Saturday, October 19, 2013

One pair of fat pants - GONE!

I was able to break away from my desk today twice for a quick 15-minute walk.  It really helped refresh me for what is essentially a really boring data entry project.  It's easy to get wrapped up in the task and forget my basic needs of hunger and the restroom.  I decided to eat then walk at least twice during the day and I'm happy to say that I did it.  This project shouldn't last much past the next week, so hopefully I can get back to being more active at work.  

Speaking of more active, I think my calf is completely healed now.  I'm hoping that we have at least one more week of decent weather so I can go out and attempt to run.

While I'm not sure what the scale will have to say about this week (TOM is here too), I have some good news.  I went down one pants size!  I didn't realize the pants I was wearing were that big, but it was mentioned to me and then I started to pay attention.  While I was walking today I looked down and realized my pants were a bit low even though I was wearing a belt.  Hmmmm, so I grabbed the material there at the hip seam.  I discovered a good 3 inches of extra material!  Then, without letting go, I checked the other side where, holy cow, there was more over there!  What size are these pants?!?  TOO BIG, that's what size.  So tonight, I raided my closet for old pairs of pants that I can now fit into.  I found one pair, with many that were sooooo close.  I'll be in those very soon, I'm sure of it.

I found this graphic today - it's very cool - it's my new motto. =D


Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

It's a Good Thing

It's a really good thing that the WeightWatchers plan is so flexible.  I got a bit snacky today  - not too bad, just popcorn, but still.  And that's another thing, I sat still all day at work today.  I got up for the bathroom only once and I thought my kidneys were gonna kill me!  I should not ignore my bladder for that long!!  Whew!

I didn't exercise yesterday or today and I'm feeling it.  The weather is crappy and I can tell winter is fast approaching.  That's probably why they have so many gyms here in the Springs.

Anyway, not much going on.  Just checked out some of Season 3 of Extreme Makeover Weightloss Edition.  Chris Powell is so cool (and so cute!) - I wish he were my trainer.  I have his book, so maybe I'll actually read it and do a decent review.  I may not qualify for extreme weightloss, but maybe I can learn a thing or two from him.  If I remember correctly, he talks about carb-cycling.  I also think it's a fairly strict plan that I wasn't anywhere near ready for when I first looked it over.
I'm gonna take another look - hopefully unbiased - and see what could work.  I just want to make sure it's not just another diet.  I'm not looking for that.  I'm looking to meeting a goal first and then maintaining the weight permanently, not just a diet.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm sticking with WW for ever how long I need to, but it never hurts to see what else is out there. Maybe someone will read my review and find that it's something they can do.  Who knows?



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Too Many "Never agains"

I can't believe I spaced this.  Do you remember way back when I posted about DietBet and how excited I was about participating?  I also mentioned this other site where I was competing - WeightLossWars.  Well, after DietBet, I weighed in once more on the WLW comp and then...

I completely forgot about it!!!

There weren't any mandatory weigh-ins for awhile and it totally slipped my mind.  So uh, yeah.  I think I might have won a couple dollars, but that's about it.  I just don't like not finishing something I start - very bad habit to get into - which is why I'm talking about this now.  Hopefully admitting failure in something now will prevent it in the future.  Anyway, I'm ready for another challenge especially with the holidays right around the corner.

It's the same every year.  Right around Halloween when all that stinkin' candy goes on sale, that's when it starts.  The end-of-year weight gain.   Then comes Thanksgiving where it seems we all give ourselves a pass in the food department then make like a turkey and get stuffed.  Next there's Christmas where more candy comes out the the wood work and there's even more food.  Finally, it's New Year's Eve and I'm saying to myself "Never again" again.

Well, this year will be different.  This year I'm saying "Never again" right now, not when it's too late and I've gained 10 pounds (I can seriously do that over these particular holidays).  

This year, I have been and continue to be working hard at losing this weight.  This year, I will still enjoy food during these holidays.  But this year, I will NOT gain weight.  Between October 31 and January 1.  I refuse to allow myself to fall into that rut again and have to start all over - again.  This year will be different.

Did you see the new season's 1st episode of Biggest Loser?  I like the show a lot even with some of the controversy around it.  I think all the contestants leave the ranch with new outlooks on life.  And I bet when they start losing all that weight they too are telling themselves - never again.

I'll say it once more.  This year I'm saying "Never again" right now, not when it's too late. 

For. The. Last. Time. NEVER AGAIN.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Menu & Recipes - WW Points Included (week 1)

As promised, here's my first week's attempt at planning a menu using the point system.  This is cool because I now know the points BEFORE I eat instead of after (what a concept, right?).  My daily point goal is 31 and I have 49 extra to play with during the week plus any activity points I earn from exercise.

Here's what I did - I made the slow cooker sloppy joes AND the ravioli casserole ahead of time so that I don't have to worry about cooking dinner on Tuesday & Wednesday.  The Thursday & Friday meals are super simple and Saturday is Subway day so hopefully there won't be a need for my Fallback plan.

If you've ever done the WW thing, you may think that some of my numbers are off.  That's because I'm still using sugar, butter and real creamer.  They make you pay the points for that stuff, but it's yummy so I make the point sacrifice.  Eventually, I'm sure I'll go to more healthy versions of those or just give them up altogether.  Not sure about the sugar though - maybe I'll use honey or maple syrup or agave.  I just can't do the zero calorie stuff.  Even the "non-bitter" sugar substitutes taste bad to me.  Is there anyone else who feels that way?  It can't just be me (I hope).

