Hello everyone! It has been an exciting month for me with little time blogging here and not a large weight loss, but I've surpassed yet another personal goal, so I call it a win. Yes, I'm down over 25 lbs!
Life is changing dramatically for me in beautiful and new ways. I released some intense anger around an abusive relationship with a former friend and literally felt like I lost 150 lbs of ugly gay man with one session with a new minister. It was amazingly liberating to release the anger and sadness around a friendship that was at one time very important to me. A friend of mine referred to the friendship as a sort of relationship and she was right. I had to close the door on that part of my past.
As soon as I did that I was reacquainted with a beautiful man who I've been dating now for the past 6 weeks (wow - that long already?). He's amazing, he treats me better than I've ever been treated before and he's HEALTHY bodywise. He works out daily, he watches what he eats and he was totally supportive of me when I told him I'm doing WW and sometimes need support.
We eat out alot, but I'm starting to cook at home for him more and we always eat well. It's nice to have support from a man who clearly adores me (and it's nice to look at a man who is in such great shape!). I am truly blessed. Damn, I'm blessed.
Last week I spent five days on the Northern CA coast with a girlfriend who now lives in TX. We did three hikes and ate great salads (I should become a vegetarian - it is so very healthy in so many ways!), had a little wine and really enjoyed ourselves during the heatwave they had up there. I've got great photos from our hikes and even great memories of hanging out with a wonderful friend who I've come to miss greatly since she moved back home 3 years ago.
This weekend is definately full of parties so I'll have to be careful. With the weight loss I've lost some daily points, so I need to focus on how to cut back a little every day. Party #1 I'm attending with a friend on WW and it is a sober party, so I should be fine (and I'm driving the 100 miles so I couldn't drink anyway). Party #2 is an engagement party for my best friend's son and there will be lots of kosher food and wine there for sure. That's where I'll have some extra fun with eating.
Monday I'll be hanging out with my old/soon-to-be new again roommate as we continue to go thru her parent's stacks and stacks of sheet music (I love to sing some of those old songs!). I told her she could move back in ON THE CONDITION that she join WW with me. I can't wait to start going to meetings with her and it will be nice to have yet another person in the house eating properly.
191 lbs. I feel really good about this weight and I'm excited to loose the next 6 to meet my next goal - the lowest I got when I did Jenny Craig all those years ago. I can do this. Yes I can!
Goals met:
217 - 212 5lbs gone
212-207 10lbs gone
207-202 15 lbs gone
201 back to where I was when I started JC
194 - 10% gone
191 - 26 lbs gone
I've learned that keeping track of the little goals makes a difference for me. Yeah - 201 was an odd goal to others around me, but to me it was a huge milestone because I had been at that weight before and I knew I could loose from there. 191 is another number I've been at before and I can go down from here. For me, looking at 140 or 150 as my ultimate goal feels too far away so I've learned to celebrate the personal goals.
Another goal this week was to start writing down my food intake again. I haven't written down my food in almost 3 months, so this is a good step for me. I also need to start exercising more so I can earn a few points back every day, but that is a bigger mountain that I'm not quite ready to climb yet. I'll get there. I'm sure of it.
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. Be good to yourselves!
I've met my first WW Goal of 10% and I couldn't be happier. I also went shopping and bought myself a spring wardrobe so I feel pretty good about how I look these days.
But my personal win was reaching 201 a couple of weeks ago. See, that was the weight I was when I started Jenny Craig in 2005 and I knew that if I could get there that I could loose - at least 16 lbs (because that is what I lost on JC). I was estatic when I reached that goal and nobody around me understood, but I don't care - it was my win for me.
I'm also a bit smitten by a new man in my life, so I'm not focused on food but on engaging with him. We go out to eat and I'm very good about my ordering - and even then we are so involved with conversation that I feel full before I get halfway thru the plate. It's true folks - eat slower and you get full faster!
Got my 10% keychain from WW and look forward to the next level of charm (what is it anyway?).
I know I had something else to share, but it has gone straight from my mind. I'll repost later if necessary.
