Yesterday I told you that I would continue evaluating why it seems to hard for me to lose weight this time around. If you haven't read yesterday's blog yet, you might want to do that first.
The second reason I think it's so hard to lose the weight since Samuel's pregnancy is that it's not new this time. When I lost my weight back in 2007, it was something new. There is something to be said about the automatic motivation that we get when we join Weight Watchers and follow the program with "newbie vigor." 2007 wasn't the first time I had joined Weight Watchers but it was the first time I had joined it seriously. The other times I had joined Weight Watchers I was young and not serious about following the program. I was old enough to understand how much I wanted to lose the weight. I had done my research about following other plans and knew that Weight Watchers was the one for me. I had been following the plan on my own at home and had lost some of the weight already. I knew I had liked the plan. I knew that it was just a plan that taught me how to eat right and exercise. It didn't have any foods that were forbidden. I didn't have to give up desert for the rest of my life. That's what I needed, something to teach me how to live a healthy life
Since I had been following the plan on my own at home for a while, I had already lost about 30 pounds. The problem with following it by myself was.............well, I was by myself. I needed support. I needed the meetings. I needed to hear some tips. Yes, I could read the materials that I had at home but I knew it wasn't the same as being in the meeting room and having someone else weigh me in each week. The "newness" of following the program on my own had worn off. I was struggling and needed something to trigger steady weight loss again. When I joined the meeting room in 2007 I found the new feeling that I needed again. The newness of the meetings gave me the extra "umph" I needed to lose the weight. By the end of 2007 I had made my goal. It wasn't all smooth. I had my gains. I had my stumbles. But I made my goal.
As many of you know I stayed at or under my goal until 2009 when I got pregnant with Samuel. It was a true blessing to have another child so I really wasn't concerned with how to get the weight back off. I was actually excited to get through a pregnancy without gaining 60 pounds because I now knew the secret of living a healthy lifestyle. I was proud to have gotten through my pregnancy with about a 40 pound gain. That was 10-20 pounds less than each of my other 4 pregnancies! That was success!! After his birth I got back to following WW because I know it is a fabulous plan and works well. The tricky part is that it is not new any longer. Not only have I been a WW member for many years now, but I have already achieved the status of Lifetime Member so the "newness" has long wore off. That has surely made losing the weight a bit tricky this time. A new thing is always exciting. Sometimes it's a little nerve wracking but exciting also. That excitement is not nearly as strong this time. Especially since Samuel is now 14 months and I am still not back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am back to my WW goal but my pre-pregnancy weight was under that.
It seems that there are actually a number of reasons tied into my second reason for weight loss for being harder this time. I am already a Lifetime Member so that is one goal that I had before that I no longer have to motivate me. I am already at my WW goal weight so I'm not motivated to get to the point where I don't have to pay anymore. I'm not at my highest weight ever this time. Although I am incredibly uncomfortable at times, I am within my healthy weight range for my height so many times I am the only person who thinks I need to lose weight. Many people look at me and think I have already lost all of the baby weight. They can't see those hidden pounds that I know are there and the elastic in my pants know is there.
Wow, as I write this I think I could keep writing more and more reasons that this is so hard. Let's see, now I am a mother of 5, I have no time for myself, I get less sleep than I have in a long time, as the kids get older home schooling is getting more time consuming.......would you like me to continue? I don't think so. I don't think I can listen to myself whine any longer. As I tell my children when the complaints and whines start coming, "What are you going to do about it? Is the whining fixing it? Is it helping?" That would be a big, fat no! So tomorrow instead of checking back for "What makes weight loss so hard?", check back for "What are you going to do to make it easier?". It's time for some uplifting ideas and answers to our problems.
Have a great day,
Corinna
"We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come." -1 Corinthians 10:9-11
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
What makes weight loss so hard?
My mom and I were recently out for lunch for a celebration. It was just the two of us! That rarely happens. My mom is my number one babysitter so most of the time when we see each other it's either for family get-togethers or for her to babysit my kids. We went out for lunch and were about to have adult conversations over a yummy and quiet lunch.
We both studied the menu carefully before ordering. We are both trying to lose some weight. We were trying to break down the menu items for PointsPlus values. I wrote everything down that I was eating so I could go home and track it all in my etools on my computer. I was very careful because it was only lunch time and I didn't want to use the rest of my Daily PointsPlus Target. I still had eating to do that day;)
My Mom is one of my inspirations for continuing my weight loss. She is very supportive. She asks me how I'm doing regularly. She is also trying to lose weight so she watches what she eats too. She asks me questions about how healthy things are because she knows about all of training with Weight Watchers. She is encouraging when I tell her about my weight losses. We had a long conversation about the whole thing over lunch that day. I shared how I've been struggling and how over summer I crept up to the point that I am now losing weight that I have already lost. I shared my frustrations with her and she understood completely because she has had the same struggles in her life.
She commented that it's interesting that I have had such a hard time losing the weight this time around. She noted that when I was a Weight Watchers leader I kept the weight off quite well and even lost a little more. She wondered what was making it so hard for me this time. I told her that I've thought about that because I've certainly noticed it too. Since our conversation I've been thinking about it even more. One thing that I was thinking about was the fact that I am no longer working out of the home. Before Samuel was born I was leading 3-4 Weight Watchers meetings per week and helping as a receptionist at another 2 most weeks too. In addition to that, I was a homemaker and home school mom. I kept really, really busy. I kept moving constantly. While at work I never sat down. I stood when I weighed people in. I stood while I led the meetings. I set up most of the locations that I worked at and that was an incredible amount of walking.
