Two weeks gone by already? Sheesh
Man, I gotta get better at posting at least once a week! So, where to start….. I will start with last Monday, the 23rd. I was suppose to go to WI and didn’t, I let the craziness of my week get the better of me. I have to say that the past two weeks have been the most stressful and it’s all about my job. I like what I do, but sometimes I feel like I’m trying to take care of everyone else and I feel a little burnt out. Oh the joys of managing… My dear husband sent me flowers out of the blue and they couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I was about to have a mild breakdown at work and then UPS showed up with these! They really opened up after a few days!
Otherwise there was a lot to look forward to! My sweet boy turned 6 on the 24th! My husband and I took him and our friends daughters out for a bowling party. Michael looks so grown up here, it makes a mom want to tear up a little! Look how handsome he is! Ooh, I also forgot to mention that he has officially lost two teeth! Really, he is growing up way too fast!
Of course Thanksgiving was next and I handled that day very well. In fact Michael and I went on our first Mommy and Michael Turkey Trot. He loved it although he got tuckered out after the first mile, but he was a trooper and held on through the second mile. He loves exercising with mommy! My turkey day went as planned and I was very proud of myself. Unfortunately I didn’t plan on my husband buying his own turkey and basically having our own mini thanksgiving on Saturday. It was a challenge all weekend and I was terrified to go to WI on Monday night. I’m so glad I went though! I gained .4 and I’m SO OK WITH THAT!! After two weeks of not checking in, birthday celebrations, Holiday buffets, and work stress I consider a .4 gain a miracle.
Things for this week: I have committed to working out for 30 min at least 4x this week. I’m still tracking and that’s the glue that has held me together these past two weeks. I can’t wait for next weeks WI and I already feel at peace having a plan!!!
The Butterfly effect
So I got a wonderful email yesterday from a wonderful friend. It was short, sweet and straight to the point.
Hello Lady,
Hope you have been well! I am done playing games and I am heading back to WW tomorrow…are you still going to the Monday night meetings? I would love to see you there…let me know!
Now, I got this email on Sunday afternoon while eating at one of my favorite place and totally not following any kind of weight watcher plan. I smiled to myself as I read it and was reminded of how great a friend Janna is to me. It also occurred to me that Janna wouldn’t have realized what an impact this little email had on me and how as of today it has changed my direction mentally. This one little email has brought me back to my first WW meeting in over two months and has inspired me to take back control of me!
Now that sounds all positive and happy but let me just tell you that while I felt all those things initially it went up and down all day today as I realized that I would be stepping on that scale by 6pm. I even emailed Janna at one point because I was terrified and having a slight panic attack around 2 or 3pm lol. It’s crazy what a number on a scale can do to you…..BUT I did it, I stepped on that scale and faced the number I’ve been fearing for many months and you know what? It’s still just a number and I’m still me. I do feel like I’m starting over but it feels good to know where I am and face that fear.
So in my meeting tonight we talked about going the basics of weight loss. The fact that emotion is tied into all of it and how to stay in control, esp. with the holidays coming up. I have decided that my first “little” step is going to be not eating out this week. I am currently making a grocery list for this week and I’m rummaging through some old WW recipes. My other plan is to work out for 30 minutes for 4 days. I’m super excited because I talked to my hubby and he is down with going for a family walk! Of course the last thing is Journaling all my food choices. So, let’s recap:
1. grocery shopping
2. 4 days 30 minutes of exercise
3. Journal
Ok, I’ve put it out there so it’s a done deal. So thank you Janna for “flapping your wings” and moving me to a better place!
Happy 8 years!!!
Just a quick post on about our anniversary weekend getaway! We went to San Antonio and stayed at the Hotel Contessa, which was gorgeous! The first two pictures are of me and Jerry with our friends Shane and Laney. We were both celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary. I met Laney about 3 years ago and during that time I found out that we were married on the same day and same time! We were destined to be great friends! We are at a fabulous place called Zink Champagne and Wine bar. The last picture is of me and Laney on the roof top of the hotel Contessa waiting to enjoy the hot tub! Unfortunately the flash worked against us b/c you can’t see the fantastic view of downtown San Antonio! Here are a few pictures of our stay!
Positively Rewarding!
So despite my hectic work week last week (this week looks just as busy) I’m staying the course. Looking back at my last post I realize I was a little grumpy, lol. Of course there are always those kind of days or even weeks, but I’m going to keep taking them in stride and remember that they are just experiences that I can learn from in the end. I was feeling defeated last week having gone up a little on the scale. Today I went to my meeting, but in all my craziness at work, I left my pass and booklet at home and was not able to weigh in. That was extremely frustrating, to say the least. BUT, I’m so glad that I stayed for the meeting and got to meet up with some good friends. It was just so good to listen as well as participate in the conversations being had tonight. It reminded me of why these meetings need to be non-negotiable. They (the meetings) are what make me being a “success” on this program. I left feeling apart of something special as well as feeling in control of my journey (despite not getting to weigh in). I remembered that just a little planning can be the make or break in my weight loss journey. Period. If I don’t take time for me who will? And will I be any good for anyone else when I’m not the best that I can be? NOPE. Life just keeps coming no matter what in the end and I spend everyday trying to stay focused on doing the best that I can, whether my family, job or especially me!
