Brain Engaged, Hands Busy

It's clear to me that my motivation for writing has diminished severely! It is so unlike me not to be sharing my journey with my reader. Well, hopefully this post is refreshing for you.


There are a couple things I have been meaning to write about - but I'll limit this post to my newly developed hobbies.


Until recently, if you were to ask me what my hobbies include I would probably respond with journaling and singing karaoke. The problem with those is that I don't journal often enough to consider it a hobby and karaoke, let's be honest here, involves late nights out with certain beverages that can have adverse effects when losing weight. (wink wink).


I had two and a half weeks off for Christmas break (teacher perks) and I knew I would end up off my routine and probably track my food less and binge watch Netflix in my sweats. In fact, that's exactly what I did. I made it through all 10 seasons of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. for about the umpteenth time.


Will there ever be another T.V. love like Ross and Rachael? Sometimes I think Nick and Jess are a close second. Wait, that's a different entry entirely...back to hobbies...

Puzzling with my cousin -
"Christmas in NYC"

My uncle is a home-brewer and beer enthusiast so when I was browsing Amazon and came across a 500 piece puzzle of various beer caps I thought that would be a fun Christmas gift for him. Then I found a Wrigley Field 1000 piece puzzle that I thought would be fun for me to do over break. After weeks of delayed shipping of the puzzle I bought for myself I canceled it and started looking at different puzzles. I then bought two 1000 piece puzzles and that was going to be my Christmas break hobby. I figured if I was going to binge watch Netflix I should at least keep my brain engaged.

2000 piece puzzle

I grew up putting puzzles together with my grandparents so puzzling has a sort of sentiment to me. As a child, I used to hide the last piece so that I was always guaranteed to put the last piece in the puzzle. It was just our thing. And I loved it.


So, my puzzles were delivered and I quickly set in on the first puzzle. 16 hours later...I finished the first one. How were two puzzles going to last me two and a half weeks if I concentrated so hard on the first one?! Day 2 - second puzzle completed. I clearly needed to purchase more. Long story short, I completed seven 1000 piece puzzles in two and a half weeks.


Here is my point. Concentrating on my puzzles was a great way to keep my brain engaged and my hands busy. I did not focus on eating, I did not graze throughout the day, and honestly I preferred to stay home to finish my puzzle than accept invitations out with friends. I brought this up in my Weight Watcher meeting and another member expressed her love for puzzles too. That next week we traded our completed puzzles. Two of the puzzles she gave me are 2000 pieces. I have been working on one of those for roughly two weeks now. Since school is back in session I don't have the time I did over break. Again, this is keeping my brain engaged and my hands busy when I would otherwise graze in boredom. Last weekend I played around with something else I'd like to make a hobby and that is DIY candle making. It's really easy and your house smells amazing in the process. So now if you asked me what my hobbies are I would respond "Puzzling and candle making!"


Update on my weight loss progress - as of the 18th I was down 23.4 lbs. I weigh in today so hopefully it will be more than that. This past week I took our traveling journal home with me to manually track my food for others to see. This was the first week that I was 100% on tracking. Weekends are a struggle but I made it through tracking everything. Even Sunday when I ate all my points plus all but 15 of my extra weeklies. Tonight I'm looking for a 1.6lb loss. With that I will be at my starting weight from the first time I started WW and this blog.


Here's to hoping for a good loss!'


Instagram: PapaGrl

Family Ties

Question...have you ever seen a cuter family?

I am literally obsessed with this family selfie I took last week as we hiked Starved Rock. These people are my absolute world. In this picture beside me is my cousin Jessica, cousin David, Uncle Jay, Aunt Tiffany, Aunt Teri, Uncle Larry, Uncle Scott, Audie and Grandma. Some people don't like the time they spend with their family but I would absolutely choose the people in this picture over anyone else. How is this related to the theme of my blog? Well, weight issues are something we all have dealt with in my family.

