I'm so excited! I went to DC this weekend to take my final exam for Marketing (only ONE MORE SEMESTER left!!!). Traveling is hard, as you well know. Friday night I decided to stop at Don Pablo's for dinner, which is the restaurant where B and I had dinner the night we got married. I was all set to have a fattening, cheesy, fried dinner...until I saw "Mama's Skinny Enchiladas" on the menu. They were 10 points--and wonderful. Then on Saturday, I had an Egg McMuffin for breakfast with the Apple Dippers (but no caramel), a salad for lunch, and the Weight Management grilled chicken, which was actually pretty good. I did eat a piece of carrot cake, but I enjoyed every second of it. Then Sunday I had a low-fat omelet (10 points again) and when I got home, we had PF Changs for dinner. All things considered, I had an AWESOME food weekend when I think about it. I'm so proud of myself! Today wasn't as good--B and I had Mexican again and a chimichanga won out, but it's okay. I ate pretty well the rest of the day, so I'm not too upset about it.
I'm really excited about the changes I'm making. Healthy food is starting to taste better to me, and I'm really enjoying the workouts. In fact, I worked out without Maddie today and got 45 minutes of cardio in before I called it quits.
I had my blood work done today to see how my vitamin B12 and D levels are, and to see how well the hypothyroidism is reacting to the medicine. I'm looking forward to getting the results back in the next couple of days.
How are you feeling? I am feeling like you and I are ON FIRE these days. I am so proud of you for going to the gym last week when you didn't want to. Dad once told me it's easy to go to the gym on the days you want to go, but the true test is if you go when you don't want to. I feel like you and I are passing that test with flying colors. We are going to rock the GM conference in March!!!
xo
M
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Meeting Vickie
Hi!
Well, first for the stats from last week: as of last Friday, I was officially down 9.8 lbs. However, I have not done well this week with food. I'm not exactly losing my mojo, but I think last week's headaches were so rough that this week I haven't been as strict. And guess what happened. I gained 2 pounds by Sunday. I've managed to get 1 of them off, so now I only have 1 to go, but who knows if I'll make it by Friday? I guess the point here is that I'm aware of it, and I know what I need to do to get myself back on a really steady track next week.
A couple of weeks ago, Maddie shared with me that she had a surprise for me. She had met a lady at the gym who had lost 150 pounds, and you'd never know it to look at her. (My biggest fear is that, once I get this weight off, people will look at me and be able to tell from the loose skin that I've lost a lot of weight.) Well, the surprise was that Vickie was going to work out with me for one session. That session was Monday at 1.
Oh, Danielle, what an inspiration she was! She's had a lifelong battle with her weight, just like me, and she said she maxed out at 315 when she finally decided she couldn't live like this anymore. She told me her 'aha' moment: she was visiting her daughter and stayed in a hotel where the elevator was broken, and her room was on the 3rd floor. She said she could barely get up the stairs, and that it made her miserable to know she'd gotten to that point. When she and her husband left, she said she cried the whole way home (and it was about a 6- or 8-hour drive). That was a Sunday. On Monday, she went out and bought a composition book, and dated each page. Then every day afterward, she wrote down what she ate so she could understand exactly where her calories come from. It was eye-opening, and after two weeks, she started cutting back. She cut sodas out of her diet altogether, added more fruits and vegetables, and she started walking. She said at first she carried 1-lb weights, and then graduated to 2-lb ones, and now carries 3-lb weights whenever she walks. After she lost the first 75 lbs, she decided to add Spinning to her workouts, and then after a while she also started swimming. It has taken her 3 years, but she's gotten everything she wanted to get rid of off. She looks great--and she DOES NOT have the loose arm skin!
And here's the kicker--she just retired, so I'm guessing she's early- to mid-sixties.
So, seriously, if she can do this, there is no reason I can't. It was a great session (plus I actually worked out pretty hard), and I'm so, so glad Maddie introduced us! She took my email address so she could include me on a recipe exchange, so if I get anything good, I'll send it your way.
