Weighty Wednesday-- I AM the Queen of Justification

I have had serious issues over the last eight months with my weight. I would simply justified my my weight gain, my lack of point counting, my ability to eat more carbs than any person should, etc.

I managed to eat my way 18 pound heavier than my goal weight. No, it wasn't the ugly weight I was previously at, but it is still too much for my height to carry easily.

So, I refocused.

It also helped that I was unable to drink any alcoholic beverages for about 10 days due to some meds I was taking.

--I find it interesting that enjoying certain items--alcohol, bread, easily digestible foods, etc. seems to make you crave more of the same, which in turn, makes you eat more. Wonder if it's due to those darn flavorists??

Anyway, in the past when I was on plateau, I discovered the Simply Filling technique. Using this method helped me lose those first 50 pounds. If I focused, I knew I would lose this newly added weight.

Well, my friends, I managed to lose 4.8 pounds this last week!

And before you take a breath and say that it's just water weight, or I'm losing too quickly, or whatever. Let me just say that I worked HARD to lose this weight and I will NOT let anyone belittle my efforts!

I walked at least 4 miles a day, but on five of those days, I also walked in the evening with my hubby, at least 2 miles. And when I say walk, I mean WALK. Strolling is not in my vocabulary. In fact, on Monday, my daughter missed her early outdoor swim practice due to rain and she couldn't keep up with me. She would lag behind and have to jog past me, then I would catch up with her, she'd lag behind and jog past me. Lather, rinse, repeat.

In other words, I kicked her booty when we walk. This is the ONLY advantage I have over this kid. Heck, I even lose that advantage when we go to theme parks because my hubby and kidlet focus on rides and leave me in the dust--I have little short legs, while they simply open their normal stride.

When I do WW Simply Filling, I have to break it down into the very simple and basic of food. I have to be very, very strict to force me NOT to fudge the 'points', because with simply filling you don't count points. And when you do eat something with points, it's easy to keep track of them, since I still get the 49 extra weekly points.

But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy some nummy food last week. Yes, I had 0% FF Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for breakfast, sometimes with a hard boiled egg--0 points if I pop out the yolk and don't eat it. 2 points if I eat it. I also drank my coffee with a tablespoon full of cream (1 point).

Most lunches consisted of Fat Free cottage cheese and a tomato, but it filled me up! Love love love this lunch. It's weird, but I do.

My snacks were baby carrots, an apple (sliced--there's something about the ability to consume the 'entire' thing), mini bag of popcorn, or even a small 3-point serving of almonds.

Dinners were smoothies for the most part, but don't think I denied myself, I didn't. One meal was a homemade hamburger (bun included!) and fresh corn.

Another meal was a small serving of sausage tortellini with my homemade marinara sauce and a large Caesar salad.

Or on date night, I had a pistachio-crusted Chilean sea bass, with 3 scallops dripping in a lemon butter sauce, one slice of rosemary bread, olive tapenade, and 2/3 of a beer (I couldn't finish it!)

So, while I might be the queen of justification, this queen has faced the devil weight and will force him to go down in flames . . .

Because, my friends, I have my weight-loss mojo back and I'm here to make a difference.

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday--I Got This

It has been a long time since I wrote a Weighty Wednesday blog post. Most of my gems of wisdom are posted under the Weighty Wednesday tab. Click there to find anything and everything I've posted on the topic of weight loss from dealing to exercise to cravings to plateaus.

Weight loss journey is constant, because once you've reached goal then you have to maintain, which is in essence, a plateau . I've gained weight. I'm striving to return to my goal weight.

As much as I want to get to goal weight again, I haven't had the motivation to try.

I've grown complacent, comfortable, and fat-and-happy in my padded flesh.

Three things have happened recently that have spurred me back into weight-loss mode.

1. I'm taking a course of antibiotics that seriously stress--NO ALCOHOL or any food that might contain alcohol. 
2. My daughter is away at swim camp.
3. I put on my bikini--no, I don't wear it in public, but I want to look good in private!

After we dropped our daughter off at camp, my hubby and I had 4 hours to discuss this coming week. We decided to make a point of walking every evening (This goal failed last night as it decided to rain, so he fixed the toilet.) If we eat dinner, then it will be something simple, like salad with grilled chicken.

1. I will say that I enjoy an adult beverage, but will admit that the 'occasional' glass of wine, ounce of liqueur, or beer had become more than occasional. So with the horrible side effects stated on my medicine, I decided to cut out any and all alcohol. Once the habit is broken, then it is easier to keep it from being a 'daily' instead of occasional. When one is trying to lose weight, alcohol is a point-laden pit that adds up quite quickly. 
2. With my kiddo at swim camp, I don't need to fix meals for dinner. Smoothies and salads work better for me, plus the hubby usually eats a pretty good lunch. Eating too much at night only makes me crave more food throughout the evening. Last night, I was hungry about six, but we were at Lowes buying parts for the toilet. By the time we got home, and I kept the hubby company upstairs while he fixed the toilet, I stopped being hungry. The one thing that I need to remind myself is that you don't have to eat--no matter what the clock says--if you aren't hungry.
3. I like wearing a bikini by my pool. I hate the fact that most one-piece swimsuits have a high back or high front. This make it hard to get an even tone to your body when you have different styles of shirts to wear over the summer! 

With these three items in my arsenal, I also attended my WW meeting yesterday, after missing the previous two weeks, where Julie talked about 'anchors'.

To me, an anchor is something that weighs you down. While the WW definition, an anchor is meant to keep you from 'drifting' from the program, the reason you keep focused. 

It's all about semantics. 