My cousin Jessica is currently becoming a lover of running. Naturally thin, she is getting into being fit. She is training for a longer run than she's ever done and she's doing an amazing job. I love supporting her and she loves supporting me. My Uncle Scott recently joined a contest at his gym - he is naturally a larger person but not larger in the "fat" way but more in the "built" way. He's a BIG guy! Very intimidating but a giant teddy bear. He has cut out alcohol and refocused his diet to cut what fat he has to build more muscle. He's a solid man! My Uncle Jay and Aunt Tiffany together have lost a lot of weight over the years. They work together as a unit to eat healthy and work out, along with their pups. Aunt Tiffany had also worked for Weight Watchers before I did and she was very successful on the program. My Grandma has been working Weight Watchers for YEARS! I mean back in the day when basically they could only eat liver and onions or something crazy like that. We check in with each other weekly on our weigh-in progress and she has always been concerned about my health and weight. Finally, my Aunt Teri was the initiator of our family becoming healthier. Back almost 20 years ago my aunt embarked on her weight-loss journey where she lost a significant amount of weight through health eating and physical activities and has since kept it off and remained as healthy, along with her husband. Both are extremely active and support everyone in all of their health lifestyle choices.

This past weekend was an example of why I love spending my time with them. We had plans to go apple picking which we do every year as a family. It is something my grandparents did with me as a child and I wanted to continue this tradition as an adult and hopefully will be able to continue with my children. We especially look forward to this weekend each year since my Papa passed away because he always really enjoyed apple picking. We do it in his honor. We decided to try a new U-Pick place this year instead of the place we've gone for the past decade. When I pulled up, two sets of aunts and uncles were already there. We were waiting on the last set, plus the cousins, and Grandma. My aunt greeted me with a cheerful "Want to hear a funny joke?" - well, duh. She proceeds to tell me that there are NO apples to pick! We all drove 2 hours and there are no apples! We are an incredibly positive family and right away I laughed. Of course we'd drive two hours for no apples! What now? Collectively we decided that the day must go on! Until a few years ago, we would have never decided that our back up plan would have been to drive 45 mins to hike. We decided that we were going to go to Starved Rock and hike the trail. It was so beautiful and we were so proud of Grandma for how much she walked with us on the unsteady paths.

We followed our hike with a well-deserved lunch at a brewery in town. Here is a personal celebration for myself: I chose not to drink beer (I love beer. Especially craft beer) and I chose a healthier option for lunch. This all culminated into my weight-in last night where I lost 3.0lbs this week. 8.0 lbs total. It's a good start for my first month and I'm really happy with my progress so far. I've made many better choices from the food I eat to the beer I drink. I am still able to enjoy the things I love and I am able to be social but with modifications.

What followed our fun family day was our 7th Annual Chili Cook-off on Sunday. Another family-filled day with some friends in the mix as well. Between both Saturday and Sunday and I was still able to lose 3 lbs. I'm pretty proud of myself! I earned my first token at Weight Watchers which is a charm holder for the milestones I'll earn.

I don't quite feel any different from the 8 lbs. However, my attitude and self-worth is much higher than it was last week in my resurrection post.

It's a good start for another long journey.

A "Big" Disappointment, Pun-Intended

If I were you I'd be asking myself why I'm even reading this latest blog post.

Haven't I disappointed you all enough? Coming and going, being inconsistent, seeming like I'm ready to succeed and then failing. What a disappointment.

Well my friends, I've joined Weight Watchers again. Three weeks ago actually and so far I'm down 5 pounds. It's a start. Here's the most depressing part of it all...I weigh more than I ever have. After losing 68 pounds those few years ago, I've put it back on with some extra. Absolutely disgusting, isn't it? What kind of inspiration am I? I've lost myself. I've become distracted with temptations and vices. I am unhealthy, again.

I decided it was time to make changes. Again. It was the quote to the right that made me decide that it was time to begin again. Time to find the old me again. It was time to stop saying "I'm sorry" to both myself and to others but to really make a change in my behaviors.

Things in my life have been going pretty well. I earned tenure at the school I teach at, I finished my Master's Degree this past summer, I've moved into my own apartment, living for the first time alone, and I'm in a relationship for the first time since my divorce. Each of these items are pretty momentous in their own right. The most influential of the events listed are both moving into my own apartment and being in a relationship.

As cliché as it sounds, turning 30 was a milestone for me. I've always been one of those people who has always on the surface seemed to have had it together, but to those who know me intimately, they know that I really don't. I'm terrible with money, I've never lived alone, I rely on close friends and family a lot, and I don't ever want to grow up. Moving out on my own was a big step in the right direction. I love where I've moved - I fell in love with the building the minute I saw it. It is an old historic building that was a hotel doubled with a recording studio where a lot of famous people stayed back in the 1930's and 40's. The historic music vibe and the people in the building were incredibly welcoming and warm. It was the first space that I could make exactly my own with no outside influence. It was liberating! A new place to explore and new people to meet. Two of my favorite things! Naturally, that came along with trying new restaurants in the area and having company over at an alarming rate. This past summer was full of friends and food. All that being said, one of the great things about living on my own and restarting my weight loss journey is I do have my own space. I do not need to share a kitchen with a roommate or cook for anyone else. As I'm getting acclimated to eating differently again I can focus entirely on myself. In the past three weeks this has worked out fantastically. I cook when I want and what I want.

