Count 'Em!

Thursday's weigh-in was really good.  I hit a milestone!

Count those 5-pound stars!  And FYI - don't try to do the math.  That 5% sticker is just stuck on randomly.  I know someone thought she figured out my starting weight at 300 pounds from this pic.  Nope!  

 This is big news for me, because 35 pounds is halfway to my "high goal" with Weight Watchers.  What's my high goal, you might ask?  It's the highest I can weigh at WW and still make lifetime status.  My "big goal" is to be even below that, but I'm taking it a step at a time.  Oh, yeah, and I'm actually down 36.2 pounds total!!


And now for my Weekend Update...

Friday Night:
Big party animal that I am, I hit the gym.  Apparently I'm the only one in town with no social life this night, if the gym attendance is any indication.  At least I had my choice of ANY machine I wanted!

Lonely gym

Saturday Afternoon:
Back to the gym.  I decided to try to break my record for stats on the elliptical machine, and I did it!  Now, I don't know how accurate these things are, but it looked pretty good to me either way.  I did an hour plus a 5-minute cool-down, and it shows 6.56 miles distance and 912.9 calories burned.  Even if it's off by half, that's not too shabby!

My record high!

Saturday Night:
Casino Night Fundraiser for a local school.

 It was lots of fun, even though I didn't win any prizes.  The food was catered by one of my fave restaurants (Rails), and I think I ate sensibly.   I chose the spring mix salad over the Caesar salad, with vinaigrette dressing (just a drizzle) instead of the Ranch dressing.  I didn't take any bread or potatoes (hard to do, but not that big of a deal).  Then I had a smallish portion of chicken breast and a tiny bit of pork tenderloin, green beans, and a tomato/onion/pepper creole side item.  No dessert (cheesecake and chocolate cake), and a small glass of white wine.

My losing raffle tickets

Sunday:
My birthday!
Went with the family to eat Mexican food.  I wanted to have an enjoyable meal without going nuts, since it was my birthday.  I had chicken fajitas (just ate the chicken and veggies) with pinto beans (not refried) and a dab of guacamole (yum-o!).  I had a couple of chips with salsa, then asked for corn tortillas to dip instead.  That's GOOOOD!  I also had 1/2 of a flour tortilla, because they make them there at the restaurant and are my favorites.  It was a great time, and my kids were good while we were there, even though my daughter was disappointed that I wouldn't let them ask the wait staff to cram a sequined sombrero on my head and sing happy birthday.  (Fear of wearing a multi-use hat, not fear of attention.  Clearly, I love attention.)

Later we drove to Comfort, a little town nearby.  One of our friends was there and mentioned she saw my favorite (red velvet) in little cupcakes at a little restaurant/shop called High's, so we went out on a quest.  I really want to go back to High's for lunch one day.  It looked really cute, and the menu looked tasty.  Click here for the link if you want to check it out.  We took some of these little beauties home.

Red Velvet Cupcake - The Best!

Birthday Chick

 Because I'm still tracking everything I eat this day, I looked up the Points Plus value for red velvet cupcakes.  Uh, yeah, 14 Points Plus!  Yikes!  But it WAS my birthday, so I couldn't deprive myself and just cut mine in half.  Ah, just right!

Half the cupcake, all the flavor!

We also went to Sweet Comfort, a little candy and ice cream shop down the road from High's.  We picked up two of the biggest chocolate-covered strawberries I've ever seen.  I had a little bite of this (just enough) and let the family have the rest.  It's fun to share sometimes!

So.  Good.

 After all that indulgence, yes, I actually went to the gym this evening.  I didn't hit my record on the elliptical again, but I did come close.  It's probably because I had to change my age from 40 to 41 when I set it up, right?

Birthday Stats

 As I was leaving, the girl at the front desk wished me a Happy Birthday.  Then she asked why on earth I was at the gym on my birthday.  As I walked out, I realized something.  I was there on my birthday because I wanted to be.  Because I wanted to give myself a gift I've been denying myself for a long time.  I want to be healthy and take time just for me.  And that's a very good thing, and it was a very happy birthday indeed!

Sticky Stickers!

I've missed you, my bloggy friends!

Just a quick update...At my last weigh-in, I FINALLY got another 5-pound sticker!  That's a total of 31.8 pounds gone!

