Hola!

Well, the "girls spend the night" was a success. I managed to shove Coke's and icecream down their traps and they think I'm the greatest. We also did nails and hair. I actually had a nice time. Little girls are so fun to talk with and listen to them talk to each other. I giggled a lot.

Anyhoo... yesterday as I pulled into the parking lot of the park, it began POURING. Like, flash floods. So mty 6 miler (which I was really pumpep up for) was a no go. :( Today I went to my "total body" class at the Y. I have a love/hate relationship with it. It's hard as hell, but you feel great afterwards. I also earn 4 pts doing. Unfortunately my little girl was not happy in the child care and I was called out of class halfway through. Oh well, 2 APs earned!

I broke a rule tonight. I dipped into my Flex by 4 pts. And I didn't have to, I was having a "moment" and HAD to eat more "snacks." It was dessert and I had made it specifically to be point friendly. I feel "icky" for over eating, but I have to tell myself that it could have been WAY worse. Good news is that it's all still "OP."

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:
3 Kashi Blueberry Waffles: 3 pts
Sugar Free Syrup: 0pt
ICBINB (I Can't Believe It's not Butter): 0 pt
Apple: 1pt

Lunch:
Turkey/ff Feta sandwich: 3 pts
Pretzel thins: 2 ps

Snack:
WW Chocolate muffin: 3 pts
Coffee with ff creamer: 0 pts

Dinner:
1/2 glass of wine: 1pt
Flat Out Quesadilla with ff refried beans, spinach leaves, salsa, mozzerella: 4 pts
FF sour cream: 1 pts

Dessert/Snack: (I was jonesing for some serious snacks)
4 Angel Food Cake/Pineapple muffins: 8 pts (I had too much, but they were sorta small and GOOD)
1 WW icecream sand: 2 pts

Total: 28 pts
AP's earned: 2 pts
Used 4 Flexies


Gotta get back to watching "Kathy Griffin's: My Life on the D List." LOVE that show!

I weighed in and it wasn't as bad as I had expected! Only up 1 lb! How the heck did that happen?

I left feeling refreshed and ready to take the bull by the horns. :) It's 4:30pm here now. I've basically sat around all day in my bed (during Amelia's naps) and just chilled. I haven't done that in soooooo long. I ran out for my meeting and a mocha and that was it. Awwww the joy of having only one child. It feels like a vacation.

But, I won't be with only one child for long. My God daughters are coming over for a sleep over tonight. We're doing manicures and pedicures and watching "Mean Girls." I don't know whose more excited: me or them. LOL We're going to take over Fischer's bunk beds and set up girl camp. It's going to be fabulous! Those festivities start at 7pm.

In the mean time..... I'm going running in half an hour. I don't know where or for how long yet. I really should do at least 4 miles. 6 miles if I want to be a show off. After that I may head to the store to get some goodies for our sleepover. What do girls like? Swiss Cake Rolls? Candy? Coke? Their mother would kill me if I sugared them up.

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:
WW chocolate muffin: 3 pts

Lunch:
Subway Turkey sub: 6 pts
Chips: 3 pts

Snack:
Tall Mocha: 3 pts

Dinner:
3 pt Flat Out quesadilla with ff refried beans, tomatos, spinach, onions.

Snack: (with the girls)
WW icecream sandwich: 2 pts

Total: 20 pts

That leaves me with 2 pts to spare PLUS the 4 AP's I'm planning on earning with the run. So, plenty of room to snack a little.

Good Morning!

Today is Monday. It's weigh in day and Flex Point renewel day! I'm ready to give it my all and start all over with a new goal and new motivation. :) I feel pumped. I'm learning that what makes a person successul at weight loss (and maintaing at that) is not being perfect all the time. But, instead, having the humility to start over and keep trying. Even if it's 20 times in a row. All it takes is one time to "stick."

Here's my plan today:

Weigh in (expecting a gain, but that ok)

Run 3 miles, maybe 6 (3 in the morning, 3 in the evening)

Stay OP!

Put my "big girl" panties on and do the right thing.

I'll post tracker later.

I stuck to my guns! :)

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:
1 pt WW english muffin: 1 pt
2 tbsp ff cream cheese: 1pt
1 tbsp sugar free jelly
coffee: 0pt

Lunch:
Whole wheat penne pasta: 4 pts
Checca sauce: 3 pts
2 pcs bread: 4 pts

Snack:
Mocha Lite Frappiccino: 3 pts

Dinner:
Boca Chili: 1 pt!! (12 g of fiber)
1 roll: 1 pt

Snack:
2 glasses wine: 4 pts

Run 3 miles= 3 APs earned

Totall used: 24 pts
APs applied: 3

NO flexies used!!!

This has got to stop! Well, here I am on the tail end of a 3 day junk food binge. (Notice how I haven't posted in the last three days) I'm so mad at myself. My mom came in town and it's like my eating habits went hay wire. I wonder if the whole "mother-daughter" relationship had anything to do with it???? The first day she was in town was easy because I wasn't feeling well and didn't feel like eating. Then came... fried shrimp, french fries, bread, cupcakes, bbq pork, baked beans, carb over load! Today alone I had 2 events: 1 picnic and 1 bbq party. I (of course) did well up until dinner. And therein lies the problem. Dinner. That's where my will power fails. Miserably fails. The sun goes down and my cravings peek.

So, I'm going to type out my weight since I've offically crept up, but been in completel denial. I got on this morning and it was 144! That's 5 lbs up from a week and a half ago! Grrrrrr..... I can't explain how mad that makes me. I've worked too hard to get fit to let it all go for freaking fried shrimp!

Alas! All hope is not lost. See, I have this best friend. And this best friend happens to be a therapist. SO I call said best friend and gripe to her about my last week and the frustration I'm feeling. She points out some key things. 1. I'm a super star when it comes to working towards some goal. If I keep my eye on the prize, I get there. On the flip side (2.) I have a hard time when I've reached a goal. I sort of fizzle out and feel unfocused. I'm a person that likes "projects." I like to pick things up, learn to do them well and then move on to the next thing. And so I think I've done this with my weight loss. Ever since I reached 139 I've been unable to really crack that weight. At least not at weigh ins. I looked back at my tracker and I've bounced around that weight since JANUARY!!!! It's June! That's 5 months of messing around and not really staying op seriously. Granted, I've not had major gains at all (well, at least up until the last week), but still.

So after my long phone call with my BFF, I get all this out and feel a little more focused. She knows all the details of the Weight Watchers plan through me, so we figured out a "custom" plan for me. My main challenges are night eating and "events." By "event" I mean any time I'm not in control of the food served. But, since I'm able to "count" on an event coming up, I need to plan. We decided that I will not use my flex points for regular old days. That means no flexies used for last minute brownie binges. Or seconds at dinner. Instead I'll save them for an unexpected event. We have a close knit group of neighbors around and there's always one night a week we end up on the porch with a bottle of wine. That's the best time to utilize my flex points. I need to get back to what makes WW so successful- the flexibilty. If I use it the way it's intended, there is plenty of room for treats. If I abuse the plan, I paint myself in a corner. It's all becoming clear why I've not lost the last 5 months!

Another thing I've decided is that I'd like go back to my original goal of 135 lbs. My leader and I changed it to 139 lbs since I was sticking to that weight. But now that we know why I was sticking to that weight..I think it's time to finish what I started. I WILL do this! I want to do this with the same determination I had a year ago when I started this blog at 184 lbs. If I go by 144 lbs, then that means I have 9 lbs to lose. I can do this. I need to do this.

So, with all this hinds sight, I'm yet again starting over. What else can I do?

Good day today. Went to the Botanical Gardens with the kids. They had a Bug exibit which basically consisted of big sculptures of grasshoppers and butterflies. Fischer totally thought it was a real bug. lol We spent most of the time playing in the fountains and sliding down slides. Then we had our own little picnic. We're going again tomorrow with a friend. Can't get enough..

I'm going to a Total Body class at the YMCA today. I've been twice and it's tough stuff! Boot camp. Seriously. I earn about 4 pts doing it (probably more). Luckily I meet friends there, so it keeps me going even when I don't feel like it. I'm really liking group fitness. I've been running so long that I forget that it's nice to mix things up and exercise with other people!

Totally forgot to post this, but I had to share. Last Friday night we went bowling with some friends. I saw an old college friend (a guy) that my roomates and I hung out with all the time our sophmore year. I go up to him and give him a hug and say hey. Yeah, he didn't know WHO I was! Totally didn't recognize me. I had to explain to him who I was. "Yeah, I'm Jen.?? Roomates with Dee and Betty??!" FInally he remembered and then kept looking at me funny. I know it was because I lost a bunch of weight. I was probably 160 in college. I'm 139 now. Well, that and my hair is long. I wore a short, pixie cut in college. Anyway, it felt good to have yet another person not recognize me. :) It spurs me on!

Here's my tracker so far:

Breakfast:
WW muffin=3 pts
Tall Mocha (nf, no whip)= 3 pts

Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich (made with high fiber bread and ff mayo and cheese)= 4 pts
Grapes= 1 pts
Coke Zero= 0 pts

Snack:
Something around 3-4 pts

Dinner:
Probably grilled chicken with some broccoli and rice= 7 pts

Dessert:
WW icecream: 2 pts

I plan to earn 4 AP's, so I'm ahead of the curve on my points!