Since my interpretation is different than the intended WW use, I've been having a tough time finding a reason to focus on my weight loss again. 

So I will focus on an event, or a date, or something that works with me to get me back into the right frame of mind. 

What happens after that particular event takes place?

Well, I'll find another goal. And another goal. And another goal until this lifestyle becomes a habit. 

Because, I got this. 

Later, Peeps! 

Weighty Wednesday -- Plateaus Equal Maintenance

So this last week I managed to lose 2.6 lbs. Yay!

I have a long way to go to get back to goal and maintenance, but at least it still isn't going up, right?

Plateaus were the topic of discussion this week at my Weight Watcher's meeting. A plateau is a stabilization in your weight where you are neither losing nor gaining weight over a period of a month.

Plateaus happen.

As frustrating as a plateau can be look at it this way--you aren't gaining any weight! 

If you are in weight-loss mode and have reached a plateau a couple of things might be happening.

• You are getting too relaxed in your 1) portion control--weighing and measuring, 2) tracking--you've stopped writing down everything you put in your mouth, 3) you've reached a weight that your body was stable at for a long time, or, 4) your metabolism has adjusted to the amount of exercise and nourishment your body is receiving. 

Plateaus can be a good thing. 

Look at it this way: Plateaus are a way of practicing how to maintain your weight when you reach your goal. 

Yes, I'm sorry, but you still have to be careful with your food choices AFTER you reach your goal weight. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the occasional splurge.

This last week I ate a couple of pieces of pizza. The key here is that it happened one time during a seven day period, not three or four times.  You have to keep in mind that you have to keep making good choices when you are eating. 

Shaking up a plateau

So what do you do if you manage to reach a plateau and want to shake it up to continue your weight loss. 

You have to go back to basics

• portion control--start weighing and measuring again. Somewhere along the way you started 'eyeballing' the size of your portions and have let them grow.
• if you do nothing more than making a point of getting your healthy guideline boxes marked, you are well on your way to breaking out of your plateau. Eating the right quantities of fruit/veggies, FF milk products, healthy oil, whole grains and lean proteins will put you on the right track. 
• Write EVERYTHING down that goes into your mouth. If you ate a lump of brown sugar to satisfy a sweet craving, figure out how big it was, calculate the points, and write it down. If it embarrasses you to write something stupid down, so much the better! Don't eat it then. :-)
• AND don't forget to drink your water! This doesn't mean diet drinks, this means water! Yes, you can count the diet drinks toward your daily H2O, BUT you have to remember that your body thinks it's getting a sugary product and will treat it accordingly by releasing insulin into your system. Not something you want if your body doesn't have something to process. 
• Change up your exercise. Try a class at the gym. Take a different walking path. Whatever you do differently, it will charge your batteries again. 
• Stay away from processed foods. Stick to foods in their natural state as much as possible. There's a reason you can't eat just one potato chip. Flavorists (food chemists) design the processed products to make you want to eat more of them. If you can, just don't have processed foods in your house. 

And that's a basic list of going back to basics. 

If you've had the same problem I have had with gaining weight over the long winter hibernation, try these suggestions out and let me know how they work for you!

Later, Peeps! 

Weighty Wednesday -- Ennui Sets In

Yesterday was my regular Weight Watcher day. My weight was up, but I wasn't surprised considering I hadn't done anything other than eat Easter candy for the previous two days.

I haven't been posting regularly about weight loss, partially because I've not as enthusiastic about how they have designed their program for this year.

And enthusiasm goes a long way toward reaching your goal weight.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of the program, but instead focusing on something new each week, they repeat the same routine for an entire month.

Boooorrrrrrriiiiinnnnnngggggg. *boring*

It's right up there with beating a dead horse.

Supposedly Weight Watcher researchers have figured out that if you are presented with the same information for an entire month, you retain it and utilize it.

It might work for some people, but not for me.  . ..

"Look, shiny." *gets sidetracked*

Repetition might be the key to remembering things, but repetition can also lead to boredom, careless behavior, and mistakes.

"Squirrel!"

Four weeks (even five in some months) is too long to spend on a topic. April's topic is "Is it worth it?" Which is all about choice, and deciding if you want to spend your points on that Dove chocolate bunny . . .

Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it isn't.

The problem for me is that I don't actually care any more about this topic. With technology already posting the next new thing only days after the last next new thing, WW is trying to slow the world down. But I think they've taken it too far in the wrong direction.

I think I could have handled two weeks on the same routine, but four weeks is too long.

Ennui has set in. 

My goal for this week is to wrangle ennui back into its little hole in my brain and duct tape it inside.

Not exactly the goal I was shooting for, but this one is a little more fun than, "Is it worth it?"

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Everything is Cyclic

Today's blog will be a mish-mash of observations concerning weight loss.

The good news -- I'm down a pound. Yay!

The bad news -- I ate really, really poorly after my weigh-in.

Which led to a hot flash last night, and made me think, "Huh, I haven't had a hot flash since we came home from skiing."

And then I put two-and-two together and actually got four.

Okay, here's the dealio:

These next few comments are simply my observations of the last eight months or so. There are no scientific facts to support my observations. And if there are are scientific facts, then I didn't use them to come to these observations.

