Weigh in...

This morning I walked to the meeting, which was the first time since my mom joined a few months ago.  I forgot how much I enjoy walking outside, and how much I enjoy the walk to and from the meeting.  It gives me time to get in some activity as well as reflect on the past week and make plans for the new week ahead.

I was up 5.2 pounds this week, the most I have gained in one week since I joined.  I feel like this past week was the longest WW week I have gone through, and I have no intention of repeating it.  Day 1 I got bit by the dog, ate creamy pasta without even thinking once much less twice!  Day 2 I whacked my head on the cabinet door, cooked Christmas dinner with one hand, and ate more sweets than usual.  Days 3 & 4 included included hand and head pain and more sweets and eating out without making many healthier choices.  Day 5 was another long day full of not WW friendly choices.  Day 6...more of the same nonsense.  Day 7...much better than the previous days, but still not within my daily pp target, and still no intentional exercise.  Every single choice I make, whether it be good or bad makes a difference in my success...or lack thereof.

This week I am ready to get back to my old WW self...the self who tried hard, worked hard, and lost 76 pounds in 2011!  Even though the last few months have not been super fabulous, I cannot forget that I am still starting 2012 much lighter than I started 2011.  I cannot forget how hard I worked for those 76 pounds, or how hard I need to work to lose 76 more.

My 1st weight loss goal of 2012 is to lose 100 pounds by February 25th...my 1 year WW anniversary.  I have 56 days to lose 24 pounds, and I totally think that I can do it.

One more day to go...

I am so thankful tomorrow is finally Friday!  I am looking forward to weigh in on Saturday so I can get over with.  I am not looking forward to starting school again on Monday, but I will be glad to get it over with too.  Today was not too bad.  I got some walking in with my daughter, I drank plenty of water, and ate fairly well too.  Tonight I am going to make a menu for the next week so I can go grocery shopping tomorrow.  I tend to do better when I have things written down and planned out ahead of time.

For the first, and probably the last, time my husband did Just Dance & Zumba with my daughter.  He always tells me how I am doing it wrong, it was nice to see him try.

Tomorrow will be a busy day out and about...I am glad to be getting out of the house.

Goals for 2012...

There are several things I want to accomplish in 2012.  Here are just a few...

• Enjoy the rest of the "stay at home mom" time I have with my kids
• Finish school...only 2 more weeks of classes until I am a college grad with an AA in Accounting
• One of many weight loss goals...lose 100 pounds by February 26th (my 1 year WW anniversary)
• Another...reach my ultimate goal weight...I am still not sure what that number is, but I will as I get closer
• Share my weight loss journey and post my success story with WW
• Become a WW leader...probably part time
• Inspire at least one other person in this world to find the strength to lose weight and become his or her own success story.
• Brave some new classes at the gym...I love spin, Zumba, and Miami Mama!
• Get a job with a good company and fabulous people
• Become a better blogger and remember to take pictures and write down recipes as I create them
• Learn to ice skate...random I know...but it's my list!

...can't forget about me...

I can hardly believe Christmas has been here and gone.  This past week has been rough, and I need to remind myself that I can't forget about me as I certainly do not forget about anyone else!

Christmas Eve we went to my husband's cousin's house and during an instant of stupidity I opened the sliding glass door and stuck my hand out to pet his new dog and got bit instead of welcomed.  Thankfully I was smart enough to tell my kids to stand back inside, and I had quick enough reflexes to take my hand back and close the door.  The bite happened so fast, but was quite effective...he even bit my pretty blue glittered nail right off and was crunching on it as I was trying to figure out what had just happened on the other side of the door.  After rinsing my throbbing hand under cold water, we decided to go to the ER to make sure it was ok.  About an hour and a half and $ 100 later, I was free to go with 5 band-aids, pain medicine, antibiotics, Benydryl, and no stitches.  Best part of the trip...finding out that I am allergic to iodine after it was shot directly into one of the holes in my hand and my hand swelling up like a freakish rubber glove being filled with jello.  To counteract the reaction, they proceeded to squirt the biggest bottle I have ever seen worth of clear something or other into the same wound and then try to squeeze out what they had put in...I think that ordeal hurt more than the actual bite itself...

Once we got back to the cousin's we had pork and creamy pasta for dinner...I was still in shock and was not even paying attention to what or how much I was eating...looking back I probably had about 2 cups worth of pasta and who knows what was in the sauce?!?!

Christmas morning was good...the kids, my husband, mom, and dad were all pleased with their gifts...as was I!  My hubby braved Joanns and got me a new Cricut...it is more complicated than my old one so I will actually have to read the manual this go round, but I love it (and him of course too!)  Trying to cook Christmas dinner with one hand was challenging...at around 9am I stood up and whacked my head on the corner of one of the cabinet doors in the kitchen...I don't know how it didn't break my head open considering it is still sore and the bump hasn't gone away yet!  With a pretty good headache and only 1 good hand I managed to get dinner made...pork roast, sweet potato madness, mashed potatoes for my daughter, gravy, biscuits, fresh green beans, and rice pudding.

Monday, Tuesday, and today have flown by...I have not felt well at all the past few days.  I think it is a combination of too many sweets that I usually do not consume, not enough fruits, veggies, water, or activity, or sleep, and my hand and head injuries.  I had decided to take a short break from WW...still being mindful, but not tracking or calculating...the break happened, but the mindfulness went out the window.  Even with the best intentions, when I don't feel good and I am too tired, I don't do well.  I have eaten more nonsense in the past few days than I have since I joined WW.

Today I did get back to tracking and I also entered everything online.  Using my paper tracker and WW online keeps me accountable and gives me more options to see what I am really doing...good or bad.  Even though I did eat more peanut M & M's than I should have today, I did track them and realized that no one in the house needed them so I made the choice to throw the rest out instead of keeping them as temptation or eating them myself.  As they were pouring out of the dish into the trash bag, I was thinking how wasteful it was to throw them away, but then I figured it was better to fill the trash than to fill myself!  I went over 17pp today, in addition to how many I had already gone over since Saturday.  I am not waiting for Saturday to start fresh.  Tomorrow is a new day, and I will do my best to get through it in a healthy manner.  I will eat well, drink my water, track everything, get in some activity, and look forward rather than back.  I have come too far to turn back now...

Time flies...

...when you have too much to do!  I cannot believe tomorrow is already Friday!  I have been so busy this week and have not been to the gym once.  I have realized this week amidst all of the chaos that they gym is the only place I can go where I do not think of anything except for what I am doing...I miss the release that going to the gym or taking a walk outside allows me.  Our holiday season will be over by Monday...no more gifts to stress over, no more crafts to work on under a deadline, and no more holiday meals.  I have one more week of freedom for school and I want to make the most of it...which will include going over my new 2012 WW materials and getting to the gym!

I am not sure what the scale is going to say this week, but I will take it for what it is.  I have not stopped to take a breath in days, but I have also not tracked...food-yes, pp values-no.  I am being more lax about what I am eating than I have been since I started WW, but I am still very aware of what I am eating.  I have enjoyed a few holiday goodies, but definitely not even close to what I might have eaten in the past.  I love feeling like I am in control, even when I am not completely on plan.

Tomorrow is another day...my daughter and I are off to get my husband's truck windows tinted for Christmas...I tried my best to make up a good story as to why I needed his truck...I almost got away with it, but he figured me out...I am not good at lying and he just knows me all too well!  While the windows are being done, my daughter and I will take a walk to the mall to have lunch and brave Build-A-Bear.  On the menu...tons of salad with veggies and fat free honey mustard dressing & some broth based soup.  Might have a bite or two of something really good...we'll see.  

Two weeks of school freedom...