I weighed in today and I'm STILL not at goal! Grrrr..... I didn't gain, but I lost just .2 or something like that. Oh well, just gotta keep doing what I'm doing. :)

My day was full of errands, painting my kitchen and running! I made something fun for dinner. Roni's website inspired me to make Zucchini pizza rounds. Just sliced zucchini, sprayed with olive oil and added garlic powder, salt, pepper, marinara and mozzerella cheese. Very good! A whole plate full for only 4 pts.

Here's my tracker:

Special K Cereal with skim milk: 3 pts
Mocha: 3 pts

1 slice pizza: 7 pts
1/2 salad: 4 pts

Zucchini pizza: 4 pts

WW icecream: 2 pts
Reduced fat cheezits: 6 ps ( I was hungry)

Total: 29 pt
AP's : 4 pts
Flex used: 1 pt

Today was a very relaxing Saturday. Ed, being the sweet heart that he is, let me sleep in. It's amazing what 30 minutes to an hour of extra sleep will do! I was refreshed. I got dressed and took Fischer to Home Depot to get some more herbs for my herb garden. I'm addicted to planting herbs all over my back porch. :) We met some friends for lunch and then everyone came back home and took a nap. Ahhhhh..... Then I went out for my 6 mile run. Unfortunately I hadn't eaten since lunch and it was 6pm. After 4miles I was feeling very dizzy. So, I ended up walking back and only did 4 miles. :( I've got to learn to time my meals right. That, and eat more protein! LOL (see tracker below)

After my run I stopped at Subway and devoured a sub, then I head to Sports Authority. I'm due for new shoes and found the exact ones I have now on sale! So I bought some. Also picked up some capri running tights and a halter top. I "get" why runners talk about getting fabrics that keep you dry. Otherwise you feel sticky and on long runs, you don't want to feel sticky. :) You need to breath... I eyed the running belts with the mini bottles of water. I think I'm going to need one soon. If I run longer than 3 miles, I need water or some of that "gel" that Power Bar sells. It's like a packet of gel that gives you a booste. Sound gross, but I see it's point.

Here's my tracker:

Tall Mocha: 3 pts
WW muffin: 3 pts

Lunch: (Taco Mac)
Tortilla: 3 pts
Tortilla chips: 4 pts
Cheese dip: 4 pts

Subway Turkey Sub: 6pts
Baked Lays: 2 pts
Diet soda

Total: 25 pts
Activity: 4 miles: 4 AP's

Ok- my camera is finally cooperating with me! Here are some recent pics. Ignore my dirty mirror.
138 lbs:

For comparison:185 lbs

Man, I actually have muscle! I used to hate my legs. Now I LOVE them! :)

So, I got on the scale this morning and I'm back in the 130s!!! 139.7 to be exact! Oh man, I needed that. I was feeling pretty down about the gain. I promised myself I wouldn't get back on the scale until tomorrow morning. :)

Tonight we're going to dinner with some good friends for a birthday. Sushi! The perfect WW-friendly dish. 4 Large pieces of a California roll is only 3 pts. VERY point friendly. :) So, I'm put together my tracker for the day. I find that if I plan my meals, the day goes smoother.

Daily Tracker:

Starbucks nf, no whip Mocha= 3pts
Special K bar= 2 pts

Subway Turkey Sub (no cheese or oil, lite mayo)= 6 pts
Bag of Lays Lite Chips = 1 pt

Bowl of strawberries= 1 pts
WW chocolate muffin= 3 pts

4 pcs of California Roll= 3 pts
Edamame= 1pt
2 glasses of wine= 4 pts

Total: 24 pts

I plan on running or doing a sculpting class at the Y today. Haven't decided yet, but both will equal 4 APs. :) So I'll have 4 pts to spend on where I see fit.

Been a while! Well, I've had a weird week. One half of the week I was evil and bad. The other half I managed to reign myself in and stay OP! Unfortunately the scale is still showing my evil ways. This morning I was 141.5. Then (which I shouldn't have done), I weighed myself after breakfast and it said 144lbs! What the?! It scared me to pieces.

I think that's the hardest thing about this whole weight loss thing. I see the numder: 144 and think: "That's just 6 lbs from 150lsb!" Then I freak. I get depressed and I fall off program out of pure frustration. Which is silly. I seriously get a panic feeling when I mess up and see it on the scale. And the truth is I have messed up a lot lately. But I got my mojo back the last 3 days and feel good. I had a set back last night and had some cheese dip with bread- but I planned for it and I think I traded points equally. And I'm exercising every day. So hopefully I'll be back to my old 138 lbs self in a week's time. :)

Here's my tracker:

Special K Bar=2 pts
Mocha= 3pts

Turkey sandwich= 5 pts
WW pretzel thins= 2 pts

bag of ff popcorn = 4 pts ( I thought it was 1 pt and was very sad when I realized I devoured 4 pts)

soup with flatout pizza (the plan)=4 pts

3 pt snack

24 pts total

3 AP's= plan to run 3 miles this evening

Well, I was only up 1.2 lbs! I was shocked. I really, really did think that I gained 3 lbs at least. Phew!

Yesterday was a good food day. I stayed on Core, used 6 of my flexies for bread sticks with my salad. Then we went to the park in the afternoon and Ed played with the kids while I ran 4 miles. I just felt better. It's amazing what one good day will do for you.

My only food challange this week will be eating Mexican food on Thursday for a friend's birthday. Chips and salsa are my downfall, so I'll need to really save flex points for that, but also refraind from gorging myself.

I'll post tracker later!

I've been in denial.

So ever since the beach I've been on this "everthing I eat turns to air" kick. I ate so horribly and then got home and didn't appear to have gained. So, in my head I felt like I didn't have to be as on top of things. Well, now my beach trip is coming back to haunt me and this past week is raging against me. Ugh. I feel like a bloated cow. It doesn't help that I got my period (that's for all you guys that read my blog). I've just thrown in the towel this week. And as bad as I feel and as unmotivated as I am, I know the key is to talk it out and move forward. This is all part of the process. Yada, yada, yada.

So..as much as I want to avoid weigh in tomorrow (I'm probably up 3 lbs....seriously), I'm going to go. *sigh*

I'm back on Core. I think I did better on that plan and I think when I said I wanted to switch back to Flex, I was really just wanting to eat crap. I pretty much feed my kids Core all day- might as well eat along with them.

It's interesting what your head can do. If you're in a bad frame of mind, you're screwed! And you know what's the worst? All the crap food I've eaten in the last 2 weeks wasn't even worth it. At all. Today I felt so discouraged that I bought a candy bar with the intention of eating the whole thing. I haven't done that in a year probably. It's a hording mentality. And I keep doing that thing I did in the past with diets: "I'll start back tomorrow." I should know by now that is not the way to do this. That mentality does not work. IT DOES NOT WORK! It's funny what lies you'll believe to get what you want in the moment. :)

Good news is that I'm still running. I hit my goal this week. Ran at least 3 days. Next week is the same thing. I love this weather. It's so peaceful to run.

Tomorrow is a new day and I'm going to choose to stop my bad eating habits. It's never too late to stop. And it's also a joy to eat well. I really do enjoy it and I know my body thanks me. So, with that, I bid farewel!! LOL I"ll post weigh in tomorrow.

I weighed in!! I'm happy to report it came to 139.2lbs! So I had not gained 10 lbs while on vacation last week?!! Yeah! Now, if I can just get under the .2 lbs so that I can have an official celebration of goal at my meeting.

Been doing well the past few days. Doing flex again and my oh my how I miss my WW chocolate muffins! LOVE them! I bought two boxes of them at Wal Mart. There's just something about waking up in the morning and having my muffin and coffee together. Ahhhhhh.... I've focused on getting in lots of water and making healthy choices. So far, so good.

I've decided to set a sort of running schedule to keep myself going and being consistent. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I run. Sundays will be my long run days. The "off" days will be optional. I can run, walk, do yoga or strength training. The key is to stay active. I really want to focus on strengthening my running muscles. It was no fun that week I injured my knee. So, hopefully I can reduce injury by building those muscles up. :)

Today has been a nice day. Fischer went to school, Amelia and I went to Weight Watchers to weigh in (me, not her), then I came home and just "played" with the kids all day. I bought this ginormous pool at Wal Mart. Ya know the kind that is 2 feet deep and has it's own pump? Yes, that's what's in my yard. But, I do have a backyard with a privacy fence, so the "tacky" factor is partially hidden. Luckily it's only 5 ft in diameter, so it's not too overhwhelming. My son is a fish, so this summer I'm willing to kill a large circle of my grass to let him have pool time. I get cool mom points for that. Anyhoo, Fischer and I hung out on our deck and pretended like we were at the beach. I read a book and sipped ice water with a straw (it's easier for me to drink a lot of water with a straw for some reason. It's my new "thing") and Fischer threw every plastic toy he had outside in his pool and then scooped it out with his "fishing net." Good times..

Here's my tracker so far:

Breakfast:
WW muffin: 3 pt
Coffee: 0pt

Lunch:
Bowl of Vegetarian Chille: 8 pts (didn't realize it was that much)
1/2 avacado: 4 pts
1 dollap ff plain yogurt: 0 pt

Snack:
WW bar: 1 pt
ww muffin: 3 pts

Dinner:
Vegetarian Lasagna: 5 pts

Total used: 24 pts
Activity points: 4 pts (run 4 miles)
Points left: 2 pts

I'll probably have a 2 pt snack late tonight.

