Well it’s been forever since I last posted on here – not like I’m doing anything during the day (teacher problems) 🙂Â
I think I “forget” to post because I’m not actively trying to lose weight. I’m really bad about eating what sounds/looks/smells good and not thinking about the long-term effects that food has on me. My husband very lovingly and very wisely told me that what I eat for this one meal can affect me up to three weeks from now. I have to start thinking long-term like that. I like to think that I can eat crap for breakfast on Sunday and then starve myself on Monday, weigh-in, and there will be magical numbers on the scale. It doesn’t seem to work that way….darn!
In other news, we got a dog! A huge, 80-pound, loving, adorable, sweetheart German Shepherd. Meet Chloe!
 
She is such a great dog and has become my new walking companion. It is so great to have to walk every day. I love to walk, but I often make excuses (who me?): “It’s too hot!” Â “I’m tired.” Â “I’m busy.” Â Â Not with this wonderful lady, she insist that we go on a walk EVERY DAY! So this morning before work I woke up 45 minutes earlier than I would normally need to and we walked 2 miles around our neighborhood.Â
It’s nice to have guaranteed exercise every day. Now I just need to eat better and I might actually make some progress.Â
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Two weigh-ins, one blog post. I’m not an awesome blogger…obviously…??
Last week (June 10) I went to my Weight Watchers meeting after about a month of skipping. (You remember my excuses from last week…) Amazingly enough, I had gone down about 1.4 lbs. I was at 168. 4…not too shabby. Not awesome, but not 170…I have to take what I can get.
This past week I returned to WW after Father’s Day celebrations and wine spritzers with my MIL (mother-in-law). I did pretty good with the food…a little coleslaw (not mayonaise based), salad, and one small brisquet sandwhich. But the wine (my weakness) gets to me and can greatly affect my outcome on the scale. What was the outcome?
168. 6…. I gained .2 lbs.
I’m going to celebrate this week. Sure it wasn’t a loss, but that .2 could have been anything…salt, water, etc.. I believe it will fall off this week.
Monday night was a night of great changes. I arrived to my weekly WW meeting and my lovely ladies I gossip and gripe with told me our leader had left. Our leader was a male elementary music teacher. Many people loved him and I by no means disliked him. At the same time I never felt a strong connection to him as a WW leader and simply continue going to my meetings because of the ladies that also attended that meeting.
Last night our new leader had arrived, a wonderful 50-year old woman who knew what it was like to be a woman who struggles with weight loss. She was beautiful and at once I felt a connection with her. This may sound bad, but I am not sad to see our old leader leave and I am excited to learn from this woman.
Here’s to hoping that a new leader will mix things up for me and I can break this pattern of losing 1.5 lbs and then gaining 2.
OH!! When I went to WW last night the cookbooks were on a 50% sale. I bought the Power Foods cookbook and quickly scanned for a quick dinner solution. Last night I made Shrimp “Fried” Rice. So good and only 5 pts for a serving. (First time in a while I have actually made a healthy and new dinner) 🙂
So I fell off the grid for awhile, but I haven’t completely given up on this blogging thing. Not yet. 😉
As some of you know, I am a middle school ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. It is the end of the school year and with that comes A LOT of paperwork and checklists!
There is excuse #1 for why I haven’t blogged or attended a WW meeting in several weeks.
Excuse #2? Aunt Flow was in town. 🙂 Who remembers saying that in middle school?? haha
So there ya go…excuses excuses. I got on my home scale this morning and it read 168.8…that’s pretty good. At least it didn’t read in the 170s.
Thursday is the last day of school! WOO HOO!!
I believe I will lose more weight in the summer. Most people eat more when they are at home, somehow I manage to eat less. You have to understand that my weakness is fast food restaurants. If I’m not leaving the house, I can’t stop by McDonald’s.
On the other hand, summer becomes more difficult because my gym is right next to my school. It’s going to be difficult convincing myself to drive 20 minutes just to sweat. Same thing with my WW meetings. I love my meetings and I love the ladies that attend my meetings too – BUT can I convince myself to shower and look presentable just for a WW meeting? 😉
On another note, my husband and I are driving South to visit my grandfather at the end of the summer. I’d like to look healthy and decent in a bathing suit. I’m not going for Victoria Secret model, just healthy and not bulging in places that shouldn’t bulge. 🙂
What are you looking forward to about the summer? Do you have similar concerns about the sudden freedom that is felt in the summer? What are you plans to conquer those concerns? Â
Last week I stuck to my goals about 70% of the time — that’s passing right? I was unable to attend my Weight Watchers meeting this week due to some nasty weather in our area. My scale at home is going to have to do this week.
169.2
That is down 1.4 lbs from last week. Of course the WW scale may be more accurate than my home one, I’m going to take the weight loss.
With that being said, IÂ have completely bombed this week on setting healthy goals or even sticking to the ones I set last week. I could give you a million excuses:
1. bad weather = no WW meeting and no gym
2. end of the year at school = stress overload
3. slept in late = making poor choices for breakfast
If I don’t get myself together, that 1.4 lbs will be back on my body by next weigh-in. I feel like the little train saying, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” except all the evidence is saying, “no you can’t.”
