A Little of This, Some of That

So my six month experiment has come to an end. My takeaways: I did loose weight- not as much or as fast as I hoped but then, who does. Bottom line is I am down 25 pounds in spite of what I ate. (and there were some weeks.....) The good news is that my thyroid medication has been reduced because of my weight loss. I feel better because I am eating better. What you put into your mouth really does have an affect on your overall well being. With 75 pounds yet to loose, I don't know if I will make goal in 2019, but I'm sure going to give it a heck of a run, knowing if not 2019 I WILL make it in 2020. Mindset is everything.

I started this journey as an experiment on June 27. That is 20 weeks or 5 months ago. (20 sounds longer....) There have been bumps in the road, I'll not deny it, but over all I have accomplished a lot. More then I had thought possible in this time frame in some ways and less then others. I still have a long way to go to get to my goal weight. As of this writing, 74 pounds. While that sounds like a lot, and it is, It's better then the 100 I started out with. Had I hoped it would come off faster? I'd be lying if I said I didn't. I believe it is safe to assume we ALL hope it comes off faster! Still 26 pounds in 20 weeks is nothing to sneeze at. Yesterday, I opted to weigh in early. I normally go to a meeting in the evening but with timing for work it would have been very tight. I assumed that I would be down for the simple reason that I was weighing in the morning. NOT. I showed a 2.4 pound GAIN. Can you say discouraged!!??? To say the least, I was discouraged by t...

Week 15, where am I? In the beginning of this journey, my goal was simply to loose weight. I have approached this from various ways, as some of you will know, and have not found anything that I could stick with. Jenny Craig, KETO, Pineapple...you name it. I even did several versions of Weight Watchers, all to no avail.  Why? Because I found them too restrictive or to costly or both. So, I decided I needed to approach the issue from a different angle. I have decided to view it as a job to loose weight. At work, you need to follow the rules and protocols and do you job.  Using this perspective, I again sought a weight loss program.  Weight Watchers new program came up on my radar and I decided to give it a shot again and got in on a six month special. A Win off the back. Over the last 15 weeks, I have seen my weight drop, almost effortlessly. Yes, it is work to plan, but as the weeks have gone by and I see the weight coming off, it has become easier to stick with the ...

I am now three months into my "experiment" with the Weight Watchers FreeStyle program During the last three months, I celebrated 3 family birthdays, including my own, and a 2 and a half week vacation in Europe including places like France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.  Think, bread, cheese, wine, beer and chocolate. With the amounts of Zero point foods, not once have I gone hungry. While I have denied myself a few things (funnel cakes for one) I have still incorporated my favorites- chocolate, wine and beer, into my own personal plan. So far, three months into my original 6 months, I am down 21.8 pounds. An average of 1.7 pounds per week.  I gained one week a whopping .6 pounds which the following week was a 3 pound loss. In addition to the needle moving on the scale, I have been able to fit into clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a few years. I have learned some interesting food combinations that I would never have tried before, and discovered tha...

I am now 2 months in on the WW program. Someone once asked me about diet programs and what was the best one.... As you know there are thousands of fad diets. My response was the diet you can stick with. While I feel there is still truth to that statement, I have shaped my view a bit more as I'm traveling along this journey. "Diets" don't work. At all. Nada. And about now you are thinking What? Of course they do!  I  lost weight once on...(fill in the blank) before I quit and gained it back. And therein is the crux. A diet is something you do for awhile to loose weight. If  you are like me, you've tried keto, pineapple, powders, liquids...and on and on. And yes, I lost weight on each and everyone. Gained every pound back and then some after I went back to eating 'real food'. So, if diet's don't really work, how do we loose weight? The answer is: Lifestyle changes. Easy, right? NOT. This is were WW program is really making the dif...

WOW! Already six weeks into the weight watchers program. I must say that, while there have been struggles, the time has gone quickly. To date, not every week saw a weight loss. Some weeks were only two tenths of a pound. But as of last night's weigh in, I am officially down 14 + pounds. Have I 'cheated'? Yes. Have I always made good choices? No Have I learned not to make poor choices? Not always. After all, where would be the fun in that? After the first four weeks, the program encourages you to add movement. Not 'exercise' per say, just getting out and moving more. Whatever that may be. It is different for each person's journey. For me, now that I'm down in weight and feeling better, I found a place nearby that I could return to taking horseback riding lessons after a hiatus of a decade. (yes riding is movement and I was very happy to see that it burns as much or more calories as walking!) I've also added walking three days a week for 20 m...