Last Saturday in my Weight Watchers meeting we talked about how every little movement counts in your activity level and counts for burning more calories. I was, without a doubt, burning more calories when I was working for Weight Watchers. In turn I was able to eat more food without gaining weight. Now, I don't want to give you the wrong impression. I am a mother of 5 children. I home school them. One of them is a 14 month old with a ton of energy. I am on my feet almost non-stop all day. But it's not the same movement as I was getting when I worked out of the home. My house is a very small 3-bedroom ranch. The only stairs are the ones to the basement and I only go down there a couple of times a day to do laundry. There is just no way to earn the same amount of steps in this little house that I did when I was working for Weight Watchers.
That leaves me with the fact that I need to try harder to get exercise. I exercise 4 times per week on most weeks. That's not bad. I know that I should be exercising 7 days per week but that's just not happening at this time in my life. I'm sure I'll get there some day but today is not the day. It's very hard to find time to exercise for an hour when you are responsible for 5 children, a husband and a home. Time for me doesn't come along very often. That means that I need to be more aware of my movements throughout the day. I dare say that it means that I need to spend less time on the computer. That is probably the most sitting that I do all day. (I guess I'd better type faster;) I need to get moving when the kids are moving. I need to go play at the park with my younger kids when we are waiting for my oldest at football practice instead of sitting in the car clipping coupons. I need to make more trips with the grocery bags. Even though I find it very important to teach my kids to be good helpers I need to do some of the work myself so my body can get more movement.
When I do get out of the house I need to take advantage of the places that I am visiting. I can walk all over the grocery store and gain lots of movement. When at a party or a picnic, I should choose to stand, walk around or go outside where the kids are running around. These little movements will make a difference. It will make my body burn more calories and make it easier to lose the weight again.
There are more reasons that I believe it's harder this time to lose the weight although I believe that this is the biggest one. I intended to share them all with you today, but since you probably didn't go to my blog today hoping to read a thesis I'll discuss the other reasons tomorrow.
If you are struggling with your weight loss please ask yourself why. Don't give up and just decide that it's too hard. Find out why it's hard and make adjustments to your lifestyle. This truly is a lifestyle change so it's not going to be easy, but it will be well worth it.
Have a great day,
Corinna
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."
-Psalm 55:22
Sunday, August 26, 2012
When you get off of your weight loss plan
We went on with the rest of our day. I ate a healthy breakfast and counted the points. We had a picnic at Catholic Charities after our gardening work was done. My first plate of food was very healthy and I counted all of the points. My second plate (yes, there was a second plate) was not as healthy but I still counted the points. I tracked it all when I got home and was a bit disappointed to see the total. Oooops, maybe I'll just take the day off. And that's what I did. I let the day go. I don't even remember what I ate the rest of the day. I just remember taking the day off.
Sunday started off well. We took my 7-year-old son, Ethan to his First Reconciliation Orientation Class. He was so excited to have Mom and Dad all to himself and to be looking forward to an exciting year in second grade. After his class we took him out for breakfast. I ordered an egg beaters omelette with lots of veggies in it. I asked for fresh fruit instead of toast. The waitress said they wouldn't make that substitution so I told her that it didn't matter to me how it happened but I didn't want any toast but I wanted fresh fruit. I was charged extra for the fruit but that wasn't the point. I wanted to enjoy my breakfast without breaking the "points-bank." I didn't look up any points in the restaurant but I did write everything down so I could enter it all into the computer when I got home. I was disappointed when I got home and figured out the total of my breakfast. The hashbrowns were a points nightmare. Oh well, I still intended to finish the day strong. Bryan decided that we should go on a family hike. He looked up a new trail for us to walk and off we went. We brought no snacks. That shows how far our family has come in our strides to become healthier. We used to bring snacks on our hikes. We only brought water bottles.
After our wonderful hike we were hungry and it was dinner time. We went to Bryan's current, favorite restaurant. It's an Asian all-you-can-eat buffet. I know he picked it because he loves it and because there are lots of healthy options. The problem it that there are also lots of unhealthy options. I decided when we walked in the door to throw in the towel and eat. Not the best choice. At the end of our meal I came back to the table with a cookie. I knew I was a bad example and completely unhinged when Bryan looked at my confused and said, "What are you doing?" I answered, "Uhhhh, eating a cookie?!" We chuckled but we both knew that I needed to get a grip.
Monday came and I got back on track. I tracked every bite and made the decision that if I stayed on track for the rest of the week and exercised that I could turn the week around. I did it. On a few days I even ate 2 less points than my plan allows. I ate enough those days and didn't need the points so I decided that's what I needed to do to get some control. That's not recommended by WW but I knew I was in no danger of hurting myself and I ate lots of fruits and veggies and other healthy foods those days.
I went to my meeting yesterday. I felt great and was hoping that the scale would agree. I lost 1.4 pounds. I can't tell you how excited I was to see the number I saw. To be honest, it's a number I've seen before. In fact I just saw it back in April because unfortunately I've gone up since then and had to re-lose some weight. It didn't matter that I had seen it before. What counted to me was that I got back to a number that I hadn't seen in 4 months. I broke through a barrier that I have been hovering around for 3 months now. Next week I look forward to making another great stride towards a lower number.
I want to encourage you to forgive yourself when you get off plan. It's okay to mess up once in a while. We are human. We cannot expect perfection our of ourselves. Just remember that the sooner you get back on track, the sooner you can undo the damage you did. Also, the sooner you get back on track the easier it will be. We don't want to hang on to those unhealthy habits that creep back into our lives.
Have a great day everyone and I'll talk to you again soon.
