Spring into Action

Okay, I did go to my meeting today.  I didn’t want to go.  I hated going.  I hated weighing in even more.  I knew I hadn’t followed plan and even worse I overindulged last night.  But I took my medicine and weighed

in anyway. 

And gained 1.6. 

And so here we go...

again

Today I opened up my trusty weight watchers web page and found the following challenging words:

With just a few short weeks until Memorial Day the season of reawakening is upon us. As we spring back to life we realize that the season of short sleeves and bathing suits fast approaches. This year we challenge you to take a step outside of your comfort zone, clean out the cobwebs and set some serious goals

Well, Weight Watchers, bring it on. 

Week One:  NO EXCUSES

• Eat Smarter - by planning a week's worth of meals and snacks.  I have been slacking in this area, so I will get this done for the rest of this week, and go back to planning a whole week on Sundays.  Today I didn't even accept excuses from myself when my lunch hour was completely hicked and I had to eat on the run.  (I chose a half a smoked turkey sandwich from the deli with a side of veggies and hummus.  Yum!)
• Move More - The challenge ants me to get ready for the Walk-It Challenge and complete a 5k.  I don't know if my knee can handle it this year.  I have already set my own fitness goals, so I know I have a plan!
• Build Helpful Habits - building awareness?  Sounds boring.  They want me to turn off the TV and computer (even my new iPad?!) and focus on my feelings of fullness and satisfaction.  Tell ya what, I'll compromise - I'll sit down to eat every snack and meal, but I'm bringing a magazine to lunch with me. 
• Find Support - okay, if giving up TV during dinner was hard, reacing out for help is near impossible.  I tend to be fairly private about my weight loss.  The irony is not lost on me.  This blog is about my weight loss.  But you see I have the bliss of semi-anonymity here.  I don't have to see you guys if I had a bad week and gained back a couple of pounds.  You're not watching me sneak into that bag of chips or pour a second glass of wine.  So I am going to seek support two ways:
• Online:  between my readers here and the friends I’ve found on the Weight Watchers website, I know I have people I can go to for advice and motivation.  I want to blog about this journey in the good times and bad.  Feel free to call me out on it, or ask me what my status is, or check in any old way if I seem to be avoiding this place. I need people who can provide the virtual kick in the butt.  Step up and kick harder people! 
• Offline:  And I will reach out to a couple of friends I’ve identified and of course Wrangler, the closest person in my life, to help me and keep me accountable when I'm offline.  I need to know I can call someone to “talk me off the ledge” when I’m grocery shopping and make the mistake of wandering the chip aisle and find myself stopped in front of those purely evil Tomato Basil Chips! 

What can you do this week to excuse proof your weight loss?

No Weigh In [censored] [[Weight Watchers Wednesday]]

Yes, decided I couldn't take any bad news this week, so I opted to not weigh in.  That's okay - it says so right in the book!  I knew between the lack of activity I've had because of my knee, and the emotional eating I've done for reasons we haven't yet discussed, I did not want to hear what that scale had to say! 

Instead, I'll just update this week's to-do list:


#1  Done.  I added in the Smoked Turkey Cobbler featured in this week's recipe review.  I made a few adaptations after learning the original PointsPlus Value was 11.  By swapping light butter for regular and skim milk for whole I brought it down to 9.  Since I loved the filling and didn't care a lot for the biscuits, I may play around with lower points toppings for this delightful dish.

#2  I do this pretty regularly already  This week's planning was pretty easy.  I had done most of my shopping for this week's menu on my last trip to the store.  You've seen my dinner menu, so let me share what I do to plan breakfasts and lunches:
Breakfast is a rotation of:  cereal with fruit and milk//homemade breakfast sandwich//pb on toast with banana
Lunch is either:  WW Entree//Soup & Sandwich//Take-out (usually once a week on Wednesday)
Snacks are:  Yogurt//Fruits//Cut Veggies//Snack Bar//Dark Chocolate

I try not to have a lot of leftovers, because I know I'm not good about using them in the above rotation.  So if I have something leftover, I have to plan to use it.  The extra veggies from last night's Scallop, Corn & Tomato salad will be topped with tuna for an easy lunch. More substantial leftovers like lasagna or chicken will be weekend lunches when everyone is busy with activities on Saturday.  Finally, I plan for one high points day when I make a big "family dinner" on the weekends. 

As part of this to-do challenge, I will actually lay out which day I'll have what breakfast/lunch/snack and dinner and make a list accordingly.  If I feel ambitious (or detect any interest in such a thing) I'll certainly share!

#3  No way this is a one day/one post or even one week assignment.  This is ongoing for me.  Guess this one stays on the to-do list for good.