Turning 30 also made me think about the relationship I have. I am getting older and I have always put on the front that I do not want children or that I do not want to get married again. Truth is, I did not want children with my ex-husband. Luckily I was smart enough to realize this and ,after being together for 11 years, avoided having children. That being said, I have found someone that I do want children with some day. Let's be honest, some day means in the next 4 years...I will be in my mid-30's by then and I don't want to be an "old" mom. Finding someone that I want to have children with is a big deal. For years, I've stayed silent about how much I crave to me a stay-at-home mom and take care of my family. Oddly enough, this is not how I was raised. Everyone worked and I was given an amazing childhood, but for whatever reason this is what I want. I have been lucky enough to find a man that loves me both physically and emotionally. We aren't perfect by any means, but we know that regardless, we have each others back.

So what do these two things have to do with losing weight?

I feel that I've finally, in the past month, gained some control back. I have made decisions in the past year or two that have not been appropriate. I have lied to people, abused substances at times, and have been irresponsible. Not consistently, but even inconsistently that is not the person I know I am. When I came across the quote above I decided that when I was in control of my eating I was in control of most other aspects of my life. If you've never struggled with an eating disorder maybe this is hard for you to comprehend. When I am in control of my eating the decision I make overall are influenced. I drink incredibly yes, I have no problem telling people "no" and that being enough, I am more alert and more in tune to others around me. Getting this control back takes a level of selfishness. The first time I went through this journey I lost a lot of friends who did not support me. In fact, I was just going to mention being A Product of Your Environment but I've already written a post about that!

This post has been all over the place, hasn't it? I have a lot thoughts, especially since it's been so long since I've last blogged. Along with my goal of losing weight I'd like to get this blog back up and running like it use to be. My future posts won't be as scatterbrained as this one, but I'm sure you can understand that I have a lot to say. I've been struggling publicly with myself for the past five years and I think it's important to continue to add to this journey that I began back in 2011. I hope that as I continue to write you find things that are relatable to you. I remember a time when this blog was relatable and I let it go. It's time to bring it back.

Poundage

My two year anniversary is February 8th, which is a Wednesday. I weigh-in on Monday's, so by February 6th I have 1.8 pounds to lose if I want to hit goal on my anniversary. I have two weeks. These last two weeks I lost exactly 1.0 lb each. One whole pound is quite a lot to lose at my current weigh in just one week. In order to hit my goal by the date I want, I've got to average a .9lb loss these next two weeks. Not quite a whole pound.

I don't doubt that I can do it. However, the only hesitation I have is that it is still quite a bit of weight to lose in one week - almost an entire pound. At 126.8 lbs, one pound is a lot. So what do I have to do to reach my goal of 1.8lb in two weeks?

Exercise. Duh.

I have really been utilizing my EA Sports Active game for the PS3. It has me on a 9 week program where I have 4 days on and 3 days off. This has proven to be working for me since I've shed 2 whole pounds in 2 weeks.

My schedule right now if a bit hectic in the beginning of the week so the 4 days on, 3 days off is perfect.

Since I weigh-in on Monday evenings, my pre-weigh in "ritual" consists of little food during the day and no liquids after 3pm. I have enough time to flush out any liquid I intake during the day before 7pm. We all have our weigh-in rituals. That is what works for me. Since I eat less than normal for breakfast and lunch and don't drink water after 3pm, I don't workout on Monday.

Tuesday's are my busiest day. I work from 7:15-3:00pm and then I lead my WW meeting at 6:30pm. I have thought about working out in the school fitness room in between 3:00-4:30pm, however, I'd have to shower and get ready for my meeting anyway - so since I've been working I don't workout on Tuesday. I don't get home from my meeting until 8:30pm, and by that time I eat dinner and head to bed.