Well...as you are all too aware (because I can't stop complaining about it), I need to study for my Marketing final. I hope you're having a great week, and I can't wait to see how you do on Friday!
Mxx
Well, first for the stats from last week: as of last Friday, I was officially down 9.8 lbs. However, I have not done well this week with food. I'm not exactly losing my mojo, but I think last week's headaches were so rough that this week I haven't been as strict. And guess what happened. I gained 2 pounds by Sunday. I've managed to get 1 of them off, so now I only have 1 to go, but who knows if I'll make it by Friday? I guess the point here is that I'm aware of it, and I know what I need to do to get myself back on a really steady track next week.
A couple of weeks ago, Maddie shared with me that she had a surprise for me. She had met a lady at the gym who had lost 150 pounds, and you'd never know it to look at her. (My biggest fear is that, once I get this weight off, people will look at me and be able to tell from the loose skin that I've lost a lot of weight.) Well, the surprise was that Vickie was going to work out with me for one session. That session was Monday at 1.
Oh, Danielle, what an inspiration she was! She's had a lifelong battle with her weight, just like me, and she said she maxed out at 315 when she finally decided she couldn't live like this anymore. She told me her 'aha' moment: she was visiting her daughter and stayed in a hotel where the elevator was broken, and her room was on the 3rd floor. She said she could barely get up the stairs, and that it made her miserable to know she'd gotten to that point. When she and her husband left, she said she cried the whole way home (and it was about a 6- or 8-hour drive). That was a Sunday. On Monday, she went out and bought a composition book, and dated each page. Then every day afterward, she wrote down what she ate so she could understand exactly where her calories come from. It was eye-opening, and after two weeks, she started cutting back. She cut sodas out of her diet altogether, added more fruits and vegetables, and she started walking. She said at first she carried 1-lb weights, and then graduated to 2-lb ones, and now carries 3-lb weights whenever she walks. After she lost the first 75 lbs, she decided to add Spinning to her workouts, and then after a while she also started swimming. It has taken her 3 years, but she's gotten everything she wanted to get rid of off. She looks great--and she DOES NOT have the loose arm skin!
And here's the kicker--she just retired, so I'm guessing she's early- to mid-sixties.
So, seriously, if she can do this, there is no reason I can't. It was a great session (plus I actually worked out pretty hard), and I'm so, so glad Maddie introduced us! She took my email address so she could include me on a recipe exchange, so if I get anything good, I'll send it your way.
Well...as you are all too aware (because I can't stop complaining about it), I need to study for my Marketing final. I hope you're having a great week, and I can't wait to see how you do on Friday!
Mxx
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Catching Up
B and I went to New Orleans last weekend so I didn't blog like I normally do. You and I have talked all throughout the week about how we're feeling on this journey, but I think some of it bears repeating, if for no other reason than so that I can come back months down the road and read this. (Some of these aren't things we've talked about but I am writing them down too!)
- I cannot--CANNOT--push grocery shopping trips past the point of having food in the house. When B and I got home from NOLA, we didn't have much food here, and there was certainly nothing healthy here. So that meant that all day Monday I ate garbage. I felt terrible. We went to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner and I had the Ruby Minis because I thought I wanted a burger. Yeah...not so much. They tasted like grease and bread. Gross. I grocery shopped first thing Tuesday morning and am back on track. Lesson learned.
- Wednesday morning's workout was really hard. I upped the weights on my bicep curls (20 lbs, thank you very much) and increased the height on the step I use for step-up exercises. I worked out too hard, and felt ill all day. I'm looking into heart rate monitors, thanks to your advice.
- Fruits and vegetables are your friends. Really.
- It is possible to work out when you're on vacation. (And if the hotel doesn't have a gym, find another hotel.)