No flexies used! :)

Back from vacation and I barely got out alive! The week was chuck full of Krispy Kreme, hamburgers, fries, fried seafood of all kinds, hushpuppies, cookies, bbq ribs...you name it. Phew! Day one I did well. Day two I was full on stuffing myself every hour. Ugh. But, when I got home the scale only had me at a 1 lbs gain. So I hope that it doesn't catch up with me next week. Oy!

I've sort of been back and forth in my head about continuing with the Core plan. I really love that I don't have to track every last thing, but I'm also missing some of my old staples. I'm really missing being able to eat anything I want. I like the fact that Core stresses "whole" foods, but I'm just feeling a bit "frenzied" by night time- wanting a Smart Ones or a WW chocolate muffin. I can't really eat "on the go" with Core. Oh...what to do, what to do..... I think I might continue eating mostly Core foods, but track them. So, doing Flex with an emphasis on Core foods. That way I can spend points where I want to if I get a hankerin' for something. :)

I've noticed a lot of anxiety surrounding my eating habits lately. I'm trying to get in the habit of this maintainence thing. Unfortunatley I haven't been to weigh in in 4 weeks! There just isn't enough hours in the day. I start to feel really discouraged by that and then I remember that I've had a lot on my plate. It's hard for me to admit that because I've had to have such a die hard mentality of "no excuses" this whole journey. But, when I look back at the last few months, they've been some of the more stressful months of my life. And yet I've been able to maintain my weight. I may not have lost a ton, but at least I didn't gain 10 lbs! So, that said, I'm proud of myself. It's like a seed was planted and I've watched this new ability spring up in me that is capable of moving forward without beating myself up for things. I just have to remind myself of that. That's sort of huge for me. :) It's like my leader says: "It's not about being perfect. It's about progress."

Moving forward... I went to Trader Joe's today and stocked up on some serious Weight Watcher's friendly foods. So delish! I love that place. Ed and I are obsessed with grilling out. We love our new back deck. It's like another "family room" for us. We're out there all the time. My herb garden is growing so well out there that I'm cooking with them all the time. Tonight we grilled shrimp and veggies. And I made some fried polenta with a chickpea/tomato sauce. Big flavor all around!

So...tomorrow I'll start back with tracking points.

Okay, here's some recent pics! I had my 10 year class reunion Saturday night and had a lot of fun. Felt good, young, and drank too much wine. :) Oh! And I ran 4 miles yesterday and my knees were fine! YAH! I'm back to my old self. :)




(These are the "drink too much wine" pics)















Today's Tracker:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal
Coffee with skim milk
banana

Lunch:
WW Cous Cous with chickpeas, diced tomatos, and mushrooms
Avacado

Snack:
NF Latte

Dinner:
Lean Strip Steak
Baked potato with ff cottage cheese
Steamed broccoli with mushrooms and shallots poured on top

Here's a pic of my lunch. It was so pretty, I just thought I'd capture it. LOL




I have some updated weight loss pics but my camera is being funky and won't let me upload them to my computer. I'm working on it....

Time flies...

Well, I've had several days of eating well under my belt and my weight has dropped back down to 139-ish. Phew! It's amazing what having a back deck does. You want to grill out more! So I've been getting my fill of grilled meat and veggies. :)

My life has been nothing put unpacking the last few days. I took a break from that to plant some tomato plants in my new, full-sun, back yard. I planted 4 tomato vines, two sweet pepper plants and some herbs. I've never had luck with herbs before. But I'm hoping they're grow well this time. I planted cilantro, rosemary, thyme, chives, basil and lavendar. *Crossing my fingers.*

My 10 year high school reunion is tomorrow night! How convenient that I'm at my goal weight. :) I would have probably avoided it had I been overweight. That's what being out of shape does to you, you want to miss everything. I'm glad that I feel happy and healthy and excited to see old friends. Tonight my friend Monica and I are going shopping for something to wear to the reunion. Monica is my "What Not To Wear" consultant. Only the best of friends can tell you that something looks awful on you. She's priceless.

I can't wait for next week when there is nothing on the agenda. :)

Here's my dialy tracker for today:

Breakfast:
Oats-n-Flax oatmeal
peach

Lunch:
Whole wheat cous cous topped with lean ground beef, mushrooms and tomato sauce
Mangos

Snack:
Grande Mocha (non fat, no whip)

Dinner plan:
Chicken skewers on the grill
Steamed broccoli

Hola from my new house! We moved in yesterday and are settling in nicely! I'm still pinching myself hourly. I cannot belive this is my house! I have a jacuzzi tub for pete's sake!!!!

On the eating front- yesterday was not my best day. It was pretty difficult to eat Core foods on the go. SO I pretty much ate crap. Pizza, sub, donuts, chips, you name it. Good news is that I probably earned some APs to even things out. :) Bad news is that I got on the scale this morning and it read 143!!! I was just 139 two days ago! What gives??? Oh well...moving forward.

I went running Sunday and hurt my knee. So I'm trying to hold back on running for a week to give it some time to heal. I'm really bummed too because my last few runs felt almost effortless. Might be time for new shoes...

I'll post later with my daily tracker.....

Tired, as usual....

Here's my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
whole grain cereal
skim mlik
banana

Snack:
grande mocha (2 pts used)
1/4 PB&J (3 pts)
1 clementine

Lunch:
whole wheat cous cous made with chicken broth and diced tomatos
ff sour cream

Snack:
ff/sf chocolate pudding

Dinner:
Grilled chicken salad with ff vinegarette

Snack:
1 bag ff popcorn

Busy day. Doing well with Core. Still learning the ins and outs. Ed took a half day and we went out with the kids to run errands and then eat dinner. We went to R. Thomas and I had to get their wings! So good!

Anyway, here's my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
Whole grain cereal
skim milk
banana

Snack:
Grande Mocha (count 1 pt)

Lunch:
TJ's grilled chicken skewers
cous cous (2 pts)
corn/green beans

Snack:
ff popcorn

Dinner:
R Thomas grilled hot wings (counting 8 pts for skin and sauce to be safe)
Grilled veggies
Blue cheese dressing (3 pt)

Snack:
edemame
sf/ff pudding

Well, I packed my scale, so I have no idea where I stand! LOL I switched to Core seriously last week and after reading further into what are actually Core foods and what aren't, I realized I ate lots of non Core foods this week! So, I'm sorta expecting to maintain or gain a little. Mainly because I ate all my Flexies this week too. I found a great site to help me answer my questions about The Core Plan. Here's a link if you're interested: http://jopax.home.mindspring.com/id15.html

I was paid a visit by my montly friend this weekend. Good times.... That explains my massive snack attacks the last week. Also my icky, bloated feeling I've had for a couple days. I keep telling myself: at least I feel gross and bloated in a size 4 and not a size 14. One bad day can sometimes make me feel like I've gained all 60 something pounds back.

The last few weeks have just been so crazy. Selling and buying a home is not for the faint of heart. I'm tired, grumpy, and ready to be in my new house. That way I can stop using "moving" as my excuse for generally being off plan. lol This limbo state doesn't suite me well.

The weather was awful this weekend and I couldn't get in my long run in. :( This is when I wish I had a treadmill. It would be so nice to have the option of running after the kids are in bed. *sigh*

Here's my daily tracker. Even though I'm not counting on Flex Plan, I still would like to be accountable.

Breakfast:
Whole Grain O's
FF milk

Snack:
FF latte
orange

Lunch:
Willy's steak salad (lettuce, blk beans, steak, olives, cilantro, onions, roasted red peppers, avacado,ff sour cream and salsa for dressing)
Diet coke

Dinner:
Chicken breast
Brown rice
avacado

Snack:
1 bag ff Kettle Corn popcorn

Did 4 miles today! Karyn and I traded off and watched eachother's kids while the other ran. I think that's going to be the key to training for this 1/2 marathon we're doing in October. Oh yeah, did I mention I'm doing a half-marathon in October? :)

I earned 4 APs so I spent them at lunch when Ed took me and Amelia to one of our fav restaurants called Salsa. Cuban food. Delish! I got a Roasted Chicken dish with steamed veggies. I spent my APs on chips/salsa. I tell ya, chips are a major trigger food for me. :) But luckily I had to pick Fischer up from preschool so I couldn't over do it.

We're moving in a week. I'm slowly settling into panic mode. I'm hoping my running will help offset my nerve. Right now I feel like the poster child for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Yeah, that's right, I went "there."

c

Still running when I can in the midst of packing.

Here are some pics from my afternoon run the other day with my friend Karyn. This is the 3 mile leg I do. City running is interesting.






Well I had a gain after my Easter Fest at my weigh in. But I'm glad I went to the meeting and faced the music. A friend at the meeting has been having the same issue with losing the same 3 lbs for months. We decided to switch to the Core Plan this week. I can already tell a differene. I feel "cleaner." Less processed foods makes you feel so much better. So I've successfully done that all week. So I'm expecting a good weigh in next week.

Happy Easter Weekend!

We celebrated Amelia's first birthday today with my family and boy did I chow down! Yikes. I just got caught up in all the festivities. I didn't stuff myself, just ate high fat foods. Went to brunch this morning and had eggs benedict, then had hot dogs (ff) and coleslaw and chips for lunch. Then the same for dinner. Oh, and did I mention I also had to have a piece of my delicious carrot cake with cream cheese icing that I made for Amelia???? And vanilla bean ice cream???? I can't remember the last time I had ice cream. Anyhoo, I definitely feel like I didn't make wise choices, but I didn't binge by any means, so I'm proud of that. I think I got it out of my system, so tomorrow's Easter festivities won't be all that tempting.

