Reward!

When our kids are young and they do something good, we don't hesitate to reward them.  Sometimes we reward them with praise, and sometimes we reward them with hugs.  We also reward them with things.  So doesn't it make sense that we should also reward ourselves when we have done well???

I have spent a year now in my weight loss journey.  I am really struggling with the last 5 pounds.  It would be so easy to just quit.  But I want those last 5 gone. Aside from wanting them gone, what is my motivator to make them be gone?  I mean I do have skinny jeans now.  But, I also still have some muffin top there.    Or as Kim, my WW leader likes to call it, "mom stomach."  Yeah after three babies, it doesn't obey and bounce back into place.  It likes to hang around.  

So what can I do for rewards?  Let's start with the kind that don't cost money.  Food is always first in my thought, but then that is how I got here in the first place.  So onto non food rewards.  How about a nice hot bath.  I know ShortMama said this.  But let's face it, it is a good one.  

How about giving yourself a pedicure.  The whole deal.  Soaking your feet.  Putting lotion on them.  Painting your toes. 

Do you ever feel guilty for taking some time for yourself?  I mean while the kids are still up??  If there is someone home to watch them give yourself a time out.  (This is one I need to work on!) but you earned it.  You are working hard.

Naps.  Naps are always good.  I love a nap.  If naps are not for you, how about reading a book or watching a movie....you know that you like.

Monetary rewards:  jewelry.  I am not talking fine jewelry here.  I am talking just something to add to an outfit.  

By some stickers like stars or smiley faces.  Put them on the calendar when you have done something good.  Like exercise!  

Not quite in the next size down yet?  Buy a new blouse.  Get a belt to hold up the loose ones in the meantime.  Pick a funky one.  

Do you ever see something at Wally or Target that you want, but feel you just don't buy it because you don't need it?  How about a little gift...even if it is new oven mitts.  (I actually do need some!)

The point is, find a way to reward yourself for doing a good job!  This is not an easy journey.  And there will be bumps and trips along the way.  So why not treat yourself like a star!  How will you reward yourself?

I linked up with ShortMama!  Go and pay her a visit!

I Had NO Idea

Yesterday was my weekly weigh in with Weight Watchers.  I held my breath as I approached the scale.  It's been a busy month filled parties and food.  I walked when I could and I watched parts of that DVD I bought.  I chose low point foods and served myself smaller portions.  I ate half of my meal at lunch and saved the rest for the next day.  I got on the scale and to my joyous surprise I had lost 1.8 pounds.  Shoot, if I had peed before it would have been two!  But we will say two anyway.  ;)  Then I looked closer at my little booklet and boy was I surprised to see that I have lost 27.2 pounds!  I have lost nearly 30 pounds!!!  So I have set s goal to meet that 30 by Halloween!  Cheer me on over the next month and couple of days!  I just can't believe it.

Next post is Friday and I will recap the meeting about being Supermarket Savvy!  Lots of great tips and important good to know info!!! 

Weekly Report

It's time for my weekly report.  I continue to walk at least 2 to 3 times a week.  I have been dealing with some heavy duty knee pain so that makes it harder, but I still manage to get it in. 

I want to keep track more of what is going in my mouth.  Weight Watchers gives us these handy little booklets each week so that we can do just that.  I need to keep it visible. 

We've had a lot of parties and celebrations and more are coming.  Plus the holidays are fast approaching.  We will be covering that in the next few weeks.  I will touch  a little on it this Friday when I share the meeting.

As for my progress.  Well, I gained 4 tenths of a pound.  I actually thought it would be much worse.  So now I have a whole new week to work with.  I also bought me an exercise DVD.  I will at least watch it!  hahaha.  But to actually DO it is another story. 

How is your week going?

Seven Months and One Week

For seven months and one week I have been on my weight loss/healthier me journey.  It has taken me seven months and one week to lose 25 pounds.  It took me 7 weeks to lose my first 7.6 pounds.  And it took me 5 months to get to 20 pounds.  My point is slow and steady wins the race.  Think of the tortoise and the hare.  The hare thinks he is going to beat the tortoise because he is fast.  And what happens is the hare runs out of steam and has to stop.  The tortoise keeps plugging along.  And that is what we need to do.  Just keep plugging along.  If we take off at full speed we will quit before the race is over. 