So on that note I downloaded a new recipe from the cooking light website and I’m in love! It was super quick to make and the whole family LOVED it! The boy had seconds and so did the husband! My son asked me to make sure to save him some for tomorrow. There was just enough left for me and him! I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow, yay! You can go to the Cooking Light website and type in Spicy Shrimp and Rice Soup and it comes up pretty quick! Here are a few pics I took along the way.
per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance
–noun
| 1. | steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. Perseverance commonly suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties or steadfast and long-continued application.
So, I have a topic for todays blog. I went to my meeting last night and the scale went up, just a little. While that is frustrating, I know that if I hadn’t planned to go that meeting to WI I would have gone up more than a .6. That’s me trying to focus on the positive. But, I also know that I was not consistent with tracking every piece of food that went into my mouth for the week. This is where I start to focus on my “opportunities”. I started out really strong and even worked out. Monday and Tuesday were good, but the rest of the week was a blur. Between work and my son starting school I let everything else come first and to be honest, some weeks that is just how it goes. I didn’t plan or prepare to have an excellent week and ended up at restaurants several times this past week.
GOALS FOR THIS WEEK: 1. tracking 2. exercise 3x 3. Pack a lunch 4. prepare for dinner 5. go to bed no later than 10
I’m keeping this short and sweet. I think my word for the week is perseverance. There are always going to be obstacles, but it’s how you handle them. This is a journey and there is never going to be an “ending”, you just keep going. I will persevere. ~M~
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Revitalization and Revelations
So, I’ve been stalling to go to a meeting for about 7 weeks now. I finally bit the bullet and stepped on the scale at my local ww and it was actually the best thing I’ve done in 7 weeks. I have been playing the “I’ll wait to weigh in when I’ve had a good week” ( whatever that is) The learning in all of this game playing is that there never was a good week b/c I had nothing to keep me in check and I just kept pushing things back. Ridiculous, I know. Although I went to my weigh in and meeting today, I actually started on Saturday trying to take the reigns of my weight loss journey.
First I felt that I needed to give myself a confidence booster and something to keep me in check. I decided on a haircut. I’m sure you are thinking..What?? But let me explain. I have spent 20 years of my life over weight and 13 years being considered obese. I kept my hair long b/c I felt it was the only thing that made my face look thin. I just LOL right now at the thought, but really I felt that it did. It was my security blanket and what I considered to be my best feature ( I felt this way b/c it was the only thing I would ever really get any compliments on, oh besides my “beautiful complexion” lol ) Back to my point, In all my life I never thought I would have a short hair cut. EVER. I felt this would be a boost in my confidence and a reminder of how far I’ve come and how close I am to my goal. It’s only been 3 days, but every time I look in the mirror I’m proud of my choice! What do you think?
Ok, so far so good. This was definitely the quick “fix” that I needed and I’m also proud to report that I worked out on Sat and Sun too! Unfortunately it’s been about a month since a consistent routine, so to say that I was sore would be an understatement. It still felt amazing and I also downloaded the Couch potato to 5k app on my iphone. I’m out of practice and I need to get back to being able to run 3.1 miles w/out stopping. It’s a 9 week program and I begin the first week tomorrow. I also changed up my itunes and added some new music and took out some old stuff to change it up a bit. It def. made a difference in my workouts this weekend.
I have a lot of new adventures coming my way and I want to be the best I can for myself and my family. I realized that it is so easy to start putting everything else before me. It only took me 7 weeks to change the direction of a year and a half journey, gaining 6 lbs. It all boils down to several things.
1. WI every week and stop worrying if the scale goes up or down. Just keep working the program and you will see a downward push.
2. Make yourself #1 on your list of “to do’s”. If you are not in good working condition you are no good to anyone else.
3. Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. I totally feel that if I had consistently worked out these past 7 weeks I would have possibly maintained or gained maybe half of what I did. Just exercising on Sat and Sun made me feel strong and boosted my energy levels.
4. Plan, prepare and practice. You have to plan out your week. Prepare by stocking your pantry and fridge to deciding on what you are going to order at a restaurant before going out. Practice…How do you get to Carnegie Hall? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. No one is perfect everyday, just keep at it.
5. Never lose sight of why I made the choice to join Weight Watchers. I did it to be a healthy. I wanted to be a role model for my son. But mainly I did it for me.
Variety, it’s the spice of life, haven’t you heard?
So, I went to my WI on Saturday to face the music. It was such a sad song….I’m up 5lbs from the past 2 months. While I was extremely frustrated with this WI, I refuse to beat myself up about it. I’m focusing on the positive which is going to my meeting and stepping on the scale. I’m also very proud of the fact that I stayed for the whole meeting and got to chat with a really supportive meeting friend. She helped to remind me that we never did a great job on our own in trying to lose weight! lol, Otherwise we would have done this a long time ago! We came to these meetings for support, advice, reassurance, motivation and celebrating. I remember as I was dropping weight and getting my 5lb stars being asked to share any advice. I would always say…”Keep coming to these meetings, they will work for you”. It’s time for me to take my own advice and take hold of the reigns! So I started by going for a 4 mile walk/run with a dear friend. We did this on Sunday night and it was wonderful….To reconnect with someone and to talk about our weight/activity goals and how we were going to accomplish them was re-energizing! Not to mention the beautiful views of Lady Bird Lake! So I decided to focus on getting in my exercise and not eating out this week. Here are few pictures of some meals that we have had since Saturday night!