I haven't weighed myself since mid week. I hope I'm on track. If not, I know the right thing to do is forgive myself and move on. That's the only way to do it. I'm getting used to this whole maintainance thing. It's weird. I sort of suspected that I'd feel a little more freedom to eat "no no" foods this week. All my hard work over the last 11 months has paid off and I'm settling in to enjoy it. I think I just needed one day I could avoid points and just have the freedom to splurge within reason. I'm certainly not intending to eat like this all the time, but once in a blue moon, you have to be able to eat the "no nos." :)

Tomorrow I'm back OP! I'm sure there will be temptations, but I'm a big girl and I can wear my "big girl pants" and have some self discipline. LOL Ed got tickets to The Masters so he'll be gone all day from sun up to sun down. So it's Easter with the kids alone. :( But I know Ed loves it and those tickets are nearly impossible to get, so I'm trying to be a good sport about it. We're planning on meeting up with Ed's family, so I'll have some help. I won't be able to get a run in tomorrow and that's one thing I really want to do.

I reached goal!!!!! I weighed in a 139.4. You're probably saying: "Wait...isn't 135 lbs your goal?"

Well, kinda sorta. See, I talked to my WW leader about this darn 2-3 lbs I kept gaining and losing since January. She suggested that I adjust my goal to 139 lbs. She thinks my body is leveling off and said that if I'm in a size 4 at 5'6", I'm at a good "skinny" weight. It's smack dab in the middle for what's recommended for my height and it's something I can realistically maintain. So, after thinking about it, I decided to officially change it! So, I'm officially starting maintainance with WW!!! Now I'm still planning on following the plan as I have. I wouldn't mind getting down to that 135 mark. But, with my goal adjusted, the pressure of losing quickly is now removed. And once I maintain 139 for 6 weeks, I don't have to pay WW's anymore!

So after my meeting I went to Marshall's to check out their spring dresses. I have my 10 yr reunion this month and need something "knock out." :) I found some cute things, but decided not to buy anything just yet. Then I was pleasantly surprise by my friend Tara who spontaneously called me to see if I wanted to have a late dinner with her. I was starving! So we went to one of my favorite places here in Atlanta called R Thomas. Great, organic food. Big flavor and mostly healthy. They make these free range chicken wings (grilled) that are to die for! We split a wing plate and got some hummus and raw veggies on the side. Perfect dish!

Phew! I feel like a load has been lifted off. I feel good. I'll have to get an "at goal" pic posted up here shortly. :)

Daily Tracker:
Special K Bar: 2 pts
Apple: 1 pt

Snack:
WW muffin: 3 pts

Lunch:
Salad topped with:
chicken: 2 pts
Mozz cheese: 2 pts
green beans: 0 pts
tomatoes: 0pts
Cilantro dressing: 1 pt
Whole grain chips: 2 pts

Snack:
Handful of goldfish: 1 pt (?)
Mocha: 4 pts
sf, ff pudding: 1pts

Dinner:
Grilled chicken wings: 15 pts (estimation)
hummus: 2 pts
veggies: 0 pts

Daily Points: 36 pts
Flex used: 11 pts
Ap's earned:3 pts

Is it Sunday already? Wow, the week has flown by. Anyhoo, I'm pround of my efforts this week. I really did reign it in and I have kept myself in check with pickng the right foods. And my scale showed it thise morning. But my official weigh in is tomorrow.

I went to the park yesterday and attempted to run 6 miles. I don't know if it was my allergies or a cold coming on, but by mile 4 I had to stop and walk the rest. It was still a big accomplishment, but I really, really wanted to get another 6 miler in. I have to start upping my mileage each week to prepare for the Peachtree Road Race in July. I'm very excited about it. It's a big race and one that Atlanta is famous for. So I'm gearing up to do well, time wise, on that 10k. Only problem is that it's on July 4th and I cannot imagine how hot it is going to be. With the summer heat and humidity coming back into Altanta, I've got to start eating the right foods and getting my water in. Otherwise, I'll be up a creak on my runs. But, so far, so good this week.

I got into another pair of size 4's and I'm way thrilled about that. It's kinda of surreal. It's just so weird being in this body now. I'm just so used to never really feeling quite right in anything, so to be able to wear all the cute trends now is just amazing. I think running is really doing a great service to my body. My muscle tone is good and I feel much "tighter" everywhere. And, hey, that's always a good feeling, right?

So, I'm getting closer and close to goal. Unfortunately it's taken a snail's pace getting there lately, but I'm so close. I think last week was the last straw on my slacking. I took a look back at my WW's weigh in records and realized I had been gaining and losing the same 3 lbs since January! What!??? That just pissed me off enough to get serious. I experimented this week with eating more Core foods. For those that don't know, WW's has two plans. The Flex Plan and the Core Plan. The Flex is what I've been doing: counting points. The Core Plan is a non-counting plan where you are limited to certain foods. Luckily both plans let you enjoy those extra 35 Weekly Allowance points each week. So, this week I've been sticking to mostly Core foods, but still counting them. I think it's helped me tremendously. I just feel lighter. Know what I mean?

Anyway, here's my tracker for today. Ed and I have made a rule that we're eating in every day for all meals this next month to save up money. We just eat out too much. SO, staying on plan has been easier for that reason too.

Daily Tracker:
Oatmeal: 2 pts
Apple: 1 pt

Lunch:
Trader Joe's Turkey burger: 2 pts
Whole Wheat Bun: 3 pts
FF Swiss: 1 pts
1 oz Pretzel Thins: 2 pts

Snack:
Mocha: 3 pts

Dinner:
Trader Joe's Vegetable Lasagna (made with whole grain pasta): 5 pts
Salad with lite dressing: 1 pts

Snack:
1 (Yes, only one!) cookie: 2 pts

Points used: 22 pts
Flex used: 0
AP's earned: None (day of rest here)

Today was nice. I took the kids to meet my dad for lunch at Roasters. Got roasted chicken breast, green beans and a sweet potato. I was good! Then.....I went to Trader Joes. Oh. My. God! I love that place. Coolest stuff ever! Love, love, love it. Really point friendly, creative, prepared meals. Anyway, Ed's at a hockey game tonight and I'm with the kids solo. Just got them bathed and Amelia to bed. Fischer is now watching Spongebob Squarepants... :)

Here's my tracker:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal: 2 pts
Apple: 1 pts

Lunch:
Chicken: 3 pts
Sweet Potatoe: 3 pts
green beans (with butter): 2 pts

Snack:
FF cottage cheese: 1 pt
Mango slices: 1 pt

Dinner:
Romaine (o pts) topped with:
1/4 cup black beans: 1 pt
A little chicken breast:2 pts
Asparagus: 0 pts
Tomatos: 0 pts
Cilantro dressing (Trader Joe's brand): 2 pts
Pita chips: 2 pts

I ran 3 miles right before dinner, so that gives me 3 APs

Total: 20 pts
Flex used: 0 pts
AP's earned: 3 pts

I think I'll have another snack later. I'll keep it under 5.

Meal Planning.....

I've decided to be a litte more proactive about planning my meals. That worked really well for me in the beginning of this journey, so I'm resurrecting that approach. We're eating in a lot more these days to save some cash, so this should be relatively easy to plan.

So, here's my tracker for today:

Breakfast:
PBJ= 3pts
Latte= 2pts

Lunch:
Kashi Meal= 4 pts
Roll: 1 pts

Snack:
Apple= 1pt
string cheese: 2 pts

Dinner:
Rotisserie "crockpot" chicken: 3pts
Wild rice: 3 pts
Spicy black beans: 2 pts

Snack:
WW muffin; 3 pts

Total: 23 pts


I plan to run 3 miles, so that will bring my points down to 21....I'll update with final points.

Okay, here's my tracker. We had a double date with some friends. The plan was to get wings at Buffalo's Cafe and then go bowling. Unfotunately the bowling place was packed with leagues. :( So we ended up going to a local bar and playing some pool. :) But I was good at dinner and ordered a salad that was actualy quite good! I have one of Ed's wings. :)

Daily Tracker: Tuesday March 27th

Breakfast:
Special K bar: 2 pts

Mid-Morning Snack:
PBJ=3 pts

Lunch:
French Onion Soup=2pts
1oz mozzerella cheese (part skim)= 2pts
2 rolls: 2pts
pretzels: 1 pts

Snack:
Orange: 1pt
Special K Bar: 2 pts

Dinner:
Fajita Salad: 10 pts
Sour Cream: 2 pts
1 wing: 2 pts
16 oz Newcastle on draft (heavenly)= 4 pts

After dinner drink:
Rum drink: 2 pts

Total points: 36 pts
Flex used: 14 pts
APs earned: 0 pts

So I had weigh in yeseterday and I was releived to find out I was only up 1.6lbs. Seriously folks, I thought it was at least 3 lbs. Phew!

I had a good, OP day yesterday and plan to do the same today. I'll report back with my tracker...

My Saturday started out with the best intentions and then by the time I got into bed last night I had had 5 pcs of pizza total yesterday. I ate it all day! I was on the go all day and I 100% grabbed that pizza with an emotional intent behind each bite. Feels yucky. In fact, this whole way of eating seems to be creeping up way more often than I'd like.