I just submitted my last school assignment of 2011...I am so excited and relieved!  Only two more weeks of school in January and I will be FINISHED...but for now, two weeks to finish up Christmas goodies, spend time with my kids once they are out of school at the end of this week, spend some time with my hubby since he will have two three-day weekends in a row, get to the gym as much as I possibly can, and bring in the New Year.

Today was busy and very productive.  My hubby, daughter, and I went to Denny's for breakfast.  My son decided he would rather sleep in and have me make him breakfast when we got home.  I was going to have french toast, but they did not sell "just one piece" and no one wanted to share with me so I opted for egg whites, chicken sausage, hashbrowns (shared with Molly), and fruit (also shared with Molly).  It was good and I was satisfied.  I think I am going to take the time to make some lightened up french toast one day this week...maybe on Friday since both kids will be out of school.  Sometimes I just need to eat something once and then I am good and don't need to have it again for awhile.

In addition to Denny's and grocery shopping, we cleaned house, finished decorating, got the holiday boxes back to the shed, and wrapped quite a few gifts...including 2200 pennies and 30 $1 bills for my nephew.  I figured if he wanted to dump the pennies in one of the machines at the store, at least he would still end up with $ 20 after the fee.  We like to get creative with gifts, especially ones that can be very obvious like money or gift cards.  I will have to weigh the 2200 pennies as the box is super heavy.  We put them in plastic bags and then my husband went to town with the tape gun.  It looks like a giant dinosaur egg and is inside another box so he will have no idea what it is until he gets through the box and all of the tape.  For the 30 $1 bills, we taped them end to end, rolled them up, stuck them in a box, cut a slit on one side of the box, taped a piece of paper to the last $1 bill and wrote a few directions.  I will take pictures and post them after Christmas...today was a bit of an eaty day, but I am ok with it.  I have given myself a bit of freedom for the next two weeks...not to go nuts, but definitely to enjoy a bit more than I usually do.  I have been a WW or a long time, and I have come to learn that I will have to be a WW for the rest of forever...giving myself some controlled freedom from time to time will keep me on the right track and prevent me from giving up altogether!

Tomorrow more to do...go to spin class, wash fabric and start cutting it for quilts for my son and daughter, make fudge, chocolate covered pecans, and chocolate-caramel-pecan treats, start cutting paper hexagons to make a framed quilt made of paper for my mom as she is a quilter and I have no patience for small fabric pieces but plenty for small paper pieces, cut, fold, and glue papers for my daughter's teachers' Christmas wreaths, finish up laundry, make another trip to Wal-Mart & Sam's Club, and hopefully nothing else jumps onto my list before the day is over!

Weigh in...

Down 3.6!!  So excited to have lost the 2.2 I gained last week, plus over a pound more...running total 83.4! There are only two more 2011 weigh ins...I am going to continue exercising, tracking, and being aware of what I am eating, but I am also going to enjoy a bit of the holiday goodies and try to enjoy my time off from school.  I have one more assignment to post tonight and two posts tomorrow and then I am free for two whole weeks!    

Tomorrow...tons to do...should be a productive day!

Another long day...

I wonder if I will ever have a day of nothing...I think I hope I don't because if I have so many busy days that means I have people who need me, money to spend, a car that runs, a body that keeps up with my madness, a gym membership at a gym I love, and so much more than many others have, especially during these tough times.

Yesterday started with a drive to a WW buddy's house where I spent over 2 hours going through bags, and bags, and more bags of beautiful clothes that she had "shrunk" out of.  I do not think I have seen so many clothes in all my life outside of a store.  I am sure I must have burnt some calories trying things on, unpacking and packing the bags, and lugging them around.  On my way there I was thinking that I would not fit into any of the clothes, and I was surprised to fit in many of the shirts, jackets, and dresses...not squeeze into them, but actually fit into them!  Looking in a different mirror and trying different styles of clothes really made me see the difference from 80 pounds ago to now.  Some days it is really hard for me to see the difference because I am more focused on how far I still have to go rather then how far I have come.  It is so important to look back and see where you start a journey such as weight loss.  Today I looked at my drivers license picture, and I hardly recognize myself...After my fashion session I headed off to finish Christmas shopping, lunch, home to make dinner, to my daughter's school for family fun night, back home to cook dinner for my hubby, and finally to bed.  

Today I checked almost everything off of today's to do list including a Miami Mama workout with a sub, laundry, got my nails done, went to the post office, Kohl's, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Staples, 2 restaurants for Christmas gift cards, and lunch at El Pollo Loco.  I think there should be an activity points plus calculating method to figure getting in and out of the car fifty times a day!  In the midst of the madness I took also took my kids to school and picked them up...I CANNOT believe how crazy some of the parent drivers are, especially near the school, I just want to wring their necks...no one's time is worth another person's life!!!

Tomorrow's list is just as long as today's was.  I am going to start the day with Zumba...and get as much done as I possibly can...I only have a few more days before my 2 week break from school (the first one since last December!)  I hope to have at least one or two days of no errands and no chores...we'll see!

I have been getting some form of physical activity in everyday.  I am still eating well, but I have given myself a few extra pp each day above my dailies and weeklies.  I was originally going to be super strict through the holidays, but then decided that the holidays only come once a year and as long as I am aware of what (and how much) I am eating, I should be able to enjoy some treats within reason and be ok.  There are only a few short weeks until the holidays are over and a brand new, fresh year is here!!!

Tis the season...

Today was filled with more madness...running from store to store doing returns,searching for Christmas lights, and getting a few last minute items.  Instead of Miami Mama this morning I opted for 37 minutes on the treadmill at a 3.3 mph pace.  This switch allowed me to finish earlier so I could get my errands done.  Nothing else exciting happened today...more baked kale and Laughing Cow...  And now off to work on school and decorate the Christmas tree...

** Yesterday I did make some quite fabulous eggplant.  I sliced it in 1/4" thick discs, sprayed with Pam, added salt, pepper, lawry's, and garlic salt...browned in a pan until cooked through...topped with tomato sauce and shredded cheese!  A plate full of cheesy, veggie goodness for only 2pp! **

Kale & Laughing Cow...

For some reason I have not tried baked kale or Laughing Cow cheese until today...they are both super tasty and super WW friendly!  I baked the kale Hungry Girl style and we ate the cheese with Ritz crackers.  I was glad that neither of food was an acquired taste.  Some foods I have tried because they are healthy, or healthier, have taken me a few tries and lots of convincing myself that I like them.  I was amazed at how good they both were, and the best part is that both of my kids like them too!  Sometimes one of the two will like new things, but very rarely do they both like the same thing!

Today was busy, as most of my days are.  I woke up early to start laundry and housework.  We moved a bit of furniture around to make room for the tree.  Last year we threw out our fake tree and bought a real one.  This year we have a real one too...it is gorgeous, huge, and smells fabulous!  I have school to work on, and we are going to decorate later tonight.  It has been a few hours since this post and I have managed to get dinner done, but the tree is still naked.  My son worked so hard to put the lights on the tree and then decided he needed to trim a few branches...in addition to cutting a branch, he cut right through the light wire.  Needless to say I will have to get some new lights and put them on myself...at least he did take off the dead ones!  Happy Holidays!

I can hardly believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away!  Yesterday I got the majority of our gifts wrapped, and this coming week is my last of school until the New Year.  I will be super busy next week focusing on baking, helping at my daughter's school, and finishing everything up for the holidays.

Shout out to my WW peeps...

I am so thankful for all of the members of the 7:30am Saturday meeting, and of course our fabulous leader Dawn...you are all so encouraging and inspirational and have been a big part of my weight loss journey thus far.  A hug, a nice comment, or just a smile from across the crowded meeting room...every bit of it means the world to me.  One step, day, and pound at a time...I know we all can, and will, reach our goals!