• Last night I ate poorly: 1/2 of an A-1 Thick-n-Hearty Whataburger and fries, chocked full of fat, salt, and probably a ton of preservatives. I had a hot flash. 
• I had been interested in the concept of the Paleo diet, which led me to look up the idea of Paleo diet on Wikipedia--because you can find everything on Wiki. 
• Paleo diet concept is very, very similar to WW Simply Filling concept, which is basically . . .
• Food in its natural state is better for you
• Raw fruits and veggies are better because your body has to work internally harder to break the product down into micro-nutrients to be utilized for energy. 
• I had been having off-and-on hot flashes since last September, when I started gaining weight again, but didn't seem to care.
• The previous week, I had been following WW Simply Filling technique. The interesting part about this is that it allows an unlimited amount of certain types of food: lean meats, fat-free dairy, fruits and most vegetables. No hot flash.
• Processed or refined food is easier to eat and digest, which makes you 1) eat more of it to become satisfied, 2) is usually filled with preservatives, fat, sugar or salt, which in turn, 3) causes you to eat more of it. Therefore . . . 

• Eating healthy for me foods will decrease my hot flashes

I think I'm onto something, what do you think?

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Reality Check Time

I missed my Weight Watcher's meeting last week because of car issues--the motorized driver's seat stopped moving. This is a huge problem since my hubby is over 6 feet tall and I'm slightly over 5 feet tall, which means when we share a car the seat is moved a lot. It had to be fixed.

This week was a slap-in-the-face reality check time at my WW meeting.

I'll admit that I've been lazy with my weight, not really caring about the consequences of my eating habits.

Yesterday was different.

Yesterday it was almost 80 degrees and I wanted to wear shorts.

I couldn't fit into my shorts.

Yeah, the shorts that had been so baggy on me the previous two summers, didn't fit.

REALITY CHECK

The weather this winter has made me supremely lazy. . . and I have to get out of my funk now!

Again, it's time to go back to the basics. 

• weigh and measure everything
• track my food--I don't care if it's a single peanut. Twenty single peanuts eaten throughout the day make an impact. You don't know what to cut back if you aren't aware of what you're eating
• drink water--yes, water, not sweetened whatever or diet soda--WATER
• Fruits and veggies-- if you have to snack pick these. Yes, you can fill up on them
• Exercise-- I've been slacking in this department, too. The weather has been a good excuse. Not any longer. Time to buck up and work out. 

I notice that mid-afternoon is my rough time. I want to graze before dinner. I have to prevent this from happening. I might start taking an additional walk, or drink a huge glass of water, or change my space--go upstairs to write or watch TV, anything as long as it's away from the temptations of the kitchen. 

I'll do anything to fit in those shorts like I did last summer and the summer before. 

Now, I have a reason to focus.

Now, I have a reason to fight. 

Summer is just around the corner. It's time to come out of our winter hibernation.

Later, Peeps! 

Weighty Wednesday -- Lazy Eye

*I'm putting a few of my books up for free through Amazon over the next ten days. If you have a Kindle or Kindle App, you can download them. Click on the cover to the right of the blog and it will take you to the US Kindle store. I don't remember which ones are free for what day, so you'll have to do a little clicking to find out! GNOME is free today, so click the picture on the right and download away!*
**Yes, it's available in foreign countries, but I don't have them linked on my front page.**

Today's topic, "Lazy Eye" is NOT about ophthalmology, where the doctor diagnoses one eye going wacky because the muscles aren't holding it in place, usually seen in children.

This is blog is about how we "think" we know amounts and sizes of food.

Those of us who have practiced measuring, weighing and portion control will eventually stop doing it because we know how much everything is. In other words, we start eyeballing the amount.

Eventually this gets us into trouble as our eye becomes lazy and the four ounces we had been eating soon creeps up to five or six ounces of food.

Which adds up to more food, more WW points, and eventually more pounds on our bodies.

So many people complain about the WW program that there is too much portion control management. That's true, but you could also follow their Simply Filling part of the program, but it limits you in your food choice.

The key to good weight loss, along with keeping it off, is portion control. And the only way you will be able to control your food when you eat out is to practice portion control at home.

Because if you think the servings you receive in a restaurant are one serving, then you have a little reality check coming your way.

Do your homework of measuring, and then weighing, the products you are eating at home, because when you eat out, you will have an educated eye about the foods you are served.

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Working for the Weekend

Yes, I'm dating myself by mentioning that I know this Loverboy song. It was big when I was in college, with the lead singer wearing red hot leather pants.

On a side note, I saw them at a company function in the late 1990's . . . er, dude was fat and poured into his pants. Years later, I saw them again on TV and he fit in his pants, but he looked really, really old.

Back on topic--do you watch what you eat all week, but not bother on the weekend?

If you don't bother, then you aren't alone.

And you'll also notice that you'll do well with your weight loss one week, while you seem to gain most of it back the next week.

So, what's up?

Weekend rebound. 

As my WW leader, Julie, pointed out in our meeting this week (Yay! I made it after missing the previous two meetings!) that weekends and holidays make up roughly 1/3 of all our days in the year.

Think about it.

One-third of all the days in the year

So, if you watch what you eat during the week and blow off what you eat on the weekend, it makes perfect sense that you are sabotaging yourself, derailing your weight loss efforts, which in turn, would cause a weight rebound.

Here's a thought for this coming weekend:  Plan a little more for the weekend. 

If you plan to eat out, then go online and look at the menu to help you make better choices.

If you're going to the movies, do you really need to eat the theater popcorn/candy?

If you want to drink an alcoholic beverage, limit yourself to one, and drink a large glass of water before you imbibe.

Decide where you want to spend your points.

And the big question you need to ask yourself -- is it worth it? 

Something to think about.

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Shake It Up!

And I missed my WW meeting again . . .

It's the snow, people! When we get yucky weather, we are down to one car. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that the temperature was above freezing and we had sunshine in the afternoon. Not so in the AM, which was why I was without a car.