Corinna
"But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off'; do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." -Isaiah 41: 8-10
Friday, August 24, 2012
Grocery shopping tips
Hello all. I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Frankly, the week has just gotten away from me. I've been busy, busy, busy and somehow the dishes and laundry are still not done;) Although I haven't blogged online I have thought of you all often and blogged many times in my head while driving from football to shopping, from choir to home, from home to a funeral, to hiking from home......well, you get the picture. If only my blogs could type themselves as I think of the many things I would like to say. I guess I should get to the point and say it then.
I was grocery shopping the other day and was looking at the chocolate covered pretzels. The kids were looking for snacks for themselves so I thought it would be a nice snack for me. Then I asked myself, "Why would I bring that food into my house? I have access to plenty of yummy foods regularly without bringing it into my house where I have fight the urge to eat the whole bag in one sitting." This is an intriguing thought to me. Another WW friend once said to me, "You know this week I realized that I don't have to eat all of the groceries when I bring them home. They will still be there tomorrow if I don't eat them." That was such a wise statement and I understood it completely. I understood just the feeling that she was having when she returned home from the grocery store and wanted to eat all of those yummy groceries that she just bought. I have that urge many times and have given in many times too. Thankfully, I have also resisted the urge more times.
Specifically speaking to the grocery shopping trip, I know you are not supposed to go shopping hungry. That is the old adage. It's wise but not always possible. I lead a busy life. Sometimes I need to grocery shopping when the time avails itself. Most times I arrange my shopping trips around other errands I am running the same neighborhood as my local Woodman's. Woodman's is my favorite place to grocery shop. I have found that I can find everything I need because of their incredibly large selection. When I am looking for fat-free, low-fat, low-sodium, rare brands, Weight Watchers brands and different flavors I a can always count on my Woodman's to have what I need. I also like them because their prices are incredible and they accept coupons. I'm a big coupon clipper and use them as often as they will make my purchases cheap. My Woodman's is about a 15 minute drive from my house though so I try to link it with other things I am doing that day in that neighborhood. It's not hard to do, it just takes a little planning.
Because of this, sometimes I end up at the grocery store hungry. I have found this to be tricky because everything looks good but my main trick is to make a list and stick to it. I never go grocery shopping without a list. The concept is quite foreign to me actually. I think I would just stand there in a daze if I attempted it:) In fact today I went grocery shopping. Before we left I was frantically looking for my list on the kitchen counter. I remember writing on it just an hour before but couldn't find it anywhere. I asked the kids and they didn't know. After searching for several minutes I found it in the shorts I was wearing earlier in the day. (Samuel peed on them - the shorts, not the list. Too much information? Oh, well, this is my life.)
Finding the list was so important and it wasn't even complete. I keep a little pad of paper on my counter. As I live in my kitchen from day to day I remember things I want to pick up at the store. This isn't just grocery items; I had an air vent and an air filter on my list today. Only one of those things was purchased but I keep my lists in my wallet until I've gotten everything on them. If I didn't write everything down there is no way I would remember what I needed to get. I don't the time or energy to go to the store any more than once per week so it's important to me that I get everything that I need. This also gives me the chance to think about what I write down. Sometimes I look at what I've written and then decide in the store that I don't really need to spend the money on that item at this time.
After I have my list of things from my counter I go through a cookbook to decide what I am cooking for the next week. I have a list on my fridge with the cookbook, page number and recipe written on my list of meals. This may sound time consuming but it only takes me a few minutes. I add to my grocery list what I need for my weekly menu and off I go.
When we are done shopping I am always hungry. I don't eat the samples. I don't need to waste points in the grocery store. I can think of better places to use points. I always buy bananas. I eat 2 a day, Bryan eats one or two a day, Sammy eats one a day and the rest of my kids eat them pretty regularly too. After I have unloaded my groceries into my car I break out the bananas. I eat one to subside the hunger. This way I am not famished when I get home because when I get home and have to put the groceries away I am tempted to eat anything that looks good. This is also not a good way to use points.
It works for me. I hope this has given you some ideas too. Please feel free to share them with us all in the comment section. Why don't people comment? I see that many of you read it but no one comments? No biggie, just wondering.
Have a great day everyone. I'll try to blog again tomorrow after my weigh-in.
Corinna
"Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?'" -Hebrews 13:5-6
I was grocery shopping the other day and was looking at the chocolate covered pretzels. The kids were looking for snacks for themselves so I thought it would be a nice snack for me. Then I asked myself, "Why would I bring that food into my house? I have access to plenty of yummy foods regularly without bringing it into my house where I have fight the urge to eat the whole bag in one sitting." This is an intriguing thought to me. Another WW friend once said to me, "You know this week I realized that I don't have to eat all of the groceries when I bring them home. They will still be there tomorrow if I don't eat them." That was such a wise statement and I understood it completely. I understood just the feeling that she was having when she returned home from the grocery store and wanted to eat all of those yummy groceries that she just bought. I have that urge many times and have given in many times too. Thankfully, I have also resisted the urge more times.
Specifically speaking to the grocery shopping trip, I know you are not supposed to go shopping hungry. That is the old adage. It's wise but not always possible. I lead a busy life. Sometimes I need to grocery shopping when the time avails itself. Most times I arrange my shopping trips around other errands I am running the same neighborhood as my local Woodman's. Woodman's is my favorite place to grocery shop. I have found that I can find everything I need because of their incredibly large selection. When I am looking for fat-free, low-fat, low-sodium, rare brands, Weight Watchers brands and different flavors I a can always count on my Woodman's to have what I need. I also like them because their prices are incredible and they accept coupons. I'm a big coupon clipper and use them as often as they will make my purchases cheap. My Woodman's is about a 15 minute drive from my house though so I try to link it with other things I am doing that day in that neighborhood. It's not hard to do, it just takes a little planning.