It’s so frustrating! If I’m a stress eater and losing weight stresses me out, that is a bad equation. I don’t want to have to be that person who posts every single meal so that people know what I’m eating at all times. I am not a child! I am a grown woman who used to know what it took to lose weight and now I am failing at it. MISERABLY!
My tendency is to fail and for fear of failing, stop seeking out accountability. It is easier to hide in my failure than to post that I gained weight.
It’s Wednesday, hump day, the top of the mountain that is a week….now is the day to change. I cannot wait until tomorrow. Even though I made a poor choice for breakfast this morning, I am starting over at my next meal and I’m going to the gym after work, no matter how tired I am!
I can and will do this!
Ethel had it right! Eating has become a hobby, not a necessity for life. We don’t eat to sustain life, we eat because we enjoy eating! I don’t know how many times I’ve heard that food was not given to us to be gluttons, but to survive. That’s great and all, but if that was the case it wouldn’t taste so good. 😉
When I hang out with friends I always have good intentions: let’s go bowling, let’s have a game night, let’s rent a movie, etc… They all seem like they are not “food activities,” but they always end up turning into one. Bowling: French Fries. Game Night: Cookies. Movie: Popcorn or Pizza. Our lives revolve around food and for some of us it brings a form of enjoyment to eat. I genuinely enjoy eating.
At our past meeting this week they asked us to consider the difference between “dining” and “eating.” You may grab a bite to eat at McDonald’s, but you dine at Macaroni Grill. They wanted us to consider how we treat food differently in these two settings. That was a difficult one for me; I enjoy eating ALL THE TIME!
Funny thing: I don’t “enjoy” eating vegetables. I did eat a peach this morning that was delicious. On the other hand, last night I grabbed a bag of baby carrots to satisfy me until dinner was finished. I ate them because I knew it was a wiser choice than chips, but I wasn’t thrilled to be eating them.
Is there a mind change that needs to happen? Is that possible? Sometimes I fear healthy eating will always be a begrudging act — I’m doing it because I know I should, but I’m not happy. I’ll be happy when the effects of eating healthy take place.
This morning a co-worker said I looked thinner. I’m thinking in my head, “I’m thinner after 4 days? I’m not sure about that…it’s probably the Spanx I’m wearing.” HAH! Nevertheless, it feels good when someone acknowledges your effort and sees possible results.
Yesterday was a great day! I was motivated! I started a new blog to track my progress and to beg for accountability! 😉 I ate awesome, healthy foods! I even went to the gym! (what?!??)
Then to my weekly, Monday night Weight Watchers meeting. There is that scale that laughs in my face because it knows that even though I kick off my shoes and take off my watch (which must weigh at least half a pound, right?), that the number it shows is real. Real and cruel, but I’ve done it to myself.
170.6
CRINGE!!!
Nevertheless, I woke up this morning and made my two eggs and turkey sausage. I didn’t go to McDonald’s even though I really wanted to. I didn’t fall for the trap of “it’s only Tuesday, you have a whole week to fix whatever you eat today.” No…I ate my healthy, simply filling, high power food breakfast and grabbed a fat-free greek yogurt to have with my lunch.
Goals for the week?
- Get some form of exercise every day — even if it is just walking the hallways during my conference period.
- Do not drink soda! — I have a bad habit of drinking my calories and then thinking they don’t affect my weight. HAH! So water it is and maybe of glass of wine once or twice this week. 😉
- Eat as many Simply Filling meals as possible — these meals are high protein, low-fat, and low carb.
What are your goals this week?
Let’s start from the beginning.
As a child, my mom struggled with her weight. Taking into account my genetics and my diet, I ultimately had a weight problem as well. When I was in middle school, my mom joined Weight Watchers and successfully lost 100 Lbs. I too lost weight during this time.
When I was a sophomore in high school my god-mother, and my mom’s best friend, was murdered. At that point our lives were completely derailed. My mom gained all of her weight back and I gained back all of mine and then some. I continued in the upward climb until my senior year at the University of NorthTexas.
One day I looked in the mirror and it hit me that I did not like what I saw. I told my family I was going to join Weight Watchers (WW) on my own. I joined and successfully started dropping the pounds. I was so happy and my family and friends were happy for me.
I set my weight loss goal for 140 lbs and was ready for great achievement. With a few ups and downs, I was at my lowest, 152, on my wedding day.
After the honeymoon (which I knowingly and willingly binged on) and two years of marriage, I have gained almost 20 lbs back onto my body. This is unacceptable in my mind and yet it is a constant struggle for me.
Today is the day for change. I will be posting my weight loss (gains if necessary) weekly on this blog. Even if only strangers read these post ( or no one), I will be accountable to something.
I can do this. I want this. My body is more important than food.
God was so good to give me someone so gracious, giving, and full of love. I don’t deserve him, but I’m glad he chose me.
In the words of Samantha 