Okay, today's topic is all about shaking up your regular routine. As you know, I'm a fan of routine. I thrive on it, but this weather . . . again with the weather! . . . has made it impossible for me to do my daily 4.25 mile walk, either it's the frigid wind chills or the ice covering the path, or both. Regardless, I haven't been exercising like I should.

The last time I shook up my routine was when I started taking a yoga class--last May.

And I Loved it!

I pushed myself, but I didn't think I pushed too hard until I wound up with a torn rotator cuff. After bunches of tests and doctors, I opted out of surgery. I honestly didn't think the tear was bad enough to warrant the expense and hassle of surgery. I felt as if I was being railroaded into it, so I told them I changed my mind.

But the mistake I made was not requesting Physical Therapy (PT) to slowly work my shoulder.  I tended to baby this shoulder and that caused stress on the OTHER side of my body and I've had a sore trapezius muscle (top of shoulder from neck to arm joint) for months now. And when I sleep, I wake up with both shoulders aching.



Fast forward to a couple days ago.

I finally got our Wii Fit game to sync on our WiiU system. Actually, I was slightly ticked off when we got the WiiU because it wiped the memory of my game from the system and I really didn't want to "start over" on it.

So it had been over a year since I had done Wii Fit.



And cocky-a$$ me thought, "I got this!" Talk about getting slapped around by a stupid fitness game. Boy howdy, am I out of shape!

True, up until a few weeks ago, I had been walking regularly.

And that's great for my cardio.

But it didn't do diddly-squat for my overall fitness or upper body strength.

So I started off on the Wii Fit at the most basic of exercises--Yoga, Strength, Aerobic and Balance.

Yes, I hurt. Yes, I'm sore. And yes, my balance was crap.

But I changed my routine up because I had to due to the weather

And guess what?

My shoulders stopped aching as much. . .

The first day I had to cheat on the push-up/plank exercise (on my knees instead of my toes), but the second day I did the exercise correctly, even though it wasn't pretty. I did it.

Yeah, it was hard. And yeah, I could feel it in my rotator cuff, but it wasn't as bad as I expected.

New plan.

It's a beautiful sunny morning, so I'm going for my walk. And then I'm coming home to work on the Wii Fit for about 30 minutes.

Remember, it's good to shake up your routine. If you don't you'll end up like me--living in a fantasy of contentment that I'm physically fit, when I'm really allowing my muscles to atrophy through complacency.

Shake it Up!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Status Quo

Because I'm weighty and, yes, it is Wednesday.

I missed my Weight Watchers meeting yesterday because my hubby took my car to work. We have two cars, but my car is the only one that can handle being driven on sleet and snow.

I'm sure I missed a great meeting!

This winter weather is playing havoc with my exercise schedule. This time of year our high outside temps are supposed to be in the high 40's, but as I type this the local temperature is 16 degrees--with enough wind to drop the 'feels like' temperature to -5 below zero.

Brrrr!

As I've mentioned before, I don't mind the cold, but I DO mind the wind. The one time I tried to walk in the cold wind, I nearly got frostbite on my fingers. And, yes, I do ski, but allow numerous hot cocoa breaks in between runs!

So I've tried to come up with new ways to exercise inside the house. I've used the Wii, but the last time I tried to get the board to work, it didn't. No, it wasn't the batteries. I changed them. It was something else. What that something is I don't know.

I've already mentioned the temptation of comfort food, along with the urge to bake cookies and cakes, and the overall need to eat and hibernate. I just don't want to gain weight if at all possible. It's just a matter of weeks before warmer weather moves back into the area.

So until I can kick start my regular outside walk, I'll just have to try my best to keep my diet in the moderate, healthy portions, try to drink lots of water, and try to keep my weight at status quo.

Stay strong! Hang in there!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Always an Excuse

I had weigh-in yesterday, and to tell you the truth, I knew my weight would be up.

And it was.

This time of the year is so hard, especially when the weather isn't co-operating. So much of the country is in the deep freeze, including my little pocket of paradise.

We haven't had much snow or ice, but when we do get it, it sticks around because the temperatures plummet into the teens or lower. Normally, I have no problem walking in cold, wet or even snowy temps.

Heck, I even have a selfie from last year when I walked in the snow, but I do have a problem with the wind.

2012 picture

The wind chill will drive cold weather into the bitter cold, potential frostbite range.

Two days ago I tried walking, but even with all my layers, the wind bit into my old bones. I walked past the elementary school and turned into the neighborhood. I figured the houses would block the wind as I walked the long way back to my house, only 1.5 miles compared to my normal 4.25 miles.

With the way my fingers felt when I got home, I think I had the beginning of a little frost bite.

So take care if you exercise outside. Don't be stupid, and stay safe.

Another problem with winter and losing weight is that I want to eat comfort food. Something warm, filled with high-carbs, eaten out of a bowl.

I'm not a fan of root vegetables, and though we do have summer fruit and veggies courtesy of South American farmers, I'm not usually in the mood to eat 'healthy'.

Along with this problem is the fact that most of us tend to get dehydrated in the winter. We simply don't drink enough water. Who wants to drink water when you're freezing your tail feathers off?

I don't. But I force myself to do so. If you have to add flavoring to the water, do it, but try warming up a mug of water. I used to drink tons of coffee, not so much for the coffee, but to hold a hot mug in my hands to warm them up. So instead of coffee, or even tea, try warming up a mug of water and adding a little lemon juice. It will help you keep hydrated and give you the warmth you need.

And when I go on my walk, I use the hottest tap water I can to fill my water bottle, It stays warm for about 3 miles.