Because of this, sometimes I end up at the grocery store hungry. I have found this to be tricky because everything looks good but my main trick is to make a list and stick to it. I never go grocery shopping without a list. The concept is quite foreign to me actually. I think I would just stand there in a daze if I attempted it:) In fact today I went grocery shopping. Before we left I was frantically looking for my list on the kitchen counter. I remember writing on it just an hour before but couldn't find it anywhere. I asked the kids and they didn't know. After searching for several minutes I found it in the shorts I was wearing earlier in the day. (Samuel peed on them - the shorts, not the list. Too much information? Oh, well, this is my life.)
Finding the list was so important and it wasn't even complete. I keep a little pad of paper on my counter. As I live in my kitchen from day to day I remember things I want to pick up at the store. This isn't just grocery items; I had an air vent and an air filter on my list today. Only one of those things was purchased but I keep my lists in my wallet until I've gotten everything on them. If I didn't write everything down there is no way I would remember what I needed to get. I don't the time or energy to go to the store any more than once per week so it's important to me that I get everything that I need. This also gives me the chance to think about what I write down. Sometimes I look at what I've written and then decide in the store that I don't really need to spend the money on that item at this time.
After I have my list of things from my counter I go through a cookbook to decide what I am cooking for the next week. I have a list on my fridge with the cookbook, page number and recipe written on my list of meals. This may sound time consuming but it only takes me a few minutes. I add to my grocery list what I need for my weekly menu and off I go.
When we are done shopping I am always hungry. I don't eat the samples. I don't need to waste points in the grocery store. I can think of better places to use points. I always buy bananas. I eat 2 a day, Bryan eats one or two a day, Sammy eats one a day and the rest of my kids eat them pretty regularly too. After I have unloaded my groceries into my car I break out the bananas. I eat one to subside the hunger. This way I am not famished when I get home because when I get home and have to put the groceries away I am tempted to eat anything that looks good. This is also not a good way to use points.
It works for me. I hope this has given you some ideas too. Please feel free to share them with us all in the comment section. Why don't people comment? I see that many of you read it but no one comments? No biggie, just wondering.
Have a great day everyone. I'll try to blog again tomorrow after my weigh-in.
Corinna
"Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?'" -Hebrews 13:5-6
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Weight loss, it's worth the fight!
I recently got an email from a WW friend. She was down about her weight results the past few months. She was asking for advice. As I was emailing her back I found my fingers moving faster than I have ever seen them type. This is a topic that I feel very strongly about. I can think of a million things to say to people when they ask for help. I want to help everyone get through this struggle if and when they ask. I know exactly how they are feeling because I have felt that way. It's not a feeling that I had long ago. It's a feeling that I have had many times over the years and a feeling that I know I will continue to have for years to come. This is a journey that never really gets easy. I'm sure there a select few that lose the weight and never struggle again. When I say "few," I mean it. I know that number is extremely small. I want to share with you some things that I think will help you if you are feeling defeated and struggling to stay on track too.
First of all, I would say that if it's financially possible, go to meetings. Personally, I find them to be great accountability. It that's not possible (I know that it may not be) find some accountability elsewhere. How is the support at home and at work? Ask your family for some support. Tell them that you need some extra accountability. Tell them how you are feeling and how much it would mean to you if they would help you in any way that they can. Be specific. Tell them exactly what you need them to do (remind you to have one portion, keep temptations out of the house, call you or text you and ask you how you are doing.) These are just ideas. Figure out exactly what you need from them. What may be helpful to me may not be helpful to you. Decide what would be helpful and tell them. Do the same thing at work. Find as many people as you can to tell them what you are trying to do. I know that you may not be comfortable with everyone knowing your business but as many people you are comfortable with should know your plans. It's hard to go back on our plans when everyone is looking at us. People know that I am no longer a WW leader but my family and friends still watch me diligently at parties. They still know that I am a WW member and are always watching me to see what and how much I eat. This keeps me in check tremendously. I still overeat at parties, but it would be a whole lot worse if I didn't know they were watching me and if I weren't having "weight conversations" with them at the party.
On your "good" days, tell everyone that you can that you are sticking to your plans. Let them celebrate with you that you are successful for a day or two. No, not with brownies. Let them give you a pat on the back. That will help keep you on track for another day or week.
If you are an on-line WW member you have access to some great boards too. Join some of them. Get to know the regular people on those forums and tell them that you are looking for some help. Read through the boards and stories online when you are tempted to "cheat." They can be so motivating and helpful.
Don't beat yourself up. Please know that you are not alone. Everyone struggles for days, weeks and months at a time. When you come out of this struggle victorious you will be so glad that you did not give up. You have come so far and you know how to be disciplined. You've done it before. Whether it was for a day, a week or a year. You have been disciplined before. Remember how that felt and keep reminding yourself how good it will feel.
Take it one week at a time. Don't worry about the past. It is done. You can only look forward at what you will do now.
Share with others on this blog your plans and how you are going to get through your tough times or how well you have done. Just hit the comment button to tell us all. Let me know what else I can do to help too. If there are any specific questions you have or situations you want to get my opinion about, I'd be happy to help. Ask me on the comment section. I will give my answers on the comments so all can see and learn from each other.
Whatever you do, don't give up. It's worth the fight.