Me in Feb.2010 and Me presently.

Where do I want to go to...?

This is my virtual model.  In 15 pounds it will be me, and I am going to rock the skinny jeans!!  

Come back on Friday to learn how to visualize success and start planning for the holidays before they get here! 

How Does It Feel?

How does it feel to lose a pound?  Well, go into your pantry and grab something, anything that weighs a pound.  Go ahead I will wait.

Pretty amazing huh?  Were you as surprised as me when you lifted it?  How about if you have lost 5 pounds?  Go grab that 5 pound bag of flour.  That would be five of those bad boys for me.  Not happy about a smaller loss...grab a stick of butter and imagine that extra bit of poundage on your arms, face or thighs. 

Does that get you excited to lose more, even when it is a smaller amount?  How about this:  For the next 8 weeks, Weight Watchers is donating a pound of food for every pound lost by its members.  Isn't that cool?  Not a member of Weight Watchers?  Not a problem.  For the next 8 weeks do your own pound for pound and donate it to a homeless shelter, or to the food drive that your kids school sponsors.  I am excited about this, and I want to donate!  So I want to lose...a lot!

There are 800 million underfed people, and at the same time there are 1.6 BILLION overweight people. 

So how about it?  Are you up for the challenge?

The only place achievement comes before work is in the dictionary.

Breaking Barriers

This week I finally broke a barrier.  It's a barrier I have been fighting with for at least 6 weeks now.  I wanted my tens column number to drop.  I was holding steady at the one or two( in the ones column)...depending on my week.  Well when school started I was walking my son to school.  Then he got moved to AM kindergarten.  I decided I would walk him home.  Then we hit triple digits heat by noon and there was no way I was walking in that.  Then our air conditioner broke.  I seriously must have sweated away what I lost, because yesterday I busted through that barrier!  My tens column number finally went down!  I am also comfortably fitting into the next size down.  So what am I doing?

1.  Three meals a day
2.  2 to 3 snacks a day--lately my mid day snack has been an apple
3.  I was having a real hard time with night time nibbling. And I mean lots of nibbling despite having a snack. I have changed that too!  When I feel the urge to nibble I chew gum, or eat carrots. 
4.  Since Rich had his surgery I was doing a lot the first few days.  It has slowed down some, but I am still moving more.
5.  Listening to my body's cues.  Am I really hungry? 

Next week Weight Watcher is doing something really cool!  For every pound that is lost they are donating a pound of food to local shelters.  Isn't that awesome!  I want to try and lose a pound each week.  With my birthday being tomorrow, that will be an interesting challenge!  But I still want to try and add to this wonderful cause!  It's a great motivator. 

What motivates you?

Stop Dieting!!

Stop dieting and start living!!  How many times have you heard yourself say, "Oh I can't have that....I'm on a diet."  It's time we stop dieting.  We need to tell ourselves that there is nothing we can't have, but how much do I need?  I loved this thought when I heard last week in Weight Watchers.  I can have anything I want, but how much do I NEED.  It's okay to indulge once in a while.  And when we are indulging keep in mind that the last bite will taste the same as the first.  

Our lovely Leader gave us some common scenarios for dieting and how to tackle them.  

#1:  I deprive myself until I end up overeating.

Solution:  Indulge in moderation.  Remember that the first and last bite taste the same.

#2:  I like to cook high fat favorites.

Solution:  Try low fat versions of the same favorites.  Shhh...don't tell the family.  They may not even notice.  

#3  I often skip breakfast to speed weight loss.

Solution:  Do not skip any many meal, especially not breakfast.  Get your metabolism in motion by feeding your body in the morning.  Not enough time?  Choose fruit that you can eat on the go.  Set the alarm a little earlier.  You are worth a good start to your day.  

#4  I lose my will power at parties and restaurants. 