Wednesday after school I get home and wind down for about 30 minutes or so before we head to my in-laws for dinner.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are my PRIME TIME for workouts. I find that this works best for me. Since the weekend is the time I would typically use my extra weekly PointsPlus values, the vigorous exercise pairs nicely.

Last week I had nearly perfect days as far as eating on plan went. Wednesday night was the only night I went a little over what I normally would eat. I made a promise to myself that I would not slide down throughout the rest of the week - which sometimes is the case. With the weekends freeing up now that the holidays are winding down, they are easier to manage.

Ironically, yesterday I started having jaw pains. After a little research and chatting with others, we think it's a possiblity that I have TMJ. I have a pain that starts in my left cheekbone and goes to my left ear and then runs down my face. I cannot open my mouth entirely or chew properly without excruciating pains. Last night while I was eating broccoli, I must have opened too wide and a horrible feeling came across my face that immediately made me break down in tears, it hurt that bad. This morning it was very tender, it seems to have eased up a little now but still very sore. It was a difficult task to eat lunch without wincing with every bite.

Perhaps this will help me with my poundage this week...? I certainly won't be eating as quickly as I typically do, thus becoming full quicker...? Also, for dessert I usually will snack on frozen WW mini bars that are a bit chocolatey or caramel flavored - I can't imagine they will be easy to chew.

Changing the topic...

...I have a lot of activities planned for this spring/summer.

First up - March 25th - Shamrock Shuffle 8k.
Next - June 16th - Warrior Dash
July 21st - Great Urban Race
Finally - November 22nd, my New Year's Resolution - Half Marathon Turkey Trot

I am really looking forward to participating in these events and I welcome anyone to join me!

Believe and Achieve

I made the personal decision this holiday season to loosen my mostly strict dietary ways. I reminded myself of last holiday season when I did not fully enjoy myself and was strict enough that I lost weight throughout December. That is where I was though, in 2010. I was still in the phase of needing to lose at least 25-30 more pounds and it was more important to me not to eat that cookie or have an "adult" beverage. In 2011, I have made it so close to my personal goal of 125 pounds and I am so proud and confident of the way that I look now that I made it my decision to enjoy these holidays, guilt-free.
The last time I weighed in was December 12th. I weighed 127.4 lbs. Today I weighed in, after barely tracking my food intake since December 12th at 131.6 lbs. A gain of 4.2 pounds. You know what? I own it. It was a personal decision and I knew I'd gain and I am absolutely, 100% okay with that. Quite honestly, at 131.6 lbs I'm still so proud of the way I look and feel.

I was rockin' the new bod on NYE...if this is 131 lbs, I can't wait for 125 lbs.



I was keeping in mind the saying, "It's not what you eat between Christmas and New Years that matters, but what you eat between New Years and Christmas."

That was my motto for this holiday season. Although I didn't go crazy, I did eat one too many cookies and I indulge in some mid-week drinks that I otherwise wouldn't, and I enjoyed them! And it's O.K.! I remember a year ago when I was very conscious of my holiday choices and I'm glad that I was like that. It makes me appreciate that I've built a lifestyle for myself in the past two years that allow me to enjoy the 2 weeks of the holiday season in December. And I know that once it's over, I get right back on track.

This year, I'm not going to obsess over the numbers like I have. I look great. I feel great. That is what is important and what I need to embrace. Not the small gains or small losses on the scale...although still important until I hit my goal, I'm not going to get down on myself for being 6 lbs from goal.

I am starting off 2012 right. I made a huge pot of fresh vegetable soup and stocked the fridge and freezer with veggies and my "go-to" foods. I'm ready to take 2012 and make it my year! February 8th marks my 2nd anniversary of living a healthy lifestyle. This is just the beginning.

I'm not one to make resolutions because they are typically meaningless and are forgotten by the second week of the new year. But I have a few goals for 2012...

• Hit goal by Feb 8th
• Maintain another year in a healthy lifestyle
• Run a half-marathon

Simple goals. Obtainable goals.

2012 is the year to believe and achieve my friends. 

Cheers!

I'm hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family and friends and good food and laughter. My Thanksgiving week was fantastic and included a short work week, two Thanksgiving dinners and a weekend of solitude.