Jumping the Gun

Normally I wouldn't post anything right before a weigh-in, but I've decided to do just that today.  Here's why.  My friend Mandy mentioned the need to remind herself that no matter what her weight today, she has worked the program and done what she's supposed to.  I'm doing that too.

First off, I did weigh at home this morning, and it showed a little gain.  I could let this get me down, but I'm not going to.  Instead, I'm going to learn from it.  I did what I was supposed to do this week, and I added in exercise.  So why the gain, you wonder?

Here's my theory.  I ate out several times this week, and I tracked everything and didn't go over my Points allowance.  So I thought.  What I've decided is that I must have just misjudged my restaurant servings.  It's the only explanation.  I really enjoy going out to eat (don't we all?), but I need to cut it down a little if I can, at least while I'm trying to lose weight.

The hubs and I met up with about 16 other people for dinner at the new Japanese restaurant on Monday.  It was lots of fun.  Judging from all the butter slathered all over everything, I'm guessing this could have been a contributing factor to my gain.

Wish I'd gotten a photo of the flaming volcano onion!

Where's the rice?  P.S. - That's my husband's beer, not mine!

This was my plate (before the little bit of beef was added).  I actually did order steamed rice, but for some reason it didn't get delivered.  I didn't ask for it, and still enjoyed the meal without the extra carbs/calories/points.  

Sunday, our family went to a late lunch/early dinner at Mamacita's Mexican Restaurant.  Afterward, we were walking to the car and I couldn't help noticing how warm and perfect the weather was.  We got in the car and I said, "It's so beautiful outside, it makes me wish I could just walk home from here."  Mike stopped the car and said, "Then walk home!"  He was joking in an "I-dare-you" sort of way.  I looked at my shoes (not workout shoes, but Skechers), and figured they'd work just fine.  So I hopped out and hoofed it on home.  Now, it's not really all that far from there to my house -- maybe 1.5 miles -- but it was a great feeling.  I was doing something spontaneous, just because it would be good for me, got a little exercise, and got to enjoy the sunshine.  It's hard to believe it was around 80 degrees just a few days ago, and right now it's like 16 here!  

I have another friend who just got certified to teach Zumba, and that will start on Monday.  I'm going to go try it out and will let you know how that goes!

To close, I just want to say that I probably will see a gain today at Weight Watchers, but it's not because I didn't try.  I just made some mistakes somewhere in my estimations, I think, and I want to learn from this and keep going for more losses coming up.  Not gonna let this get me down, but I'm also not going to take any gain lightly!

Weekly Weigh-In

Thursday's weigh-in was good.  I'm down 2 pounds!

While the last couple of weigh-ins were good, and it seems like I should really be well on my way to goal, let me just clear this up.  I'm pretty much where I was two months ago.  Grrrr!   It's my own fault for letting the change in Weight Watchers throw me off.  I was up and down and steady for those two months.

Rather than staying the course and sucking it up and just working the program, I just coasted along through the holidays and beyond.  For the most part, I tried not to go crazy, but I wasn't really doing anything specific.  And I GAINED weight.

While I love with the idea of intuitive eating, the truth is that I'm so far from that point right now.  I'm still pretty much a newbie.  Lack of structure in this quest for me, right now, is the way for me to fail.  So I gained weight.

But the good news is that I'm back to where I was when I got my 25-pound mark a couple of months ago.  And, yes, I'm ready to dig into that "virgin fat" and start shaving that off now.

Oh, and by the way, for anyone else who's in my position with the WW thing and being reluctant to try the new plan...Just do it!  Once you start, you'll realize how similar it really is to the old plan, and even better really, because I am not eating as much processed foods.  I'm buying (and eating) more fruits and vegetables than ever before.

I'm back in!  And I WILL have another loss at my next weigh-in on Thursday!

It Works!

This was the first week I really committed to the new Weight Watchers plan.  Ever since they changed it, I have been slacking -- some weeks more than others.  But it turns out, the new plan does work.  For me, just being aware of portion sizes and healthy choices is a big deal.  I might think I'm doing well but actually be eating more than I need.  Writing it down (or tapping it into the iPhone, as I do) works for me.

Yesterday's weigh-in was good.  Very good.  I lost 6.4 pounds this week!