If you are stuck inside because the weather is frightful, then every time you open the fridge or pantry, make yourself walk up and down the stairs ten times, or put in your kid's Dance Dance Wii video game and dance like a crazy person.

My key words to surviving this winter are:

keep hydrated, keep moving, and keep out of the comfort food!

Off to follow my own advice. I will get my walk in this morning since it's only 20 degrees and virtually no wind. Yay!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Good and Bad Choices

As the title suggests, I made good and bad choices last week. Post weigh-in the week started off AWESOME! I was doing WW Simply Filling--the most basic of food choices. I had plenty of water, protein and fruits and veggies (no sugar or flour), and by Friday morning, I had managed to drop four pounds.

WooHoo!

And then Friday night happened (Whataburger Jr. A-1 Thick and Hardy burger and fries).

And then Saturday night after the swim meet (Chuy's Tacos al Carbon)

And then Sunday at the swim meet a healthy food-fest, but still a food fest, pizza from Savastano's for dinner, and then to top it off, Pretzel Caramel Crunch from Andy's. *YUM*

And with Monday being a holiday and my kidlet was home from school that meant quesadilla for lunch, homemade cookies for afternoon snack.

Ugh, just looking at this list is making me gain weight!

This list looks horrible. I should have gained pounds, right?

Well, I might not have eaten the best, but I was able to control my portion size, and I only ate until I wasn't hungry.

This is one of the big lessons you have to learn when you are losing weight: 

Eat only until you are not hungry any longer. When you eat until you're full, you've already overeaten.

Oh, and I managed to lose 1.2 pounds. 

It might not seem like much, but it's a start. 

So let's break this down:

Friday night was a lack of communication between me and my hubs. I had taken our daughter to warm-up prior to the swim meet and went home to wait for him to get home from work. By then I was already starving (mistake #1--never NOT eat. You have less control over your food when you do get something to eat). He assumed we would just go to the meet, while I assumed we would have a quick bite someplace nearby before we went to the meet. By the time he got home, I was in complete meltdown mode and eating a salad at just wasn't going to cut it, so we went to Whataburger across from a really good place to get a salad, Schlotzsky's. 

But instead of getting a large A-1 Thick and Hearty burger and demolishing it. I got as JUNIOR sized one. Yes, my friends you can order a specialty burger in Junior sizes, which is slightly more than half of a regular sized one. If I hadn't starved to this point, I probably could have left a few bites on my plate, but I was too far gone. :-(

Okay, I did eat 3/4 of the fries, but such is life. 

Saturday was good. I walked. I ate a nice late breakfast. I didn't take any snacks to the afternoon swim meet because the hubs and I decided to treat the kiddo to Chuy's (Mexican food) after the swim meet for an early dinner. I was hungry, but I took a couple tortilla chips, broke them into pieces and shoveled the salsa fresco into my face. I also didn't order the margarita that I wanted, instead I stuck with water. I also didn't eat the creamy jalapeno dip,which is sooo good! When got my tacos, I ate only one with the flour tortilla, the other one I husked, leaving the tortilla behind. It was a decent food day.

Sunday was another beast entirely. The swim meet started at 10 AM and lasted through lunch. I brought healthy snacks (fruit, cheese, granola bars, water), but I was constantly eating stuff. I really didn't like doing it, but it was the only way to fight the misery of the bleachers! When we got home, we cleaned the house and I did laundry and some yard work, while hubby washed and dried the dog. Pizza was an easy choice. How do you make it healthier without it tasting like cardboard? Get a thin crust. I would say get veggies instead of processed meats, but I can't deny my pepperoni and sausage cravings!

And there' no excuse for the frozen custard. . . but it was really, really good. 

Monday was cave day. Kidlet and I watched movies while I painted her nails. Quesadillas and cookies seemed like a good choice . . . 

And, of course, weigh in was Tuesday, which was why I was surprised that I actually lost any weight. 

I'm focused and forging forward this week. I'll be focused until the weekend, but I hope to make good choices if we happen to go out to eat. 

I'll let you know next week. 

Remember, we all have food challenges to face. Yes, we might make a poor choice here or there, but the key is to make it only once, not the entire day. Drink lots of water, eat lots of wonderful fruits and veggies, and take a walk. It's the little things that you do right that add up in the big picture of things. 

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Do Over!

I'm calling a "do over" and scrubbing all thoughts of last week from my mind.

Needless to say, I managed to gain 0.2 of a pound. . . it  might have had something to do with drinking 3 glasses of water on my walk or the banana I ate before weigh in.

No matter what it was. I have to say that, in the big picture, Simple Start didn't work for me.

Don't get me wrong, it's a GREAT concept, it's just that it didn't work with my lifestyle/family/etc.

I think I'll need to do a combination of Simple Start, Simply Filling, portion control, counting points and tracking . . .

Yep, the whole enchilada.

mmmm . . . .enchiladas . . ...

That's the frustrating part of the weight loss journey, what works for one person won't necessarily work for another person. . . and it won't necessarily work the second time around.

You have to figure out what works for YOU! But you have to give time. As easy as it is to gain weight, plan triple that time to lose it.

When I reached my goal weight and started maintenance, I let one random person's comment derail my entire life. I had tracking down. I had portion control down. I was happy with all the fruits and veggies, and lack of bread products in my life. I should have stuck with the way I was doing things and trusted my body enough to know when to stop losing weight.

But I listened to this person, and look where it got me. Not quite back to square one, but I definitely have to get my weight loss mojo back because I don't want to do this yo-yo crap any longer!

Don't let someone's false concern that you are losing too much weight derail you. I did. It isn't a good place to be when I realized all it took was just a little bit their negativity to send me spiraling out of control.