Corinna
"Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ." -1 Timothy 6:12-14
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The 3-day cleanse
Last night I was at my nieces' birthday party. While there my sister-in-law gave Sammy a piece of cheese bread that she didn't want to finish herself. She told me that she just had to have a little bite but knew she shouldn't eat the rest. I had no problem with Sammy eating it. My sister-in-law is a lifetime WW member so I just figured that she was tracking her points and didn't want to go over. I was impressed with her willingness to have just one bite and then give it away.
When I questioned her she told me that she was on a 3-day cleanse. I remember reading some research on these cleanses once a couple of years ago but frankly didn't retain much of the information. The idea intrigued me last night.
You see I have had a rough week. I didn't track on Saturday but decided that it was okay and I would just count that as my day off and assume that I used all of my weekly points. I came to terms with it and was happy with it. On Sunday I started the day tracking and eating well but went over my points by the end of the day. Monday was the same thing. I started tracking and ate very well almost all day but by evening I threw in the towel and ate anything I felt like. Now that I am retracing my steps I think that "rough week" is putting it mildly. I have had a terrible week. Tuesday was the birthday party. I ate well all day, went to the party armed with knowledge and a plan. I didn't go nuts but I went over points.
Since the week had been so rough......I mean terrible, a cleanse sounded like what I needed. I've never considered one before. Even the research I had done a couple of years ago was research for my job, I wasn't considering it. I questioned my sister-in-law at length. Are you hungry? Have you done this before? What do you do when you are done with the cleanse? How much have you lost? How much will you lose? Doesn't the weight just come right back after you go back to eating normally again? Why are you doing it? What are you eating? How much? Are there snacks? Where did you find it? I needed to know everything if I was going to try this thing.
I went home with the full intent to look up a 3-day cleanse on the internet, find one I liked and go for it. If I could do it for 3 days then it would give me the focus and motivation to get back on plan and I will be down 5 pounds in the meantime. Really, how could I lose? It was obvious that I needed to try this.
After everyone went to bed I went to the computer. I searched "3-day cleanse." Wow, there is no shortage in websites that tell you about 3-day cleanses! After reading several websites I knew that I wasn't looking for any of these. I didn't want to drink any protein drinks or magic juices. I didn't want to eat nothing but fruit for 3 days. I didn't want to have to go to special stores to get the ingredients to get through the 3 days and I didn't want to spend money on books or powders.
Now that I got all of those guidelines out of the way I decided that I needed to narrow my search or I would be up all night searching for my perfect cleanse. I added the word "diet" to my search and found even more choices. These choices were a little closer to what I had in mind. Some of them were still quite interesting though.
I narrowed it down to 2 choices. I even made the websites favorites on my computer so I could reference them later. Then I found comments and forums from real people who tried these cleanses and diets. That took one of them straight out of the running. Many of the comments said how awful the recipes tasted, how awful they felt before, during and after and how they lost no weight. Why would I do that to myself?
That left one choice. I looked at the menu carefully and imagined myself eating this for the next 3 days. I got bored and hungry just looking at the menu......toast, tuna, 1 ounce of cheese......I don't even like grapefruits.....that would be fun to choke down.
Why was I considering this? Because of the pros. The pros must be listed on these billions of websites. Yes, they were. Look at that! The biggest pro was what I was looking for. It gives the motivation to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle. That's why I wanted to do this but I figured while I was looking I might want to read the cons too. The cons list was not nearly as nice. I could damage my body, set myself up for yo-yo dieting and more. This was the last thing that I needed to start in my life. I've worked too hard to make this a lifestyle and NOT a diet. Why would I start yo-yo dieting now?!
After wasting an hour on the computer when I could have been sleeping I realized that I was not at all interested in a 3-day cleanse or diet or whatever you want to call it. (There were debates on what was a cleanse and what was a diet too.) What I was interested in doing is what has worked for me all along. I kicked myself in the butt, tracked every bite today, stuck to my points and feel great.
Dare I say that after just one day, I have the motivation to "start" my healthy lifestyle.
'Til next time,
Corinna
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved." -1 Corinthians 10:31-33
When I questioned her she told me that she was on a 3-day cleanse. I remember reading some research on these cleanses once a couple of years ago but frankly didn't retain much of the information. The idea intrigued me last night.
You see I have had a rough week. I didn't track on Saturday but decided that it was okay and I would just count that as my day off and assume that I used all of my weekly points. I came to terms with it and was happy with it. On Sunday I started the day tracking and eating well but went over my points by the end of the day. Monday was the same thing. I started tracking and ate very well almost all day but by evening I threw in the towel and ate anything I felt like. Now that I am retracing my steps I think that "rough week" is putting it mildly. I have had a terrible week. Tuesday was the birthday party. I ate well all day, went to the party armed with knowledge and a plan. I didn't go nuts but I went over points.
Since the week had been so rough......I mean terrible, a cleanse sounded like what I needed. I've never considered one before. Even the research I had done a couple of years ago was research for my job, I wasn't considering it. I questioned my sister-in-law at length. Are you hungry? Have you done this before? What do you do when you are done with the cleanse? How much have you lost? How much will you lose? Doesn't the weight just come right back after you go back to eating normally again? Why are you doing it? What are you eating? How much? Are there snacks? Where did you find it? I needed to know everything if I was going to try this thing.
I went home with the full intent to look up a 3-day cleanse on the internet, find one I liked and go for it. If I could do it for 3 days then it would give me the focus and motivation to get back on plan and I will be down 5 pounds in the meantime. Really, how could I lose? It was obvious that I needed to try this.