Solution:  Share an entree with someone.  Have a snack before you go.  Park farther away so you have to walk to get to the party/restaurant.  Fill up instead on the salads and fruits.  Order your meal the way you want it.  It's okay... you are allowed.  And you are worth it.

#5  I weigh myself several times a day/week.

Solution:  Try to limit your weight check in to once a week, and at the same time.  Our weight fluctuates daily depending on time of day, what we have consumed, for women where we are in our cycle.  Look for NON SCALE VICTORIES:  clothes getting looser, measuring your waist, your arms, legs etc.  I have even dropped a shoe size!  

#6  I often eat while watching TV/reading

Solution:  We will get more satisfaction if we are focusing on just eating.  This is a huge challenge for me.  I like to watch TV while I have my lunch, or read blogs.  This is one I have to work on.

#7  I get frustrated when I don't lose weight right away.

Solution:  Slow and steady wins the race!  A healthy and successful weight loss is .2 tenths of a pound to 2.0 pounds per week.  To give a visual, a stick of butter would represent that .2 tenths.  Look at your arms....I think I have a couple of sticks on mine, but when I lost .2 a couple of weeks ago, well my arms were a little thinner!

Say no to the "ditching the diet" mind set and avoid deprivation.  It's not a diet, it's a "live it."

4 Diet Myths Debunked

I have perhaps one of the most awesomest (yeah, it's a word) leaders in the world of Weight Watchers.  She sends her members (who sign up) emails with recipes.  Emails with tips.  Emails with points values for things you would love to eat.  Most recently she sent us a quick email busting some of the most popular dieting myths! So I thought I would share them with you. 

Despite all we know about sound nutrition, myths lurk everywhere -- from a friend's misguided counsel to the latest fad-diet bestseller. Get the facts right here. MYTH: The healthiest diet is fat-free. FACT: "You need some fat for your body to function properly," says Karen Miller-Kovach, MS, RD, chief scientist at Weight Watchers International.Fat helps transport vitamins A, D, E and K to tissues throughout your body. And some dietary fats help regulate your hormones and keep your nervous system humming. "It also contributes to satiety," says Miller-Kovach, so you don't walk around perpetually hungry. The general recommendation is to keep your fat intake between 20 to 30 percent of your total daily calories. So don't be fat phobic, she says. "There's no need to shun all foods that contain fat." MYTH: Sugar is fattening. FACT: There's little scientific evidence that a high-sugar diet leads to obesity. Not that you'd want to (since sugar doesn't provide any of the vitamins and minerals needed for good health), but you could consume 2,000 calories worth of sugar a day and not gain weight — if your body requires 2,000 calories a day to maintain your current weight, says Columbia University nutrition professor Audrey Cross, PhD. Sugar is pure carbohydrate. Your body processes it the same way it does any carb, including bread and fruit. Of course, many sugary favorites, such as doughnuts, are not the best choice not just because of all the sugar, but also the fat. Fresh fruit, at just 1 to 2 POINTS® values per serving, is your best bet if you have a sweet tooth. MYTH: Food cravings are best ignored. FACT: "Ignoring a food craving can lead to backlash," Miller-Kovach says. If you feel deprived, you might give up and overindulge in the craved food. A better idea: "Go for the lowest-fat, lowest-calorie item in the category you're craving, say chocolate frozen yogurt for a chocolate fix," Cross suggests. Or have a small amount of the real thing, such as a square of high-quality chocolate. If neither curbs your craving, look at the bigger picture. Cross adds that a craving that persists could mean your diet is too limited, or that you could be craving emotionally, perhaps due to anxiety, anger or stress. MYTH: Eating at night leads to weight gain. FACT: It doesn't matter what time you eat; your body burns calories 24 hours a day. "Although your metabolism does slow down at night, it doesn't slow down enough to make a difference," says Miller-Kovach. So go ahead and eat dinner at 8 p.m., or have a midnight snack without feeling guilty. But do factor those choices into your POINTS Tracker! Overall, says Miller-Kovach, it's the number of calories you take in over the course of a week

What dieting myths have you heard that need busting?

