Golly, I missed a week!

How I missed last week, I'll never know. I even came here and saw that I had made a post, and still didn't catch it.

Last week I lost 2 pounds. I thought I would lose more since the week before was low, but I got what I got.

This week, I gained a half pound. Not my proudest moment, since I had been losing steadily for 10 weeks. Last week was my husband's birthday. Which meant that we went to Asheville for the day and ate out for two meals. Plus the few days before that were wacky, and I ate out then, too. Plus I had a run-in with a jar of Biscoff, which I've since dubbed Kryptonite. After I ate it, I wanted more and more. And more. And then I wanted other things. Lots of things - but almost anything would 'do'. I still didn't go over for the week. I had 44 of my 49 weekly points, which means I ended up the week with 5 extra points. But the quality of the food got me. I can't eat sugar, I can't eat extra bread, I can't skip exercise. I did all of that, and I have a half pound to show for it.

I didn't want to go weigh in this morning. I thought - one more day, maybe I'll show a loss tomorrow. But I realized it is what it is, and I have to stay focused. So I went to the meeting, and I'm glad I did. I entered my weight onto WW.com and I thought it would say 'Oh no, you gained!!' But instead, I got "So, you gained a little this week. Gaining is a normal part of the process and can happen for a lot of reasons....Look back at this week and see what you might be able to change; then let go of what you can't. Focus on making the coming week a success.'

Let me repeat - Look back at this week and see what you might be able to change; then let go of what you can't.

I'm speaking this in my mind with my leader's voice. Nancy is the bomb, and I couldn't ask for a better WW leader. I can't change last week. I can't take back the restaurants, I can't make exercise appear, and I can't erase the multiple spoons of Biscoff. But this week I can control restaurants. I can exercise daily. I can bury the jar of Biscoff in the back of the cabinet, where only my son and husband can reach. I can cook more. I can plan ahead more. I can cut up fruit and veggies every few days so there is always something to throw together - other than pasta or take-out.

So that's the plan.

Less Than Spectacular Weigh-In Made Me Feel....

Just fine. :) I lost .5 pounds on this weigh in, but I'm totally ok with that because I know I did everything I was supposed to, and it will reflect in the next weigh in. I love to be able to feel that way. The empowerment of staying on plan every single day is something I wouldn't trade for any food you could possibly lay out in front of me.

But it's not all a bed of roses. It is a little frustrating to see that I exercise more and eat a little less, and don't see the numbers. But without that exercise, I could have been even worse off, so I won't complain too hard!

Part of the reason this week's weigh in was low was because I exercised before I went to the weigh-in. So I exercised and drank liquids. Presumably more liquids than I sweat out since the scale was up. Oh well, it doesn't matter. I'm doing everything I should be and it will all work out next week.

5% Lost...

I made my 5% goal today. 5% isn't much, but it's a nice little breadcrumb that WW throws at us! It's nice to see the numbers moving in the right direction every month. I lost two pounds - I really wanted to lose more, but after talking it over with friends I've reminded myself that it's not all about speed. 2 pounds a week is respectable enough - and the most important thing is that I know I am sticking to plan, day after day, week after week. It's paying off!

Flatbread Pizza

I had delicious pizza last night with Flatout Light Flatbread. I made it for 10 points because I had them to spare, but it can be made for less by using reduced fat cheese.

I took a Flatout Light Tomato Basil Flatbread (3 points) and spread 2 tablespoons of Light Boursin Garlic and Herbs spread on top (1 point). I topped it with vegetables previously roasted/sauteed in olive oil (1 point). I added 2 ounces of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese, for a total of 5 more points. The store was out of 2% mozz, so I used regular, and the parmesan didn't add as much as I thought it would, so you can save some points by changing the cheeses around.

Disclaimer - Phone pic in a dimly lit room - At this point, I can either focus on being a food photographer or I can focus on sticking to this diet, so hereby is my grainy photo. :)



Also, I found that 2 tablespoons of Boursin Light is tastier and goes further than a wedge of Laughing Cow, for the same amount of points. I'll be using it a lot more in the future!

Woop-Woop!

Here she is!


I lost 2.5 pounds this week, for a total of 6 for February. I'd like to lose another 25 between now and May 5th - 11 weeks, and totally doable! We'll be going to the beach that week as a big family vacation. I want to be as healthy as possible, and being lighter will mean more endurance and energy, to comb the beach for it's billions of shells and sea life that washes ashore. The great thing about this goal is that I don't feel like it's a dream, I feel like it's a real goal that I can achieve. This time last year, I didn't have the same outlook. It was more of a sigh and a dread - wishing I could be smaller for the beach, and hoping I could find a way to make it happen. I'm in control now, and I love it.