After everyone went to bed I went to the computer. I searched "3-day cleanse." Wow, there is no shortage in websites that tell you about 3-day cleanses! After reading several websites I knew that I wasn't looking for any of these. I didn't want to drink any protein drinks or magic juices. I didn't want to eat nothing but fruit for 3 days. I didn't want to have to go to special stores to get the ingredients to get through the 3 days and I didn't want to spend money on books or powders.
Now that I got all of those guidelines out of the way I decided that I needed to narrow my search or I would be up all night searching for my perfect cleanse. I added the word "diet" to my search and found even more choices. These choices were a little closer to what I had in mind. Some of them were still quite interesting though.
I narrowed it down to 2 choices. I even made the websites favorites on my computer so I could reference them later. Then I found comments and forums from real people who tried these cleanses and diets. That took one of them straight out of the running. Many of the comments said how awful the recipes tasted, how awful they felt before, during and after and how they lost no weight. Why would I do that to myself?
That left one choice. I looked at the menu carefully and imagined myself eating this for the next 3 days. I got bored and hungry just looking at the menu......toast, tuna, 1 ounce of cheese......I don't even like grapefruits.....that would be fun to choke down.
Why was I considering this? Because of the pros. The pros must be listed on these billions of websites. Yes, they were. Look at that! The biggest pro was what I was looking for. It gives the motivation to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle. That's why I wanted to do this but I figured while I was looking I might want to read the cons too. The cons list was not nearly as nice. I could damage my body, set myself up for yo-yo dieting and more. This was the last thing that I needed to start in my life. I've worked too hard to make this a lifestyle and NOT a diet. Why would I start yo-yo dieting now?!
After wasting an hour on the computer when I could have been sleeping I realized that I was not at all interested in a 3-day cleanse or diet or whatever you want to call it. (There were debates on what was a cleanse and what was a diet too.) What I was interested in doing is what has worked for me all along. I kicked myself in the butt, tracked every bite today, stuck to my points and feel great.
Dare I say that after just one day, I have the motivation to "start" my healthy lifestyle.
'Til next time,
Corinna
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved." -1 Corinthians 10:31-33
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Friday struggles
Saturday was my WW meeting day and weigh-in. I was looking forward to it because I was feeling good and really worked hard.
Friday evenings are tough for me. It's probably a good thing that I weigh-in on Saturday morning or every Friday would be an eating-fest. After a long week I am tired. I don't want to cook anything healthy. I don't want to take the time and energy to try anymore. The tirednesss I am feeling makes me feel mentally hungry. It's something I struggle with each and every week. This week was no different. I wanted to eat everything. I held back by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
That evening, Bryan said he would cook dinner. I didn't argue. He went to the corner Sentry and picked up some chicken sausages to grill. He made a wonderful dinner and I didn't have to cook it. I did have to eat it though. I controlled myself with the chips. Bryan chuckled at me when he walked into the kitchen and I was weighing my tortilla chips. I ate my 1 ounce of chips with my fat free salsa and enjoyed it. I tracked the 4 PointsPlus Values.
While Bryan was grilling I calculated our bread choices. I had 2 choices in buns and some pita pockets. The whole wheat hot dog buns won hands down. They were 3 points. The white brat buns I had were 7! The pita pockets were 1 but they were tiny and I knew I wouldn't enjoy them as much with the chicken brat. I also calculated the chicken brat. They were 4 points each. I tracked each thing as I figured out the points so I wouldn't leave anything to chance. I had worked so hard all week and I didn't want my efforts forgotten because of my Friday exhaustion.
I made veggies on the stove while Bryan finished grilling so we would have a balance meal with plenty of filling options. I ate my dinner, enjoyed it and had 4 points left. I was thinking about what I would use my last 4 points for when Bryan came in the house with his own homemade, grilled potato chips. I was so glad I hadn't eaten those last 4 points yet. It was a wonderful meal. It was filling because we made healthy choices. I also got to fill my need to eat because of the lower points plus values of the foods.
I went to bed feeling quite full......not because I had eaten too much but because I made good healthy, filling choices that filled my belly.
Saturday morning I woke up feeling excited to get to my meeting. The only thing that worried me is that I felt bloated. I felt like I was retaining water. I decided that I knew how well I did and that I should lose weight but if I didn't lose much I would know that it was just water retention. I was thrilled to see my hard work pay off. I lost 2.2 pounds. It was well worth it.
Corinna
"Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand tot the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'" -Deuteronomy 15:9-11
Friday evenings are tough for me. It's probably a good thing that I weigh-in on Saturday morning or every Friday would be an eating-fest. After a long week I am tired. I don't want to cook anything healthy. I don't want to take the time and energy to try anymore. The tirednesss I am feeling makes me feel mentally hungry. It's something I struggle with each and every week. This week was no different. I wanted to eat everything. I held back by eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
That evening, Bryan said he would cook dinner. I didn't argue. He went to the corner Sentry and picked up some chicken sausages to grill. He made a wonderful dinner and I didn't have to cook it. I did have to eat it though. I controlled myself with the chips. Bryan chuckled at me when he walked into the kitchen and I was weighing my tortilla chips. I ate my 1 ounce of chips with my fat free salsa and enjoyed it. I tracked the 4 PointsPlus Values.
While Bryan was grilling I calculated our bread choices. I had 2 choices in buns and some pita pockets. The whole wheat hot dog buns won hands down. They were 3 points. The white brat buns I had were 7! The pita pockets were 1 but they were tiny and I knew I wouldn't enjoy them as much with the chicken brat. I also calculated the chicken brat. They were 4 points each. I tracked each thing as I figured out the points so I wouldn't leave anything to chance. I had worked so hard all week and I didn't want my efforts forgotten because of my Friday exhaustion.
