustrations, and celebrate victories

If you're reading this (or any of my upcoming posts), feel free to comment, make suggestions, give advice or scold me (haha, I know I'll need that eventually)!!