My sticker was THIS close

It was the great upset of 2012. I was a half pound short of my 10 pound ribbon! I really wanted to make it this week. At least that means I can for sure make it this week, and I still lost a pound and a half so I'm happy enough! As long as I don't screw up today - it's DS's birthday. Any minute now I'll start on his salted caramel cupcakes. A favorite of both of us. Today's birthday dinner is up in the air. We were taking him to a restaurant tonight, but we have snowy weather, so I'm not sure where we will end up. Dinner should be easy enough. I can get a salad anywhere. It might not be as tasty, but I can make it through the dinner. Today's challenge will be cupcakes!

New Goal

I've been perfectly on plan since Jan 1st. For food, that is. I have hardly exercised, and that really, REALLY has to change.

I'm watching the Biggest Loser on Netflix. I remember watching some of Season 3 wayyyyy back when it aired. I'm surprised that I remember the characters as much as I do. But then again, maybe it shouldn't be a surprise, because some of them are terribly unlikable. I guess they have a little bit of that every season, because it 'makes good tv' but I'd really like one season of gracious competitors. Oh well - I'm not watching it to like anybody, I'm just watching it to make me realize that big people can exercise their butts off and achieve goals. I would never exercise to their extreme and I don't count on any weekly losses like they get, but if I can catch a little bit of that fire, I know I'll get to my goal twice as fast. Of course, it should be said that if I watched less tv then I'd have more time to exercise! But at least I'm watching them in the background while I'm working on the laptop.

I've got almost everything to make the basement into a nice exercise area. I just need to find the time to get down there and move it all around. It just seems like such a big job so I find other things that need attention instead, like laundry, and general housekeeping - and work. I should be putting myself higher on the list. But it's a difficult list to prioritize because it's all vital.

Oh well, I'll figure it all out!

A Test

Last week was a test. I was sick. Sooo sick. Strep throat, upper respiratory infection, fever, body aches, coughing that made my muscles feel like I did 5,000 sit ups. But I made it through the week, and I lost 2 pounds. Happy Dance!

Also, I'd like to make note that I was on plan every day in January. I've been on plan for an entire month!! Even with birthday cake, I was able to work it in. I feel so focused. What a change in my life!

My Best Month In Years!

My final January weigh in was another 1.5 pounds, bringing the month to 9.5 pounds. That is the best month I've had in... Holy Cow, 14 years? I might have pulled it off once with Atkins induction or maybe South Beach Phase 1...but if I did, it was the end of the weight loss. Both of those plans initially gave me weight loss, but it immediately ricocheted because I couldn't stick to the plan, and the beginning weight loss was simply water.

When I did Weight Watchers back in 1998, I lost 50 pounds in something like 5-6 months. It was actually easy. Then I had some health issues arise - I had a nervous breakdown, and while mending from that, the doctor discovered a large tumor, and I had to have a hysterectomy. It wrapped up with an unhealthy depression that led to gaining back all my lost weight, plus some. I never got my mojo back. Most of it was psychological - mental barriers. Some of it was physical - PCOS with insulin resistance. So after all these years, it has come back to Weight Watchers, with a great month.


I still have to be careful with sugar and simple carbs, due to the insulin resistance, but it's easy to incorporate that in to the Weight Watchers plan. The hardest part for me is to not make my grain/starch the main portion of my meal. I'm not a vegetarian. I'm a pescatarian, but I only eat fish once or twice a week. The rest of the time, I eat vegetarian meals which can easily be carby. I still have to keep that in mind, but the WW plan is flexible enough to make it work for anybody. If I can do this - after 14 years of failed weight loss - anybody can. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the same results in February!

A New Beginning

At long last, I'm back and on track. Looking back at 2011, I just didn't have my head on straight. It's all a blur. In 2010, I lost 25 pounds. It was a nice, steady loss. Then Dad died, and my weight loss halted. It was the same time that I lost my business, and 'lost' a sibling through a disagreement. It was more than I could handle at once, and I think my life just went through the motions for the next year. 2011 had it's Ups - like my son graduating from high school, but overall there was a general cloud of sadness. By the end of December, I had gained back 17 pounds of the 25 lost, and I felt so unhealthy. My general feeling of wellness was rock bottom.

I hate 'New Years Resolutions' because I feel like I should be living with that zest all year long, not just at the start of the year. But really, I should be thankful for that annual excitement, and be glad that the buzz of it all kick starts me in to motion every twelve months. This year, I started losing weight again and as of Jan 19th, I've lost 8 pounds! That is a record for me. Pre-Hysterectomy, I could lose like that, but I've not done that in years. I'm happy! I started back to Weight Watchers, and I've really embraced the plan. I'm not doing it by the law of the plan, but by the spirit of the plan. That makes a world of difference.

I should also mention that I started on an anti-depressant after Christmas. It's not fair to make it look like I magically got my mojo back and 'you can too!' when there is something behind the curtain. I know it took ME to make it want to happen, but I was able to see that I needed help. The loneliness is still there - I will never get back what I lost, but I'm able to put one foot in front of the other with more Oomph and less tears, and that has made a big difference. And thanks to Mom, because she told me and showed me by example, that my life continues regardless of the past, and I have to be strong enough to make it better.