Oh my has my work schedule been busy! I've been running hard and eating along the way - trying to be good, but it is difficult when you can't make a lunch or get to the cafe for a salad and end up eating what is catered in.
BUT, I am making better choices and I am eating less, so I'm doing good.
February saw only 2.2lbs lost, but I lost 2 inches in both my waist and hips (so a total of 4 inches off) so I feel good. And a coworker saw me today and told me that I totally look like I'm loosing weight - I just about hugged her!
I'm off to weigh in tonight. It's been a slow and steady loss journey for me after the first month, but I know that with decipline and determination that I can do this. I'm within 1 lb of where I was a couple of years ago on Jenny Craig (at week 12) so I feel pretty good about it.
I need to start walking soon as a friend is coming in to CA from TX and will be doing the Bay to Breakers race in SF. I'll walk it so I need to get out there and start exercising to prepare myself. It's a goal!
Hi gang! It has been an extremely busy couple of weeks for me at work, so I haven't posted, but I've been doing well. This week I'm ready for TOM, so I weighted up 1.4lbs on Wednesday but I'm okay with it. Last month I was up 1.8lbs so I'm already a winner by .4lbs from what I figure. Next week I'll have been on WW for 8 weeks and I'm looking forward to celebrating 2 months of sticking with it!
Valentine's Day was a big food day for me at the SJ Sharks game. I hosted my team from work in the Penthouse Suite and we had wine, pizza, burgers and mozarella sticks. I ate a little of each AFTER I had a big all greens salad with lemon juice as dressing at home to help fill me up. It doesn't always work as the draw of my favorite foods is very strong, but it helps me to not eat as much as I normally would.
Dinner the night before WI was also very very salty. WW Onion Soup but my housemate put very salty lowfat cheese on top. I couldn't even finish it because of the salty taste. I'm sure I was up because of that as well. No matter how much water I drink I always end up retaining fluids with that much salt.
This past Monday I went to San Juan Bautista with a couple of girlfriends for the afternoon as a short get away. We walked for at least 60 minutes as I took pictures with my new camera. Figured we'd better get out as this coming weekend it is supposed to pour rain all over the Bay Area again. Although...with no glasses I could walk without having vision problems in the rain, couldn't I?
That's it for me. Back to a very busy to do list. Have a successful weekend everyone! I'll likely not check in until Friday next week as I will be in all day meetings thru Thurs.
Hey there everyone! I've been so very busy with work and enjoying the sunshine here in CA that I haven't had time to blog about my eating or what has been going on in my life.
I've been bad about logging my food every day for the last few days. Mostly because I've been out eating at parties and in all day meetings here at work. What I do know is that whether I went over my daily points and party points for the week or not, I feel good about what I'm doing.
Sunday I went for my weekly dinner with girlfriends and decided, after forgetting my own dinner at home, to enjoy a little of everything and not get into the drama of points. I did eat the chocolate, but only after I ate most of the veggie platter that was put out (minus the dressing). I also had two huge bottles of water while I was there, so that kept me from the champagne/blueberry drink everyone else was having. I did well!
Yesterday was all day meetings here at work. I did have a half a bagel in the morning meeting but after that I was putting out fires and searching out the cause of multiple problems so I had no time to really eat. However, I had plenty of leftover fruit platters around allowing me to have two cups of fruit during the day to keep me going. By the time I got home after a 12hr workday and running a quick errand on my way home I couldn't do much more than a WW yogurt for dinner. I felt satisfied with the fruit and lots of water, so I feel good about that. I didn't overeat and I didn't starve myself on a crazy hectic day.
Today I'm back to logging my food in eTools - although the tool seems to be having problems today. I weigh in tonight and if I've lost another pound I'll be happy.
How do you handle unexpected long days like mine was yesterday? There was no warning to a 12hr nonstop day, so I hadn't planned on bringing in my lunch (I usually get a salad from the cafeteria on weekdays). Other than WW snacks in my drawer, what else would you suggest for quick foods to keep us all going?