No other way to name today's blog. Ugh. For whatever reason, I was hungry all day  yesterday. No matter what I drank or ate, I simply could not be satisfied, until I opened the cheez snacks...... I used every single point of my dailies and several of my weekly points but I didn't use all. I think several factors played into the issue yesterday. One, I didn't pack enough food for the day at work. I didn't have anything left over for lunch and no quick foods prepared, like boiled eggs. That meant when I got home, I made dinner-at 1530. Since I ate dinner so flippin early that meant I was hungry come 7pm. Hence the snacking. Now, writing this down, I realize the real issue was the lack of planning this week. I'm close to being in the same boat as I write this as I didn't make up any eggs or salads for today. Hummmm. Planning.  Could it really be that simple? I clearly do better when I plan out my meals in advance, always making sure I have left over...

Technically it's my fourth, but the first one is the starting point, so 3rd after being on program.  Make sense? Anyway, for my first month on WW I had set myself a goal of loosing 8 pounds. This means that I still have another week to go to meet that goal. I felt that was doable in it meant 2 pounds per week. At last night's weigh in, I was down a total of 9.4 pounds! A great start to my 100 pound journey. As I'm finding it easier to follow program, another challenge has now been presented. At your 4th check in, you get a booklet on moving more. (it's no rocket science that shows the correlation between fewer calories-movement-weight loss) This will be the hardest hurdle for me. I am sedentary. I love to read- so not much movement there. I used to ride but no longer  have a horse so that's out. Too hot most days when I get home from work to garden to that is restricted....You get my drift. On WW they really offer suggestions and tips to just find ways to ...

Today marks three weeks on the Weight Watchers plan. Weigh in is tonight. For the most part this week, I've followed the plan and kept to healthier choices (remember no funnel cake?) So, other then what the scale will say, what have I noticed? First, it is becoming easier all the time to follow healthy choices. That doesn't mean to say I'm perfect- no one is. I did have a few potato chips-and counted them. I opted NOT to eat the funnel cake (at 33 points no way!) which means I've become more aware of what I'm eating. That in turn helps me make better choices. Second, I've noticed that the belt I am required to wear for work, has gotten 'bigger'. By that, I mean that I've had to tighten up one notch! Third, I simply feel better. As a direct correlation between what I'm eating (healthier choices, fruits and veggies) I have really felt more energy and a desire to do more then I did a month ago. Now, is it due to the actual consumption of b...

The weekend. Always a more difficult time for me as food is easy access at home whereas at work there is only what I bring. This weekend was hot, humid and a big festival was going on, just a short block away. I love funnel cakes. And what do festivals have? Yep, funnel cakes. SO, I looked up the points and about died.  33 points for 1 funnel cake!! That's like all my points for a day and then some. I struggled for a bit, then I hopped on my scale. Down 8 pounds!! In just three weeks and after eating a whole pizza!  It got really easy to say NO to the funnel cake!  A HUGE win for me. We did head over to the festival for a while. To keep from buying ANYTHING I left my wallet at home. I did have a few samples of specialty dipping oils and balsamic vinegar, but not even a half teaspoon or a quarter slice of bread but I counted it as a 1, just to be safe. The next "official" weigh in day is in two days.  I am so hoping that I can be down 10 pounds total by then...

A stressful day today- puppies started arriving at 4 AM. the first was still born. 5 healthy babies came after that. Upshot is that my eating for the day was all over. Drank extra coffee since up earlier then usual. Not typically an issue for most people but I use half and half and sugar in mine- so I counted it. Didn't eat 'real' food until about 2:30. Grabbed a bologna sandwich (two pieces of bread and 2 oz bologna is 9 points folks) Had shrimp and veggies with a bit of pasta for dinner. Ended up with 4 points rolling over into today and now am up to 50 points for my weekly's. So, in all not bad. Again, it really comes down to planning ahead. When I plan and prepare I do great. then these larger challenges pop up, I find that I respond emotionally rather than logically. But I WILL get there.