This year, I choose to not run in the Naperville 5k Turkey Trot, which I otherwise would have done, however, since I've been running so much on my own and farther than 3.1 miles it is hard for me to spend the $25 or $30 that the race may cost now that I have student loan bills due and Christmas is approaching rapidly. I had to sort out some priorities and unfortunately spending money on that wasn't at the top. I did miss the group setting of running, however I am still in the infant stages of running I feel and I am always trying to out-do myself. In a race like that, it's impossible because it is so crowded. One of my fellow runners offer to pay my entry fee, however, I graciously declined. I knew I could run my own Turkey Trot. I don't mind running alone. Realistically, when I run, I wear an iPod anyhow and we are all at different speeds once the race gets going so it's like I run by myself anyway. So I suited up in past Turkey Trot gear and headed out for my 3.1 mile run, feeling empowered that I didn't use the absence of the "official" Turkey Trot as an excuse to not run at all.

Our first Thanksgiving dinner was with my in laws. This year it was a much smaller crowd than the regular 35+ guests that my mother-in-law would typically host. We had about 17 guests, with about the same amount of food as if we had 35. That's how it always goes though, isn't it? We had three deep fried turkey's, stuffing, cheesy broccoli casserole, mozzarella salad, green salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and whatever Thanksgiving essentials I might be missing. Not to mention desserts...cheesecake, rice crispy treats, lemon cake, cookies, cupcakes...etc. How did my inner "fat" girl deal with all this delicious, decadent, once a year foods?

Let's put it this way. I ate enough on Thursday that came Friday evening 8pm and I still hadn't eaten a thing because I physically wasn't hungry yet.

On Sunday, my family celebrated Thanksgiving. This was a much more toned down meal for the only reason that all the guest presents (all 7 of use) are following Weight Watchers, with the except of two (who are extremely health and wellness conscious). When we get together we have meals that have very little left overs and that are relatively healthy. We had a pork roast, spiced in a Bohemian way, potato and bread dumplings, a green bean casserole made in a low fat/low calorie way, homemade cranberry sauce and a green salad. I'm not much a fan of the Bohemian way of cooking so this meal was easy for me. One chop of the pork roast, green salad and a little green bean casserole. My meal was easy, however, have I mentioned my uncle is an amazing home brewer, brewing at least 4 different kinds of beer that are all equally as tasty as the next? Oh, I haven't? Well, he is. And I enjoy every one last of his home brews.

In between Thursday and Sunday, my husband was in Michigan for his annual deer hunting trip with his father and brothers. I've mentioned before that when he is gone, I go one way or the other. Perfectly on plan because I have no one to cook for so it's easy to make good choices, or completely off plan because there is no one to watch what I eat, therefore I feel I won't be judged. I'm not saying my husband judges me when I eat, or anyone else, but you can't help but feel like that sometimes. While he was gone to Missouri for a week I did great. This time, not so much. I was a grazer. I grazed all weekend.

Good news?
Indeed.

I must have made better choices than I anticipated. And I was active. I lost over a pound and a half from my last weigh-in. I struggled on Monday, deciding if I was going to go to my weigh-in and hold myself accountable for my lack of tracking last week and my (what I thought was) over eating. I knew I had to be held accountable for whatever damage I thought I had done. To my surprise, I worked it out that I lost enough to see 129 again. And damn it, I have 4.8 pounds until 125 lbs, which I have embraced as a good goal for me and my body. Any less and I feel I'll start looking like a pre-pubescent boy. Not the look I'm going for.

This week I've tackled head on. Sunday I prepared my lunches for this entire week. Two of those days included my new go-to food, spaghetti squash. I am in control of my food this week. I am ready to take on the two holiday parties I have this weekend, a staff holiday party and an ugly sweater party.

On the Weight Watcher leader front, I am so proud of my members this week. At weigh-in last night, out of the 10 members that weighed in, the collectively lost 19 lbs. That's huge for the week after Thanksgiving. I am so proud to be this groups leader. They all make me so proud.

Cheers to the holiday season!

With more activity and more conscious food choices, we can all enjoy the holiday parties to the fullest extend and still lose weight!

Success! Progress Report Follow-Up

In my last post, I talked about the Progress Report that you get at the end of every week when using eTools with Weight Watchers. I also talked about how I love this tool because it really puts things into perspective and clearly I stunk at achieving a high rating. So this past week, my goal was to focus on the Good Health Guidelines and to receive as many smiley faces as possible.

Here are the results...

