Five Down

Tried spaghetti squash tonight with dinner.  It was just ...meh, you know?  I don't know what it's supposed to taste like, but it kind of reminded me of cauliflower maybe?  And I don't know if I cooked it long enough - an hour at 375.  I think I expected it to be more "noodle-ly" but instead it had a light crunch, almost like a tiny shred of apple.  Maybe I needed to cook it a few minutes longer or at a higher temperature?  Anyway, it wasn't bad, just different.

So, five days of WeightWatchers complete.  I have to say that I've felt pretty hungry all week.  That's not a good thing for me because I'll be tempted more often, but maybe it'll go away.  We'll see what the scale says tomorrow to know how beneficial it's been.  Since I'm already 5 months into this weight loss journey, I'm not expecting a whole lot, but of course, I would like to see a lower number at the very least.  On the positive side, I've made a lot of healthy decisions knowing I needed to stay within my points.  Today, I actually made my goal of 31!  I also exercised and earned a few more points - so much so that I have balanced out all the overages from the last 5 days, without needing to dip into those weekly points.

Yesterday - 100 posts - wha-whaaaaat?!?  I'm pretty stoked.  I know for a fact that if I hadn't been telling you all about this stuff, I would've quit long ago and probably be heavier than ever.  So thanks for being there!

Short-Post Thursday - Spaghetti Squash?

I can see there will have to be some adjustments to my menus while doing Weight Watchers.  I went over points today by 7.  I do know why though.  I had leftovers for lunch today and typically those points are a bit higher than breakfast or a non-leftover lunch.  It's all good.  I'm just going to have learn the point system and pair up low point meals with the higher ones.

So, did I workout today?  Nope, but I did walk more at work today than I have been.  I'll throw in an extra bit of cardio tomorrow to make up some of those points from today - add my normal workout for tomorrow and I should be g2g.

Here's a random question.  Do you like squash?  Spaghetti squash in particular.  I've never tried it, and as a kid I absolutely hated that boiled mush of a yellow squash - it literally made me gag.  But now that I'm all growed up, I figure I oughta give it another shot (aaaaand I just cringed a little typing that).  Still, I do want to try it.  The old me would just fry it in some butter until crisp (and speaking of crisp - add bacon - 'cause everything's better with bacon).  However, the new healthier-minded me thinks frying might not be the best approach.  I was thinking about trying this recipe and I guess I'm wondering how much spaghetti squash tastes like yellow squash?  Anyway, I know I don't have to like ALL veggies - I'm just trying to broaden my horizons. 

I found this video on how to prepare/cook it... (sorry 'bout the ad - no control over that.)

Well, it's late and I'm off to bed trying for 7-8 hrs sleep.

P.S.  I just realized this is my 100th post.  Yay!

Fixing Bad Eating Habits

As I was exploring the WW website today, I came across an article called "A 4-Step Guide to Fixing Bad Health Habits" by Melissa Sperl (from the book Change Your Mind, Change Your Weight" (Mautner)).  There is some good info.  Check out these 4 steps...

Step 1) Keep a notebook - whatever you plan, write it down and track your progress every day.

Step 2) Make your intention real by coming up with a concrete plan of attack - be specific but realistic.

Step 3) Be flexible. Don't beat yourself up when you run into obstacles, but remember persistence is key.

Step 4) Acknowledge your success.  It's easy to lose your motivation when you don't see results as fast as you like them, so be sure to give yourself credit for even the small successes.

Those are a bit paraphrased from the article, but the main ideas are here.

There's also a long list of Bad Habits and examples of ways to overcome them.  Check it out if you have access - great ideas!

As for me, today in my WW realm, I went over by one point but then worked out and got some back.  Yes!  Way to go - I can do this! (Step four implemented - CHECK!)

Dentist Hater =/

Yep, that's me.  Sorry to all you dental people out there, but I can't recall a single pleasant trip to the dental office.  But good dental health is a part of overall health, so today, after a 4 year hiatus, a requested an appointment.  Ugggghh!  I can't even describe the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think about being in that chair.  It's why pulling teeth works as form of torture.  Childbirth and a severe gall bladder attack/surgery didn't hold a candle to the excruciating pain of a simple cleaning - let alone a filling.  So, what did I do?  I just didn't go.  Anyone else feel this way about the dentist?

Well, today I learned about Sedation Dentistry.  I was like WHAT?!?  No way.  Apparently YES way!  Hopefully, I'll have more info soon.  My only concern is driving - I'm a single mom - which means I'll have to ask a friend to help me in getting home.  I find it hard to ask for help with that kind of stuff - it's the stoic-single-parent-can-do-it-all-by-herself syndrome.  Actually though, that's not my only concern.  My biggest concern is if it will actually be a pain-free experience.  We'll see.

As for my second day on WW, I think I did great!  Here's what it looked like...

Today's menu:
Breakfast:     7 points
Bran Flakes w/ 1/2 banana
2% milk
2 Clementine oranges

Snack:     4 points
Jerky

Lunch:     7 points
Turkey Sandwich on wheat w/lite mayo
Handful of pretzel sticks
Lg handful of baby carrots

Snack:     0 points
1 cup fresh pineapple

Dinner:     13 points
Whole Wheat Spaghetti (No sauce - just A touch of EVOO, pepper and a sprinkle of parm)
4 sm meatballs
Salad, mixed greens w/Raspberry vinaigrette dressing

POINT TOTAL:  31
Points allowed:  31

Activity:
Work out on stationary bike 30 minutes:  earned 3 points YAY!!

Ok, that's it for me.  I'm off to bed at a decent hour for a change.  G'nite!

Joined Weight Watchers today...

It's official - I've plateaued.  This week's weigh-in was the same as last week's =(...  It took a bit to sink in, but it is most certain.  Here's my nifty weight loss chart so you can see what I mean:

Yep, definitely a plateau from late August 'til now

Wow!  This one almost looks like mine!

So, like I mentioned before, after 4 weeks of no progress, I join Weight Watchers.

I decided to try it online first and then if need be, switch to the in-person deal with meetings and all.

Here's what my Plan looks like...

Daily PointsPlus Target is 31
Weekly PP Allowance is 49
Fruits & Veggies are 0

Current wt  = 210
1st Weight goal = 5% / 11 pounds / 199

Goal:
I will lose 11 pounds by November 23, 2013 through healthy eating habits and by doing at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.

This equates to losing approx. 1.5 lbs per week.  It will be tough as my average is less than a pound per week.  But with new habits, including better food choices and 30 minutes of exercise daily, I know I can do this!!

My activity for the day got bumped due to having to take Coal to the vet again.  We were going to walk, but it was a last minute appointment and we didn't have time.  If the weather is nice, maybe we'll go for a walk tomorrow in addition to my normal workout routine.

Just calculated today's points - 33 for the day.  Not bad for the first day, right?