Yes, it's my fault. I'm not blaming them. That's the way saboteurs work. They get into your head just enough to mess you up.

Don't let it happen to you.

Now, I have to focus and buckle down to lose the weight I gained.

Wish me luck!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- New Year, New Attitude

Good Morning!

I have to admit that over the holidays I took a mental break on my weight loss journey.

I had a HORRIBLE weigh-in. I knew I would because I weigh myself at home. I knew what was happening because I weigh myself at home, plus I could feel my size 6 jeans getting tighter and tighter . . . and tighter. So tight and uncomfortable, I moved into my 'emergency' size 8 jeans.

I don't like wearing my size 8's.

When I went to my first Weight Watcher meeting of the year, I decided to wear my HEAVIEST clothes.

Why did you do that, you lunatic?

So the weight loss would be that much sweeter next week. :-)

My previous weigh-in was in early December and I only gained 3 pounds over the Christmas/New Year holidays, BUT the problem started as far back as in July.

So what did I weigh?

146.6 pounds. EEEEEEeeeeeeekkkkkkk!!

Remember my goal weight is 130 pounds with a +/- 2 pound wiggle room. 

This needs to be fixed, and fixed now!

And I wasn't the only one in the room with this issue. Oh, no, my friends, there were at least 10 other ladies at this particular meeting who had been at goal and had wandered from the path. Remember a year or so ago, when I said the journey continues even though one reaches a goal weight. It's true. We will be challenged our entire life with making the right choices.

The key is to realize when you have to wake up, be accountable, and start making those right choices again.

Into this scenario comes Weight Watcher's Simple Start.

Simple start is an expansion on the idea of Simple Filling--a technique that I LOVE--but with the added advantage of meal suggestions.

As I tended to get into a rut while on Simply Filling, the simply, easy menu suggestions really help to get the ideas flowing and gave me the excitement to jump into the program again! I went to the store and bought a bunch of awesome food products and I'm happy to start!

Along with the Simple Start program, my hubby bought a Fit Bit for my daughter and myself---and let me tell you, she is kicking our A$$'s with all the swimming that she does!!

So did I give up my Weight Watcher's ActiveLink?

Yep, totally.

The problem with the ActiveLink is that it was limited in its use. It calculates how many WW Activity Points I earned. I tend to follow a set walking agenda and after a year and a half of use, I knew exactly how many activity points I did or didn't earn in a day. But now I wanted to know my pace and my distance. ActiveLink couldn't provide the information. So I started using Map My Walk (a GPS based tracker). This gave me the info I needed for my walks, but I can't leave it on all the time to get my daily steps because it would suck my phone battery dry. Pedometer's are old school and bulky. I like the Fit Bit, but I'm still fine tuneing my walking pace, since it's calculated according to your height and sex. I KNOW I have a longer stride than someone else my height. So I entered my 'calculated stride length into the equation. It still isn't quite right (in other words, matching the GPS distances, but I'm getting it closer to the 4.25 miles that I walk. Actually the FitBit calculated 3.15 miles, so being off by over a mile is a big deal!

ActiveLink is a tool. Map My Walk app is a tool. FitBit is a tool.

The key is to use a tool to get the result you want, but if that particular tool doesn't work for you it's time to switch it up.

My Fit Bit tracks my steps, activity level and sleep patterns. Do I need all this info?

At this point in my journey--Yes. Will I need to know about my sleep patterns a month from now? Not really, unless I'm having some issues with my sleeping patterns.

Use the tools available that work for you. Not every tool will work for everyone, so be open to change.

Remember, New Year, New Attitude. I'm excited about this new year, are you??

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- The Horrible Truth

This will be a tough blog to write, but I feel that I owe it to the readers of my Weighty Wednesday blog.

I've been talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

To be honest with you all, I have been slacking for almost the last year. I fell off the weight loss wagon a long time ago. Maintaining weight loss is so very hard and it's too easy to keep adding food to one's diet until we are in the same predicament we were in first place-- OVERWEIGHT

I haven't been getting my daily healthy guideline items marked off my list.

I haven't been watching my portions.

I've been drinking too many diet sodas, eggnog and wine.

I've been snacking on my candy, namely peanut brittle, . . . and I still have seven flavors to mold before they get boxed up and delivered.

And just recently, I haven't been walking due to the ice on my walking trail.

I've gained more weight than I want to talk about. I'll 'fess up to it next week, but the reality is still to raw for me to actually say the amount of weight gain.

But reality hit me hard yesterday when I actually contemplated putting on my larger pair of jeans.

This is so NOT going to happen!

Yes, I have two pairs of size 8 jeans hiding in my closet, but I really don't want to resort to wearing them simply because I have ZERO will power to stop myself from stuffing my face.

All of us face our demons in our own way. Many times we listen to those demons and indulge to the point of excess, but the problems arise when we continue to listen to them on a daily basis.

Which happened to me.

When I was at goal and on maintenance for the first six months of the year, I got lazy. I would eat a little too much, or slack on my healthy guidelines there was no real consequence . . . at first. I stayed within my goal's weight range.

But after awhile, starting in July, I had to pay my dues for the overindulgence, and now the weight is slipping back on like an actor's fat suit.

With Christmas around the corner, I know I'll be getting some goodies in my stocking, plus the broken leftover candy . . .

It will be tough to resist.

Now that I've acknowledged that I'm not the sparkling mentor that you think I am, I can climb back into the driver's seat of my own reality and take control of my eating issues.

It will be hard, but I know I can do it.

Because I've done it before.

All it takes is conscientious eating, portion control, and getting my daily healthy guidelines in.

