Do this Instead

At Weight Watchers, our leader talked first about how when we learned how to drive we had to think everything through.  Think about it.  When you start your car now, and head off to wherever, do you really have to give it  a lot of thought to what you are doing?  No, you just do it.  It is the same with our eating habits.  We are on auto pilot most of the time, with a lot of what we do.  So now we must learn to "drive" a new way.

Let's start with something simple.  I can slather my veggies with butter...or I can spray some "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" on them.  I can have a bowl of ice cream or I can have a Skinny Cow fudge bar.  I can take the elevator or the stairs.  It's just little things like that.  I can eat six or seven cookies because there is yet another drama in my life, or I can listen to my body.  Am I hungry?  If I am truly hungry, I can stop a minute longer and think about what would satisfy that hunger.

So what did I do instead this week?  I took the stairs at the dentist office.  I went out twice this week and both times ordered the lighter choice.  I got up and did stuff--I know I have said this before but it bears repeating because I can be pretty lazy!  I chose "Weight Watcher Chocolate Chip Cookies" and they are yummy and one small point each. 

When we drive we know exactly how much gas to apply to the pedal to go at the right speed.  And we can do the same thing with our eating style.  We just have to retrain our brains.

What do you do instead?

Weight Lost:  2pounds
Total Loss:  14 pounds

Times Are Tough

I have been really struggling with food lately.  It's the curse of liking to eat.  When I was 20 I would have sworn up and down that I really didn't like to eat.  I was only fooling myself.  I love food.  I love how it tastes and I love how it is always there for me.  Except chocolate.  It always seems to be in short supply at our house.  I was at a 13 pound last week.  YAY!  I gained a pound this week.  BOOOOO!  I have been really struggling with just wanting to eat.  Okay...thin people, this means like eating because it is there, because you have an intense craving for one particular food item *cough* chocolate!  It's saying, "oh it's the weekend!"  Which is exactly what was discussed at Weight Watchers this past week.  I had to miss because Emily was sick.  Man she was sick!  She is better.  So what you have to do is look at it this way:  weekends and holidays constitute to one third of our calendar year.  Yep one third.  So that is three months of over-the-top eating.  This does not include birthday's, weddings, baby showers, family reunions, cruises, or any other time you can think of where food is involved.  Any church activity, no matter your religious preference is likely to be littered with all kinds of tempting creations! 

So what do you do when you have a love affair with food?  Well, you do exactly what I am planning on doing.  I am picking up and not starting over, but moving forward.  Why on earth would I start OVER!?  Doesn't it make more sense to move on!?  And so that is what I am doing.  I am moving on.  It's not an easy road, but then nothing worth having ever is.

Pounds lost 12!  Yay me.   

Slow and Steady

Slow and steady wins the race.  I did not gain my weight over night.  I didn't even gain it six months.  I gained it over the period of about 6 years.  Slowly ever so slowly the scales tipped up and up.  At first my clothes were too tight.  But it's okay, cause I still look pretty good!  I did.  Then I needed a bigger size because it was no longer realistic to get into those jeans.  But I still looked pretty good.  And hey, I can eat that.  I am doing good.  By the time I got pregnant with Ryan I was the weight I had started at when I wanted to lose weight in the first place.  Ouch.

This week at WW our leader talked about investing in ourselves.  When we set money aside for a rainy day we are investing for ourselves.  When make healthy eating choices, have friends who help us along the way, and (gasp) exercise we are investing in ourselves!  And aren't we worth that investment!  Yes we are.  We are absolutely worth the investment.  She issued a challenge to us all.  To start walking.  Just ten minutes a day.  She said, "That means I open my door and walk for 5 minutes then turn around and come back."  Now that I can do.  And after a few days you add a couple more minutes.  And you are moving and investing in a healthier and happier you.  I can do that!

We all have our (weight) ups and downs.  Down is easy.  We celebrate.  We get motivated to keep going.  Weight gain is hard.  It challenges us.  Plateaus happen too.  But you carry on.  Because it didn't happen over night.  It happened over time.  Slow and steady wins the race.

And now for that cookie recipe you all have been drooling waiting for:

haystacks

1 12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups of fiber one cereal.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave.  Use the lower power setting and go in 30-40 intervals.  Stirring as you go.  Mix the cereal into the melted chips.  I kind of crunched them as I stirred, but not mashed.  Scoop out with a tablespoon and drop on to a cookie sheet with wax paper.  Put in fridge to harden.  It makes 24 and in WW land they are 1 point each.  This is a dirt cheap treat!  It tastes more like a candy bar than a cookie.  I would advise letting the cookie sit out a few minutes before eating(after they have hardened) because they are hard.  Remember they are made with fiber one cereal so don't over do it.  They can be frozen.  I have mine in the fridge.  So far, I am the only one eating them.  More for me!  If you try them, let me know what you think!

Remember...

Remember her?

There is less of her!

Week 9

pounds lost: 11