Yesterday I was sharing online information with my good friend Margene who will start Weight Watchers on 2/19. I was sending her my favorite links - including extrapounds.com of course!
I went to Dotti's page (www.dwlz.com/) and was looking at some of my favorite resturaunts just to see what I can eat there. Some were inspiring, but of course, my favorite places were absolutely out of my plan.
For example, I love Eric's Deli Cafe here in CA. It's a local favorite founded just a few miles from here in Santa Cruz. My very favorite sandwich is the "Natural High," which is a wheat pita filled with nuts, veggies, cheese and avocado with Eric's secret sauce. I almost threw up when I read this:Natural High (900 cal/76 g fat/8 g fiber/27 g carbs)23 (24)
24 points??!! 24 Points??!! OMG it's 24 points!!!
All this time I thought I was being good and eating healthy. 24 points is almost my entire daily allowance. I could eat a half of one for 12 points but still....24 points?!
I promptly went home and ate a bowl of my roommate's 1pt chili and sulked. Until she brought me a dish of SF Jello with Cool Whip Free on top. That made me feel much better.
I did also see my accupuncturist last night. She was running behind so I got an extra 20 minutes of rest time on the table while I waited for her. Who knew I needed that kind of quiet time to just listen to music with my eyes closed. I tell you it is the best treat I give myself every month - getting to that appt and being nurtured.
Back to work for me. Have a great and healthy day everyone!
Hello everyone! It's Monday and here in the SF Bay Area we finally have sunshine again! January was a dull and very rainy month, so to have sunshine - even with the cold and wind - we're a bit happier and definately smiling more.
Today is a good food day for me. Ran errands at lunch so I stopped by Subway for a sandwich. Subway is usually my Wed after weigh-in treat but today it just sounded good. I have learned that the Subway near my office does not stock enough wheat bread NOR do they have fat free mayo, so I may have to try a different store next time. It's okay - I've got the points and I'll be fine. Besides, there is 1pt chili sitting at home waiting for me to have for dinner tonight thanks to my housemate who made a pot. I'll try to remember to share the recipe with you all - we got it at a WW meeting a couple of weeks ago.
Superbowl was NOT a problem for me. I stopped by a friend's house on the way home from church and while she ate her KFC I was in the other room reading the newspaper (I had already eaten my lamb stew I brought with me). When she was done we enjoyed decaf coffee while we perused the WW New Complete Cookbook while watching the Superbowl commercials. Hey - if you can't eat it, read about it, right?
I got home to find out that my Sunday dinner group WAS going to meet, so we packedup the 1pt chili and brought it with us. Good choice as otherwise I would have eaten the fried chicken and much more chips and dip than I did. A couple chips and I headed for the fridge to find the carrots to snack on (they always have carrots there). I did well!
TOM has been an ongoing issue for me as my body adjusts to having another woman with a cycle in the house. I finally started fully last Friday, so I'm in the middle of my experience now and so very grateful. Hopefully I'll now be (finally) regulated. What I've gone thru physically these past 6 weeks has been horrid.
Off to accupuncture tonight. Feeling a bit tired from a long day yesterday so I'm looking forward to 20 minutes of absolute rest on the table and then going home to curl up on the couch with my blanket and cat. I'll try to bring my walking shoes to work tomorrow so I can start walking at lunch again.
My friend CarolAnn needed company last night so I went for a girls night slumber party at her house. Her beloved passed away last night and she's mighty lonely, so I volunteered to hang out with her for a couple of nights. There is nothing worse than after the memorial when everyone goes home, so I'm party of the group rallying around her right now.
We went out for Thai and we had soup and curry scallops. Yeah - I totally blew lots of points, but it's okay as I haven't used my "party points" in weeks, so dipping in once won't kill me.
We also walked around downtown Mt View a bit in the rain and visited the fish store and bought her a couple of new fish for her tank. 1 pt for exercise!
I'm going back tonight and I'll be bringing my lamb stew with me at 5pts a serving. One day off the diet was bad enough - I don't need to do 2 days!