I hope y'all will realize that I am simply human. I made a mistake and have a weight gain to show for it.

But I can fix this.

I hope you got my back just as much as I have your back with my pep talk blogs. I might need a little encouragement to get started down the right path again.

True confessions are over for today.

Later, Peeps!

1,000th Blog Post

Wow! Who would have thought that I would write 1,000 blogs?

I sure as heck didn't.

When I started this blog, I had named it "Fantasy Crapshoot" for not so obvious reasons. At the time I was writing THE LEPRECHAUN CONNECTION and it was a crapshoot as to whether or not I could get an agent/editor interested in my writing.

I was unsuccessful.

I'm still unsuccessful in that regard, but I have survived many years blogging when many of my fellow authors have quit a long, long time ago. For, you see, blogging takes creative energy and many writers felt that blogging sucked them dry leaving them but a bitter husk as they tried to make money with their real job of -- WRITING.

FIRST BLOG POST:  April 29, 2008

Page View All Time History: 92,868
I can't say how many of these 'views' are spam or real views, but there it is.

Most Popular Blog Post : Tips and Tricks Universal Studios Florida -- 606 page views. Written on 8/2/2013

The most popular top four posts after Tips and Tricks:

Dogfish Shark Dissection, cont. 5/12/11---- 341 views
Special Guest--Cynthia D'Alba--First Dates--Heaven or Hell  2/20/2012 ---- 297 views
Polar Bear Poop -- the recipe  1/10/2011 ----194 views
GAK! No Clue What to Post!  2/4/2009 ----164 views

The search engine listed the most is Google, followed by Vampirestat.com (NO idea what this is!), followed by Facebook.

The United States gives me the biggest audience hits, followed by China, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Ukraine, Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands.

Again, I have no idea if these are real hits versus spam hits. It makes me feel better to think of them as real hits, so I will. . . Don't Burst my Fantasy Bubble!

Periodically, I'll get a couple of hits from South America, India or Africa. But I've also had hits from Mauritania (Yes, I had to look it up), and the Faroe Islands (ditto on the look up!), along with various other countries.

Over the years, I've offered my views about writing under the tab titled Writing 101. But I don't post very often under the writing header as I feel there are many other writers out there with far better credentials to do the job! I do have numerous blog posts about setting goals, which I need to review before this year is over!

I've shared my weight loss struggles under my Weighty Wednesday posts. And from various feedback I've received, these posts have the most impact with my readers. I might be outlining my personal struggles, but I seem to hit the right note with those other people out there facing their own food demons.

I've posted numerous recipes under Foodie Friday posts. Please browse the recipes. I started this section of the blog when my husband pointed out that if I died tomorrow, he wouldn't know how to make a particular recipe! Plus these are for my daughter to take with her when she flies the coop.

I've made tabs for my books.

Tabs for my crocheting efforts.

Tabs for my donations to Brenda Novak's For the Cure

I've made numerous blogging mistakes, but then again, I never really planned to have much of a following. I figured I was just talking to myself when I'd share my thoughts and feelings about numerous topics.

AND I've also been told that I share far too much!

Will I blog in 2014?
 

Of course! I might end up repeating myself, but sometimes repetition helps with the ability to retain the knowledge. I know I tend to repeat myself on my Weighty Wednesday blogs because I need to remind myself to stick to the basics!
 

Christmas is almost upon us. My daughter has finals this next week and then she'll be home until the New Year, so my blogging will be sporadic at best, unless we get snowed in again like we did a couple of years ago!
 

I'll work on my Goals list if you promise to work on your list for the new year.
 

Remember, these aren't resolutions, which can be broken, but goals in which we strive to attain.
 

Yes, it's all semantics, but sometimes looking at something from a different direction will open your eyes to the possibilities!
 

I want to thank everyone who has visited my blog. I hope I've been informative and kept you entertained at the same time. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to click on the Contact Me tab.

I've blathered on long enough about this 1000 BLOG! So I'll bid you farewell for now!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Tis the Season!

Stay strong, my friends!

The rough weight-loss season is still upon us: various parties, social gatherings, extra samples at the grocery story, food in the break room, and all sorts of temptations no matter where you go.

It's hard to resist.

I know.

But I also know that you can survive without that second Polar Bear Poop (recipe in link). One, I'll let you have, but you need to count it as 2 WW points, just saying. Take your time to enjoy the one candy, savor it, draw out the flavor, enjoy the delicate way it excites your senses.

Food will be all around you during the next few weeks, and there is no way to pre-calculate your points for the day. If you have enough will power simply walk away, but it doesn't mean you won't be malleable to suggestion the next day or the next.

And you can't avoid your co-workers forever . . . though you might want to.

So how do you approach the season?

I know I'm not one to talk since I work from home, BUT I do remember the days of sniffing out the goodies in the lab.

And I was good at it.

How would I approach the cornucopia of nummy goodies?

The best defense is a good offense--simply stay away from the goodies!

But as I said that doesn't always happen and it's impractical.

Here are a few tips & tricks:

• drink a glass of water before walking into the gauntlet of goodies
• peruse the table--what is the one thing you only get this time of year? Forget the dry sugar cookies or someone's poor attempt at fudge, or make your own fudge with Mag's Decedent fudge. Only choose items that are rarely eaten. Now is the time to be picky.
• Don't waste your WW points on something that doesn't even look good to you. Yes, if Sally from accounting is pressuring you to try her {insert _____ here} then by all means, take some. REMEMBER you don't have to actually EAT it!
• Eat a protein-laced snack prior to the high-sugar, high-carb, high-fat gathering: an ounce of almonds, or an ounce of cheese, or a hardboiled egg.