This is quite epic! Look at all those smiley faces! Also notice how Sunday I didn't track. It's hard to be upset about that when I had such a fantastic six days and I still lost .2lb. What I noticed and you can see by my tracking (the green bar graph) is that when I got in all of the GHGs, by the end of the day I still had PPV left and I wasn't hungry. Especially look at Tuesday. I had 8 PPV left at the end of the day and had no desire to eat dessert or anything else to finish those 8PPV. It's amazing...the GHGs really are GOOD for you!

I hadn't used and of my Weekly 49 PPV until Saturday plus I had 18 Activity PPV. I definitely used those up on Saturday. I went out to dinner with some girlfriends and then out to some bars. BUT, I tracked most of Saturday which I think is a success. I also believe I only lost .2lb because I was still retaining water from a weekend of eating out and a few alcoholic beverages. No big thing, I know I'll see the rest on the scale next Monday.

To add to my Activity PPV, I bought a pedometer on Friday. I put in all my information (height, weight, etc) and it calculates my steps and for me, at 7,000 something steps, I get 1 Activity PPV. I think I got my 2 APPV around 12,000 which I did on Saturday.This has been a great tool for me to make sure I get up and move, even after two workouts on Friday, I still hadn't even hit 10,000 steps. So it pushes me to do even extra on top of regular workouts.

Finally, I talked myself into what was a very difficult workout for me. I got a bicycle this summer but rarely brought it out and when I did ride it, it wasn't far at all. On Wednesday, we went to dinner at my in-laws house and they live roughly 13 miles from our house. I wasn't sure when I was going to be able to get in a workout on Wednesday because we were super busy. So I decided that since I have to go to my in-laws anyway, why not bike there? My husband drove the car because I certainly was not going to bike 13 miles in the dark along a two lane highway. It took me an hour and fifteen minutes to go 13 miles and I was drenched when I got there. It was 90 degree with 90 percent humidity, so it was a big mental game with myself to keep at it. But I completed the ride, longest one I've done and I'd probably do it again!

I would put this down as a successful week and achieving my goal of really focusing on the GHGs. I haven't come up with a goal for this week. Perhaps it should be tracking my food accurately over Saturday and Sunday.

To end on another positive note - tonight is my last mentoring session as a Weight Watchers leader. Tonight I conduct the entire meeting myself, which I've gradually been taking over different parts these past few weeks. My territory manager will be there to observe and after that I am 100% on my own as a Weight Watcher leader! It feels great to achieve a goal I've worked towards for so long!

Next goal? Finish off these last 10 lbs.

525,960 Minutes

31,556,926 Seconds

365 Days

This is how long, as of today, I've been a Weight Watcher! Yes, today is my one year anniversary. 

A lot has happened in the past year since joining Weight Watchers, besides losing weight. I've changed a lot about myself; habits and such. I have new friends, I've rid myself of friends who really weren't friends at all, and most importantly, I've reconnected with an old friend, very special and dear to my heart. I've started my senior year in college. I've built a new resume. I've helped others begin their weight loss journey. 

That's a lot of stuff in just one year. 

I think back to one year ago today when I joined. I remember going all by myself to the meeting location. Super nervous but excited because I wanted to make new friends who were on the same journey as I. I remember walking in to the meeting and first being introduced to who was to be my spunky, excited leader! Gosh, I remember how difficult it was the first week. I expressed at my first meeting how I've heard it's easy to track points but felt overwhelmed and thought it would be difficult. That first week, tracking wasn't the difficult part...eating less was the difficult part! I tracked like no one has ever tracked before and luckily I started a great habit...write it before I bite it! I remember how hungry I was but stuck to it no matter what. It didn't take long to realize that although I ate healthy, I ate far more than one person needs to function. 

I remember how supportive Kristian was (is) and how he tried every new recipe I made and encouraged me daily. Ugh, I also remember how that first weekend was the annual Mardi Gras party at a family friends' house and how nervous I was to be around alcohol and crab cakes! 

Then I remember my first weigh-in. I gained. GAINED! I couldn't hardly believe it. How discouraging, after 7 full days of eating so much less than I was use to, probably cutting my calories in half but to a health amount. I gained! My peers among me assured me that it happens. That my body was not use to getting so fewer calories and that I was holding on to those calories instead of using them for energy because my body thought it would not receive any more. Luckily I listened because my second week I lost 5.8 lbs. Talk about motivation!

Week 11 started an amazing trend. By then I had already lost 20.4 lbs but for the next 10 weeks, I continuously lost, averaging a pound each week to by down 30.6 lbs until week 21 when I gained .2 lb. That's hard. Doing so well and being on this amazing upwards trend...then you ruin it. It takes a toll on your heart. From there on it was up and down...lose for two or three weeks in a row, gain one week, lose it plus some the next week. 