As for the Zumba, it didn't happen this week.  The instructor called me Tuesday and said there would be no classes this week.  It's only offered two days a week anyway, so I'm hoping we'll be back on schedule next week.

I'm looking forward to attending a Spurs basketball game tonight and a charity gala tomorrow, but as always with events like this, I'm gearing up for the food challenge.

Hope you all have a fun weekend!

The Truth Hurts

Well, it was quite a big gain, as promised -- 5.6 pounds.  My friend Mandy asked if I was okay after seeing that.  I am.  It's just a result of my poor choices.  To get the results I want, I have to change my actions.  Next week I'll have a loss.  Take that to the bank!

Off to a good start.  My little guy's birthday was a few days ago, and he took cupcakes to Children's Day Out on Thursday to celebrate turning 4.  We made these, and he helped me decorate them.  I didn't have a single one!

I'm not holding my breath for one of those TV shows about fancy cakes to offer me a job!

In other news, I've tried something new.  I went to the grocery store for more fresh produce, and noticed something I've seen before.  It looked like a strange tomato in the fruit section.  It's a persimmon.  I got one and gave it a try.  It was okay.  Not a favorite, but definitely an interesting flavor.  The point more than anything was to give myself a boost by trying something new and unusual.  It seems like such a small and inconsequential thing, but somehow it really put me in the right mindset.

Persimmons could pull off identity theft of a tomato!

Oh, and my friend Denise made a new recipe.  She saw some hotsy-totsy french chef on TV making this.  I tasted it, and it was really yummy.  It was so creamy and rich that I worried about the Points value.  I put it in the Weight Watchers Recipe Builder and was shocked and thrilled to find it was only 4 Points (power points, the new version) per serving!  That's really good!  It could be even lower without sauteeing in oil/butter.

Here is the recipe.  No photo, but it's a creamy white soup with green leeks.  Give this simple recipe a try to serve up with a fresh green salad!

Rustic French Country Soup

(Potato & Leek Soup)

3 leeks, cleaned and chopped

1 quart chicken broth

1 cup potato flakes

1 cup milk

Saute chopped leeks in 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter until wilted.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add potato flakes and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.

Add milk and simmer for 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Post-Christmas Weigh-In and Hot 100

I made a comment last week that I WOULD lose weight over Christmas week.  Well, guess what?

I did!

Somehow I managed to shave off 1.6, which I realize isn't a huge number, but it is a loss over a difficult week for me.  I will relish it!

This puts me at -23.2 pounds total.  I'd hoped to have been down much more than that by now, but somehow I lost my mojo between Thanksgiving and now.  It's no excuse; just what happened.  But I am pretty sure now that I'll have my regular routine back, I'll be chucking those pounds again!

So how about a little Hot 100 Update?  This is the last one!  The challenge is over, so let's see how I fared:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I had been so certain that I would reach this one, but I'm not even close.  During this challenge, I've lost 8.2 pounds, which is just over half of my goal.  Bummer!  I'll have to lose that in January instead.

2.  Get more sleep.  Some nights are better than others, but I really have improved quite a bit here.  I do notice a real difference overall when I get enough sleep.  The surprising side effect for me is that my diet/exercise are better when I'm not sleep-deprived as well.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  I started off really strong with this one, never missing a day.  Then I forgot one day.  Then I forgot a couple of days.  Then I went a really long time without taking them, and now I'm doing better again.  Yes, I had a fistful of them today, in fact.

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.   Well, it could have been better for sure, but I did manage a modest weight loss over the latest holiday.  I should have made a more solid plan to get me through, but I'm pleased with this one as a whole.

This was a fun challenge, and I enjoyed having the weekly updates to keep me focused.  Thanks to Steve at Log My Loss for putting this one out there!

It's New Year's Eve, and I'm not going out tonight.  We almost never do for this holiday.  But we will make an effort to stay up til midnight (sorry, goal #2) and might have a little glass of bubbly.  No party buffets, no overindulging in alcohol, and no high heels tonight.  Many years ago I would have been horrified by this prospect.  Tonight, I'm looking forward to a cozy little ringing in of the new year here at home with my honey and my sleeping kids.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2011!

Hot 100 Update and Weekly Weigh-In

It's not a good number, folks, but here's the honest truth:  I gained FOUR LOUSY POUNDS this week!