Weigh in...

Even though I was up 2.2 pounds at today's meeting, I was pleased.  At one point during the week I was up 6 pounds from Saturday...so technically I lost 3.8 between then and today.  I worked out super hard Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and my hard work paid off!  On Friday I had planned to walk for a bit before Zumba, not realizing that the class was not until 9am.  I ended up walking on the treadmill for 70 minutes and then I did a 60 minute Zumba class.  I was tired after, but felt good that I got so much activity in.

Last night I went to see some of my old coworkers who I had not seen in about 2 years.  We had such a good time catching up, and it is amazing how once you start talking it seems as though no time has passed at all!  I ate dinner before I left and did not even have one chip...we met at a Mexican restaurant...I was so busy talking to everyone that I wasn't even thinking of food.  One of the women has lost a significant amount of weight...she looked gorgeous!  I was inspired by her success for sure!

Today's meeting was good.  We went over some of the new features of the 2012 program.  I am so excited, I feel like I am getting a fresh start.  I bought a new tracker, not because I needed one, but because I wanted one.  They have a new look, and it went along with my "new start" theme.  I also bought the updated Food Companion, Dining Out Companion, and pp calculator with bigger numbers and a better battery cover.

Today was a good day.  I ate some of my weeklies, but on foods I really wanted and decided were worth using my precious weeklies.  I did not go to the gym, but I did spend hours standing and walking back and forth wrapping Christmas gifts.  Left on today's to do list...school, laundry, sleep.

Best hopes for a great week!

Today was a good day, busy, but good.  After dropping the kids off at school I went to the gym, I got there super early so I hopped on the elliptical for 15 minutes before class...probably not the best idea since it was a step class, but I made it through to the end and I felt quite accomplished afterward.  I went home for a quick shower and a protein shake and then I was off to a friend's to be her model while she went through Mary Kay training.  If I was working, and had enough money, I would certainly buy some of their product, but at this point and time, beauty products are not a priority.

After my few hours of beauty, I was off and running once again.  I stopped by Subway for a late lunch...an 8pp Roasted Chicken Sandwich on wheat with tons of veggies, no sauce, and no cheese.  It was good and had the taste of goodness rather than guilt.  Then it was off to pick up my daughter, a quick trip to Sam's Club, and a quick trip to the grocery.  We saw one of my daughter's classmates and his cute little sister at the grocery...I love how excited the kids are to see me...always...they do not seem to have a care in the world and I forget about life's nonsense when I am around them.

When we got home I made my version of In-N-Out...cheeseburgers with grilled onions and fries with diced grilled onions and melted american cheese...I even made "spread" with fat free sour cream, ketchup, and relish.  I will be sure to take photos next time I make it because the meal really is delicious and tastes as naughty as it "isn't".  My whole meal came out to 12pp.

After dinner, my daughter and I made flourless peanut butter cookies that my son needed for school tomorrow.  They turned out really good, and when I put them into the WW Recipe Builder, they came out to be 3pp for 1 cookie, or 1pp for 1/2 of a cookie.  I opted for 1/2 as I had used exactly all of my pp for the day...it only put me 1pp over and I was good with that, especially since I worked so hard at the gym this morning and ate well the rest of the day.  Molly says "the cookies are DELICIOUS...I mean it"!

After cookies I made the second round of dinner for my hard working husband, I was so satisfied from my dinner that I wasn't even tempted to eat one fry...yeah!!!  Next on the list was helping my daughter with her homework, and now it is 9:30pm, and I am finally off to bed.  I am trying hard to get more sleep, every extra minute counts!

Tomorrow I will walk or elliptical and then Zumba.  After a shower I will be off to help at my daughter's school...home to work on my school...do dinner...and then take my kids to a "reunion" with my old coworkers.  Another busy day, but one more closer to the end of this week...

Best intentions...

Today was a super busy day...Zumba...tons of shopping...dinner...and my son's Cross Country award ceremony.  We ate dinner before we left, but I didn't realize we would be there so long.  We did not finish until 9:30pm, which is super late for us to be out.  The kids were starving since we had eaten dinner around 5pm and it was fairly light.  I had a good day eating and dinner finished up the last of my daily pp.  I was satisfied, but by the time we were on our way home, I too was hungry...physically hungry, not just my mind or my mouth wanting to eat.  My son's choice...In N Out.  Except for water, there really is nothing pp worthy on the menu, unless it is Saturday and I have a fresh batch of weeklies on hand!  I ended up having two bites of my son's burger and some of his animal fries.  I was truly hungry, although I am sure I would have survived if I had waited until I got home to have a healthier snack.

I AM NOT giving up on WW, or my weight loss journey.  This week has been different than any other for me since I have been on WW, and I do not like how I feel at all.  I feel like I have lost my groove, and I am no longer in total control.  I am really looking forward to this week's meeting, not the weigh in for sure, but definitely the introduction of the PointsPlus 2012 plan.  I know it will not be drastically different from the current plan, but I think it is going to be just different enough to give me the extra motivation that I need to carry on.  I am eager to read the new material guides, and I think I might even buy a new calculator because I have heard it has bigger buttons.

Tomorrow is a new day which will start with walking and a Miami Mama class.  I have no extras tomorrow, and I will stay within my dailies.  Friday night I am going to take my kids to a reunion to see some of my old coworkers.  We are meeting at a restaurant, but we are going to eat before we go.  I will have water, and that is it.  I will be so busy talking to people that food will not be an issue.  I really don't want to turn a few bad days into a week worth of them.  Even though I know I am going to see a gain on Saturday, I want to make every effort to make it as small as possible.  I have two days to go, I better make them count!

Temporary insanity...

I don't know what is wrong with me lately.  Although I am still a faithful "Weight Watcher", the past few weeks I have found myself going over my pp, using my activity pp, and even some days more than that.  I think it has been harder on me than I realized since my mom started WW.  I want her to succeed and I am happy to help her, but I have got to figure out a better way to be able to WW for her, and still WW for me at the same time.  When I do something, I tend to put all of myself into it...this trait has led me to neglect myself far too many times...and I don't want that to happen ever again.

I have had two days filled with temporary insanity this week.  My first day was Sunday with too many pp worth of that fabulous bread I bought at the Harvest Festival...today's moment involved 8pp worth of chili cheese fritos.  Both of these foods are ones that I do not eat very often as they are high in carbs and salt.  This afternoon I felt physically ill and emotionally drained.  I think I am over tired and since today was the first day in a long time that I finally stopped and took the day off from almost everything...the gym, my school, laundry, crafts, etc...I realized that I have been going steady day in and day out and I have not been getting enough sleep or rest.  I have got to get more of both and refocus on what is really important, which in addition to my family...is ME!  I need to make sure I get to the gym and eat right...I feel so much better when I do...and I refuse to give up on me and gain the weight I have lost back or stop losing altogether.  I still have so much to lose, and I have come too far to quit now.

Plans for tomorrow...take the kids to school, Zumba, walk on the treadmill or hop on the elliptical, drink a ton of water throughout the entire day, complete my assignment for school, eat well, and make sure I get all of these things done before anything else gets in my way!

To do list...

Today started by making my to do list for the day.  I had so many things to do, I almost didn't go to spin.  After thinking about it for a few minutes, I decided I needed to go and needed to make sure I put myself on my to do list even though I had a ton of other things on it.

• Spin...check!
• Pay bills...check!
• Dinner...check, check!
• Balance bank accounts...check!
• Put card making mess away...check!
• Buy cuties before the sale is over...check!
• Finish making Christmas cards for my mom...check!  * 50 cards in all
• Laundry...check!  I am not quite sure how 4 of us generate so much of it!?!
• Go to the store to find Molly some cute shoes...1/2 check...we didn't find any we liked.