I'm so excited about this week's weigh-in, mostly because I know I gained weight while B and I were gone, and I'm pleased that I (think, anyway) got rid of it. I'm hoping to even have lost a little bit more. Getting to my first 10-lb goal is taking forever, but I'll get there eventually. I just have to remember that I didn't put this all on in a week, and it's not all going to come off in a week, either.
Can't wait to hear how your week went!
x0~m
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Where have the weeks gone??
Just caught up on your last three weeks! I'm so proud of you Megan, you are really making a difference - not just physically but mentally. Each time I read your posts, it gives me the extra umph I need to kick it back in gear.
Just got back from taking Bay for a walk. She sure does love those! And I do too, although it's hot as HELL out there right now and the suns not even out.
Last week I was on the road for a full week. And the scale showed it when I returned. I actually think the last two days of my trip are what did it to me. The first few days I was actually really good with what I ate, and hell - I even worked out two days! The last two nights on the road I ate like hell at night. But I'm back home and trying to get those wheels spinning agin. Step one - the gym. Although I'm not that thrilled with the facility itself, I've decided I'm going to make the most of it. I'm scheduled to meet with a PT on Monday (although I might change the day / time because I want to do water aerobics). H2O Aerobics is only three days a week; M, W and F. Wednesday is already out for me as it falls right at the same time (9 AM) as our Leadership meeting. My goal is five days at the gym this week. Two miles on the treadmill and at least 15 min on the eliptical machine. Is that too ambitious? I look at it this way, last year when I lost the weight I was walking 2-3 miles a day at least 5 times a week. It's time to take it to the next level.
Speaking of next level, I understand with the points. For the most part I stay within my points range. But the types of foods I'm eatting are not what's going to help me get where I want to be. I'm so close to being in a weight zone I haven't been since oh.... maybe my first year of college or before? I think I'm mentally blocking myself. I'm not really sure what's going on, but it's time to get to the bottom of it.
So your note on the fruits - not filling you. I would suggest switching it up. If the apple isn't doing it for you - try something else until you find what does fill you! For me, blueberrys actually do just that! Oh and watermelon. If I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it - and I'm also mentally telling myself that same thing... :) My ONE piece of advice for you is just that! And buy small quantities till you find what works for you. Another good way to get it in is through fruit smoothies. I LOVE the yoplait ones. AND you get a serving of dairy in at the same time. All you need is a blender! :)
Anyway, that's it for me. I will be better at posting at least one time per week! Until then.... Keep it healthy!
XO ~ D
Just got back from taking Bay for a walk. She sure does love those! And I do too, although it's hot as HELL out there right now and the suns not even out.
Last week I was on the road for a full week. And the scale showed it when I returned. I actually think the last two days of my trip are what did it to me. The first few days I was actually really good with what I ate, and hell - I even worked out two days! The last two nights on the road I ate like hell at night. But I'm back home and trying to get those wheels spinning agin. Step one - the gym. Although I'm not that thrilled with the facility itself, I've decided I'm going to make the most of it. I'm scheduled to meet with a PT on Monday (although I might change the day / time because I want to do water aerobics). H2O Aerobics is only three days a week; M, W and F. Wednesday is already out for me as it falls right at the same time (9 AM) as our Leadership meeting. My goal is five days at the gym this week. Two miles on the treadmill and at least 15 min on the eliptical machine. Is that too ambitious? I look at it this way, last year when I lost the weight I was walking 2-3 miles a day at least 5 times a week. It's time to take it to the next level.
Speaking of next level, I understand with the points. For the most part I stay within my points range. But the types of foods I'm eatting are not what's going to help me get where I want to be. I'm so close to being in a weight zone I haven't been since oh.... maybe my first year of college or before? I think I'm mentally blocking myself. I'm not really sure what's going on, but it's time to get to the bottom of it.