I had four -- count 'em, FOUR -- holiday events this week alone.  So I guess I gained a pound at each event.  I wasn't even going to weigh in yesterday, but I figured I can't hide from it, so I went ahead and weighed.  Oh, and I didn't fall down dead as a result.  So that's where I stand, and it's not even Christmas Day yet.

Lest you think I'm feeling defeated, I'll tell you I'm not.  I'm not quitting.  I'm planning for moderation through the next couple of days.  I plan to have some of my old once-a-year favorites, but not go insane with it.  I'm going to get my weight off.  It might not be this week, but I'm not out of the game yet!

So here's my Hot 100 update:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  It's not looking good, though my weight is still down during this challenge.  Just not sure I'm going to hit the goal.  We shall see!

2.  Get more sleep.  As usual, it kind of just depends on the night.  Lately I seem to have more trouble, with all the items on my to-do list dancing in my head after the lights go out, but sometimes I get lucky and drift right off to sleep.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  See #2 - hit or miss.

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  Well, clearly this week got away from me.  Correction -- I didn't stay on top of my game this week and gained weight.  Too many opportunities to be off my routine got the best of me.  I'm not happy about it, but at the same time, I'm not freaked out about it either.  I know the way this works and what I need to do.  I'm not going to moan about gaining weight and having no idea why.  I also know that I'll be able to lose this little bit of holiday weight, and I know how to do it.  It might not be the most fun in the world, but it's a pretty simple theory.

Merry Christmas!

Weekly Weigh-In and Hot 100 Update

Nothing too exciting to report in the weigh-in...I lost 0.2.  Yep, that weight is just FLYING off of me!  Sigh.  I have no excuses.  I know what I need to do (and you know what you need to do too, don't you?).  I just got busy and didn't make eating right and exercising enough of a priority.  It's the holidays, but I don't want to pack it all back on just because it's a festive time of year.

This means I am currently down a total of 25.6 pounds from the start.

Now for the Hot 100 Challenge Update:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I'm 4.4 pounds away from meeting this goal.  Hmmm... I realize that's close, but I also realize that Christmas is in a week and I only have two weeks left in the challenge.  I'm going for it, no matter the odds!

2.  Get more sleep.  Doing better, most nights on this.  It doesn't hurt that my 3-year-old is sleeping all night in his own bed sometimes now.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  Hit or miss.  I'm not sure why, because for a long time this was the one I could count on knocking out of the park every time.

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.   I'm hosting Christmas for extended family this year, so I'm already trying to sneak in healthy options to my menu plans.  I won't be able to avoid serving some old-fashioned calorie nightmares, but it's just once a year, and I do know how to control myself. 

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Weekly Weigh-In and Hot 100 Update

For my weekly weigh-in I was up 0.8 this week.  I'm mostly upset about this, I think, because I ROCKED Thanksgiving and didn't blow it until a few days after.  Grrr!  It's just a bump in the road though, and I'm not quitting.  So far I'm down a total of 25.4 pounds.

Now for a Hot 100 Update!

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  Up 0.8 this week, so I'm down 10.4 pounds during this challenge, leaving me with 4.6 to lose in order to reach this goal.

2.  Get more sleep.  Depends upon the night and what's going on.  Last night was horrible - stayed up to the wee hours last night, but then one night I was scrubbed and in bed by 10:15.  I certainly always feel better when I get my sleep.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  I don't know what my problem is this week.  Travel?  Holiday?  Not sure, but I probably took my vitamins only a couple of days this week.  

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  I did GREAT on Thanksgiving Day and the days right after, but then started struggling by Monday.  Exercise hasn't happened like it should either, which doesn't help!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Weigh-In

As I've mentioned, I weighed in yesterday (Tuesday) rather than on my usual Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Good news!  I had a loss.  Got a couple of little tokens at my meeting.

A new 5-pound star AND my 25-pound magnet

My total loss as of yesterday?  That would be a big ol' 26.2 pounds, thank you very much!

I wasn't going to weigh until next week, but after the bad week I had before, I thought I'd better go ahead and do it.  So glad I did!  Obviously, it was fun to hit a milestone, but I think even more than that, it was good for me to have that anchor before the holiday.  It reminds me of how far I've come, and in some ways of how far I still have to go.  But most importantly, it reminds me of what I already know: I can do this!  