I made veggies on the stove while Bryan finished grilling so we would have a balance meal with plenty of filling options. I ate my dinner, enjoyed it and had 4 points left. I was thinking about what I would use my last 4 points for when Bryan came in the house with his own homemade, grilled potato chips. I was so glad I hadn't eaten those last 4 points yet. It was a wonderful meal. It was filling because we made healthy choices. I also got to fill my need to eat because of the lower points plus values of the foods.
I went to bed feeling quite full......not because I had eaten too much but because I made good healthy, filling choices that filled my belly.
Saturday morning I woke up feeling excited to get to my meeting. The only thing that worried me is that I felt bloated. I felt like I was retaining water. I decided that I knew how well I did and that I should lose weight but if I didn't lose much I would know that it was just water retention. I was thrilled to see my hard work pay off. I lost 2.2 pounds. It was well worth it.
Corinna
"Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand tot the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'" -Deuteronomy 15:9-11
Friday, August 10, 2012
Variety
I told you last blog that I would try to come back from my vacation mind. Well, I'm half way there.
One thing I did on vacation is exercise almost every day. I was able to work into most mornings an exercise routine. My aunt had a stationary bike, a little stepper machine and a treadmill in her basement living area. Most of the kids and I slept in her basement every night so the basement became our living area. It is a very nicely done basement with a TV, carpeting and furniture. It was a nice place to hang out when we were not in her pool.
The pool was a nice extra bonus to exercise. The kids wanted to swim every day, several times a day. I only swam once per day because I only wanted Samuel in the sun and pool once per day. That was enough to give me a little tan and a little exercise in the water. In addition to that exercise I did my morning exercise as often as life let me. I brought my 3 pound weights with me and 2 of my DVD's that I had been doing at home. I expected to work in exercise during my free time.
We arrived on Friday night. On Sunday night my aunt and mom were exercising on my aunt's equipment. After my mom was done she told me to get on the bike. I really wasn't in the mood but how could I let them both exercise and then ignore the invitation. I got on with a fake smile on my face. I rode the bike for 20 minutes and felt great about it when I got off.
The first morning I found time to exercise I tried to put in my DVD's. Electronics these days are way too complicated for me. I couldn't figure out how to play a DVD on their DVD player and they were at work. So instead of forgoing the workout altogether I hopped on the stationary bike. Since I'm not used to using a stationary bike I made my workout short. I kept it to 20 minutes.
I had been working on my arms for the past few weeks and I didn't want to ignore them so I got out my weights and did some arm exercises. I did 3 exercises that I had remembered from my DVD's. I did 3 sets of each exercise with 15 reps. My arms felt great. They have been flabby lately and I know from past experience and what a trainer once told me that arms can be toned easily with a little repetition and consistency.
I added 5 minutes to my bike routine most days that I exercised. By the time I left I think I was going 45 minutes on the bike and adding in my arm weights. It was a great way to balance out that overeating and get myself enjoying exercise.
I have continued that routine since coming home. I do my arm exercises most days and use my DVD's most days too. I just finished my workout for the day and am so glad. I am starting to really feel like I did before I had Samuel. I am looking forward to tomorrow's WW meeting and weigh-in. It should be a good one.
Talk to you all later,
Corinna
"The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth." -3John 1:1-3
One thing I did on vacation is exercise almost every day. I was able to work into most mornings an exercise routine. My aunt had a stationary bike, a little stepper machine and a treadmill in her basement living area. Most of the kids and I slept in her basement every night so the basement became our living area. It is a very nicely done basement with a TV, carpeting and furniture. It was a nice place to hang out when we were not in her pool.
The pool was a nice extra bonus to exercise. The kids wanted to swim every day, several times a day. I only swam once per day because I only wanted Samuel in the sun and pool once per day. That was enough to give me a little tan and a little exercise in the water. In addition to that exercise I did my morning exercise as often as life let me. I brought my 3 pound weights with me and 2 of my DVD's that I had been doing at home. I expected to work in exercise during my free time.
We arrived on Friday night. On Sunday night my aunt and mom were exercising on my aunt's equipment. After my mom was done she told me to get on the bike. I really wasn't in the mood but how could I let them both exercise and then ignore the invitation. I got on with a fake smile on my face. I rode the bike for 20 minutes and felt great about it when I got off.
The first morning I found time to exercise I tried to put in my DVD's. Electronics these days are way too complicated for me. I couldn't figure out how to play a DVD on their DVD player and they were at work. So instead of forgoing the workout altogether I hopped on the stationary bike. Since I'm not used to using a stationary bike I made my workout short. I kept it to 20 minutes.
I had been working on my arms for the past few weeks and I didn't want to ignore them so I got out my weights and did some arm exercises. I did 3 exercises that I had remembered from my DVD's. I did 3 sets of each exercise with 15 reps. My arms felt great. They have been flabby lately and I know from past experience and what a trainer once told me that arms can be toned easily with a little repetition and consistency.
I added 5 minutes to my bike routine most days that I exercised. By the time I left I think I was going 45 minutes on the bike and adding in my arm weights. It was a great way to balance out that overeating and get myself enjoying exercise.
I have continued that routine since coming home. I do my arm exercises most days and use my DVD's most days too. I just finished my workout for the day and am so glad. I am starting to really feel like I did before I had Samuel. I am looking forward to tomorrow's WW meeting and weigh-in. It should be a good one.