Tuesday (TOTAL = 31 points)
Breakfast:  Bran Flakes w/banana & 2% milk, coffee w/pumpkin spice creamer (9 pts)
Lunch:  Ham Sandwich on wheat w/mustard & 1 TBS lite mayo, fruit & carrots w/ranch dip (11 pts)
Snack:  Pita Chips & WW Jalapeño cheese (4 pts)
Dinner:  Skinny Slow Cooker - Turkey Sloppy Joes from Skinny Ms, Side Salad w/ranch (11 pts)
UPDATE:  As I was cooking this tonight I realized I had missed where it said "not including buns" so I've changed the dinner points from 8 to 11 to include 3 points for the bun.  Good thing I missed my snack today!  I'll have to change out that snack to fruits & veggies so it'll be zero in the future.

Wednesday (TOTAL = 31 points)
Breakfast:  Healthy Pop Tarts from Chocolate Covered Katie, coffee w/pumpkin spice creamer (8 pts)
Lunch:  Leftovers (4 pts)
Snack:  Fresh fruit & celery mixed w/walnuts & FF vanilla yogurt (10 pts)
Dinner:  Mom's Easy Alfredo Ravioli Casserole from Simple Nourished Living (9 pts)

Thursday (TOTAL = 32 points)
Breakfast:  Grapenuts w/berries, 2% milk, coffee w/pumpkin spice creamer (8 pts)
Lunch:  Leftovers (9 pts)
Snack:  Pita Chips & WW Jalapeño cheese (4 pts)
Dinner:  BBQ Meatballs with Cauliflower mixed with whole wheat pasta & cheese (11 pts)

Friday (TOTAL = 32 points)
Breakfast:  Grapenuts w/berries, 2% milk, coffee w/pumpkin spice creamer (8 pts)
Lunch:  Leftovers (11 pts)
Snacks:  Fruit & carrots w/ ranch & WW Lemon snack cake (6 pts)
Dinner:  Skillet Tostadas on my recipe page (7 pts)

Saturday (TOTAL = 32 points)
Breakfast:  Omelet w/bacon & cheese (10 pts)
Lunch:  Leftovers (7 pts)
Snacks:  Fruit & white cheddar popcorn (3 pts)
Dinner:  Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki on Flatbread (10 pts)

Fallback Plan (just in case of crap or I get lazy and don't want to cook)
Spaghetti w/Olive Oil spritz & Parm w/Spinach & Strawberry salad plus Raspberry Vinaigrette (6 pts)
WW Frozen Dinner (6 pts)
BLTs on wheat (7 pts)

You'll notice I've only dipped into the weekly points by 4.  That means I can pretty much eat whatever I want on Sunday with a whopping 76 points left (45 weekly +31 daily).  I still like to think of that as my "Free Day" leftover from my Body For Life days.  That day is a huge psychological thing for me and I still look forward to it.

So, do you have any great recipes that are super low on points?  Do you incorporate a "Fallback Plan" in case of "emergency"?  Do tell...



Monday, October 14, 2013

Picky Eaters - Trying new foods

I'm happy to report a TWO POUND loss this week!! (Ok, actually it's 1.9, but still!!).  YES!!!  Tracking food really helps me stay focused on what I'm eating.  I am liking the points system better than tracking calories.  When I was tracking calories, I wasn't getting near the fruits & veggies that I am now.  Since they're 0 points with WeightWatchers, I eat a lot more of those so I'm not as hungry and I'm forming some healthy habits.  I do have to plan a bit more, so I'm in the process of re-vamping my menus to be more point-friendly.  There are so many WW friendly websites out there with so many recipes, I'm looking forward to trying some new stuff.

Speaking of new stuff, I have to share this experience.

First off, if I haven't mentioned it before, I don't like onions.  I don't mind certain onion flavor (i.e. onion salt, onion powder, etc.) but the texture is awful.  To me, raw onions are very bitter and cooked onions, while mostly flavorless, are slimy little worm-like bits of ewww.  Every time I go out to eat, I ask the server "no onions please" or "does this have onions?" and special order those dishes as necessary.  If the onions can't be taken out, I'll sit there and pick out onions for several minutes before I start to eat.  Crazy, right?  Maybe with a sprinkle of obsessive, I'm not sure.

Lately though, I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone where food tastes and textures are concerned.  So, last week, when we went out to Texas Roadhouse, I ordered the 6 oz sirloin.  My daughter apparently inherited my distaste for onions and ordered the "Roadkill" sans onions and mushrooms.

Well, I love mushrooms, so I asked if we could just get her mushrooms on the side.  I said nothing of the onions.  When they brought our food, guess what they brought in the cute little side dish bowls... yep, mushrooms AND onions.  Ah well, I thought, such a waste.

But as I'm eating my yummy steak and mushrooms, I had a thought - why not try one?

The texture sensitive part of my brain screamed "WHAT?"

And before it could react further, I slid one of those slimy little buggers on my fork and stabbed a mushroom and a piece of steak and ate it.

Hmmmmm, interesting - it's sweet.  The steak and mushroom hid the texture nicely.  Ok quick, try just onion and steak!

Wow!  It's really sweet.

"Claire, try this!" I say as I'm shoving a bite of steak and onion at her face.

"What was that?" she asks, "that's pretty good."

I tell her what it was and she gives me the evil eye for a second.  Then the scrunched brow look.  Then the "humph" shrug along with a quiet "Not bad."  HAHAHA!! Two for two!

Is it a flute?  Did they sugarcoat those onions?  What the heck just happened?  I ate onions and liked it. Ok, it's official, the world has ended.  The closest I ever come to eating onions are those little fried onion straw deals and that's only if they aren't too thickly sliced.  But now, I've ventured into new territory.  What could possibly be next?

Well, it looks like this post is already long enough, so I'll post my new Weight Watchers Points Included Week 1 dinner menu tomorrow.



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