So your note on the fruits - not filling you. I would suggest switching it up. If the apple isn't doing it for you - try something else until you find what does fill you! For me, blueberrys actually do just that! Oh and watermelon. If I don't like it, I'm not going to eat it - and I'm also mentally telling myself that same thing... :) My ONE piece of advice for you is just that! And buy small quantities till you find what works for you. Another good way to get it in is through fruit smoothies. I LOVE the yoplait ones. AND you get a serving of dairy in at the same time. All you need is a blender! :)
Anyway, that's it for me. I will be better at posting at least one time per week! Until then.... Keep it healthy!
XO ~ D
Saturday, July 31, 2010
M's Week 4: The Good, The Really Bad, and the Slightly Obsessive
What a strange week it's been! I discovered water aerobics last Thursday night, and went to class Saturday morning, Monday evening, and Thursday evening. I also got up and went to the gym to do 30 minutes on the elliptical on Monday morning, and I had a crazy hard workout with Maddie on Friday morning. Oh, and I swam laps on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening. So apparently we're starting off with 'the slightly obsessive' part of my week. I am becoming obsessed with earning Activity Points. How crazy is that? This, the laziest of all people ever, is now going to the gym sometimes twice a day. Huh?! We'll see how long this lasts--but it has been fun! I'm thinking about taking kickboxing next week, and I'm really interested in trying out Zumba, too. The Zumba classes aren't at a great time, though, so I don't know what I'll end up doing about that.
So, on to the bad part of the week. I'm realizing that I'm not eating right, and I'm not eating enough of the good stuff. I'm staying within my Points values, but I'm not making great food choices. I really, really need to work on adding in fruits and vegetables. I am going to make an effort to eat at least one fruit and/or veggie every meal this coming week. Maybe that will help keep me from getting these stupid headaches. I think my biggest problem with them is that everyone keeps saying that they help to fill you up, but I've never really noticed that eating an apple or an orange or a salad really has that much of an impact on my hunger levels. I'll give it a try this week and see what happens.
Last night was terrible. I had a headache all day, which I now realize was from not drinking enough. However, I thought maybe it was because I was hungry, so after dinner, I ate everything I could get my hands on. Dinner was a Lean Cuisine pizza. I followed that up with a cupcake from the grocery store. (Kroger now sells single cupcakes, but check this out--there was too much icing and I ended up throwing about half of it away. That counts for something!) Then I ate a little single-serving cup of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Surprisingly, what used to be my all-time favorite ice cream wasn't that good anymore. However, I didn't realize it until I was finished with it. Then I moved on to 2 of the 100-calorie packs of chocolate covered pretzels, and 1 of the Ritz cracker snack mix. I wrapped it up with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup because I still wanted ice cream. When I finished that, I realized I was out of control, and I made myself stop. The lesson I learned here was that when I do this to myself, I feel miserable. I was over-full, and I felt awful. I'm so embarrassed sitting here writing this, but this is accountability in its finest form.
Now, for the good. There's a lot of good. Even though I'm still not eating like I should be, I have cut out so much bad stuff it's incredible! With the exception of last night, no more nightly ice cream (sometimes x2), no more fast food (although I will cop to having my first Quarter Pounder in almost a month yesterday for lunch), no more eating out every single meal. I'm drinking a lot more water, which is great. I quit drinking soda over 2 years ago, but I still never drank enough water. Now I'm feeling pretty well-hydrated, and I'm glad I'm making progress there! I'm looking closely at menus to make healthier choices, and I'm taking my food choices one meal at a time. If I have a bad meal, then it's okay--back on the proverbial horse with the next one. After last night's insanity, I got right back On Plan today, and have eaten only at meals.
I'm down 2 more pounds for a total of 8 so far, and I'm super-proud of myself. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the gym, either for cardio or kickboxing. I may swim some laps, too, but I haven't decided yet. My mother and brother are coming down on Tuesday for a couple of nights, and I'm making them go to the gym with me Wednesday morning. We can go out to dinner on Wednesday night, but I'll be smart about it. And every other meal we eat here will be healthy!