Oh, and I pulled the bossy card yesterday on my Weight Watchers buddy, Mandy.  She felt she'd had an overeating weekend and wasn't going to weigh in until next week.  Mandy is one of those rare Weight Watchers who does not own a scale!  So each week she weighs in, she gets a total surprise.  I weigh every day, and think I'd freak out under the pressure, but it works for her.

So since she didn't want to go and see a gain, I badgered her and pushed her until she finally just agreed to go weigh.  And guess what?  She LOST almost 2 pounds since Thursday!  Mandy got a 5-pound star too.

Even if we had gained weight, I think it would have been good to go.  Whatever you're doing regularly in your weight loss journey, I hope you'll engage in that before the holiday, just to keep you centered.  If you decide that Thanksgiving comes around once a year, so you're going to eat with abandon for the big meal, then go right ahead.  But let me just remind you that it's Thanksgiving DAY, and there's really no reason to blow the whole week just because you go a little crazy with one meal.  Don't let that lead to an entire week of overindulgence.  Because you really don't want to have to go into the Christmas season with an extra 3, 5, 8 pounds to lose.  You know that's no exaggeration.  I could easily gain that in a week.

So enjoy your Thanksgiving feast, or stay on your usual program.  I'm not telling you what your own plan should be.  But I am encouraging you to stay in control of your own efforts in the days that follow.  Believe me, you'll have another chance to eat that stuff again in a few weeks, so just relax already!

I'm really going to focus this year on the reason for this holiday -- giving thanks.  I have so many things to be thankful for.  We all have difficulties, but when we focus on the blessings in our own lives, it's easy to see that life is good and that there are wonderful aspects of just being alive.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Flush Away the Pounds?

Not sure how this happened, but when I weighed today, after just two days back on track, I've lost almost all of the 5.2 I had gained during the five days off the program.  This morning I was up just 0.8 from last Thursday (my official weigh-in day).  I wonder if the gallons of water I drank had anything to do with it?

Normally I save my weigh-in results for after my 12:15 Weight Watchers meeting, but my son has a Thanksgiving Feast today at lunch, and I might miss my official weigh-in.

Don't worry, I'm not tempted by this "feast" today.  It's total chaos but fun for the kids, and it's not easy to get a plate of food.  Then it's more of a potluck kind of situation, and I am not even planning to eat there.  I'll eat at home afterward.  I'm just not in the mood to try to calculate calories and points on all that.

Speaking of food, my friend and neighbor Denise made quinoa last night for her family's dinner and brought some of it to me.

It tasted SO GOOD!  I'll have to get her recipe and post it.  I wish I had taken a photo of it, but the three-year-old and I gobbled it up so fast there was no time.  It tasted a little like Mexican rice.  Just so yummy, and now I've got a new food to add to my limited rotation.

Anyone else a fan of quinoa?

Weekly Weigh-In and Hot 100 Update

Weekly Weigh-In:

This week I lost 1.8 pounds, for a total of 24.2 pounds lost so far.  Look out, 25 pounds!  Comin' to getcha!

Hot 100 Update:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I'm getting close on this one.  I just need to lose 5.8 more pounds to reach this goal.

2.  Get more sleep.  It's been a rough week, emotionally.  I'll probably wind up mentioning at some point what's going on, but I'm just not ready to get into it right now.  So while I might be going to bed, I'm not going to sleep at a decent hour.  These things happen.  

3.  Start taking vitamins.  I surprise myself with how well I'm sticking to this one.  My old-lady style pill dispenser reminds me daily to fill myself with vitamins.

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.   I didn't do great at Halloween, but I'm just considering that to be a test run.  My mom is hosting Thanksgiving at her house this year, so my plan is to try to have a part in deciding on the menu.  Then I can plan where to indulge and where to back off.

Weekly Weigh-In (Belated Version)

Weigh-In:
Been so busy lately and somehow didn't post my weekly weigh-in from last Thursday.  It was disappointing but not surprising.  Big goose egg!  No loss, no gain.  I won't be ridiculous and try to trick myself by saying I have no idea what happened, because I do.  Very little exercise, and more sugar and carbs than I needed.  Stayed within my Points, but clearly I needed to regroup for this week.  Exercising is not going well.  I am finding it difficult to make time for it.  Notice I did not say that I don't have the time.  We all have the same number of hours in a day, but I'm not making it a priority for some reason.  Some weeks are like that, and I'm not going to get down about it.  I just need to move my butt.