#4  Okay, I've certainly eaten them in a dish such as dip before, so I'm not sure they qualify as "new" but I want to try using artichokes!  I think I'd like to try them stuffed, but haven't fully settled on a recipe yet.  First step:  buying them!

#5  The ideas from Weight Watchers:

1. Mashed Cauliflower for Mashed Potatoes (I actually might try this over the weekend!)
2. Vegetarian sausage links for pork, beef or turkey (and maybe this too!  I just won't tell anyone)
3. WW smoothies for ice cream (maybe when it's above 20 degrees)
4. Endive leaves for tortilla chips (d'oh! this could have been my new veggie!)
5. Asparagus guacamole for the real deal  (this could actually work for us, we love asparagus!)
6. Fat Free Greek yogurt for Sour Cream (Definitely trying this!)
7. Shirataki tofu noodles for regular pasta  (Want to try this, and actually found some!)
8. Olive oil spray for regular olive oil (already doing this)
9. 97% fat-free hot dogs for real dogs (maybe when grilling starts up!)
10. Fresh dates for candy (would this count as a new fruit?)

I think what I should do is make #1, with #6! Or #4 with #5!  Then I can use #7 with my new vegetable, artichokes (steamed, quartered and tossed with olive oil) for a quick and easy dish!

You're right, that sounds way more ambitious than I feel. But how about you; have you tried any of these substitutions?  Do you have any sneaky ways of your own for cutting calories? 

Leftovers, Birthdays and Dinner Guests [[Menu Monday]]

Hopefully you have all read Saturday's post that explains why I'm off my blog schedule.  Well, let's face it.  I'm not that good at keeping a schedule, but I am trying. 

So it is Monday after all, which means it's time to figure out what I'm eating this week. 

The eating part isn't so hard.  I can do that sitting down.

The cooking part is a little more of a challenge. 

But here it is anyway.  A combination of stuff I didn't cook last week and stuff I can do without having to stand for an hour.

Menu

Monday - Chinese Take-Out

Because my Weight Watchers leader told me to eat out this week, that's why.

Tuesday - Scallop, Tomato & Corn

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Lasagna

Thursday - Hunter Style Chicken w/ Potatoes

Friday - Enchiladas

Saturday - Braised Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots & Homeade Rolls

Sunday - The Boy's Choice (Birthday Dinner)

In all honestly, Friday Saturday and Sunday are a bit questionable.  I don't know for sure which day we'll be celebrating, which meal our company would prefer on Friday, and which will be left for the other time slot.  So we'll take a post-it note approach to this week's menu and be happy with it!

 

Two of my Favorite Words: Cheap & Free ::Thrifty Thursday::



It's time for another installment of Thrifty Thursday.  The day of the week when I take all of the advice I've gleaned during the week , reduce it to only the finest, and share it with all of you.


WHAT I FOUND:  The holidays are over.  Your wallet is thinner and your are decidely not.  So you need:  Cheap Diet Dinners!  At $3 or less per serving, you can afford to feed the whole family a healthy meal, instead of feeling like a short-order cook making one thing for th ekids, one for the hubby and one for you.  (That reminds me, anyone catch this week's episode of the middle?)  WHAT I'M USING IT FOR:  This recipe for three bean & barley soup.  The Mr. of the house has been requesting something barley, so it's been bound to hit the menu.  Look for it in the coming weeks!

WHAT I FOUND:  Something that's been on all our minds, in some form of another, since at least 11:30 on New Year's Eve:  The Foolproof Trick to Keeping Your Resolutions.  Well, that's what the title of the article anyway, but what we've got is great dieas for making small changes toward 4 popular resolutions.  WHAT I'M USING IT FOR:  Sleep!  I don't know if it was a resolution of mine exactly, but I know I need to be better about getting it.  It's crazy how much I watch TV before bed.  Or read blogs, Facebook or email.  I'm not sure when I'll tackle this monster, but it will be soon!

WHAT I FOUND:  So you want to lose a few pounds (or more), but don't want to make drastic changes.  We're told that to lose a pound a week we need a calorie deficit of 3500, or 500 per day.  That means we either need to excercise enough to burn 500 more, eat 500 less, or a little of both.  Enter:  Simple Ways to Cut 500 Calories  WHAT I'M USING IT FOR:  I'm going to tackle the at work and Saturday strategies.  I really like th idea of standing more at work (and I have the option) and I'll use any excuse to sleep in a little on the weekend. 

