Blog Changes January 8, 2010

So I have severely neglected my blog in the past two months.  After lots of soul searcing, I decided that I really want to continue the blog, but I’d like to shift gears.  I want to expand upon the blog and not just focus on losing weight/getting healthy.  I still think that is a huge topic for the blog, but there is a lot of other things going on in my mind that I would like to write down. 

I am going to try to do a better job at keeping the blog up-to-date and checking in a couple of times a week. 

I just went back to my first weight watchers meeting since the last time I went and blogged about (10/29, I believe).  It wasn’t pretty.  I gained 2 pounds since the last time.  I better get serious.  I’ve been at the gym all week, and things seem to be clicking more.  I keep having to remind myself, though, that it takes 21 days minimum to establish a habit.  I’m on day 7 (since New Years Day).

Weight Watchers Online November 5, 2009

I jumped the gun and re-joined weight watchers online. I know I promised myself that I would wait until I was back to my ww lifetime weight (I’ll still have to lose about 5 pounds), but I got impatient! Anyone who knows me knows that I am the most impatient person ever! I am very happy with my decision though because weight watchers online was a big part of my success last year! I really love the points tracker because not only do they have a mega database of food to search through, they have an amazing recipe tracker that helps breakdown your recipes and gives you a more accurate points calculation. I also like the checks that you need to use when getting in your good health guidelines–fruits and veggies, oils, dairy, etc.

I am excited about my re-comittment to weight watchers online! If you are on the fence about this program, I would definitely recommend it!

Munching November 3, 2009

So this weekend, I indulged. I have been in the mood for (and giving into my urges to) snacking. Pringles and other chips sound so good and I want to eat them. I mistakenly bought 100 calorie packs of pringles this weekend. The problem?? Let me tell you “Once you pop, you can’t stop.” I couldn’t eat just one pack, and usually two wasn’t satisfying either. Eating pringles was sure a waste of points–and so was the halloween candy. To top it all off, I just basically estimated points values. Anyone who’s ever tracked food intake can tell you the danger of estimating! So, needless to say, I feel guilty about it. I am going to just get over it and get back in the groove… I hope that I will still post some kind of lost tomorrow, but we will wait and see.

Halloween Party at work October 30, 2009

Potlucks and parties at work are hard to avoid. These are fun and I really enjoy them, so I need to make a concerted effort to choose wise options and not to overindulge.

We had a halloween party today, and that’s just what I did! I enjoyed myself but did not go overboard. I made a reduced fat taco dip (fat free sour cream, fat free cream cheese, and reduced fat cheese). It helps that I absolutely love this dip, so most of my lunch consisted of it, but I had other items too. I tried the chili cheese dip as well, but enough to taste it and enjoy it. I also had some fruits and veggies and a small piece of chicken. Overall, I am happy with my food choices!

Weight Watchers Daily Points October 29, 2009

So, following the advice of my leader, I retook the points quiz that tells me how many points I should consume each day. It seems as though I should be eating 24 points, but am only eating 21 now. I decided that I would use 23 as my new number just because I am at 170, and 169 would mean the reduction of one point.

I also need to start using 2 of my daily points to get my oil in. I am very bad at this guideline! Last night, however, I got 1 tsp. in! That’s a start…

Breakfast! October 29, 2009

I just thought I would check in and share breakfast. I just toasted a mini bagel and topped it off with 1 tbsp. of reduced fat peanut butter. Yummy!

Have a great (and skinny) day!!

Taffy Apple Salad Recipe October 28, 2009

I got this recipe at my weight watchers meeting today. It sounds so good and appropriate for this time of year!

Taffy Apple Salad
Servings-6 Approximately 100 points per serving

Ingredients:
4 small unpeeled red apples (diced)
1 can pineapple tidbits (in own juice)
1 pkg. Fat Free, Sugar Free butterscoth pudding
1 8 oz. Pkg. Fat Free cool whip

Dice apples, add pineapple with it’s juice, combine the pudding (dry) and mix well. Then fold in the cool whip until mixed. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Enjoy! I will!

Weight Watchers Meeting October 28, 2009

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting since May today. I was surpisingly thrilled with the scale. I have lost 5 pounds since I got back on the wagon last week, but I am still up 5 pounds since the last time I came in May. I’d still consider that a success! I’m happy with that number and proud of myself for just going! I really like the leader and she was happy to see me back!

Next week I am hoping (but not expecting) to lose 3 pounds. That way, I’d be within 2 pounds of goal and not have to pay! I told myself that once I get back to goal (or close enough to where I wouldn’t have to pay) then I will start paying for weight watchers online again. I really liked the program and thought it was so helpful. I think going back to the meeting was just the inspiration that I needed to keep going!!

Weight Watchers Recommitment.. October 28, 2009

So I lost my weight the first time with weight watchers.  I think weight watchers is a wonderful program that works if you work it correctly.  I am seriously a really big supporter of the program.  The problem is making the individual commitment to work the program.  The program taught me so many great habits, but again, it only matters if you adopt those habits and use them in your everyday life.  For me, it is really pertinent that I keep a food journal.  If I do not write down and weigh everything that I put in my mouth, I will overeat and overestimate.  I am just a bad guesser.  The Weight Watcher’s point system encourages tracking your food.

I met my lifetime goal in March of this year.  Although I had been lighter last summer, it seemed as though my body was comfortable at that weight and it was still healthy for my height so my leader and I changed it.  I was doing well maintaining that weight until June.  May was the last meeting that I attended. 

I will be going to the weight watchers meeting tomorrow at noon during my lunch break.  I am nervous and excited at the same time.  I have gained since the last time that I went, but I need to face it and move on.  The meetings always provide the extra support that I need.  So wish me luck!!

Holidays October 27, 2009

So I have given excuses before about eating extra because it’s a holiday and only comes once in a year. While that is true, there are a lot of holidays in a year that would add up on the caloric scale. Now in no means am I advocating deprivation–in fact just the opposite. I think that rather deprive yourself from these seasonal dishes, we need to do a better job at portion control and splurging. Don’t get me wrong, the thought of skipping pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and my mom’s au gratin potatoes at Christmas could make the crocodile tears fall. I am saying, rather than eating half of the pan of pumpkin pie this year, I should eat one slice.

I heard somewhere that French women stay thin because they only need a taste of a food to satisfy their taste buds. The same could be true to us Americans, it is just a matter of habit and lifestyle change.

Anyways, back to holidays. Next week is Halloween! I have some of my fondest childhood memories from halloweens through the years. I loved everything about the crisp air, scary haunted houses, and (of course) yummy piles of deliciousness aka trick or treat candy! I remember going out with my friends and brothers and getting back to our house to weigh and sort our treats. We would actually play the “trading game” with our candy, where we’d group similar candies and trade for our favorites. I obviously always went after the chocolate. I used to get my brothers to trade me all of their chocolate for my suckers and smarties (it’s not my fault that they’d eagerly trade me a snickers bar for 2 jaw breakers).

So it’s this time of year (as my favorite holidays are approaching), that I need to find and exercise my self-control more than ever!! This morning my “secret spook” at work left me a whole back of reeses peanut butter cups! Reeses are my favorite! I actually haven’t even craved one, so I have been sharing them, but they are still sitting on my desk and staring me straight in the eye… I am stronger than those scrawny reeses peanut butter cups! I will conquer and make it through Halloween!!