So here's some more odds and ends from last week:

Medical:
Went for my yearly "well woman" checkup last week.  Now that I'm 40, I get to go for a mammogram.  Wheee!  Actually, I'm not scared!  I've had a few already, and it's not a big deal.  The doctor also put me on medication for my PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), and I'm having lots of tummy aches from it.  Supposed to get better though, which will be great.

Got my flu shot Wednesday!  I was way braver than my kids (they got the nasal mist), but nobody offered me a lollipop.  Guess they sensed my Weight Watcherness and respected my boundaries.

Had to get a new box of my vitamins.  They've changed the formula a little, and now it contains 7 tablets per day instead of 6.  So this means I am now taking 13 pills per day.  In a week, I'll up one of my medications, and it will be 14 pills per day.  I accidentally missed a time or two on various meds, so I made a decision.  I had to do it, even though I didn't want to.  I went full-on old-lady mode and bought this:

Daily Pill Case - Specifically Designed for Senior Citizens

Events and Food:
Tuesday was a luncheon to hear an author discuss the time he spent with legendary CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite.  Together they wrote a book called Conversations with Cronkite.

Walter Cronkite

It was a very interesting presentation.  The food, however, was one of those slip-ups that led to my ZERO WEEK at WW, though.  They served salad, which was already dressed with a little Ranch.  Not swimming in it, no big deal.  But the main dish was white rice (I had about half of it), nice veggies (naked), and -- lest you think it was a healthy lunch -- chicken cordon bleu.  Yes, that's right - Chicken stuffed with cheese and ham, then breaded and drenched in cream sauce.  What's that?  Yeah, you guessed it.  I ate about half of it.  Oh, well...

I was telling my friend and neighbor Denise about a recipe I read for quinoa.  It's hard to find in our little town, but she saw some while she was at the grocery store and picked it up for me!  She's so sweet!  I haven't yet tried it, because it seems like we've had something going on almost every night and I haven't cooked.   I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention how famous I am?  My picture was in the local magazine from when I was at the Breast Cancer Gala.  Hit the big-time, let me tell ya'!

Have a wonderful week!

Weekly Weigh-In and Hot 100 Update

Today was a good weigh-in day.

First off, my WW buddy got her second 5-pound sticker PLUS her super-duper 5%!  Way to go!  I'm realizing how much better it is attending with somebody who is also really committed to this.  Celebrating each of these pounds and fractions of pounds that comes off just makes me want to keep going and not give up.

Then after she got her sticker prizes, I scored this little beauty...

Another 5-pound star!

As well as this!

10% Keychain!

I'm now down a total of 22.4 pounds.  Just 47.6 more to go before I hit my Weight Watchers goal!  I realize that sounds like a lot (and it is), but I'm almost a third of the way there.  Not too shabby!

How about a Hot 100 update?  You got it!

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I'm down 7.4 pounds from the start of the Hot 100.  This means I'm about halfway to my goal of losing an extra 15 during this challenge.

2.  Get more sleep.  It's always a struggle, but I'm still doing better.  Not perfect by any means.  Last night I actually turned off the light and went to bed right when I felt a little sleepy.  My husband wasn't even in bed yet, and I rarely do that.  I'm like a big heat-seeking lizard or something.  Need my warm fella to curl up next to.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  I was just about to go off on how amazing I am at #3 on my list, when I realized that for the first time I forgot to take my supplements today!  Well, other than today, I've got this one in the bag!

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  Still have not purchased Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters.  After this week's binge on candy corn, I realize I cannot be trusted with any kind of candy products of any form.  In fact, I'm a little concerned I might start wolfing down those spider rings I bought for trick-or-treaters if I'm not careful.  No, they're not SUPPOSED to be edible, but you should have seen me going after that candy corn!

Be good, and do good, my friends!

Weekly Weigh-In

I'm on my way to a birthday lunch for a friend, so I will miss my official Weight Watchers weigh-in today.  I knew all week I wouldn't make it to my meeting today.  I could have slacked off and done some sneaky eating this week, hoping to make up for it by the next weigh-in.  But did I do that?  Hell no, people!  I didn't want to lose my momentum this week just for some curly fries.  I weighed at home, but I don't officially count it until I weigh at the meeting.  However, my home scale showed -1.8 for the week.  Not too bad.  I didn't work out as much as I could have, so that's my goal for this coming week.