I have not stopped all day, and I am tired, but I am glad I got so much done!  Tomorrow is a new day...I will spend the morning at a PTA brunch...it is at a fancy place and I have no idea what will be on the menu.  I am going to take my tracker and do my best to track without being too obvious.  I think I will have some fruit and egg whites before I leave the house.  I don't want to be starving and end up making poor choices, especially since I don't have any more weeklies.

Friday's crafts...

Here are pics of the Christmas cards I made on Friday night.  I still have about 20 to go.  I am making them for my mom to send to friends and family...My clever friend Mellany "bit" the gingerbread mens' legs with a scalloped punch...she is so crafty, and awesome, and I love her...thanks for a night filled with fun and giggles...

Plastic cups, pretzel sticks, and miniature white spoons...

So yesterday's adventure was to the Harvest Festival in Pamona, California.  The drive was a little over an hour, but well worth it!  I am so lucky to have a patient 7 year old daughter who doesn't mind long car rides because we have taken many!

The Harvest Festival was held at the LA Fair Grounds and had rows and rows of food and craft vendors...we definitely got our walking in for the day!  With WW calculator and tracker in hand...we tasted almost everything...in tiny plastic cups, on pretzel sticks, and on miniature white spoons.  Flavors of the day came in the form of bread, soups, dips, toffee, seasoned oils, balsamic sauces, and more.  I accounted for every single bite, lick, and taste, and by the end of the day...to include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tasting...I used my dailies and 32 of my weeklies.  I do not feel guilty about my day of madness because I was in control and able to choose rather than have to have everything offered!

We were not allowed to take pictures in the exhibit hall, and I didn't think to get pictures with my friends as I am usually behind the camera and not in front of it...

Here is what we came home with...
                           

All star dip mixes that can be added to sour cream, mayo, or a mix of both...delish!

  

Freddie's Fabulous Mild Teriyaki Sauce...this was served with ground chicken and sticky white rice...yum!

                         

Freddie's Fabulous Hickory BBQ sauce...this was with shredded pork...so good!

                         Freddie was there with helpers sharing the love!

           

 Old Town Baking Co - Sourdough...dense and light at the same time...and super rich flavor!

Old Town Baking Co - Cheesy Garlic...with tons of cheese and chunks of garlic...insanely delicious!

                                                   

                                         My 15 year old son's breakfast...

  Round 1~ 1 piece of each type of bread...round 2 ~ 2 more pieces of Sourdough

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Let there be soup!  This company must have had over 10 different flavors...but I was good and only brought home 4 of them.  Last night when we got home around 5:30pm...I made the Chicken Pot Pie Soup...

• 4 cups of water
• 2 cups of nonfat milk
• 15oz cooked & then chopped chicken breast (optional)
• 1 cup +/- diced cooked carrots (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch (optional)

All you have to do is whisk the mix, water, and milk and bring to a boil, add protein or extra veggies, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  I added a little corn starch to thicken in a bit.  The package says you can use 4 cups of liquid instead of 6, but I wanted the quantity...we got 6 servings out of it for 5pp per serving.  Ate the soup along with some of the breaded toasted and buttered.  So simple, quick, and good.  I will be sure to take pictures of the other soups once the are cooked because they look as good as they taste!

Weigh in...

Down...3.0 pounds!!!  Total to date...82.4 ~ still about 1/2 a bazillion to go...but I WILL get there!!!  I am so excited I finally got to 80 and passed it to boot...

Today was a good day filled with good friends.  Thanks to the Carver family and Hope for allowing Molly and I to be part of a day filled with fun and good eats!

Tonight not so great, but I will carry on.  It is amazing how a great day can be squashed by one person's words. Someday I hope to learn how to let things go in one ear and out the other rather than letting them go in one ear and repeating over and over!  I will not let anyone take away from my hard work or accomplishments, but someone who is so determined to do so definitely makes the journey that much more difficult!

Random flossing...

Today has been busy, as usual.  I woke up early to work on school before I took the kids to school.  Came home and worked on school some more.  9am...left to take my mom's friend to the doctor...didn't get home until 2:30pm.  Came home to more of my school and packed snacks for tonight's crafting madness...cuties, applesauce, string cheese, carrots, and wheat thins.  They always have snacks there, but yum friendly rather WW friendly.  Tomorrow is weigh in and I really want to get it over with.  I have had a good week overall, with the exception of my temporary insanity on Sunday...I got right back on track Monday and have stayed on track, and for that I deserve a good number on the scale.  Today on the way back from the doctor my mom's friend offered to take me to lunch...I opted to wait and eat something healthier later instead.  She had a hand-breaded, fried chicken sandwich from Carl's Jr...mayo and all.  It SMELLED so GOOD!  I resisted the urge to go back and get one after I dropped her off and sat through her eating it in the car.  Instead I opted for flame-grilled talapia and Diet Coke...I am proud of me whether the scale shows my efforts this week or not...

I still have a bit of school left to do before we leave.  Do you ever find yourself doing random things when you have no desire to do what you really should be doing?  My random act...flossing my teeth at 4pm, I do floss, but normally at night.  Oh well...better to floss and brush randomly than hang out in the kitchen and eat randomly...

Tomorrow is a new day, a new week, and hopefully a nice new # on the scale...we'll see...

Too tired to type...

• Walked
• Shopped
• Prepped crafts for tomorrow night
• Cooked dinner
• Cooked another dinner
• Put together husband's lunch
• Helped Molly with her homework
• Worked on my school
• The End

Accomplished...

Today has been a long one.  I helped at my daughter's school all day today.  I really love to be there because the kids get so excited over the simple things in life, and they help me forget about the stresses in life. After school we went to the grocery, picked up my son and his friend, came home, and I got straight to work on school.  I finished what I needed to do today relatively quickly, made dinner, worked on crafts, made dinner for my husband, did some dishes and laundry, and worked on some more crafts.  I am making Christmas cards for my mom to send out.  On Friday my daughter and I are going to a crop...I am trying to prepare all of my pieces before hand so once I get there I can spread everything out and put it all together.  Even though I am tired and today was a very long day I feel quite accomplished!

Dinner was good...although I didn't think to take a picture until I was taking my very last bite!?!

I used a can of Las Palmas mild green chile sauce, Mission extra thin yellow corn tortillas, mozzerella and cheddar cheeses, cooked and shredded chicken, fat free sour cream, and fresh tomatoes and made my version of enchiladas.

• Heat the tortillas to get then soft and warm (I put then right over the fire on the stove)
• Heat the green chile sauce in a large, flat bottomed pan.
• Put the tortillas in the sauce, one at a time for a few seconds on each side
• Once the tortillas are hot and sauced up...
• Add the chicken to the sauce to heat through
• Put a bit of chicken and cheese in the center of each tortilla and roll
• I topped with a bit of cheese and popped in the microwave for 30 seconds to melt it
• Then topped them with the sour cream and diced tomatoes

They were so tasty and relatively quick to make...when my Suegra makes them they are good, but of course she makes her own salsa and fries the tortillas in oil first.  I did weigh my chicken, sauce, and cheese beforehand so I knew how many pp I was having.  I also did each person's serving in separate batches to make sure everything was hot and the tortillas did not get soggy.  I was so excited that everyone, except my dad, ate the same thing and they all liked it!

One step at a time...

Yesterday I went to the doctor for a physical...hadn't been since 2008...eeek!  All of my numbers were good, even the ones that were really bad before.  I decided not to rush myself and try to go to the gym for a partial class before my appointment.  I always try to fit too much into one day and usually end up burning myself out.