Benefits

Aside from the obvious benefits of smaller clothes, and boosting the ego there are many other benefits.  Did you know that for every pound you lose, you relieve your knees of 5 pounds of pressure!?  Let me say that again, because it bears repeating.  For every ONE POUND you lose, you relieve you knees of FIVE POUNDS of pressure.  I don't like math, but I have lost 25 pounds.  That is 125 pounds of pressure.  Holy cow!  No wonder my knees were hurting!  What other things can it do when we eat healthier?  Well I haven't had my yearly yet, but I can't wait to see the numbers!!  My blood pressure was on the rise...for me normal is about 90/60.  Last October it was 130/80.  I can't wait to see the difference.  And then there are the cholesterol's.  The HDL's (good) will be up and hopefully the LDL's (the bad) will be down. 

Do you remember my post about Healthy Oils?  I have noticed a huge difference in my hair and skin.  There are so many benefits to this.  Aren't we worth those lovely benies??

The Power of Filling Foods!

We have been talking a lot about snacks lately.  Snacks, mindless eating, sneak eating and that ravenous I just got home from work get out of my way eating.   I am not forgetting my SAHM sisters.  I know how busy we are too.  Isn't just easier to grab something quick to stave off hunger?  The problem with those quick things is they are the least satisfying.  If I grab a couple of cookies or a small brownie, I am usually hungry in about 10 minutes.  The leader gave a very eye opening example.  A single two inch brownie is about the value of 5 points.  About 300 calories.  Five apples hold about the same amount of calories with the difference of quality.  Do I want that brownie?  Heck yeah!?  Am I going to eat 5 apples in one setting?  Ummm....no. 

Our leader went on to talk about our cars, and how they perform better if we keep the tank full and never let it get below half a tank.  We need to keep our tanks full too.  Have quality food prepared so that we can grab those things instead.    She went onto say that we should eat the minute we feel hungry.  Think about our kids...the little ones.  When they are hungry they tell us.  When they eat dinner, they stop when they are done.   I think we get out of practice of listening to our bodies.  Our body knows when we need to eat and sleep.  I am not saying you can't have a brownie ever again.  If you really want that brownie, add a cup of milk with it and a little fruit.  Or how about a 1/2 cup of fat free vanilla ice cream and a dollop of fat free cool whip.  You can add some fruit here too. 

Our challenge this week is to keep our tanks half full and to try and choose higher quality snacks.  Prepare ahead of time.

"Knowing is not enough; we must apply."  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe--writer

The Real Reveal!

My journey started in February and I looked like this...

 My eyes can't hardly believe that was ever even me!!  Larger than life...for realsies!  Than I lost my first ten and it felt great!

I felt great!

It gave me inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward.  It has taken me six months to come this far!  I am not about to stop now!  So without any further adieu!

TA-DA!

So what is it that I am doing?  Mostly it is better food choices and portion control.  It's not buying candy every time I am out.  It's not buying regular ice cream.  It's making cake with diet soda instead of oil.  It's chewing gum to keep me from nibbling when I don't need to.  It's going up the stairs instead of sending one of my kids up to get whatever it was I wanted.  It's cooking healthier.  It's trying new foods.    It's going to my Weight Watchers meetings.  It's all the wonderful support I receive from family and friends.  I can hardly wait to post the final picture!! 

A Reveal?

I had this all planned out.  I was going to have Kristin take a picture of me. I was going to take a picture of my prizes.  Here it is Thursday night and wouldn't you know it...I totally forgot about this.

I have lost 25 pounds since I started Weight Watchers back in February!! I was going to show a recent picture.  Well the above picture is as recent as it gets.  Soooo come Monday (I hope) I will have a more revealing picture--so to speak--and a shot of my reward for my latest milestone.

I am 11 pounds from where I think I want to be.  I say "think" because I can't picture how I will look.  I have to see it.  And once I get there, don't think for one moment I will give up this blog!  No way.  I will keep posting.   

Have a great weekend everyone.  I will see you Monday!!! 