I'm stuck at 139-142 lbs and I can't break through. Well, I can, but I'm choosing not to by over eating and letting old habits dominate more. For some reason the resolve I had to lose this weight is slipping away. I hear it's really common for that to happen the last 5 lbs, but I still feel like I'm failing. For the first time I'm starting to let one bad meal turn into one bad day. Whereas before I'd just get right back to plan at the next meal. And then I caught myself actually considering not eating at all Sunday to "correct" the bad eating that's occurred this week. And we all know that's not the solution. I can't believe I even considered that.

Tomorrow is weigh in and I really don't want to see a gain, but I'm afraid it's too late. I have to forgive myself and move on. I've got to get in a good, solid week. I'm using my daily tracker less and less and that's not a good sign. I'm also grabbing "little bites" of the kid's food and it's adding up. This has got to stop. I know I'm not going to gain the weight back. I even thought about moving my goal weight to 140 lbs, but I think that would be a cop out. I can realistically get to 135 lbs. It's a reasonable weight for my height and it's totally attainable. It's just a matter of doing it. I think this might the be hardest part of the weight loss. I know I have what it takes to make it happen, I just have to find it deep inside.

My only goal for this next week is to write everything that goes into my mouth down on my daily tracker. And to write it as I eat it, not at the end of the day. I know I can do this, I just need to get back to what kept my OP in the beginning. I'm going to be honest with myself about the points I'm eating.

On a good note, I'm still running and really loving it. The last few runs I've had were really hard, which was new for me. Lately I had been feeling really good during my runs. But the last few have felt "heavy." Nonetheless, I've still laced up my shoes and hit the road, so that's good. Today is Sunday and I'm hoping to run at the river near me for a change in scenery. Maybe I'll do 6 miles....maybe just 3....we'll see.

Thanks for listening.

****UPDATE*****

I ran 6 miles! It was tough when I hit the 3 mile mark and thought: "Well, I could stop now but..." But I did it! Felt good. Especially after my crappy week.

Size 4! Yeah, that's right, size FOUR! I'm so thrilled. I went to The Gap last night with a friend because I had a feeling I might get into a 4 and I needed something to spur me on to goal. I got into a 4 in three different pairs of jeans! That makes me officially a 4, right? LOL








The past few days have been good, balanced days as far as eating goes. Sorry I haven't posted my daily trackers. I'll try to get them on as soon as I can.

Here's today's so far (dinner is up in the air).

Breakfast:
Special K bar= 2pts

Lunch:
Pita chips=4pts
Hummus=2pts
Carrots= 0pts
Grapes= 1 pt

Snack:
WW muffin= 3pts
Grapes= 1pt

Dinner: ? (9 pts worth of something)

I plan on running after Ed gets off of work. 3 miles baby!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Today was a non tracking day as far as food is concerned. I had a birthday breakfast and tried my best to choose wisely. I was so full from breakfast that I didn't really eat all day long until 5 pm. Then I had a cheese sandwich. I spent most the day packing up books and clutter for our move next month. Everyone makes fun of me because I jump the gun on everything, but at least I get it done right? RIGHT! lol All that to say, I've been moving around all day and just trying to make the best of a day that got away from me point wise. Good news is that I didn't binge, just didn't track. I'm right back on it tomorrow!

Never made it to weigh in this week. But I'm not too worried because my scale has me with a good loss. I'll be sure to get back to my usual weigh in on Monday. We'll see what my official loss is...


Here's my "guess" Dailly Tracker:

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg whites
2 chicken sausage
2 biscuits
1 small bowl grits
coffee galore

Snack:
coffee

Dinner:
Cheese sandwich
pretzels

Water, water, water...

I forgot to post my daily tracker from yesterday:

Breakfast:
NF yogurt: 2 pts
granola: 3 pts

Lunch:
Carrots: 0 pts
Hummus: 2 pts
Chips: 3 pts

Snack:
Cocoa Via bar: 2 pts
Waldorf Salad: 5 pts (big bowl)

Dinner:
Turkey Sub from Subway: 6 pts
Baked Lays: 3 pts

Total: 26 pts
Flex used: 0 pts
Ap's earned: 4 pts

I ran 4 miles!!!

Pictures from my race!!!!

If you see a Girl Scout around, please smack her.

Ugh.... I went to visit my grandma today with the kids and while I love seeing her, I know I have to dodge offers of sweets all day long. I should have taken my points calculator, along with my daily tracker, but I forgot. Nonetheless, I'm posting my daily tracker so I can face the music. I ate every one of my flex points for the week and it's only Tuesday. How pitiful is that? But, on the upside, I can still have a successful week if I stay under my daily allowance. It doesn't have to be a disastrous week. :)

My main challenge will be a breakfast I'm going to on Saturday to the Flyn' Biscuit where they have these amazing biscuits and grits! So I'm going to have to really plan and earn some APs to have some good food.

Daily Tracker:

Breakfast:
Fiber One bar: 3 pts

Lunch:
Turkey and Cheese Sandwich: 4 pts
Lite Ruffles Chips:4 pts
4 baby sweet pickles: 2 pts
Waldorf Salad: 4 pts

Snack fest 2007:
4 Thin Mints: 3 pts
6 Samoas: 9 pts

Dinner:
Spaghetti with meat sauce: 5 pts
3 (yes THREE) pcs of garlic bread: 15 pts (if I had known it was 5 pts a slice I would have passed LOL)
salad: 3pts

Total:52 pts!!!!
Flex used: 32 pts
Aps earned: 0 pts

I ended up staying at my grandma's longer than I had planned and got home too late to run. Tomorrow I'm running during Amelia's nap!!! That's a promise!

Well, Ed had a hockey game tonight and I totally forgot about it, so I couldn't get to my meeting. :( But, I'll get one in tomorrow or Wednesday. I'm not worried about the results. I'm pretty confident I lost. :)

Didn't run today. Trying to rest my body. But I'll be back to running tomorrow! It's funny how it becomes addicting. I totally love it. lol NEVER, EVER thought I'd love running. :) I dropped Fischer off at school and then Amelia and I headed to the Farmer's market for some fresh fruit and veggies. I'm also hopelessly addicted to their hummus. I buy the biggest container they can measure out! YUM!We also had our inspection on our house today and all went well, so looks like I can officially start boxing up things! If I can make it through the next month, I think I can make it through anything. Moving sucks, but it's going to be worth it.

Here's my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
Weight Control Oatmeal: 2 pts

Lunch:
1/2 cup hummus: 2 pts
Crackers: 4pts
1 cup raspberries: 1 pts

Snack:
Grande SF, NF iced vanilla latte: 4pts
1/2 banana: 1 pts

Dinner:
Flatbread pizza: 2 pts
hummus: 2 pts
Crackers: 4 pts

Total: 22 pts

Finished my second 5K in 29:01!!!!!! It was a nice run. There was one subtle hill that seemed to go on and on, but I conquered it. I ran the whole time, no walk breaks! :)

I've been busy, but strictly OP the last few days. I've already started sketching out my tattoo that I'm getting when I reach goal! I'm so excited about it. I'll post pics when I actually get it. In the mean time I'll hold you all in suspense.

Today's agenda includes showering (LOL) and a visit to my in laws which will be nice and relaxing. The kids love their "Noni" and "Pops."

I'll post a race pic when they're uploaded!

Have a good Sunday!

139.8 lbs!!!!! That's what my scale said this morning. Granted, I had to get buck naked to get that reading, but still!!!! I cannot believe it! I haven't been in the 130s since HS.

I'm back to my old self! I've been devouted to staying OP the last few days and it's paid off. I've lost a lot of the water I retained from my lack of water drinking and my binge week. :) I've been running everyday and I'm feeling like I have a new "wave" of motivation. It's great.

And....I have a race this Sunday! My goal is to come in under 30:00. :)

Ok, as requested, I'm going to get dressed up here soon and update the blog with a pic. :)

I love her

This explains a lot.... (Guys, tmi- don't read)

So, time has been flying by and I was surprised by my monthly friend this morning. My first thought was: "Oh no! It's only been, like 2 weeks or something. This is weird..." Then I got my calendar out and realized it's been a month and I'm right on time! LOL So, at least the last week of wanting to eat my way to China may have had some sort of hormonal reasoning behind it. NOT that I'm making excuses! :)

Just wanted to share because I always want to share a bit more than I should. :)

And I'm up 3.8 lbs! I think the last 2 weeks came back with avengance tonight at weigh in. But, like I said in my last post, I'm choosing to forgive myself for the gain and move forward.

On the upside- I ran 6 miles today! I took my pug on my normal 3 mile run to a coffee shop and back and I dropped her off (she was having a hard time keeping up LOL) and just repeated it! It was nice. I have a 5k this Saturday. This is the 5k I registerd for 3 months ago when I set out to start running. Two friends are running it with me. It should be fun and FLAT! lol

Well here is my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
Weight Control Oatmeal: 2 pts
1/2 banana: 1pt

Lunch:
Lean pocket: 6 pts
Baby carrots: 0pts

Snack:
WW muffin: 3 pts

Early dinner:(I was hungry- from the run I think)
2 ff hot dogs: 2 pts
2 lite hot dog buns: 2 pts

Real Dinner:
Willy's Salad: 9pts

Dessert:
Ff, sf chocolate pudding: 1 pt

Total used: 26 pts
Ap's earned: 4 pts
Flex used: 0 pts!!!