After the doctor I decided to go shopping.  I walked from store to store to lunch for a total of 1.3 miles...in my sandals, probably not the best idea, but I still got some activity in.  I used to think that exercise only counted if you were at the gym for hours and hours, but now I realize that every single extra step counts and they all add up over time.  I stopped at Chili's for lunch and had a small salad with a chicken breast and honey mustard dressing.  It was really good and filling, but not too filling.  After lunch I walked back to my car, did some grocery shopping, picked up my daughter, came home to work on my school and make dinner.  We don't have a very exciting life, but we definitely have a busy one...I can hardly imagine going back to work, but once I finish school, that is the plan.  I really love being home full time, maybe someday it will be my reality.

Tough Day...

I should have done my school assignments before Thanksgiving, but I was so busy with other stuff I didn't.  I am regretting it today since I have 3 assignments due and one of them I do not totally understand.  School has been hard and time very consuming.  I can hardly believe I am almost to the end.  I need to find the umph to finish strong as I have done well so far.

Today I woke up with a kink in my neck which has given me a good headache all day long.  I tried taking a break from school for a nap, but that didn't help.  Between the pain in my neck and head and frustrations over school, it has been a VERY eaty day.  I ate my dailies, the remainder of my weeklies and 28 more on top of that.  In the past I would never have eaten more pp than I had left, but lately, it has been a struggle.  I still track and account for everything I eat and drink, but I need to get back to being more strict with how many activity and extra pp I consume.

I will get to the gym this week and work off all of today's madness.  I will do my best to still have a loss by Saturday...I will also stick to my daily 33 and find a different way to release my frustrations.

Tomorrow is a new day...

Weigh in...

Well...I was hoping to lose 2 pounds this week to make it to 80...Instead, I only lost 1.4.  I am happy with that loss, but bummed I didn't make it to 80.  Oh well...I will make it this week for sure!  This past week was super busy with my daughter's holiday play and feast, Thanksgiving, Black Thursday night, and Black Friday.  When I was out shopping on Friday I did have 4pp worth of popcorn at Target...it was hot, buttery, salty, and yummy!  I also had a banana and a Diet Pepsi.  For lunch I had a chicken salad at Baja Fresh with salsa in place of dressing...I had Diet Coke alongside.  I usually don't drink so much soda...I kind of go in spurts.  Even though I drank a ton of water yesterday, it probably didn't totally balance out all of the extra salt I consumed.

Tomorrow I have 3 assignments for school to complete.  It was nice not to think about school for a few days, but I know I will regret it tomorrow.  Monday I have an appointment with my doctor to find out the results of my blood work...I am super anxious.  I have not seen him in a few years, so I am way overdue...and my health should be drastically improved from the last time I was there!  Since I will be at the doctor's during spin, I am going to take Miami Mama on Tuesday, Zumba on Wednesday, walk on Thursday, and Zumba on Friday.

Best hopes for a great week for all!

Thankful...

Even though this post is a bit late, I decided to do it anyway...
I am thankful for so much this year...

• My family of course...I have an awesome husband, 2 fabulous kids, and a great mom
• My older brother calling me "skinny" and telling me I am "doing good" on Thanksgiving
• A safe car and a full tank of gas
• A house to live in that has hot water, electricity, and a full fridge 
• Weight Watchers for giving me the guidance I need to lose weight
• My 3 month tracker, WW app on my phone, and WW e-Tools
• My Weight Watcher peeps who have supported me for the last 9 months...:)
• Fitness Compound...Jehane (Zumba), Wendell (Spin), and Jenny (Miami Mama)
• My body's willingness to cooperate when I push it hard physically
• My husband's ability and willingness to work hard
• My husband's job and health insurance
• Only 6 more weeks of school until I earn my AA in Accounting

There are several other things I am thankful for, but I've gotta to stop somewhere.

Upside-down Green Bean Casserole...

Today started off with a 1/2 hour wait to get my blood taken, a person who was really good at doing it, and 75 minutes of spinning.  I felt so good after class, I am so glad I went.  Tomorrow there is a Zumba class so my daughter and I are going to go.  I LOVE taking classes at the gym, and when I don't go, I feel antsy like my body is really missing it.

After the gym, a complete breakfast, and a shower, my daughter and I headed to the scrapbook store to use their die cuts.  I feel so accomplished when I get stuff done, no matter how little or insignificant it is.  We went to El Pollo Loco for lunch.  It is my absolute favorite place to eat out, especially since I have been on Weight Watchers.  I had a Chicken Ceasar Salad without dressing and a Diet Coke for 6pp.  I love their Creamy Cilantro Dressing, but I rarely eat it since it has the same pp value as the entire salad...I do eat about 1/2 cup of house salsa in its place...LOVE...

Even after lunch and a 3pp stop at Golden Spoon, I still had 15pp left for dinner.  I planned to make grilled talapia, stuffing, and green bean casserole.  I defrosted the fish, pointed out the stuffing, and revamped the casserole...which would have made the entire casserole only 22pp.

Green Bean Casserole...what's in it...

• 1 cup of skim milk...2pp
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup...7pp
• 1 small package of french fried onions...12pp
• 2 cans of green beans...0pp 
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch...1pp

How to make it...

• Heat milk and soup over medium heat and stir until mixed well
• Add cornstarch and stir to thicken mix
• Add green beans and stir
• Pour mixture into casserole dish and top with french fried onions
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes

When it was done, it looked delish, however when I was trying to take it out of the oven, the dish slid on the backing sheet and the whole thing flipped upside-down all over the oven door and bottom of the oven.  Since I didn't get to taste it, I am not sure of its flavor...I will have to try again and post results.  

I was so frustrated...after cleaning up my mess, I decided I had had enough of the kitchen and took orders for McDonald's.  We don't eat out very often, and very rarely more than once in one day...today was an exception for sure.  I decided to get creative with my pp since I couldn't see blowing 13 of the 15 on a McRib alone.  I opted for 1/2 McRib (7pp), 1/4 Medium Fries(3pp), 1/2 Cheeseburger(4pp), 1 Chicken Nugget (1pp), and a Diet Coke (0pp)...not the best choices I could have made, but I did enjoy everything I ate, counted everything...and even weighed my fries for accuracy.  Years ago I would have mindlessly eaten who knows how many fries and nuggets before I even got home and then had the entire McRib on top of that.  Making small changes over time add up.  I know I have come a long way, and I need to take a bit more time to step back and think about how much I really have accomplished in the past 9 months.

Tomorrow we are going to my brother's for Thanksgiving dinner.  My niece will be with us and stay the night...she is here from Missouri...I will be careful with my pp and plan my day in the morning to account for all of the madness.  I have already decided that for Thanksgiving dinner I am going to eat mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, fruit salad, and free veggies...I will take my scale so I don't have to worry about guestimating, something I don't think I will ever be good at.

Craft Madness and some yum...

Molly and I were super productive during our crafting sessions this weekend.I am not sure why we did not take any pictures of our fellow crafters...I will be sure to next time!

These are Thanksgiving wreaths that we made for her teachers and a few friends...

 Molly colored the stamped images for her teachers' wreaths...she did such a great job!

 These are the make-and-takes Molly and I made...

We really did have a great time!  The ladies that run the crop are so nice, the people that come to crop are as well...everyone is friendly, willing to share ideas and supplies, and there to have a good time.

Yesterday I made my version of birrea and simple spanish rice.  Both of them turned out really good, not as good as my mother-in-law makes, but good enough for being healthier versions of hers.

Birrea...what's in it...