Two weeks into the program and what have I learned? You can forget about being hungry on program. With all the 0 points items, I've never felt hungry or deprived of anything. I've learned, however, to keep a stock of fresh fruit and boiled eggs to reach for when I do feel like snacking. Because I tend to stick to lower pointed items which are typically healthier foods, I feel better then I have in a long, long time. I find that since I am eating better, I have more energy during the day and sleep better at night. I've learned that just because I have a bad moment or a bad day, doesn't mean I need to give it up and throw it all out the window.  I pick myself up and track it. Shrug. Move on and learn who to avoid the same misstep next time. I've learned that this blog has helped me to stay focused on my 'new' job. And I've learned that  having approached this journey as a job, my mindset is much clearer on how to accomplish my goals, rather the...

Weekends..... gotta hate them. First, the good news, I went to the meeting on Saturday morning. Down 4.8 pounds!! Hoot, Hoot! The bad news, I ended up eating a whole frozen pizza...and it was SOOOO good. Used up all my weekly points, and daily points for the next two days. Trying to get back on track and keeping to 0 point foods the next few days to balance out my fiasco. I can do it. Just need to have more will power in my weak moments. With the fiasco in the past, I simply started on Sunday keeping to the 0 points and continue to work my plan. The reality is, this a journey and there will be ups and downs. In the end, as long as the over all trend is weight loss, I'm good. I tried to examine why I feel off the program in such a spectacular way. Here's what happened. I went to the grocery store, slightly hungry. (problem number one). Stuck to the list pretty well and then, I smelled it. Fresh baked pizza. Oh oh, Saturday morning samples. (problem two) I decided j...

Now starting week two! Today was not off to a great week.  Hit my daily amount allocated by 11 AM.  sigh. Managed to keep my weekly to only 5 more (Thank goodness for those free foods!!) so ended up not horrid for the day. In the past that would have been enough for me to throw up my hands and say I give up, I can't do this anymore.  This time, I counted it, shrugged, and told myself no one is perfect and I can;t expect to make a lifetime of habit change in a week. In other words, I have forgiven myself and moved on. Tomorrow is another day. The sun will rise, and I will face the new challenges that await me.  Knowing that a misstep here or there will not be the end of this journey. I found a fairly nearby meeting to attend on Saturday so I can still get my second 'official' weigh in for the week. It will of course be off by a few days and a different machine but I'll get my achievement for week two AND a $3 coupon I can use at my next week meeting off anythi...

Day 7 on WW plan- being a holiday, no meeting. This proposes a bit of a problem. Weekly weigh in for my first week. So, I weighed in on mine at home. Two issues with that. First of course is that it is a different instrument. So it may or may not be the same as the official one at the meeting. Second is my house. Wait? What? Yes, my house. My home was built in 1881. Over the century plus years it has settled and I have very uneven floors. I can place my scale in three different spots and get three different weights. As much as 5 pounds difference in this case. So what do I record? I decided to go with the 3.2 pound loss even though the 5 and a half would have been great for my ego. LOL.  If I went 'up' next week to only a 4 pound loss over the two weeks it would really discourage me. In this case, I decided less was more. I ended up using all dailies and a chunk of weekly points yesterday. Not that it was because I was hungry or tempted out at a party for the fourth...

Day 6- One more day until weigh in for this first completed week. Overall, I find it fairly easy to stay on target-as long as I plan my day out. I've discovered if I log all my food in the morning, that I'm planning to eat that day, it is easier for me to stay on track. As things come up during the day, I add any additional items and sometimes, I decide NOT to eat something I had planned or considered on the spur of the moment. Choices. I can choose to stay on program (which I ultimately have) OR I could binge and just 'skip it'.  For example, today I had planned on trying out a new tofu dish. Has a total of 2 points per serving. We are in the middle of a blistering heat wave. NO WAY was I going to start up the oven (I don't have Aircon) I still had 16 points for the day and I had planned on using some of those for 2 point snacks later tonight. I opted to make a sandwich with what I had at home (8 points) two pieces of licorice (4 points) and I made som...

Day five and I have confirmed two triggers for myself. Boredom and reading. Boredom is a fairly easy 'fix'. Just find something to do. Problem is I usually decide to go and read a good book. And I tend to snack when I read. This is not a new thing.  I remember once when I was in high school. I was looking in the cupboards for something to eat when my Mom came and and said, 'you must be going to read." I remember I stopped looking in the cupboard and kinda stared a her and asked her how she knew.  Her response "because you are looking for something to eat." This was re-enforced when my sons were learning to read. My oldest was having a conversation with my mom about learning to read. He proudly informed his grandmother that he knew how to read.  He demonstrated by picking up his book, and grabbed the popcorn dish, eating a few kernels before turning the page.  He told grandma that's how mom reads. Since I LOVE to read, and I read A LOT, this is a p...