I've been a bad, bad girl. I have 100% regressed into my old frame of mind. I felt myself slipping the last few weeks and now I sit here in "post stuff " state I feel yucky. Yesterday I had a very stressful day of cleaning and showing my house and then having to find something to do with the kids to keep them out of the house. I got the car and just fell into this "I need a fix" state. I drove straight to Dunkin Donuts and ate 2 chocolate glazed donuts. Then last night after I had been in bed for a while watching TV, I got up and ate a muffin. I wasn't even hungry and I was about to go to sleep. THEN, I started today well and then it slowly spun out of control. We had a family get together that involved 2 kinds of cake. Enough said. Tonight I came home and told Ed I wanted to be bad and get something really "bad" to get it out of my system. He complied and we got take out from this place nearby. I got a buffalo chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries, with blue cheese. Oh, and a coke. A REAL coke. I inhaled it like a drug addict would. It was good, but wasn't as good as I thought it would be. It never is...

Ironically my 12 week food tracking diary ended today. I start a new booklet tomorrow. Timing is everything. I preach and preach about having no more excuses and prioritizing staying OP throughout any and all life events, changes, etc. I think I let the stress of all this house selling/buying get in the way of goal. No more. I have not come this far to give in. I'm not a victum. I'm not going to be full of excuses of why I can't get to goal. I gave that up last June when I first joined and started this blog. I'm so happy with myself as I am. For the first time in years I feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel strong. I feel beautiful. I feel complete. Content. The last thing I want is to go back to where I was.

Good news is that I didn't get fat eating like this just one day. I got fat eating crappy every day for weeks, months and years on end. So, I'm choosing to stop this train now, instead of later. I'm choosing to let a day of healthy eating follow another day of healhty eating and so on.

I have 5 lbs to lose. I started this out with 50 lbs to lose. I must focus on how far I've come and move forward. It's not about perfection, it's about progress.

Tomorrow is Monday. I have weigh in. I'm choosing to face the music and except whatever the outcome is. I'm so proud of how far I've come. I'm forgiving myself for the last few weeks. I'm excited about getting to goal. It's closer than ever.

Thanks to all of you who lurk on my blog and also those that make yourself known to me via email or comments. Knowing you all are "here" helps keep me on my path.

Here's to picking yourself up and moving forward! Cheers!

Ate like shit today! (Pardon my french, but it is necessary) I think I was high on my weight loss and just went nuts. The stress of the last 2 weeks just came out through eating. But, I need to face the music so I'll post my dialy tracker. On the upside I went to the YMCA tonight at 9:30pm and ran 2.5 miles. The pizza I ate for dinner felt like a brick in my stomach, so it was not an easy run. My plan for the week is to run everyday. I don't care how much I run, but I have to run. :) I love it so much and I feel so good when I do it. My other plan is to not go over my daily points for the rest of the week. I WILL DO IT! :)

*Sigh* Ok, here goes....

Breakfast:
WW muffin= 3 pts

Lunch:
Tuna salad= 4 pts
6 Garlic and Rosemary Triscuts=4 pts (not worth it)

Snack (aka "Jen ate Fischer's lunch"):
6 Chick-fil-A nuggets= 6pts
Large fry=9pt
Diet lemonade=0pts

Another Snack:
PBJ (ww style)= 3 pts

Dinner:
SLice Pizza= 7 pts
3 crusts= 3 pts
1 Garlic Knot=4 pts

Total:43 pts (ugh)
Flex: ALL USED!
APs earned:2 pts


I was stuffed. I ate like a crazy woman. I think I was just glad to be still with my family and eat a meal together. But, I can't do that everyday.

Hey-anyone notice I haven't listed any mocha's in my daily tracker? :) I gave Starbucks' Mocha's and alcohol up for Lent. So far, so good. The other day I got a latte and it just wasn't the same.....

Down 2.8 lbs! I'm officially 5 lbs from goal! *Deep Breaths*

I was also able to run 3 miles today too. So I'm feeling good.

Here's my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
WW muffin=3 pts

Lunch:
Lean Pocket= 6 pts
Corn on the cob= 1 pt
Sf/ff chocolate pudding= 1pt

Snack:
Cinnamon bun=6 pts
Latte= 2 pts

Dinner:
Willy's salad= 9 pts
Chips/salsa= 4 pts

Dessert:
Slim-a-bear icecream bar=3 pts

Total: 35 pts
Flex Used: 10 pts
APs earned: 3 pts

It was my "splurge" day so that's I had some "naughty" things. :)

Is it Monday already?? Our house is officially listed and the work is officially done! Well, except for the maintainance of making my house look like no one lives in it..... :) We also put an offer on another house, so it's been koo koo for cocoa puffs here. So, I'm happy to say I'm jump kicking my running routine back into action this week. I've missed it, especially in this weather. It's a nice 60 here and that's pefect running weather.

The past week was just "off" as far as food goes. I munched so much because I was not keeping track of time and had so much work to do that I got slack. I don't think the scale shows (I weighed in at 142 yesterday), but I know the habit of making healthy choices shifted slightly the last week. But, I have a refrigerator full of healthy choices and I'm ready to get back to my "old self" and stay OP.

I have weigh in tonight and I WILL NOT MISS IT! I'll post results asap. :)

Hey folks! I'm still a live and kickin', just busy as a bee. I was so happy to work in a massage tonight with my friend whose a massage therapist. It was heavenly! Just what I needed.

We've been so busy I haven't had time to make a proper grocery run. So guess what I'm doing tomorrow? :)

Here's my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
2 slices high fiber bread= 1 pt
2 tbsp peanut butter= 3 pts

Lunch:
Flat Out pizza= 3 pts
salad w/ ff/sf honey mustard= 0 pts

Snack:
6 triscuts= 2 pts
1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge= 1pt

More Snacks (LOL):
Chips= 2 pts
Carrot and Celery Sticks= 0 pts
Artichoke Hummus=4 pts

Dinner:
1/2 cup black bean soup= 1 pt
Tortilla chips= 6
salsa= 0pts

Total: 24 pts
Flex Used= 2 pts

Sick as a dog!!! That's what I was all last night and today. Stomach bug. Ick. But, on the upside, maybe it offset my Chick-fil-A binge? LOL

My poor body is wiped out. My mind is going a hundred miles an hour and I'm just spent. Maybe the stomach bug was God's way to making me rest and stay in bed. I'm slowly starting to panic about having my house spottless all the time incase a potential buyer wants to see it. With two small children, it seems an impossible task. It really is all consuming. The bulk of the work is done. All I have left to do is paint Amelia's bathroom and paint the kitchen. But none of that can be done until Saturday when the guy comes to sand and paint drywall. Sooooooo, in the mean time I've been trying to catch up on cleaning. After being in bed all day feeling miserable, I started feeling better and was able to knock out two loads of laundry tonight. I don't think in the history of my marriage had I let the laundry get so bad. Our bedroom was being taken over by a massive mound of stinky clothes. I still have about 4 more loads to do to really nip it in the bud, but I'll do that tomorrow.

My brain is a constant check list.....

Here's my daily tracker for today. I didn't start eating until 3pm.

Peanut butter sandwich=4 pts

Fat free yogurt= 2 pts

Progresso Chicken and Rice soup= 4 pts
roll= 1pt
coke= 3pts (trying to settle my stomach)

Baked Potato= 3 pts
2 tbsp sour cream= 2pts
1 tbsp butter= 1 pts

2 dove chocolates= 2pts

Total:22 pts

I started getting really hungry as the evening progressed. But I'm now regretting the dove chocolates. See, chocolate has power over me, even when I'm sick to my stomach. :)

I hope I feel better tomorrow. I'd love to knock out some more off the "to do" list. We have exactly 1 week until a sign goes up in our yard!!!! So much to do, so much to do.

Until tomorrow..

I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to say I broke my strike of no running. I ran 3 miles yesterday and I did it in 28:44!!! That's a new personal best for me. And I only took 2 walk breaks. I felt good. Maybe the week break helped me.

We are in house "get ready to sell" mode, so I'll probably be spotty in posting the next week. I have weigh in tonight. I'll try to get back on and post results.

****update****

I started feeling ill as the day went on. I couldn't make it to weigh in. :( But, it's probably best. I was a little nervous to weigh in. ?

Here's my daily tracker: (I think I've been eating like a horse because of all the stuff I'm doing around the house, PLUS keeping up my "work load" with the kids)

special K= 2pts
mocha=3 pts

Chick-fil-A:
spicy wrap=7.5 pts
spicy sauce=140, 14,0 (4 pts)
small fry=5.5 pts

2 cups linguini=8 pts
1 cup sauce=1 pt

Total: 31 pts
9 flex used.

Notice the over abundance of fruits and veggies???? ha ha

Mental Note: eat fruit

Oh my God today was so busy. I woke up and hit the floor running. With the help of my faithful friend Monica, look at what I accomplished today:

* Make Home Depot trip
* Clean up yard and back patio.
* Plant topiaries in these gorgeous urns on the front porch (BEAUTFUL!)
* Box up all the clutter in my house and put in attic
* Take a truck load of trash to dump
* Take a truck load of things to GoodWill
* Buy and install new fixtures for bathrooms
* Clean out Amelia's room and set up (to look cute and spacious-lol)
* Clean up after workers hung sheet rock in our kitchen ceiling
* Sweep and vaccuum entire house

All this just to move! LOL

It's 6pm and I'm about to fall over. Ed took the kids to his mom's for the day since they have all been slightly under the weather. I was happy to be in charge of getting stuff done here anyway. I must have earned 3 or 4 activity points. Seriously.