So, here's to a great week for both of us. I know you're on the road this week, so I'm sending good vibes your way. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!
Mxx
So, on to the bad part of the week. I'm realizing that I'm not eating right, and I'm not eating enough of the good stuff. I'm staying within my Points values, but I'm not making great food choices. I really, really need to work on adding in fruits and vegetables. I am going to make an effort to eat at least one fruit and/or veggie every meal this coming week. Maybe that will help keep me from getting these stupid headaches. I think my biggest problem with them is that everyone keeps saying that they help to fill you up, but I've never really noticed that eating an apple or an orange or a salad really has that much of an impact on my hunger levels. I'll give it a try this week and see what happens.
Last night was terrible. I had a headache all day, which I now realize was from not drinking enough. However, I thought maybe it was because I was hungry, so after dinner, I ate everything I could get my hands on. Dinner was a Lean Cuisine pizza. I followed that up with a cupcake from the grocery store. (Kroger now sells single cupcakes, but check this out--there was too much icing and I ended up throwing about half of it away. That counts for something!) Then I ate a little single-serving cup of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. Surprisingly, what used to be my all-time favorite ice cream wasn't that good anymore. However, I didn't realize it until I was finished with it. Then I moved on to 2 of the 100-calorie packs of chocolate covered pretzels, and 1 of the Ritz cracker snack mix. I wrapped it up with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup because I still wanted ice cream. When I finished that, I realized I was out of control, and I made myself stop. The lesson I learned here was that when I do this to myself, I feel miserable. I was over-full, and I felt awful. I'm so embarrassed sitting here writing this, but this is accountability in its finest form.
Now, for the good. There's a lot of good. Even though I'm still not eating like I should be, I have cut out so much bad stuff it's incredible! With the exception of last night, no more nightly ice cream (sometimes x2), no more fast food (although I will cop to having my first Quarter Pounder in almost a month yesterday for lunch), no more eating out every single meal. I'm drinking a lot more water, which is great. I quit drinking soda over 2 years ago, but I still never drank enough water. Now I'm feeling pretty well-hydrated, and I'm glad I'm making progress there! I'm looking closely at menus to make healthier choices, and I'm taking my food choices one meal at a time. If I have a bad meal, then it's okay--back on the proverbial horse with the next one. After last night's insanity, I got right back On Plan today, and have eaten only at meals.
I'm down 2 more pounds for a total of 8 so far, and I'm super-proud of myself. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the gym, either for cardio or kickboxing. I may swim some laps, too, but I haven't decided yet. My mother and brother are coming down on Tuesday for a couple of nights, and I'm making them go to the gym with me Wednesday morning. We can go out to dinner on Wednesday night, but I'll be smart about it. And every other meal we eat here will be healthy!
So, here's to a great week for both of us. I know you're on the road this week, so I'm sending good vibes your way. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!
Mxx
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Week 3 for M: My Pedometer is Going to Change My Life!
My God, I am a lazy human being. I say this because the ever-patient Maddie, my trainer at the gym, gave me a pedometer to wear, just to see how many steps I walk in a day. We decided that my goal should be 3,500 for this first week, because I really am pretty sedentary. Let's look at how I did:
Tuesday: 4,305
Wednesday: 9,356
Thursday: 5,323
Friday: 4,844
Saturday: 3,778
So, if my goal was 3,500, why do I say that I'm lazy? Because everything I've read says you should aim for 10,000 steps a day if you're trying to lose weight. I obviously have some work to do. (Wednesday, the outlier in this week, happened because I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical that morning, and then moved everything out of and then back into my office when the new furniture was delivered.)
I have noticed that I look at it frequently throughout the day, and I have started trying to figure out ways to get more steps in. Tonight, B and I went to the grocery store, and I made him walk up and down almost all of the aisles. Hey, it's more steps! I am aiming for 4,500 every day this coming week. Since I made that goal 3 out of the 5 days I've tracked, I think it's realistic. I know walking the dog helps me make that goal, plus it gives him some much-needed exercise, too. I'm going to give it a shot. We'll see how it goes.