I was finally able to get the Weight Watchers app loaded on my phone.  Played around with it today. It is pretty slick. One of the features is a bar code reader that, if the item is in the system, will tell me how many points a serving is. How cool is that? I made few things from the new cookbook and have left overs for lunch tomorrow. The chicken salad with cucumber yogurt sauce is AMAZING!!  Two points a serving and one serving with a bowl of fruit more then filled me up! Lunch was the left over chili's chicken fajita's but I did top it with real sour cream. Just counted the points. Now that the outside challenges are out of the way, I can focus on the daily and weekly goals. Other than following the food plans and tracking I haven't really set a 'weekly' goal. I want that to be other than food focused but still related- if you know what I mean. So for this week I am working on tracking ALL food- not just the food that has points. All food has calories. ...

Second day on program. I managed to stay within my daily points without using my weekly bonus points but it was not without the help of those wonderful free points! First change today, cut my coffee to only three cups. That is half of what I typically drink. I cut back the amount of cream I used too so for breakfast I only used 4 points today!!! It's Friday so fish for supper so that means NO points for dinner!! SO, I am going to have a small serving of ice cream since I will have more then enough points today-and with the heat it will be a very welcome treat. I'm planning already for tomorrow as I know I will be eating out at Chili's for lunch. Had a look at the menu to preplan my points. Decided that I will have the chicken fajitas. Depending on what I decide for the rest of the day, I may or may not eat the tortilla. I think the key to success is in fact, planning- for me that means approaching it like work. Yes I know it's early days, but so far it seems...

First official day on the Weight Watchers program. And almost unprepared! At the meeting last night I purchased a few items since I knew that I didn't really have anything for breakfast or lunch (you do not need to ever buy food from WW. It is just a convenience if  you desire, unlike other programs.) So, I had my protein chocolate bar for breakfast.  2 points. check. Next I entered my coffee for the day.  I am a HUGE coffee drinker. No big deal right? Wrong.  I use a bit of sugar and cream in each and everyone one of my 8 oz. cups. NOW I'm up to 7 points just in my coffee!! Clearly I will need to re-think using half and half and sugar.  Stopping coffee is simply not an option for me. I know that we are having beef ribs for supper tonight, so I already put those points in. Leaves me with only 7 points for the rest of the day. Looking at that free list! This shows me why I really need to consider this as 'work'.  I have now planned my meals for the n...

As I said earlier this week, I've decided to go to work on my new lifestyle changes. My first WW meeting is tonight and I WILL start to implement changes to my life on Thursday morning Since my decision on Monday to engage in this experiment, I've worked to clean out my cupboards of things that would be 'bad' for me to have around. Things like the extra chicken tenders from the local deli. Pecan Ice Cream......Chips and dip. (And it was wonderful!  Hey, I wasn't about to throw out good food just because. Besides, I want to weigh in at my heaviest so I can have a victory of weight loss in the first week!  (Yes I know it sounds silly but I'm sure I'm not the only one that did this. Right?) I went to my meeting this evening. This group of women ROCK!  (disclaimer here, Weight Watchers is for both genders but more often then not is women who attend.) I have never been in such a supportive atmosphere before. While all sorts of women at all different stages ...

Most of you know that I struggle with my weight as so many people do.  I've tried numerous 'gimmicks' and ideas and none seem to work. Too restrictive to keep to it, too difficult to follow or any number of many other excuses. I've done a lot of research- as I'm sure you have- and it comes down to the same things.  One, there is no "magic pill" that you can take and melt off the weight. Two, long term meaningful and safe weight loss means a lifestyle change. Three, changes can only be brought about by changing your mind set. And four, it is a full time job-at least in the beginning- to accomplish those goals. For me, I came to item number three first. I've approach the mark of being upwards of a hundred pounds overweight. While I carry it 'well', I'm still way too heavy. This brings me to number two on my list. Time for a lifestyle change. This doesn't mean I will stop enjoying the things I want, but I will learn to limit ...