My eating was all over the place today:

Breakfast:
Mocha= 4
Reduced Fat (my ass) coffee cake=7 pts

Lunch:
Chips/salsa= 4
2 fish tacos= 10
Corn chowder=4

Total: 30 pts
AP= 3 pts

27 pts!!! And I'm not even hungry for dinner. So I think I'll pass. I heavily overestimated my points, so it may have been lower. But, better safe than sorry. Thank God tomorrow is Sunday. A new week is starting. The bulk of my house work is done, so now it's just a matter of keep it tidy. Ugh. All that to say, I'm hoping to get my groove back with running this next week.

Ok, I need some help.

I've been way too loose this week. I'm getting into the habit of tracking my food at the end of the day, which is a major "no no." In addition to that, I have not gone for one run since Sat (my race). I definitely think it has to do with getting our house ready to sell. I've been painting and decluttering and it just eats up all my time and energy. And even though I know there are times in my life where I can't be 100% consistent, it scares me when I'm not. Mainly because consitency has played such a role in my success. But, being honest with myself is has also played a big role and so here I am.

Because of my current circumstance of being on a time crunch to get this house done, I'm going to shoot to just do 2 runs a week. So between now and Monday I'd like to get 2 runs on.

As far as eating, I need to be aware of my points as the day goes on. It keeps me on track. I have one major thing Friday night where Ed has made reservations at this amazing restaraunt (www.startprovisions.com). My plan is to enjoy my dinner there and taste a little bit of everything. It's one of those places you don't eat at often because it's $$$$$$$$$$$, so I'm going to allow myself that indulgence. I probably have 5 flex left if I were being honest with myself. Remember my "plan" to save my flex for Friday????? Lol This means I need to be a good girl and stay below Daily points for the rest of the week. I'll eat light on Friday to make room for the yummy dinner.

Ok, I already feel better getting this out. I'm been on auto pilot and just need to reign myself in. The cool thing is that I've lost the last 2 weeks, so I'm not losing ground, just trying to stay on track with my mind and approach towards food.

Daily Tracker:

Breakfast:
Venti Mocha=5 pts

Lunch:
Rotisseri Chicken pcs= 5 pts (I had some with skin)
Brown Rice= 3 pts

Snack:
Handful of carrots= 0 pts

Dinner:
Amy's Organic Chili (out of the can)= 8 pts
roll= 1 pt

Total: 22 pts

Wow. I've been busy! Here's my daily tracker. I kinda lost it at the end of the day, but I think it wasn't too bad.

Breakfast:
WW muffin=3 pts
Mocha=3 pts

Lunch:
Chicken sandwich=4 pts
Pretzel thins= 2 pts
sf ff pudding= 1 pts

Dinner:
Chicken Salad= 4 pts
green beans= 0 pts
2 small slices crustless chocolate pie (ouch)= 10 pts (guess)

Total: 27 pts
Used 5 Flex pts

Down 2 lbs!!!! Goal is so close, I can smell it. :)

Anyway, here's my tracker for yesterday:

Breakfast:
Peanut butter sandwich=4 pts

Lunch:
Tuna salad= 4 pt
10 ff crackers=2 pts
1 handful goldfish=3 pts (not worth it)

Snack:
Mocha=3 pts
Dove chocolate=1pt

Dinner:
Burrito=15 pts
chips=4 pts

Total: 36!!!!!
Used 14 Weekly Allowance

Yikes! I mean, I planned to use some weekly allowance pts, but whoa! I can't use the rest until Friday. Ed is taking me to a really nice restaraunt and I want to be able to eat what I want. I haven't had a chance to run the last few days because of all the house projects going on. I need to prioritize that. My goal is to run 10 miles a week, so I think I can get that in before next Monday.

The last two days have been crazy. Ed and I ended up painting our bathroom and kitchen last night. Ed's installing a new faucet and we're touching up trim today. We're going to list our house on the market. We love, love, love our house, but we've outgrown it and the money it takes to build on is just too much. So, anyone want to buy my house?? lol I'm looking forward to change. I love change. So that's neat, but I'm sort of dreading the selling and buying timing thing.

On the eating front I've been eating 100% junk. I haven't exceeded my points, but I've just not been making healthy choices. Yesterday and today have just been "eating on the go" days. But, I have weigh in tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I'm down a pound or two.

Here's what I've eaten so far:

Breakfast:
Special K protein bar= 2 pts
Mocha= 4 pts

Lunch:
Chicken Salad (with veggies, cheese, salsa and sour cream) at Willy's= 6 pts
Chips/salsa= 3 pts

Snack:
ANOTHER Mocha (I'm tired)= 3 pts

Dinner:
Don't know yet? Probably a Progresso soup for 2 pts or something. I'm not even hungry yet.

It will be interesting to see how I handle the WW lifestyle while all this change is happening. (Assuming someone buys my house and we have to move). LOL My goals are to keep running and not let "tasks" take over.

I'll report back tomorrow.

Hope every is having a relaxing Sunday afternoon.

I did it! I ran my first race and it was great. I finished in 32:20. That's the best time I've ever had on 3 miles. Yah! It went by quickly. I thought I had another mile or so and then I saw the finish line. It was VERY "hilly." I decided to walk up the hills. I actually went faster walking up the hills than some people running up the hills. Then I ran when it was level or just a slight incline. It was freezing, but I got warm quick. My friend Lucy brought her camera to document my first 5K and she didn't realize I was a little bit behind her and she looped around waiting for me to cross the finish line to take a pic. I was looking all over for her and saw her waiting for me. :) I had to yell over at her that I had already finished! LOL I'll post a pic once she sends it to me. (Lucy- send it to me!)

Today's agenda is to relax! On the way home I grabbed a mocha and a bagel. I haven't had a bagel in forever. With REAL cream cheese. It's 7 pts, but worth it!

Daily Tracker:

2 slices WW bread= 1pt
2 tbsps peanut butter= 3 pts

Snack:
Mocha= 3 pts

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine= 6 pts
roll= 1 pt

Snack:
WW bar= 2 pts
coffee= 0 pt
apple= 1 pt

Dinner:
Hot n Sour Soup= 2 pts
Fried noodles= 2 pt
1 california roll= 4 pt
Glass of wine=2 pts

Total = 27 pts
Used 5 Flex


Today passed by so quickly! My sweet man got up with the kids and let me sleep in until about 8:30am. Felt like noon! I hit the floor running. Carpool, Target, back home to meet with builder about possible home addition (learn home addition is WAY more than we thought), Fischer gets home, we go to neighbors house to play. Then off to yoga with my friend Karyn at 6pm and we had dinner at a local chinese place afterwards. Very nice day! Busy, but good.

Tomorrow is my 5k and I'm really dreading the cold. I really hope it's warmer. I'm not intimidated by running 3 miles, I'm intimidated by the cold. Brrrrrrr.... But it's my first race and that's something special. I'll report back my "time." lol I still feel like a turtle.

This week is going well "point wise." I haven't spent all my Weekly Allowance in one fail swoop, which is a big deal. I think I have 15 left to carry me through Saturday and Sunday. That's great considering that I usually spend them all by Wednesday. :) It's nice knowing they're there.

I'm tired and I need my rest for tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Today is busy but I wanted to try and get a post in. I got up and ran again with my friend Lucy. We ran to Octane (coffee shop) again (3 miles). Do I use a lot of parenthesis? Yes, I do. Anyway, it was a good run. Felt easier than my treadmill runs. I think it's because time passes quickly when there is a change in scenery. Profound huh? Tomorrow is a rest day since I'm in a race on Saturday. I have to laugh at the word "race" because I'm so slow.

So far here is what I've eaten:

Breakfast:
2 slices WW bread= 1 pt
2 tbsp Naturally More peanut butter= 3pt
coffee= 0

Snack:
Latte= 2 pts
WW peanut butter bar= 2pts

Lunch:
2 pt pizza= duh
Salad/dressing= 1 pt

Earned 3 APs for running

I need to get in some fruit today. I was bad about that yesterday. I'll probably have another snack in the 3 pt range and then make meatloaf tonight. I have some lean ground beef and thought I'd give the ol' meatloaf a try. Add some green beans and a 1 pt roll and I think the whole dinner should come out to be around 6 pts.

Daily Tracker:

Breakfast:
2 slices WW bread= 1pt
2 tbsp Naturally More peanut butter= 3pts

Snack:
Mocha= 3pts

Lunch:
Chick-fil-A Southwest Chicken Salad= 5 pts
Tortilla strips= 1 pt
1 packet ff honey mustard=2pts

Snack:
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna= 2pts
Roll= 1 pt
ww Chocolate Caramel mini bar= 1pt

Dinner:
Slice of pizza= 8 pts

Total:27 pts
Earned 2 AP's
Used 3 Weekly Allowance


Today was busy. I had carpool duty so I was in and out. On the way home from dropping Fischer off at preschool, I passed a local coffee shop near my neighborhood. I thought it would be cool to run there one day. Then I hit my mileage button and realized it's exactly 1.5 miles from my house. So I got home, put Amelia down for a nap (Ed was home working) and I went out the door! I ran there and back. 3 miles! It was a really nice run and went by so quickly. The weather was perfect. I think it was 58 degrees. Perfect for running. In fact, my friend Lucy and I are running the same course tomorrow morning. We tried to figure out a way to get coffee and still run back with it, but I don't think that's going to happen. LOL

I'll run tomorrow and then take a break Friday. Saturday is my first 5k. I'm excited!