I discovered water aerobics this week. I love love love swimming, and have wanted to take water aerobics since I joined the gym, but someone once told me that most of the people taking the class are the same overweight women week in and week out, and that no one ever looks like they've lost any weight. It really deterred me from actually getting into one of the classes, but then Maddie taught Thursday night's class. She wanted me to come take it with her since I have frequently told her how much I loved to swim, so I did it. Oh, my gosh! It was actually a workout--I wasn't really expecting it to be at all! The hour flew by, and before I left the gym, I looked to see when the next class was. It was today at 9 a.m. Now, you know me, and you know how much I LOVE to sleep. It was no small sacrifice to set my alarm clock for 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning so I could make that class. But I did it, and you know what? It was totally worth it.
I came home from today's class and did some reading online about swimming, and how it's so very good for you because it helps build muscle and burn fat. I should have been writing a paper, but instead I decided I was more interested in swimming. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I went back to the gym a second time in one day, and I swam 20 laps. I'm a slow swimmer now (this is the first time I've been lap swimming in years), so that took about 50 minutes. But I felt absolutely amazing when I was done. I'm not going to force myself to go tomorrow because I really do need to finish a paper, do some more homework, and spend some time with B. But if I feel like I can carve out 2 hours from my day, then you'll likely find me at the pool again.
I'm going to take water aerobics 2 more times this week, so I'll have a total of 3 times. I'm also planning on swimming some laps after the class, although it probably won't be 20 again since that would mean I'd be in the pool for 2 straight hours. Although who knows? We'll see how motivated I am when I get there. I'm going to do 3 days of cardio, too, so that's 28 minutes on the elliptical and 2 minutes on the step mill. (Oh, how I hate you, step mill.) That'll be six days of working out this week, and I think I can feel proud of that. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results that brings.
So now, for the moment of truth. I have lost 5.6 pounds so far! I am so totally excited about it I can't believe it. I seriously doubt that I'm going to lose 4.4 pounds this week to make my first goal of 10 in July, but it's okay. I'll take whatever I can get. I'm just proud of getting this far in a week.
I'm off to take some measurements so I can see what kind of improvements I make month over month. The Weight Tracker on weightwatchers.com has a place for measurements, and the ones they ask for are: dress size, hips, thighs, waist, bust, and arms. Pretty painless to meaure; pretty painful to see the numbers. Next month they will be better! :)
Till next week--
Mxx
Tuesday: 4,305
Wednesday: 9,356
Thursday: 5,323
Friday: 4,844
Saturday: 3,778
So, if my goal was 3,500, why do I say that I'm lazy? Because everything I've read says you should aim for 10,000 steps a day if you're trying to lose weight. I obviously have some work to do. (Wednesday, the outlier in this week, happened because I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical that morning, and then moved everything out of and then back into my office when the new furniture was delivered.)
I have noticed that I look at it frequently throughout the day, and I have started trying to figure out ways to get more steps in. Tonight, B and I went to the grocery store, and I made him walk up and down almost all of the aisles. Hey, it's more steps! I am aiming for 4,500 every day this coming week. Since I made that goal 3 out of the 5 days I've tracked, I think it's realistic. I know walking the dog helps me make that goal, plus it gives him some much-needed exercise, too. I'm going to give it a shot. We'll see how it goes.
I discovered water aerobics this week. I love love love swimming, and have wanted to take water aerobics since I joined the gym, but someone once told me that most of the people taking the class are the same overweight women week in and week out, and that no one ever looks like they've lost any weight. It really deterred me from actually getting into one of the classes, but then Maddie taught Thursday night's class. She wanted me to come take it with her since I have frequently told her how much I loved to swim, so I did it. Oh, my gosh! It was actually a workout--I wasn't really expecting it to be at all! The hour flew by, and before I left the gym, I looked to see when the next class was. It was today at 9 a.m. Now, you know me, and you know how much I LOVE to sleep. It was no small sacrifice to set my alarm clock for 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning so I could make that class. But I did it, and you know what? It was totally worth it.