• Super lean stew beef
• 2 Cans of Chicken Broth
• 1 Container of my mother-in-law's homemade chile sauce...I will post the recipe next time she comes.
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Birrea...how to cook it...

• In a large stock pot, heat oil
• Trim all visible fat from beef...I use scissors to make it easier
• Salt & Pepper each piece
• Brown beef on all sides in olive oil
• If there is still a lot of oil in the pan...you can discard it, but keep the browned bits from the bottom of the pan
• Add chicken broth
• Add chile sauce
• Bring to a boil...then let simmer for a few hours
• Mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
• Add mixture to the pot and stir
• Bring back to a boil...then let simmer for a few more hours
• Once the meat is tender...shred with a fork and put back in pot...stir into sauce...done

Rice...what's in it...

• Jasmine rice & Water...equal parts
• Roma tomatoes
• Jarred garlic
• Chicken bullion powder

Rice...how to cook it...

** I have never been good at cooking rice, instant or regular, until I bought a rice cooker...I love it!!! **

• Pre-cook rice in rice cooker...I used 1 1/2 cups of rice & 1 1/2 cups of water
• In blender...add tomatoes (I used 5), garlic (1 1/2 tsps), and chicken bullion powder (1 tbs)
• Blend until smooth consistency
• Heat a frying pan with sides high enough to stir...medium~high
• Add tomato mixture
• Add rice
• Stir until all of the tomato sauce is absorbed into the rice...done.

We ate ours with corn tortillas...so good!

Good friends, food, and fun...

Molly and I accomplished SO much this weekend!  We finished 7 Thanksgiving wreaths, she made some Christmas banners on her own, we made 2 make-n-takes, cut tons of paper with die cuts, and had a great time. Even I went to bed at 2am and got up at 7am this morning, I am not tired.  I feel refreshed, accomplished, and ready to take on the new week!

I used 17 of my weeklies yesterday, but I am glad I did.  It was nice to have a few chips and cookies, especially since I don't eat them very often.  I took my tracker when we went scrapbooking and left it out the whole day...everytime something went in my mouth I wrote it down.

Sunday...
Had a lazy day at home with the hubby and kids.  It rained all day so it was nice to be inside.  I worked on school, did laundry (and actually finished it), watched a few movies, and the kids played games and watched TV.  Even though I got a lot done, I didn't feel stress or pressure to do anything.  Yesterday was kind of an eaty day and I did burn through the rest of my weeklies, but that was ok.  This week I am going to attempt to use my dailies as suggested in the "Getting Started Guide".  So far I am good...6pp for breakfast & 3pp for snack...lunch should be 8pp, another snack for 4pp, and a 12pp dinner...we'll see how it goes...

Weigh in...

Down .8 for a total of 78 pounds!  I am happy with my weight loss this week, all things considered.

Goals for the new week...

• Walk Monday ~ Friday
• Use my weeklies, but not my activity points.
• Make good choices @ my daughter's Holiday Feast & Thanksgiving Day.
• Get more sleep.
• Not get trampled on Black Friday.
• Lose 2 pounds by Saturday to get to 80!

I have a bit of school to finish this morning and then Molly (my daughter) and I are on our way back to crafting.  Last night was late, today will be as well.  Maybe tomorrow we will get to sleep in!?!

Week in review...

Eating...This week I did well and only ate 1 of my activity points...

Exercise...I did not exercise as much as I had planned because my son was sick and then today was his birthday...my daughter and I spent hours hanging streamers, ribbons, balloons, $ bills, iTunes cards, and gum from his bedroom ceiling...I was climbing up and down and stretching to reach the ceiling so that should count for something...

Sleep...Not good...I stayed up too late every night this week trying to get things done and then trying to wind down before I went to sleep after I finished school...

Dinner tonight was Panda Express at my son's request.  I weighed and pointed out everything, but we'll see what the scale says tomorrow...

Tonight I am off to scrapbook with my daughter and my friend...we will get home late, and get up early, so I am sure that won't help my weigh in.  I have decided that I am not going to avoid eating or doing things on Fridays just because Saturday is my weigh in day.  It will be what it will be and I will continue my efforts.  Sometimes the scale does not show one's efforts the week they were put forth...if this week is not good...next one will have to be!!!

Caramelized, fall off the bone goodness...

This morning I awoke with intentions of going to a step/weight class until my son told me his stomach hurt.  I asked him if he wanted me to stay home, surprisingly he said yes.  He will be 15 tomorrow and even though he slept most of the day, it was nice to know he wanted me home just in case he needed me.  Granny was home, so even if I had left, he would not have been home alone.  Anyway...I was super bummed about missing my workout, because I feel so much better when I workout than when I don't.

I made the best of my morning and worked on hot gluing my daughter's Fall wreaths for school, picked up the house, and packed to go scrapbooking this weekend.  My daughter and I are going to go with a friend, and I know we will have a blast.

Yesterday I attempted my suegra's (mother-in-law's) recipe for chicken legs.  She is a fantastic cook and does not use recipes, so I did my best.  I let them marinade over night and cooked them tonight...they were sooo good...not quite as good as hers, but pretty darn close!

Ingredients...

• Chicken legs with the skin removed
• Fresh squeezed orange juice
• Yellow mustard
• Chicken bouillon
• Salt
• Seasoning Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Brummel & Brown Yogurt Butter

Directions for marinade...

• Once the skin is removed, cut several small slits in each leg
• Salt each piece individually
• Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl...except for the chicken
• Dip each chicken leg in the mixture and then put in a ziploc bag
• Once all of the legs are in, pour in the remaining mixture and refrigerate overnight, turning several times

Directions for cooking...

• Heat a pan on med/high heat
• Add butter, adjust temperature as needed to prevent burning
• Add chicken legs and cover
• Cook for approx 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through
• Remove lid and brown, turning chicken frequently

The result should be caramelized, fall off the bone goodness. 

Biggest Loser...

Last night I watched The Biggest Loser.  I used to watch it faithfully, but lately I have had less and less time to watch TV.  Last night I watched TV because I was not motivated to do school.  I decided I would do school on commercials, and even though it took me longer than usual to finish, I did.

Anyway...I actually don't think I have watched The Biggest Loser since I started Weight Watchers!  I remember when I used to watch it thinking..."I would be so awesome on that show...I would do whatever I was told and soak up everything like a sponge".  I also thought "if only I could be on that show, maybe I could lose weight."  I even filled out an application once.  The only thing that held me back was my family.  I never told them I wanted to audition for the show.  I know they would have really struggled while I was away if I had made it on the show.  

My thoughts while watching the show last night were much different.  I was thinking..."Wow, they are awesome, but hey...I am too"!  I have lost 77 pounds, and even though I have a long way to go, I know I will reach my goals!

Chaos...

Today started off pretty good...a 30 minute walk outside the mall...in the fabulous coldness...and a new set of saute pans on sale for $ 10 from $45...

Then the chaos began... hours and hours of unexpected PTA business to take care of, laundry, cooking lunches for the week, and dinner for 6...next I have school to work on.

My daughter and I have been working on making holiday wreaths for her teachers.  The Halloween wreaths turned out so good that we decided to make them for Thanksgiving and Christmas too.  I will post pictures as soon as we finish.  My daughter has worked so hard coloring the stamped images, I just have to find the time to hot glue everything together...maybe later tonight...maybe tomorrow...

To McRib, or not to McRib...

Today was super busy!  It started with a 60 minute spin class...woo hoo!  Then I spent a bit of time at the grocery figuring PointsPlus on some new foods.  I did not find anything new and exciting.  The afternoon and evening consisted of hours of PTA Treasurer duties, a PTA meeting, doing laundry and picking up around the house.