P90X, by the way, is not as scary as you might think.  Yesterday we did the workout for arms, as well as the Ab Ripper X.  Okay, the Ab Ripper is pretty brutal, and my arms are really sore today, but you do what you can.  I'm going to be a total badass with some major brute strength when I'm done.  Or at the very least I will be able to do regular push-ups and not the girly kind.

My post just before this included a recipe for Taco Soup.  Some of you expressed concern about the dry ranch dressing mix.  I promise you it won't wreck it, and it won't taste like dressing.  It just thickens it up a little and gives it some extra oomph.  When you see how much this recipe makes, you'll notice that the mix is a very small percentage of the whole.  So sprinkle that dry mix without a care in the world!  Trust your Auntie Char.

Oh, and in case you're wondering and decide to chastise me about not attending another meeting this week, here's the deal.  My little town offers only 3 meetings per week.  One of those is in the evenings when my kids are out of school and husband is still at work.  I am NOT taking those little monkeys to the meeting with me.  But my reason for not going to the other remaining option is based purely upon my narcissistic need for attention -- I'm expecting to get my 20-pound star, and I want my regular group to clap for me.  See, I'm not too proud to admit my true motives.

Hot 100 update coming soon!

Weekly Weigh-In

Down 2.4 pounds this week, for a total loss of 19 pounds even!

My clothes are getting a little looser, but I'm ready for it to show in the mirror.  (It doesn't yet.)  For it to be obvious just by looking, it will just take more pounds due to the larger number needed to have a noticeable percentage lost.  That's okay.  I'm just looking forward to that happening.  I have a feeling it will happen around the 40-pound mark.  Sounds like a lot, and it is, but it also means I'm halfway to that point!

Elliptical tonight, P90X tomorrow.  Then my parents arrive for a little visit.  Can't wait to see them, and the kiddos are beyond excited.  Should be fun!

Since we usually order pizza at least once while they visit, I'll just have to keep in mind: "Don't order pizza...Don't order pizza..."

Hot 100 update tomorrow!

Weekly Weigh-In and Hot 100 Update

Weigh-In:

Well, my weight loss has slowed considerably, with 0.8 lost again for this week.  It's okay, but I'm going to have to lose just over a pound a week to meet my goal of 15 additional pounds lost by the end of the challenge.

I'm now down a total of 16.6 total.  It's still too soon to tell by looking at me that I've lost any weight, but I'll get there!

Hot 100:

Speaking of the Hot 100 Challenge, here's my update for this week:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  Despite a mild start, I'm still heading in the right direction with 13.4 pounds to lose by the end of the year.

2.  Get more sleep.  Still failing miserably.  I need to get a grip on my time management in order to make this happen, so I'm not scrambling around at night trying to finish everything up.

3.  Start taking vitamins.  I'm rocking this one!  By the way, I enjoyed everyone's comments about the Horny Goat Weed from my last update.  Still not sure what it really is intended for.

4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  This one is still several weeks off, but I'm already mentally rehearsing for it.

Book Club:

Last night was my monthly book club meeting.  It is one of my favorite activities ever.  In case anyone is interested, we'll be discussing The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton at our next meeting.

We always start with drinks and appetizers, followed by salad and main course, plus dessert.  I passed on the sangria, which looked and smelled delicious, and I ate one Triscuit but none of the cheeses or meats on the appetizer tray.  

Then we had a nice green salad (dressing on the side).  My friend Wendy hosted last night, and bless her heart, she made a very healthy soup for the main meal.  Big chunks of veggies and chicken in a clear broth with nice spices.  Yum!  By the way, Wendy is my "tiny friend" I referred to in my post about the Chocolate Lounge.  Don't hate her for being thin - she really is one of the sweetest people I know.  She also served her world-famous artichoke bread, and I had one small piece of that.  

Then came dessert.  It was a lovely thick pound cake with berries and whipped cream.

Book Club Dessert

I had my dessert, but without the cake.  Still yummy!

