Lagniappe --Gambling

Just a quickie note about gambling in Vegas . . . .

THERE'S A REASON FOR ALL THE MONSTROUS HOTELS--they take your money.

AND WHY THE HOTELS COMPENSATE THE HEAVY GAMBLERS--because the odds are with the house.

IF YOU STAY AT THE NEWER/BIGGER/FANCIER HOTELS--expect the minimum bets to reflect that.

If you want to gamble here are a few 'rules' to think about:

• Be smart--study the games--learn them, inside and out.
• The ones that give the player better odds: Craps and blackjack are the best.
• Avoid the sucker games: SLOTS (yes, I play some slots, but don't expect to walk away with any money), spin the wheel game, all the 'new' games.
• Don't take more money than you can afford to lose. Leave the ATM card at home
• Many dealers don't mind people watching . . . just don't block or sit in an empty chair. And don't overstay your welcome or act like you're counting cards unless you want to be escorted out the door.
• Many dealers--especially if it's a slow table or early in the day--will teach you how to play, just ask.
• If a dealer has been helpful and helped you win--tip them.
• Tip the waitresses--yeah, the booze is 'free' provided you are playing, but those ladies have to walk around in stilettos during their shift.
• If you want to do a valid comparison of monies lost versus won. Place your betting money in your right pocket and your winnings in your left. I'd gamble that you won't come back with more money than you left with.
• James Bond's game, Baccarat, is easy to play. Simply bet on player or dealer, BUT if you bet dealer and you win--THE HOUSE TAKES A CUT.
• Play the tables early in the day. The minimum bets are usually less than in the evening. $10 vs. $25

For example: $25 per deal on a Blackjack table. I don't know about y'all, but I can take my kidlet to see a Harry Potter movie (before 6 PM)and get a tub of popcorn for that amount of money, plus a couple of hours worth of entertainment. When you are gambling--*poof* four cards dealt and it can be gone within less than 30 seconds.

Food for thought, Peeps!

Lagniappe --Weight Watchers

Throwing out thoughts today or in more civilized language: LAGNIAPPE

Weight Watchers--I love, love, love this program!

--Now that I'm in better shape it doesn't take me as long to take my walk, which in turn, gives me fewer activity points. :-( It's not like I ever USE those points, but I still like to see them build up in case I might need them.

--our Vegas trip was a test to see how I would do outside the home environment. Oh, we go out to eat quite a bit, but I can check out nutritional values ahead of time. Though the phone app is wonderful, it simply doesn't have the versatility of the computer app which left me guessing as to how to count my points . . . so I didn't. Now, this isn't to say that threw all caution into the wind, 'cause I didn't do that either.

So you want to know what little tricks I used while on vacation?

--I KNEW we had a free buffet breakfast with our hotel room, so one of my main meals would be breakfast. And this wasn't just any buffet, this was an INTERNATIONAL BREAKFAST BUFFET! There were breads, pastries, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, kimchee, fried rice, pickled herring, smoked salmon, chorizo and egg burritos, fresh fruit and an omelet station. Wow, what a selection! I got some protein, fresh fruit, no juice--it costs too many points to make it worth it, a bread (Blinni, crepe or small piece of coffee cake), and a yogurt.  I ate slowly and stopped when I was full, which meant I left 1/3 to 1/2 of my plate full. Yes, I left food on my plate.

*Number 1 rule: eat slowly and STOP when you feel a twinge in your gut. Not that stuffed feeling, but just a hint.

--drink lots of water--Vegas is HOT. You will get dehydrated and not even realize it.  This is also another way to trick your body. Drink a glass of water BEFORE you eat your meal as it will help fill you up!

--Don't eat lunch if  you aren't hungry.  We've been programed to eat at certain times a day. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. BUT also be prepared to eat a piece of fruit or a yogurt when hunger does strike.

--the hubster and I split lunches. We ate at Todd English's P.U.B. We each ordered a beer--trust me, it was nice getting a 'pint' for a change. In OK, you get some weird amount between  9-14 oz. Just give me a PINT. *sheesh* is that too much to ask?? Anyway, we ordered the New Amsterdam burger and it was almost too much to split between us.

--We ate Italian food along a Parisian street. :-) No split meals, but we did the prix fix menu: a glass of wine, Ceasar salad, chicken Marsala, and a dessert. The chicken breast on the entree was at least 10 oz. --way too big for this gal, so I left most of it on the plate along with the Yukon gold mashed potatoes.

--yes, I ate M&M's from the M&M store. Yes, I ate some incredible chocolate from Ethel M's. Yes, I drank lots of beer and wine. BUT I also walked and walked and walked, AND many times we didn't eat an evening meal.

 I didn't mean to turn this into a WW-focused blog, but food and how I deal with food is foremost in my mind right now. I know many of you are struggling with this same issue, but you need to find your trigger points {stress, emotions, boredom (ME!), etc}. You need to come up with a plan as to how you want to deal with food in those situations.

Losing weight is like writing: what works for me won't necessarily work for you. It is up to you to try different methods to find what works in your life.

Later, Peeps!