The Teeter Totter

Did you know the world record for the teeter totter is 75 consecutive hours?  Seventy-five consecutive hours of ups and downs.  Our weight is like a teeter totter too.  We have our ups and downs. 

This week in Weight Watchers we talked about our own teeter tottering on the scale.  One of our biggest culprits to weight loss plateaus is when we loosen our efforts.  I made brownies on Monday.  They were gone by last night.  I ate three.  For me, that is good. Focusing on the positive is part of our arsenal in the battle of the bulge.  I could easily beat myself up for eating any brownies at all, but the fact that I only ate three is, for  me, a small victory.  We should also recognize our efforts, especially when we start to slip.  And when we slip what should we do?  We pick up right then and there.  You certainly wouldn't leave spilled milk, or a broken glass.  You would immediately clean it up and restore your floor.  So why not restore your habits?

Our good habits include:  breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner, and a snack.  Water.  Get those fruits and veggies in.  Move more.  Remember if calories in are less than calories out it = weight loss.  Watch out for BLT's...bites, licks, and tastes.  Consider a bite to be about 100 calories.  Seriously.  Or if you are on Weight Watchers it is a point.  Yes indeed.  How fast would we fill a plate if we put all those BLT's on it throughout a day?  Choose foods that satisfy both in the tummy and the mind.

To add to last weeks food for thought the leader gave us this to think about:

Watch your actions, for they become your habits, watch your habits for they become your character; watch your character for it becomes your destiny.

What actions will you choose?  

Measure of Success

How do we measure our success?  Is it by a scale?  Measuring our waistlines?  A lot of times we play a numbers game.  I know I do.  Especially where the scale is concerned.  I need to see this number in order to be acceptable.  And if I have a gain, I have failed.  But if I look at the big picture and see that I have had mostly losses along the way I can see that sometimes I lose a little, sometimes I lose nothing, and sometimes I lose a lot.  

I also finally started exercising.  I am not super committed to it yet, but I am doing worlds better than before.  That is a success.  Every time we do something to better ourselves it's a success! 

Do you know that the way we talk to ourselves is also a success?  Have you ever said, "Oh well, I already screwed up so I might as well throw the towel in?"  Or... maybe "I won't be able to lose that much anyway."  So what do we say instead?  "I messed up, yeah.  So I am going for a walk right now, and picking up where I left off"  "Those last 5-10 pounds will may hard, but I'm going to do it."

Our leader left us with this food for thought....


"Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.  Watch your words, for they become your actions."

What are your thoughts?

Are We There Yet???

Are we there yet?  Is the phrase often uttered in a car on a long trip.  It usually starts about 5 minutes into the trip.  If you are lucky.  I like to think of weight loss as a road trip.  We have a destination.  We don't just go we take a map.  If you are savvy you bring a GPS that will tell you in 100 yards to turn left.  It couldn't be easier.  We have dvd players in our cars so the kids won't be bored.  But we hit little bumps in the road.  Sometimes someone gets sick, or the car overheats.   Our weight loss journey is very similar.

We have a goal.  We follow a life style of eating and living.  We use tools to help us keep on track.  We find creative ways to have good and yummy treats the whole family can enjoy and not be bored.  As a result, our family learns a healthier way to eat and gains a healthier relationship with food.  Yes, you can totally have a relationship with food. 

But I find myself whining lately.  Are we there yet??  Why is it so long?  Why can't I eat what I want?  Well the truth is:  I am getting there.  It's long because it will be more effective in the long run.  I can eat whatever I want.  No really.  If I want to eat a full on hot fudge sundae, I can.  I have to count it.  So what can I eat instead?  Well how about a lower fat version of the same?  There are a lot of options out there.  And every once in a while, the real thing is okay too. 

Another thing that keeps me going is seeing pictures of me before.  Wow.  Some of them are too scary to post at all.  But I see them and it gives me new motivation.  So instead that skinny picture of me from the first time I did it, I focus on the me I am trying to get away from.  What is your motivation?

Remember on Monday to link up with me.  Show me your beautiful self! 

Weight Loss: .8
Total Loss: 18.8

So close!!!

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