I’ve been trying to change it up a bit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think I had let myself go to my “easy” routines, but my body got used to it and I got bored. It has felt good to be in control and cooking such fun and easy dishes. I have eaten more veggies/fruits in the past two days than I did all last week! Yay me! I feel healthy and light! Hopefully WI will reflect that, but if not that is ok. I’m more than just a number.
Countdown
SO, just 16 more days until my vacation begins and I can’t wait… I would like to be weighing 5 lbs less by the time it gets here, but I’m a work in progress! lol I just ordered a bathing suit on Sunday and kind of wished I ordered it a long time ago! It should get here by this weekend but here is a little peek at the top!
I also ordered some black side -tie bottoms to go with it too! They are super cute and are adjustable too! The bathing suit top should come down pretty low to give me tummy coverage as well. I’m really excited about my first “non-woman” sized bathing suit! 
Well I will move on to my updates for the past few days. I have let life run me over since Saturday. It started with me not feeling well on Friday night and I let it be my excuse for not going to WI on Saturday. I was tired, stuffed up, achey and had to be at work….ALL EXCUSES. Ultimately I knew the scale was going to stay the same b/c I weighed in at home and it was the same as the weekend before. I have one word for myself : coward.
I’m just so afraid to see that scale go up or to get another WI reflecting a gain on my little WW book and it’s just absurd. I know this. I really do want this, but my actions aren’t reflecting my words. I’m trying but not as good as I know I can. Just sitting here typing this and looking at the picture of the bathing suit coming my way just makes me angry. Angry for the time I’ve wasted on stupid, irrational thinking. I knew going into this that this was going to be a journey, but right now I feel like my journey is stuck in a circle. lol I know that I can do this, but I need to do a couple of things to make it happen.
1. STOP BEATING MYSELF UP. (this will not accomplish anything other than the continued downward spiral)
2. STOP WEIGHING MYSELF AT HOME. (Just seems obvious…When it shows I’m up I use it as an excuse to not WI at my meetings)
I really am a work in progress and as my birthday approaches I’m realizing that this is a long road and the goal is to keep moving forward. NO MATTER WHAT!
Rejuvenated!
So yesterday was very, very nice! It was my half day from work and it was just what I needed. I didn’t make it to go work out in the morning but I did go later in the afternoon. I got to visit with a few friends and that’s always good! Yesterday’s work out around the neighborhood just got my blood pumping for my vacation! I’m looking forward to having 10 whole days of doing whatever I want! I plan to be in Austin for a bit to celebrate my birthday, but I’m going to Houston and visiting my folks too. They live 20 minutes away from Galveston and we are planning on some beach trips too! One of my most favorite things in the world to do is to just sit on the beach and dig my toes into the sand….LOVE IT! I want my vacation to be an active, on program, relaxing and fun! I’m just so glad that I got my ass in gear last weekend and re-committed to going to my meetings and weighing in!
Yesterday I went to try on bathing suits and I still couldn’t help beating myself up. LUCKILY, I had a friend there with me that reminded me of how far I have come. Laney….you don’t even know how special you are to me…there are few people in the world that I would trust to go swimsuit shopping with me, lol. You made the whole experience fun and you were so supportive. Thank you!
Well, I will be posting later tonight …. I think this is really helping me to keep the momentum going and I’m enjoying looking back over my day as well!
Day 4…
So I already missed posting here the past two days, but I have been checking in on the WW boards and tracking my food. Here are some updates and highlights from the past few days:
SUnday: I went to the gym on Sunday morning with Michael and had a great time. Michael had fun in the kids room and couldn’t stop gushing about it, lol. It felt good to start the day off with going to workout, it increase my stamina for the day. Lately I’ve been feeling so slushy on Sundays, but not that day! I also got to catch up on the phone w/a really good friend. She lovingly refers to me as “good people” and I secretly love it. She is always supportive and a great sounding board for me when I’m struggling. She’s “good people” too.
Monday: I was suppose to get off work at 4:30, but I ended up having to work until 6:15. Needless to say I was exhausted by the time I got home from work. BUT I still managed to have a home cooked meal with the help of the husband! (Love him) I didn’t get a work out in but I chose sleep instead.
Tuesday: Still feel like I’m lacking in sleep (as always) and need to get my rear to bed earlier. I had a good day today, kept my portions small and got in a lot of veggies/fruits. I also walked 4 miles today right after work and that felt amazing! It really help clear my mind and keeps my eye on the prize!
Plan for Wednesday: My goal is to work out ing the am and enjoy my afternoon off and hang out with a friend for lunch. Maybe even catch a nap…
I’ve officially caught myself up and promise to check in for tomorrow and hold myself accountable!