My Version of the Dessert

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekly Weigh-In

Nope, I'm not seeing stars today.  That's okay, because that would have required a five-pound loss this week.  It wasn't great - a loss of 0.8 lb, for a total of 15.8 pounds lost.  I did some experimenting with my Points this week.  The last few weeks, I was eating under my daily allowance of Points (bad girl!), and having zero weekly points and zero activity points.  Then this week I decided to try having all of my daily points (duh), and I had zero activity points, and a total of less than 10 weekly points (for the party at the Chocolate Lounge).  I'm going to try it this week too, and just see what happens.  If I gain or don't have a better loss, I might need to adjust it again.  We'll see.

There was some excitement and inspiration at my Weight Watchers meeting today.  First off, our sweet leader Debby just received a Diamond Leader award.  There are tons of criteria to meet in order to get this award, and it's a big deal.  Yay!  Then one member reached her goal with a loss of 45 pounds, and another woman reached Lifetime status with a loss of about 30 pounds.  It kind of pumped me up and made me imagine myself up there at goal/lifetime, with everyone clapping to my success.

The meeting topic was about going to the grocery store (or supermarket, as some of you probably say).  Perspiration vs. Inspiration - What stresses you about shopping for food and what makes you feel excited about shopping for food?

The usual stresses were things like kids/spouse, temptations, cost, and time.

The inspiration was a discussion on how to overcome those issues.  There were tips on shopping for groceries too:

- Shop the perimeter of the store.  This is where the fresh items are kept, like milk and yogurt, meat and seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc.  Fewer of the processed foods are located in this area around along the walls.

- Don't shop hungry or thirsty.  This is one we've all probably heard before.  If it's not possible to eat before heading to the store, chew a piece of gum while there to help avoid food cravings that might lead to purchases (and binges) you'll regret later.

- Make a list, take it with you, and stick to it.  This will help you get through the store faster and will also prevent impulse buys.  Remember to take the list with you!

- Plan menus in advance so you will know what to buy.  Then put the ingredients on the list.

- Shop alone if possible.  This way anyone with you won't be able to toss unhealthy items in the cart or whine mercilessly until you give in on the junk food.

- Arrange your shopping list by category.  Our leader gave us a web address for a site where you can do this (www.grocerylistmaker.com).  You click items from your list, which are arranged by areas of the store where each item should be located.  This will save time so you don't have to double back for an item buried in the bottom of the list that you missed while you were on the other side of the store.

Happy shopping!

Weekly Weigh-In and New Challenge

The weekly weigh-in was good.  I lost 2.6 pounds for a total of exactly 15 lost.  It's good, but I was sooo careful all week and had hoped for a little more.  But no complaints, because I got another star!  Check it out:

So pretty!

I walked last night for 35 minutes, and tonight I did about 45 minutes, thanks in great part to my WW friend who is really into walking and puts up with my slow stride as I'm building up my speed.  I didn't sling too much sweat on her, I guess, because she mentioned walking with me again in the future.

And today, just by chance, I came across this little item:

What is the Hot 100, you ask?  Well, as of today there are 100 days left in 2010.  Hard to believe, right? I didn't count them up, but I'm just going to take this guy's word for it.  South Beach Steve at logmyloss.com has set up this challenge.  There are some prizes, if that motivates you to participate.  And it's not too late!  He's extended the deadline to start to October 1, so get moving!  Also, you don't even have to have a blog to take part in this.  You can post your goals in his comment section.  The rules are all there if you click here.

One of the requirements is that you post some goals.  I'd participate in this even if there were no prizes, because I like this idea.  So here are my goals for this challenge:

1.  Lose 15-plus pounds by the end of the year / end of the challenge.  I will modify this number if I reach it before the end of this time period.
2.  Get more sleep.  This will make exercise more appealing, because I won't be so sleepy all the time.
3.  Start taking vitamins.  Yes, I know I should have already been doing this, but I have never been good about it and haven't been doing it yet.  Know of any good ones out there?  I could use a suggestion for a multi-vitamin.
4.  Make a plan for eating and exercising over the holidays and stick to it.  This might mean I plan for a splurge, or it might mean I take a veggie tray to a party.  Whatever it is, I don't want to lose control over the holidays.  This challenge should help me to stay mindful of that as I celebrate.

I really hope you'll consider doing this challenge with me.  I'm excited about this.  It's my very first challenge of this type, and I am determined to see it through.