WHAT I FOUND:  Weight Watchers' new program, Points Plus!  Okay, it's not brand new, but I just started it all over again (and it is only about a month old).  Sure, you have to be a subscriber to get the full scoop, but I had to make this my find of the week.  Because fruit is FREE!  That's pretty much the best gift ever.  Thanks Weight Watchers Powers That Be (WWPTB) WHAT I'M USING IT FOR:  A reason to eat bananas again!  And to make fruit my go to snack when hunger strikes. 

What tips and tricks have you found this week? 

Weight Watchers Wednesday

To-Do List: Week 1

1. Take a "before" picture and track your measurements

• Finally got this one done this morning.  That's okay though, because today feels like Day One.  Like the true beginning.  And that's not just because I skipped the gym to go to a basketball game last night where I had an ice cream cone and shared a large popcorn.  Picture taken, measurements noted. 

2. Track what you eat

• All over this one.  Over the weekend I went in search of the planner I bought last year because it was an excellent place to record my daily life, including my food journal.  The first thing I learned was that daily planners are rediculously expensive.  The second thing is that I had no luck finding the exact same one.  So far, the pretty blue one I did find is doing the job nicely, although it feels a little cramped.  I suppose I'll lean more on using the WW mobile app this year.

3. Plan the best weigh-in strategy for you

• I'm go-to meeting kind of weight watcher.  Last year I convinced myself I didn't need meetings because I'd already learned the program so well.  I wasn't learning anything new afterall (yeah, right).  So then they went and changed up the program at the end of 2010, taking away my excuse!  Therefore, I'm heading back to meetings with my favorite local leader, Joanne.  I'll be going today at noon, as well as every Wednesday at noon.  Now you see why toay feels like Day One!

4. Build your Favorites

• Still working on this one.  A lot of my old favorites need to be recalculated with the new PointsPlus values.  It's hard to get used to those numbers being higher! 

5. Clean fridge & cupboards and fill with healthy foods

• Half done.  The fridge is full of healthy stuff only, but the cupboards are sadly full of temptations.  Mostly in the form of leftover Christmas goodies.  Those haven't been too much temptation, though.  The items I truly can't have around without testing my self control: 

Lays Garden Tomato Basil chips - seriously these are my new kryptonite.  I can eat the entire bag.  I've been known to hide a bag in my car so I can eat it without sharing (and of course secretly). 

So there you have it, my week one progress.  Do you have a to-do list for your health & fitness goals?  If so, share it here!

 

I Hear a Sound

Oh yeah, I love thunderstorms.

Do you remember, in the movie The Lion King, when Scar responds to Mufasa's name by saying "oooo... Mufasa" and shudders? That's the way I react to thunder. (…except my reaction is not sarcasm born out of destructive jealousy.)

So we have a nice collection of thunderstorms coming through the area today but I’m not sure it will amount to more than a few of those low sweet rumblings. I will have to be happy with what we’ve gotten though, despite the fact that I’m the kind of girl who gets disappointed when the weathermen tell me the storm is breaking up or will pass me by. Maybe I’ve missed my calling and should be a storm chaser.

The weekend was a busy one but Friday’s efforts paid off. I did make it to the Weight Watchers center to find out I was down 1.8 pounds last week. That brings my average up to over a pound a week and I love it. I’m settling in for the distance and mentally preparing myself to let the weight come off at a reasonable weight. I still haven’t decided, however, whether or not I will continue to go to meetings or go for it online.

Anyone out there have feedback? Have you been in Weight Watchers? If so, do you prefer meetings or online? How about other weight loss methods, do you prefer to go it alone or have group support and accountability?

Slimspiration, Motivation & a Spokesperson ::Thrifty Thursday::

WHAT I FOUND: Some slimspiration from six women who each flipped a simple dietary switch that set off a chain reaction of positive effects, from getting glowing skin to losing 130 pounds.  WHAT I GET OUT OF IT: The connection between whole grains and clearer skin (at least for one reader).  It's enough motivation for this shiny faced bread lover!

WHAT I FOUND: A way to train with celebrity trainer Nicole Stuart for pennies a day.  WHAT I GET OUT OF IT: A body like Kate Hudson's.  Okay, not really.  But I do think it looks like a great tool for on the go fitness.

WHAT I FOUND:  A roadmap and navigation system for avoiding the potholes and finding the fresh choices at the Sub Shop. WHAT I GET OUT OF IT:  A calm assurance that adding cheese to my sandwich isn't taboo (it's also not a reason to switch from Roast Beef to Meatball Marinara) plus a few menu items that are always a good idea.

FIND OF THE WEEK: 

Weight Watchers has a new spokesperson, and she looks great.  Head over to WeightWatchers.com and check out Jennifer Hudson's success.





What good advice have you found this week?  Share your links with me below!