Usually on PTA meeting nights I plan dinner ahead and we eat before we go.  Tonight I had so much to prepare for the meeting that I did not have time to think about dinner.  By the time we got home, it was almost 8pm.  My mom, kids, and I usually eat dinner around 5pm, so 8pm is super late!  My daughter decided on McDonald's, my husband wanted tacos, my mom had already eaten, and my son was off doing something for school.  I had 13pp left for the day, which is the exact number of pp of a McRib sandwich.  As we are driving to the golden arches, I am trying to quickly figure my options...A McRib...no fries, no drink...13pp or 4 mini tacos de pastor...12 points.  Although the colorful and juicy picture of the McRib was convincing, I decided it was too late and I was too tired for such a treat...I even asked the guy in the drive-thru how long they would have them to make sure I still had time...I have until the end of month, apparently.  My final choice...3 mini pastor tacos with only 1 tortilla each and onions and cilantro...6pp, 1/2 cup cottage cheese w/ strawberry preserves...3pp, and an ice cream cone from McDonald's...4pp.  Although I could have had the McRib for the same number of points, I think I made some better choices especially considering it was so late!

I got in my activity today, did not eat any of my activity points, and only ate one of my weeklies....tomorrow will start with a good walk to let my legs recover from today's spin class.

Plan of attack temporarily derailed...

On Friday night I decided that I would not blow through all of my weeklies on Saturday and Sunday this week, but rather spread them out evenly throughout the week...that didn't quite happen...

Last night we were invited to watch a fight...I really do not understand why people would want to fight for a living and why so many others enjoy watching it!?!?  Oh well...we got to be with good friends and have a good time.  Our friend had baked up some pizzas, chicken wings, and put out Fritos and onion dip.  I brought my water bottle, grapes, carrots, and a Rotisserie chicken *yum* from Sam's Club...I ate some of what I brought and 7pp worth of Fritos and dip.  I was happy with my choices even though I did use some of my weeklies.  Thank you Sonja, and family, for a great night!

I have 16 weeklies left and plans to go to spin class tomorrow.  I have faith that I will still do well this week, even if my plan did derail momentarily!  I will not be defeated by a change in plans!

Today I have been working on school and reorganizing the shed with my husband.  He is amazing, and talented,  and built me some new shelves so I can access boxes easier.  I have a bit more school to do, then some crafting, then some dishes, then some laundry, then...

Weigh ins to date...

Week   1 ~ 03/05/11...-7.4 ~ Total   -  7.4
Week   2 ~ 03/12/11...-3.8 ~ Total   -11.2
Week   3 ~ 03/19/11...-5.8 ~ Total   -17.0
Week   4 ~ 03/26/11...-0.0 ~ Total   -17.0
Week   5 ~ 04/02/11...-4.0 ~ Total   -21.0
Week   6 ~ 04/09/11...-2.8 ~ Total   -23.8
Week   7 ~ 04/16/11...-1.6 ~ Total   -25.4
Week   8 ~ 04/23/11... -3.2 ~ Total  -28.6
Week   9 ~ 04/30/11...-2.0 ~ Total   -30.6
Week 10 ~ 05/07/11...-1.6 ~ Total   -32.2
Week 11 ~ 05/14/11...-2.8 ~ Total   -35.0
Week 12 ~ 05/21/11...-2.6 ~ Total   -37.6
Week 13 ~ 05/28/11...-2.0 ~ Total   -39.6
Week 14 ~ 06/04/11...-2.0 ~ Total   -41.6
Week 15 ~ 06/11/11...-1.8 ~ Total   -43.4
Week 16 ~ 06/18/11...-4.0 ~ Total   -47.4
Week 17 ~ 06/25/11...-0.2 ~ Total   -47.6
Week 18 ~ 07/02/11...-2.0 ~ Total   -49.6
Week 19 ~ 07/09/11...-3.8 ~ Total   -53.4
Week 20 ~ 07/16/11...+0.4 ~ Total  -53.0
Week 21 ~ 07/23/11...-3.0 ~ Total   -56.0
Week 22 ~ 07/30/11...-1.0 ~ Total   -57.0
Week 23 ~ 08/06/11...+0.2 ~ Total  -56.8
Week 24 ~ 08/13/11...-2.4  ~ Total  -59.2
Week 25 ~ 08/20/11...-4.4 ~ Total   -63.6
Week 26 ~ 08/27/11...-0.0 ~ Total   -63.6
Week 27 ~ 09/03/11...+0.6 ~ Total  -63.0
Week 28 ~ 09/10/11...-3.2 ~ Total   -66.2
Week 29 ~ 09/17/11...-2.0 ~ Total   -68.2
Week 30 ~ 09/24/11...+0.8 ~ Total   -67.4
Week 31 ~ 10/01/11...-3.2 ~ Total   -70.6
Week 32 ~ 10/08/11...+0.8 ~ Total   -69.8
Week 33 ~ 10/15/11...-2.2 ~ Total   -72.0
Week 34 ~ 10/22/11...-1.2 ~ Total   -73.2
Week 35 ~ 10/29/11...-1.8 ~ Total   -75.0
Week 36 ~ 11/05/11...-1.6 ~ Total   -76.6
Week 37 ~ 11/12/11...-0.6 ~ Total   -77.2

I am so thankful I didn't gain this week.  Hopefully my new plan of attack will show a bigger loss next week!  I was not feeling well this morning so I didn't make it to the gym, but I should be there Monday.

New plan of attack...

I really have no idea what the scale is going to say tomorrow, but I don't think it is going to be good.  I am glad the week has finally come to an end.  It has been a rough couple of weeks, and I am ready for a fresh start.

Plan of attack for the new week...

• Exercise...
• Saturday ~ Something at the gym...Regular Zumba class is now kids only
• Sunday ~ Rest
• Monday ~ Spin
• Tuesday ~ Walk
• Wednesday ~ Rest ~ Helping in my daughter's class
• Thursday ~ Something at the gym...Regular Zumba class is now kids only
• Friday ~ Zumba
• Eating...
• Spread out my weeklies evenly 
• Increase my water intake
• Have a low point pre-workout meal, and another low point post-workout meal
• Chew gum when I am tempted to eat while cooking a bazillion meals a day

The past few weeks as I have increased my exercise, my appetite has increased as well.  I have been eating the majority of my earned activity points, which I normally do not do.  Some days, even after burning through my regular PointsPlus and my activity PointsPlus, I have still been hungry.  I hope that spreading my weeklies out, rather than eating most of them over the weekend, I will be able to better manage my hunger and fuel my body in a more balanced and efficient manner.  We'll see...

My cup runneth over...

I think I have finally come to the point of being overwhelmed and completely exhausted.  I have so many things on my to do list...adding myself to the list has added even more.  All my efforts of being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a full-time student, a volunteer, a PTA treasurer, a Weight Watcher, a gym rat, a...have wiped me out.

I have no idea what the scale is going to say this week.  Whatever the number may be, I will carry on and NOT give up!  I will get past feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and I will get back to feeling proud and accomplished.  Only one day to go until weigh in.  My daughter and I are off to scrapbook tomorrow...should be a good, stress free day...
    

Woo Hoo's & Struggles...

Woo Hoos...

• I have lost 76.6 pounds...so far...
• I am working on making more time for myself.
• I donated all of my old clothes because they were all too BIG!
• My wedding ring is loose and I had to switch it to the other hand...in time I will have to take it off altogether...and once I reach my goal weight I will have it sized.
• I have survived and learned to love Zumba, Spin, and Miami Mama classes.
• The more I work out, the stronger I feel.
• Even on "eaty" days, I still track everything...even when I have to dip into my activity PointsPlus to account for it all.

Struggles...