 I've lost 10 of these. 

Then week 41 rolls around. Introduction to the new Points Plus program. I had just lost 43.2 lbs on Momentum and now they go and switch it up on me!? However, I was very excited for the new change, unlike a lot of others I spoke too. I knew that a change would be good, kind of a jump start for all our bodies.  I jumped right into the new program. It was a tough switch, more daily points was great but all the foods I had learned to love were also higher points. I had to start substituting certain things, like bread for instance. I use to buy whole wheat bread but now I buy 7 Grain Deli Flats and use those in lieu of bread in every situation. I was right though, it was a jump start. I had lost 2.2 lbs that first week and at week 42, anything over a pound is something to celebrate! Thankfully, Points Plus took my to my 50 lb loss and I love the new program. 

I look forward to the next year. I know there were be more victories, but also more setbacks. I look forward to hitting my goal weight this year. I look forward bathing suit shopping for the summer and having the confidence to wear it, not to mention all the other cute summer trends! I look forward to graduating and starting a career in the fall as a special education teacher. And the whole reason I wanted to lose weight was to be healthy when we decided it's time to start a family...so who knows if that will be in the next year or not, but physically I will be ready to start our family this year. 

Celebrate Yourself - Milestones

A key ingredient that has helped me be successful is setting small, obtainable goals for myself. It's great to say you want to lose 50, 75 or 100 lbs but what is going to help you get there? What about the first 10 lbs you lose? Isn't that a success in itself? Celebrate it! Here are my goals - some that I've achieved and some I am still working towards:

50 lbs charm I received at my meeting today

Committing to a lifestyle change: Completed Feb. 8, 2010 (188 lbs)
5% Goal: Completed Mar. 8, 2010 (178.4 lbs)
10% Goal: Completed Apr. 5, 2010 (168.8 lbs)
25 lbs lost: Completed Jun. 1, 2010 (161.0 lbs)
15% Goal: Completed Jun. 21, 2010 (157.4 lbs)
20% Goal: Completed Oct. 18, 2010 (149.8 lbs)
25% Goal: Completed Dec. 13, 2010 (140.0 lbs)
50 lbs lost: Completed Jan. 17, 2011 TODAY!! (137.2 lbs)
30% Goal: TBD - Weight needs to be 133.6 lbs
35% Goal: TBD - Weight needs to be 122.2 lbs
GOAL: TBD - Currently 116.0 lbs - Could change


The goals I've highlighted are those that Weight Watchers sets for members. I don't know about you, but I love a good celebration so I set more goals for myself so that I could celebrate more frequently! There are other goals I like to set, NSV goals. NSV = Non-Scale Victories! Those are almost more fun to celebrate than number goals. A NSV for example would be fitting into your "skinny" jeans that you saved but may have thought to yourself, "I'll never fit into these again." Another NSV might be making a good food choice while out at a restaurant when before you might have chosen the high calorie/fat food. Knowing what you know now - you can make a better informed decision about what you put into your body. Maybe you could barely walk a mile on the treadmill when you began working out, but today you ran a mile or maybe two...NSV!!! Celebrate these things, as little as they may be!

What are some NSV you have celebrated or maybe should have celebrated but you didn't think they meant much because it wasn't exactly the number you were looking for on the scale?

As you achieve your goals you've set for yourself, it's inevitable that your clothes start to become loose. I find that bittersweet. For a while I was excited that my clothes were getting loose but I still knew I had a lot of weight to lose to buying new clothes didn't seem very economical. I began feel like I looked like a bum going out in baggy clothes when really I wanted to show off my new slimming curves! I walked into a Goodwill store near my house, reluctant at first because I didn't want to admit I was looking to buy clothes from a resale shop. Now, I go to Goodwill a few times a month and buy jeans! Name brand - designer jeans for $4.99! Now I don't care if they don't fit me in a month, I just recycle them back to Goodwill and buy a new pair. It's the smartest way to keep your wardrobe updated on a budget.

Start to set small, obtainable goals for yourself. They don't even have to be weight loss related, but if you get into the habit of setting goals you will be more likely to achieve those goals and be happier with yourself.

Until next time, I'm signing off 50 lbs lighter than 47 weeks ago.