The key to surviving this season is not to give up.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill

 

You might stumble once or twice during this season, but never give up, because when you give up you will surely fail.

 

Later, Peeps! 

Weighty Wednesday -- Thanksgiving Prepping

Yeah! One more week until Turkey day!

All that yummy turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauces, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, etc, etc.

And don't forget about the beverages: wine, beer, cocktails

Ooooo and desserts . . . notice the "S"?

Yay . . .

Or not.

Yesterday at Weight Watchers we took a plate and figured out how much a small serving size was for the various items and then calculated out points . . .  OUCH!

Look, I didn't even add more than a couple of tablespoons of each virtual food item and it added up to more than my daily totals.

And the sad thing about this was I hadn't even calculated any desserts. Yeah.

So, the good news -- Most of us tend to be very traditional with Thanksgiving. We know exactly what everyone is bringing to the meal, which means you can PRE-PLAN.

Over this next week, everyone who wants to lose weight during Thanksgiving week should be measuring and weighing your food like nobody's business.

Why?

To develop your eye if you don't want to whip out your measuring cups at Grandma's house.

Don't forget to pre-calculate your points. Decide what amounts you want to eat of each food item and look it up ahead of time. That way you can decide if you really want a quarter cup of something or just a taste.

If you plan on having an adult beverage. Calculate it into the equation first. You might change your mind about that glass, or three, of wine.

Realize that plates tend to be huge compared to their counterparts in the past. In other words, my every day Dansk plates are 10 1/2 inches in diameter, whereas my grandmother's china is about 7 1/2 inches in diameter. You might have your food touching on your grandmother's plate, but if you do that on a larger plate, you will be eating at least 2 meals worth of food, without going back for seconds!

Make islands, not continents out of your food. Don't let the individual items touch.

Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat.

Don't starve yourself to 'safe' your weekly points for a binge-fest, and then gorge on everything. Plan to use those points, but they will disappear faster than you expect! This is why you need to think about what you want to eat and plan for it!

Savor the foods you choose to eat. Take time to enjoy the nuances of the flavors. Appreciate the time your family member took to make the item or meal. Chew longer, talk more, and when you've tried a little of everything -- STOP EATING! It's okay to leave a little food on your plate. If someone hassles you about it--lie. Tell them you're saving room for dessert.

And if Aunt Gertrude insists that you try some of her Jello experiment, taste a little or simply tell her, "No thanks. I have more than enough to eat."

So, in other words, visualize your response to the questions, prompts and various blackmail family members will use to get you to eat.

Again, everything is about pre-planning. Not just what you want to eat and the portion size, but your response to those who want you to try something you hadn't planned on eating.

Good luck!

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Sabotage!

Sabotage!

 

It happens to all of us at one time or another.

 

We tend to blame our spouse, our kids, society, or whomever, but do you know who is really responsible for weight loss sabotage?

 

You are.

 

Sorry, Peeps, but this isn't a "Poor little boo-boo did that mean so-and-so make you eat that custard from Andy's? Or eat that Big Mac meal, or the entire bag of kettle cooked potato chips, or whatever?" blog.

 

Blame the person responsible.

 

You.

 

I'm so sick and tired of people not taking responsibility for their actions. It's in the news all the time, the least you can do is take responsibility for your own weight.

 

The only exception is if someone is force feeding you like a goose.

 

Grow up. Grow a backbone. Get real.

 

Quit whining about how everyone is working against you.

 

Only YOU can set yourself up for failure. Only YOU can allow others to influence your choices.

 

Are YOU really that weak-willed?

 

 

Something to think about.

 

Later, Peeps!

 

 

 

Weighty Wednesday -- Why walk?

 

As y'all know, I love walking. Shoot, my walking pace is faster than some runners--I know because I've passed them on the trails. But I always wanted to be a runner.

1) you can cover the same distance in half the time.

2) you look 'cooler' running than walking

3) running shoes vs. 'walking' shoes

It isn't that I haven't tried running, I have. I just don't have the ability to run.

1) Breathing--I breath too shallowly to breath efficiently. It doesn't help that I have asthma, so when I breath too shallow, it exacerbates the situation.

2) I manage to hurt myself . . . every single time. If it isn't a pulled groin muscle, it's twisting my ankle or bunging up my knees

So I walk.

That is part of the reason I've successfully kept my weight off . . . well, except for the darn vacation pounds I gained in August and still haven't lost. . . . grrrrr.

The key is to find an exercise you enjoy doing, every day.

I look forward to my walks. Since I walk outside, I see the changing of the seasons. I hear a variety of birds throughout the seasons. I greet other bikers, runners and walkers on my trail.

It's my thing.

But if you enjoy shopping at the mall instead of nature, then go walk the mall. Make a point of walking first, then treat yourself to window shopping as you cool down.

Get into a habit of walking a certain number of laps and then challenge yourself.

Walk the same number of laps, but try to increase your pace for each lap. If you inadvertently slow down, you will know by your lap time.

1) increase your speed
2) increase your stride length
3) practice tightening your muscles
4) dress in layers

And just because you walk, you don't have to buy 'walking shoes'. Those things don't breath. They don't flex. And they weigh a ton!

Buy shoes that breath, flex and feel comfortable with an adequate amount of support. In other words, buy running shoes.

Dress in layers, especially in winter, because if you are working hard you will warm up and start sweating, which will allow you to strip off the outer layers.

And speaking of sweating, if you aren't sweating you aren't working hard enough!

So go out and enjoy the weather. I know I do!

Later, Peeps!