• Fitting in "me time".
• Learning to say no when I already have far too many things to do.
• Cooking too many different meals to accommodate everyone's schedules and tastes.
• Getting through my last semester of school...it has been so steady, I am burnt out.
• Helping my mom be a Weight Watcher without throwing off my own efforts.
• My body is sore from working out so much.
• The more I work out, the hungrier I feel...the past two weeks have been rough and I have eaten the majority of my hard earned activity PointsPlus.

There are many other woo hoo's and struggles, but these are the ones I have thought most about this week.  I love that Weight Watchers focuses on 1 week at a time...sometimes finally getting to the end of one week is just what I need to have the umph and desire to start the next one.

Code Red...

Today was my 5th or 6th spin class, and I am in love.  The 1st class I didn't think I was going to last for 5 minutes, but I made it to the end without stopping.  The 2nd class was definitely better than the 1st, but I was still unsure.  By the 3rd class I finally found the confidence I needed to enjoy myself and own my workout.  Our instructor is awesome, he is encouraging throughout the whole class, and when he shouts "Code Red", everyone gives him all they've got and pushes as hard as possible.  My best advice is to try something new at least three times.  The 1st time to get over the initial shock, the 2nd time to really think about it, and the 3rd time to decide yay or nay.

Same thing goes with food...although with some foods I can't even get past the first bite...cooking things differently or eating them cooked vs. raw and vice versa can make a huge difference.  There are some foods like quinoa and brown rice that I am still trying to convince my mouth I like.  Growing up I never liked sweet potatoes.  Recently I found individual sweet potatoes sealed in heavy plastic that can be cooked in the microwave.  They only take about 5-6 minutes and if cooked long enough, they come out soft and creamy.  I add a little Brummel and Brown yogurt butter, sea salt, and pepper...delish!  My 14 year old son will eat them that way now, but my 7 year old daughter is not quite there yet.  She loves "potato" anything...mashed potatoes, french fries, scalloped potatoes, baked potatoes, tator tots, etc...but is not excited about sweet potatoes...yet...

Yum...

Yesterday while out shopping with my hubby and daughter, we stopped for lunch at McDonald's.  When I have a choice of where to eat out, I usually go to El Pollo Loco and have a 6pp salad with tons of house salsa instead of the creamy cilantro dressing, which I love, but not enough to waste precious pp on...the majority of the time anyway!  For lunch I had a McRib sandwich for 13pp, and enjoyed every bite of it...I also thoroughly enjoyed 3/4 of an order of medium fries for 8pp.  I don't eat out very often, but when I do, I really think about how many pp I want to use, and what exactly I want to use them on.  Some days a splurge is worth it, others not so much.    I didn't have to eat a salad when I really didn't want one, and I could eat something not as healthy without the taste of guilt because the Weight Watcher's program allows me that freedom of choice, within reason of course!

Weigh in...

I love Saturday mornings...I know I have made it through the week, whether it has been good or bad, and I have a chance to see all my Weight Watcher peeps, and of course listen to the wisdom of our fabulous and fashionable leader, Dawn!  I go to the 7:30 meetings which means I get their by 7am.  I know it is early, but there is really no better way to start the day!  This morning I was down 1.6 pounds, for a total of 76.6. 

I am pleased with my weight loss, as there was a lot going on this past week!  It started off with a visit from my Suegra (mother-in-law) who came with her own tub of manteca (pork lard).  When she comes, she cooks, and cooks, and cooks some more.  She made beans, mole, birrea, tamales, and chicken legs.  We tried to make pupusas, but we need some more practice as they were not quite right.  My husband is from Mexico and we speak crazy Spanglish in our house, and sometimes our menus are all over the place.  Needless to say I burnt through my weeklies pretty fast, but I did TRACK and ACCOUNT for every bite!  I am probably the only Weight Watcher in history whose tracker contains an entry for a "bean lick".  After the madness of the weekend, I also survived all of the sweet temptations of Halloween, and managed 5 awesome workouts!

 

Motivated to move...

This morning after dropping the kids off at school, I headed to the gym for a step-weight class.  Our regular Zumba instructor was the sub, and she is awesome no matter what class she is teaching!  In the afternoon I went back to the gym with my daughter for Zumba.  I am super tired, but I feel good about all of the physical activity I got in today.  Every move and good choice I make will bring me that much closer to my goal.  Only one more day until weigh in.  Tomorrow I will be helping in my daughter's class and I have some of my school to work on so hopefully today's workouts will be enough!

I take my lunch, and snacks, when I help at my daughter's school.  Tomorrow's menu will include carrot sticks, a banana, a peach or kiwi, and egg salad.  I love egg salad made with egg whites, yolks, and regular mayo, however that version is too pointy, so I have made a few changes...

Egg Salad...

• 1 whole hard boiled egg & 1 hard boiled egg white (2pp)

or

• 3 hard boiled egg whites with no yolk (1pp)
• 1 tbs of light mayo (1pp)
• 1 quick squirt of mustard (0pp)
• Sea salt, pepper, and garlic salt or powder to taste (0pp)

I usually just mash my eggs with a fork, and then combine them with the rest of the ingredients.

How to eat...

• As is
• On crackers
• On sandwich thins, I like the wheat minis
• Or with soft and fluffy white bread

Wind Resistance...

Yeeesh!  This morning I decided to go for a walk.  It was super windy last night, and even this morning, but I had no idea just how windy!  On the first half of my walk it seemed challenging because of the wind, but nothing compared to the second half...I felt like I was walking through the Sahara with all of the wind and dirt blowing in my face.  I toughed it out and walked a total of 4.6 miles in 88 minutes.  I felt so accomplished once I was done!  I love to walk outside because I can easily adjust my pace to the beat of my music,  I am so thankful the cooler weather is finally here.

I wish I had my camera, lunch was beautiful and delicious.  I cooked talapia with sea salt, pepper, garlic salt, and cooking spray on my pancake grill, which oddly enough I hardly use to cook pancakes.  I also made eggplant using egg beaters, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and a bit of olive oil.  I have tried to make it with cooking spray instead of oil, but it did not turn out well.  Along side of the fish and eggplant, I cut up 1/2 a peach and some kiwi.  It was really yummy and only came out to 6pp.  As the day went on, my throat started to hurt, I hope I am not getting sick.  Once I finish school I am off to bed early.

* 75 pounds down, only half a kazillion to go...

As of today, I have been a Weight Watcher for 248 days.  I have been thinking about starting a blog for the past few months, and I have finally made the time to do it!  I can hardly believe I have lost 75 pounds.  The journey has not been easy, but I must say I really LOVE the new Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program.  I do not feel like I am on a diet.  I do feel like I am making some really positive changes, getting stronger, and getting healthier.  When I stop and think about how many months I have been doing the program, I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, and how much my body has changed.  I track EVERYTHING I eat and all of my activity.  I have only missed 3 days of tracking since I started in February, and those missed days were intentional as I was in Las Vegas with my husband celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.  Before we left I decided I was going to leave my tracker at home, make good choices, enjoy some yum, and walk as much as possible.  I managed to achieve all of those things and lose a pound to boot!

Yesterday started with a 60 minute spin class and ended with a hilly trick-or-treat walk and a few pieces of Halloween candy.  Today started with a step-weight class and ended with a donation of Halloween candy.  I took my daughter and a friend to a local dentist office to donate candy for the troops.  We wrote notes of appreciation and took a few photos.  My camera got lost at my daughter's Harvest Festival last week, so there will be photos on my blog, I am just not sure when.  I plan to share struggles, successes, recipes, and more.  Please note that all Weight Watcher PointsPlus values that may be posted on this blog are based on my calculations and may differ from actual values...Welcome to my journey...