This weekend is a busy one for me. I'm staying up at CAs again tonight. Saturday the car goes to the shop and I'll put another coat of paint on the bookshelf. Sat night I'm cooking porkchops from the Weight Watchers cookbook. Looking forward to tasing that!
Sunday I'm delivering the sermon at my church down in Prunedale CA - an hour south of where I live. I love that community! I will bring my lunch and then stop at the outlet malls to walk if it's not raining and then go visit a friend when I'm done.
The weekend ends with my weekly Sunday dinner with friends. We're all on diets this year, so it should be a good meal for all of us.
Happy weekend everyone. Rest, exercise and eat properly!
I did it! I lost 2.2 last week, making my 2 week loss .4 lbs. Not bad considering my TOM may have finally started. May have - as in, I've been horribly irregular for the past 6 weeks and I'm ready to scream.
Yesterday I was cranky because I dreaded my weigh in. I didn't want to see the scale, I wanted a HUGE loss to counteract the gain from last week. I'm still frusterated that I stayed within my daily points and didn't dip into party points for the 2nd week in a row and I gained. The only time I ever used party points was week 2 and even then I didn't use many (I think it was 6 for the week). Frusterating!
In addition, I was the bottomless pit yesterday. NOTHING filled me up and I drank so much water that I was surprised that I wasn't floating by the end of the day. In addition my eyes are so very dry and I'm tired of putting in drops all the time. Who knew Lasik would be such a pain in the ass?
Bitch, Bitch, Bitch. Oh well.
The good news is that I think my wonderful and amazing friend Margene, who is also my chiropractor, helped get my TOM started once and for all. She's got the magic touch - working a point on the inside of the ankle two fingers up from the ankle bone. It works for starting TOM as well as relieving horrible cramps. She worked on me yesterday and I'm continuing to do it today with hopes that maybe I'll get regulated again. I tell you - hormones out of whack suck!
Tonight I'm going to stay with a friend who lost her husband to cancer last month. Her live in housekeeper has decided to stay elsewhere this week, leaving CarolAnn alone and very sad - not to mention frusterated that her agreement with this woman is not being met. CA mentioned this yesterday at Margene's office so I offered to come spend tonight and even tomorrow with her if she needed it. That's what friends do for each other, right?
I'm off to lunch today with my girls in the office. They are such a good support for me, having done weight watchers in the past they cheer me on every step of the way. Here's to a grilled chicken breast and a big salad - my favorite lunch!
I weigh in tonight and I'm a bit nervous about it. I gained 1.8 last week and I figured it was water weight but TOM is still lingering and hasn't truly happened yet, so I'm afraid I'll have another problem weigh in.
I need to stop weighing or worrying during the week.
Yesterday I was in all day meetings with part of my team. I did well with the snacks - allowed myself a half a bagel and a half an ounce of cream cheese. It satisfied my craving from the smell of the bagel and I felt good about it. Instead of the pizza ordered in for lunch I went to the cafeteria and got the Lighter Fare of grilled chicken breast, wild rice and an amazing bean and cucumber salad made with no oil (it's my new fav and I've made sure the cook knows).
Dinner was a bit more challenging as we went out for Mexican. Thank goodness for weight loss boards and ideas from people everywhere! I ended up having chicken/beef combo fajitas and had them hold the guac and sour cream. I used all the salsa, added lime juice and only took a forkful of the cheese before sending the cheese dish back to the kitchen. I did have 3 of the corn tortillas - I needed that. Avoided the drinks and stuck with water and truly enjoyed myself.
Tonight I'm skipping the team dinner for weigh in. I won't be able to skip dinners at the end of Feb when I'm hosting the worldwide team, so I figured I'd skip out on this one as my trade off. I'm making choices for me.
Good news is that I can no longer wear my Chico's size 3.5 jeans. They were always a little loose, but even with a belt they look a bit funny. I'm wearing size 3 now (gotta love Chico's just for their sizing). My biggest goal is to fit back into my 2.5 jeans and my size 3 slacks. THAT would feel good.
Cross your fingers. Do your ritual stuff. Whatever you can to support me in this weigh in tonight. I'll report back tomorrow.