I came home from today's class and did some reading online about swimming, and how it's so very good for you because it helps build muscle and burn fat. I should have been writing a paper, but instead I decided I was more interested in swimming. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I went back to the gym a second time in one day, and I swam 20 laps. I'm a slow swimmer now (this is the first time I've been lap swimming in years), so that took about 50 minutes. But I felt absolutely amazing when I was done. I'm not going to force myself to go tomorrow because I really do need to finish a paper, do some more homework, and spend some time with B. But if I feel like I can carve out 2 hours from my day, then you'll likely find me at the pool again.
I'm going to take water aerobics 2 more times this week, so I'll have a total of 3 times. I'm also planning on swimming some laps after the class, although it probably won't be 20 again since that would mean I'd be in the pool for 2 straight hours. Although who knows? We'll see how motivated I am when I get there. I'm going to do 3 days of cardio, too, so that's 28 minutes on the elliptical and 2 minutes on the step mill. (Oh, how I hate you, step mill.) That'll be six days of working out this week, and I think I can feel proud of that. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of results that brings.
So now, for the moment of truth. I have lost 5.6 pounds so far! I am so totally excited about it I can't believe it. I seriously doubt that I'm going to lose 4.4 pounds this week to make my first goal of 10 in July, but it's okay. I'll take whatever I can get. I'm just proud of getting this far in a week.
I'm off to take some measurements so I can see what kind of improvements I make month over month. The Weight Tracker on weightwatchers.com has a place for measurements, and the ones they ask for are: dress size, hips, thighs, waist, bust, and arms. Pretty painless to meaure; pretty painful to see the numbers. Next month they will be better! :)
Till next week--
Mxx
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Week 2: Counting Points on the Road
What an exciting week! I got to go to Chicago for a training class, and had the chance to meet some of my new coworkers. I can't wait for them to see me at the big meeting in the end of March looking many pounds lighter!
I remember now how hard it can be to eat healthy when you're on the road. I started each morning off with an English muffin with margarine and jam, yogurt, and eggs. Lunch was a Chicken Cashew salad one day, a Potbelly's TKY sandwich and Baked Lays one day, and 3/4 of a personal Margherita pizza the third day. Dinner was my big downfall. The first night, I had a Chicken Enchilada stack (OMG), the second night was 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza from Giordano's, and the third night was a sinfully amazing Italian dinner made of gnocchi, mascarpone cream sauce, basil, dried apricots, some kind of nuts, and parmesan cheese on top. I will say that I only ate until I was full every night, and I was amazed that the gnocchi dish filled me up quickly even though I only ate a few of them. I was proud of myself for ignoring the bread. (I did have some of the Caprese salad, though, which was tomato, mozzarella and basil.) So, it wasn't perfect. But you know what? It was better than my normal track record where I stuff myself and regret it later!
I didn't get any exercise in last week except for the walk back to the hotel from Giordano's. That was about 3/4 of a mile, so I guess it was better than nothing. I was disappointed in myself for not exercising more, though, because I had plenty of opportunities. This week I have 2 sessions set up with Maddie (Monday and Wednesday at 5:30) so there's 2 hours of exercise right there. I'm aiming for one more cardio session at the gym past that. I'm also going to see if there's a class at the gym that looks interesting. I really enjoyed that Kickboxing class, so maybe I'll try that.
I'm struggling with eating all of my points. I get 38, which is an obscene number of points. Even if I split that up into 5 meals, it's 7 or 8 points each. It's a lot of points. But I need to figure out how to get them all in! I have a great opportunity this week, because Brad's going to be gone from Monday-Thursday. I can spend some time working on recipes and eating right and focusing on things the way I want to. It'll be awesome. AND the best part is that he's actually been supportive of this effort this time. He's asking what I want to eat, and how certain foods will fit into my diet. I have explained that it's not a diet this time, and that's making a difference for me. Approaching it this way is really so much better. I know if I really want something, I can eat it--but I have to cut back elsewhere.