Daily Tracker:

Breakfast:
Special K Peanut Butter Chocolate protein bar=2pts
peach= 1pt
Mocah=3pts

Snack:
2 slices WW bread= 1pt
2 tbsp Naturally More peanut butter=3pts

Lunch:
1 cup veggie chili=5 pts
1 roll=1 pts

Snack:
WW caramel mini bar= 1pt
Nectarine=1pt
Coffee=0pt

Dinner:
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna=4pts
2 rolls= 2pts
Salad with Light dressing= 1 pt

Total:25

Used 3 Weekly Allowance.

Today was nice. I went to a friend's house to let our kids play and warm up (see post below). Got home, made dinner and put the kids to bed. Ed went to a hockey game, so I couldn't get to the gym. Luckily Ed's mom stopped by after work and helped me with the kids. Sweet woman. :)

Tomorrow is my early gym run day, so I want to get to bed so as not to hit "snooze" at 6:30am.

Had weigh in last night and I'm down 2.8 lbs! Yah! Now my stupid gain from last week is vanished! (Or at least that's how I see it. LOL) 145.6 lbs!

I talked to my leader about these last 10 lbs and why it seems so hard to get off. And when I say it's "hard" to get off- I mean the lack of determination setting in. She said she struggled with her last 10 lbs too. She said: "You look fine and you feel fine, so you don't really sweat the little bite here and there." I had to laugh because that's so true for me. She encouraged me to drink more water and really track my points. And, of course, use Weekly Allowance pts only on occassion. I think that's doable. Once I reach goal, I get to increase my points anyway to maintainance, so I think I can handle "buckling down" for a while. I have to laugh because I'm so protective of my weekly allowance pts. They are why I stuck with WW so long. :)

I moved back to evening meetings last night because it's been getting more difficult to take Amelia with me to the morning meetings. She wants to play and I'm super paranoid about her making too much noise. :) I was happy to go back to evening meetings because there are a few girls I miss seeing every week. I was looking forward to seeing them. One of them came in late to the meeting. Finally as we were having an open discussion, she spoke up. She has lost 40 lbs and looks amazing, but still wants to lose more and feels like she's lost all her "mojo" for the rest of the journey. She began to cry and my heart just went out to her. She pretty much said what we all think and don't always say. Those of us who are so used to being on "diets" and failing have this fear of repeating the past and getting "fluffy" again. I was so glad she shared. I think she felt silly crying, but it was like a breathe of fresh air. She was being real. I don't think anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight has done so without bumps along the way. Even big bumps. I was so glad she made it to a meeting. That alone is a HUGE step when you're feeling so "off." I talked to her afterwards and just tried to let her know she wasn't alone and we've all been there. Of course we'll go through seasons of NO determination. I think I hit patches of that along the way. I think difference is that I had determined that "quiting was not an option" (as my leader says every week). So even if I have a bad couple weeks, I have to keep focusing forward and eventually I get back on track. But, as a former diet hopper, it's hard to come back after "failure." You feel like you've blown yet another diet and you'll be fat forever. I can't tell you how many times I had that horrible feeling. I can't totally pin point what made the difference this time other than learning how to forgive myself and never quit. Granted, my journey is by no means over. Maintaining this is going to be another layer of challenges. But, that's life. You learn to work with challenges.

I'm happy to say there is NOTHING on the agenda today. I might go to the gym this afternoon, but I might not. LOL Because I live in a house built in 1932, it's currently 57 degrees inside. The hardwoods are ice cold. Ugh. We have central heat and air, but poor insulation and I'm just cold as can be. I have myself and the kids double layered. I might try to get out somewhere just to get warm. I'm ready for Spring!

Last night was BAD. Real bad. I did so well at first. Ate an entire carton of grape tomatoes. Made my 2 pt pizza and had 1 beer. And I had 4 pts left to have two more beers. Then the "mind set" took over. Eat, eat, eat. It started out as a chip here, some dip there. Then came the oreos. They were my downfall. I ate so many that I felt sick. I was in "horde" mode. Ya know, like I'll NEVER have a chance to eat Oreos again, so I had better eat up. Ridiculous!

I don't know what got into me. I can think of a stressful discussion Ed and I had that afternoon, but really that's just another excuse. Truth is, I caved. This must be why people have such a hard time with the last 10 lbs. I feel good, I feel thin, so I allow myself more indulgences. I think that's it. Good news is that I've done this for so long that my body reacted to the overeating by making me sick. My body has been in "clean out" mode. (TMI, I know) So, maybe in some sick way, that's a blessing. lol

This morning I got my butt out of bed and went to the gym. Did 3 miles! My friend Monica came with me and we both were so glad we went. It was so cold leaving the house, but there is just nothing like running first thing in the morning. It really sets the mood for my day and makes me feel so good.

It's Monday and a new week for me. Flex renewed and there are no more "events" to plan for, so I'm hanging onto those Flex points like it's my retirement savings. I'm sick of living "paycheck to paycheck" with my Flex pts. lol :)

I'm going to weigh in this evening. I'll report results later. :)

Added my daily tracker:

Breakfast:
Nonfat, no whip Mocha= 3 pts
2 clemintines= 1 pt
lite string cheese= 1 pt

Lunch:
1 cup 3 bean chili= 5 pts
1 pc Light Flat Out bread= 0pts

Snack:
ff yogurt with 1/4 cup Fiber One and some ff cool whip= 2pts
1 cup strawberries= 1 pts
100 snack pack= 2 pts

Dinner:
Subway 6" Turkey Sub with veggies, mustard, lite mayo and vinegar= 6pts
1 package Sour Creme and Onion Baked Lays= 3 pts
WW caramel bar= 1 pt

Run 3 miles= +3 pts

Total= 22 pts

Well, I did well last night. I had one glass of wine and just ordered appetizers and a salad to eat. I'm sure I didn't spend all my points, but it's hard to figure exactly how many I ate. I'm just going to assume I ate all my flex and call it a day!

Today we went to church and then this evening we're having friends over for the Super Bowl. I'm making a bunch of food I'm not going to eat. LOL Baked Bre, chips and dip, cokes, nachos. The one thing I can and will eat is the veggies of the veggie tray my friend is bringing. I also bought some Michelob Ultra (2 pts a bottle) so that I can take part in the "beer ritual" of football. Ha ha. I hate beer...

Here's my daily tracker so far. I'll include my "planned" eating for tonight:

Breakfast:
Banana (I was busy and had to run out the door)= 2 pts
Coffee

Lunch:
Willy's Chicken salad with veggies, chicken, black beans, salsa and 2 tbsp sour cream= 7pts
Diet coke

Snack:
Mocha= 3pts

Dinner:
Veggies=0 pts
FF ranch=1 pt
**Jen's 2 pt pizza = 2 pts
3 beers= 6 pts

Total= 21 pts

***Recipe for 2 pt pizza,,,,I live on these when I need to fill up, but eat low pts. I saute' a ton of veggies every week (onions, bell peppers, yellow squash, zuchini, with spices) and keep it all in a tupperware container in the frig to add to meals. This is what I top my pizza with.

1 Light Flat Out flatbread (8g fiber)= 0pts
2 spoonfuls tomato paste= 0pts
Veggie Sautee'=0pts
1/4 cup part skim mozzerella=2 pts
Spices:
Garlic powder
Minced onion
Onion powder
Basil
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

I love this pizza! I sprinkle it with hot sauce and pour a big cup of water to go with it. It's great!

More Pics: Progression shot. I love these because I can see the real progress. YAH!

Updated Pics!




Took these this evening before going out to friend's birthday dinner. :) I'm roughly 144.8 lbs (according to my scale this morning). I'm actually surprised how thin I look in the profile shot. It's weird when you're so used to being "fluffy," seeing yourself thin.

I have 22 pts left for tonight. I have 14 daily pts left and 8 flex. I'm not going to drink (to reduce pts) and just going to have some small indulgences. I'm looking forward to getting out! :)

I met up with a friend today and ran a little over 3 miles. We ran through the city and boy was the wind harsh. It would be warm in the sun and then abruptly change as we went around buildings and got into the shade. It's hard to run against wind!

Anyway, I run again tomorrow.

Friday- Feb 2nd's Daily Tracker

Yesterday I was so busy I forgot to post my daily tracker. I switched the kid's rooms around and cleaned out a ton of stuff and the day got ahead of me.

Here's what I ate:

Breakfast:
Lite string cheese= 1 pt
Clementine= 0 pts
Tall nf, no whip Mocah= 3 pts

Lunch:
1 Can white potatos with seasoning= 4 pts
2 rolls= 2 pts

Snack:
Special K bar= 2pts
handful of goldfish= 2 pts (?)

Dinner:
1 cup hot n sour soup= 2pts
Fried "noodle" in soup= 1 pt
4 pcs california sushi roll=3 pts

Dessert:
Smart Ones Mississippi Mud Pie= 3 pts

Total: 22 pts!

(I'm pretty sure I earned at least 1 AP for all the work I did with the rooms yesterday, but I figured I'd just let it go since I've over done it a little bit on food lately)