So, knowing that I was on the road and then had pizza for dinner on Friday night, my weigh-in this week wasn't awesome. I gained .8 of a pound. HOWEVER, I'm not beating myself up over it, because I know I had a rough week. I'll get rid of it this week, and start heading in the right direction! I'm still motivated, and I'm still confident that I'm going to get this weight off this time. Bring on the GM conference!! :)
All in all, it's been a good week. I've been very conscious of what I've eaten. I stayed away from all of the sugary breakfast foods I usually go to when I'm in a hotel. I ate like a normal person and didn't spend the entire week overeating. I didn't eat candy all day long in class. I had a lot of victories this week, even if they're not reflected in the scale. Hopefully next week I'll start to see some improvement in that area, too!
Here's to a great week 3!
M
I remember now how hard it can be to eat healthy when you're on the road. I started each morning off with an English muffin with margarine and jam, yogurt, and eggs. Lunch was a Chicken Cashew salad one day, a Potbelly's TKY sandwich and Baked Lays one day, and 3/4 of a personal Margherita pizza the third day. Dinner was my big downfall. The first night, I had a Chicken Enchilada stack (OMG), the second night was 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza from Giordano's, and the third night was a sinfully amazing Italian dinner made of gnocchi, mascarpone cream sauce, basil, dried apricots, some kind of nuts, and parmesan cheese on top. I will say that I only ate until I was full every night, and I was amazed that the gnocchi dish filled me up quickly even though I only ate a few of them. I was proud of myself for ignoring the bread. (I did have some of the Caprese salad, though, which was tomato, mozzarella and basil.) So, it wasn't perfect. But you know what? It was better than my normal track record where I stuff myself and regret it later!
I didn't get any exercise in last week except for the walk back to the hotel from Giordano's. That was about 3/4 of a mile, so I guess it was better than nothing. I was disappointed in myself for not exercising more, though, because I had plenty of opportunities. This week I have 2 sessions set up with Maddie (Monday and Wednesday at 5:30) so there's 2 hours of exercise right there. I'm aiming for one more cardio session at the gym past that. I'm also going to see if there's a class at the gym that looks interesting. I really enjoyed that Kickboxing class, so maybe I'll try that.
I'm struggling with eating all of my points. I get 38, which is an obscene number of points. Even if I split that up into 5 meals, it's 7 or 8 points each. It's a lot of points. But I need to figure out how to get them all in! I have a great opportunity this week, because Brad's going to be gone from Monday-Thursday. I can spend some time working on recipes and eating right and focusing on things the way I want to. It'll be awesome. AND the best part is that he's actually been supportive of this effort this time. He's asking what I want to eat, and how certain foods will fit into my diet. I have explained that it's not a diet this time, and that's making a difference for me. Approaching it this way is really so much better. I know if I really want something, I can eat it--but I have to cut back elsewhere.
So, knowing that I was on the road and then had pizza for dinner on Friday night, my weigh-in this week wasn't awesome. I gained .8 of a pound. HOWEVER, I'm not beating myself up over it, because I know I had a rough week. I'll get rid of it this week, and start heading in the right direction! I'm still motivated, and I'm still confident that I'm going to get this weight off this time. Bring on the GM conference!! :)
All in all, it's been a good week. I've been very conscious of what I've eaten. I stayed away from all of the sugary breakfast foods I usually go to when I'm in a hotel. I ate like a normal person and didn't spend the entire week overeating. I didn't eat candy all day long in class. I had a lot of victories this week, even if they're not reflected in the scale. Hopefully next week I'll start to see some improvement in that area, too!
Here's to a great week 3!
M
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