Talk to you all later,
Corinna
"The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. I was overjoyed when some of the friends arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely how you walk in the truth." -3John 1:1-3
Monday, August 6, 2012
Tracking methods
It's quite funny to me that I have been home from vacation for a week now and I'm still blogging about it. I guess part of me still wants to be on vacation;) Part of the reason I am still writing about vacation is because I was able to take the time to think about things. Not a lot of time mind you, I still had 5 children to take care of and one of them was a toddler that just learned how to walk.
One thing that could have tripped me up on vacation is that I usually track online with Weight Watchers etools. A week before I left I realized that I would be missing my etools. I would be staying at my aunt and uncle's house. I knew they didn't have a computer. Bryan said I could bring our laptop but he wasn't coming with us so I didn't want to take our only computer. It turned out to be a good decision because they didn't have internet either so even if I would have brought the computer I would not have been able to track with it.
I have found tracking my food to be an important part of my weight loss and weight maintenance. There is no way that I can lose weight without keeping track of everything I eat. It's so easy to forget how much and what I ate unless I keep track. On vacation I think that it's completely admirable to lose weight. I also believe that it's completely possible. Unfortunately, for me it's also rare. I am happy if I maintain. That is exactly what I did. I know that if I hadn't found a way to track I would have easily gained.
I took along my WW PointsPlus Calculator. I realized before I left that it would be a great way to track without too much effort. As I have told you in previous posts, I did not track everything. I should have, but I didn't. I did track on 80% of the days though. That tracking made the difference between gaining and maintaining. It was nice and handy to carry that calculator in my shorts pocket when I was on the run and on the kitchen counter when I was not.
I'm not sure how many of you are WW members. I know that many of you were my members when I was a WW leader. I also know that many of you have shared this blog with your friends and family members. I also know that this blog is read in other countries around the world because I get the reports that tell me such things. So I'm guessing that all of you are not WW members. I will tell you that whether you follow WW or you follow something different I would highly recommend tracking everything you eat. It can make all the difference.
Talk to you again soon. Maybe I'll get my mind back from vacation soon;)
Corinna
"And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'" -Matthew 17:18-20
One thing that could have tripped me up on vacation is that I usually track online with Weight Watchers etools. A week before I left I realized that I would be missing my etools. I would be staying at my aunt and uncle's house. I knew they didn't have a computer. Bryan said I could bring our laptop but he wasn't coming with us so I didn't want to take our only computer. It turned out to be a good decision because they didn't have internet either so even if I would have brought the computer I would not have been able to track with it.
I have found tracking my food to be an important part of my weight loss and weight maintenance. There is no way that I can lose weight without keeping track of everything I eat. It's so easy to forget how much and what I ate unless I keep track. On vacation I think that it's completely admirable to lose weight. I also believe that it's completely possible. Unfortunately, for me it's also rare. I am happy if I maintain. That is exactly what I did. I know that if I hadn't found a way to track I would have easily gained.
I took along my WW PointsPlus Calculator. I realized before I left that it would be a great way to track without too much effort. As I have told you in previous posts, I did not track everything. I should have, but I didn't. I did track on 80% of the days though. That tracking made the difference between gaining and maintaining. It was nice and handy to carry that calculator in my shorts pocket when I was on the run and on the kitchen counter when I was not.
I'm not sure how many of you are WW members. I know that many of you were my members when I was a WW leader. I also know that many of you have shared this blog with your friends and family members. I also know that this blog is read in other countries around the world because I get the reports that tell me such things. So I'm guessing that all of you are not WW members. I will tell you that whether you follow WW or you follow something different I would highly recommend tracking everything you eat. It can make all the difference.
Talk to you again soon. Maybe I'll get my mind back from vacation soon;)
Corinna
"And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'" -Matthew 17:18-20
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Remember that patience?
I've told you how I am trying to be patient with myself as I start losing my nursing points. Nursing moms need a lot more calories to keep their milk supply while losing weight. I have loved eating all of the extra points over Samuel's first year of life. I was able to eat a good amount of food while still losing the baby weight. It was wonderful.
A bit over a month ago I stopped nursing Samuel. I have been gradually trimming the extra nursing points from my daily budget. I've told myself over the past two months that I just need to be patient with myself while I lose the points. I've been taking away one per week while losing, gaining and maintaining the same weight week after week.
While on vacation I overdid my eating my first couple of days. After beating myself up for going off of my plan and feeling like a balloon that was about to burst I realized that I needed to be proactive about this so I cut my points. I decided that it was time to stop being so "patient" and lose this weight. Afterall, I had eating way too many points over the weekend and somehow I wanted to fix my mistakes. I couldn't just sit around waiting anymore. I didn't want to starve myself because I knew that would backfire, but I knew that I could eat less and try to make up for the terrible eating I had done over the weekend. I knew how many points that I should be eating according to WW guidelines for a non-nursing woman. I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and make that my new target.
It wasn't easy to do because I was used to eating a lot more food than I was now allowed. Then I began to think of when I was first a new WW member. I changed my eating habits and ate a lot less than I was used to because I was excited about losing the weight and knew that WW could help if I just followed their guidelines. If I could do it then, I could certainly do it now. I already have pretty good eating habits. I said pretty good, not perfect. I just need to keep that up and eat a bit less. I needed to stop making it so complicated. Boy can we make things complicated if we try, hey?
I've officially changed my target. I've taken away all of my nursing points and it feels good to do what is right. I went to my Weight Watchers's meeting on Saturday morning. After vacationing for 10 days, staying at my aunt's house and attending 2 family reunions, I stayed exactly the same on the scale. Perfect? No. Acceptable? Oh, yes!
I'll check in with you all again soon.
Corinna
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you great only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:46-48
A bit over a month ago I stopped nursing Samuel. I have been gradually trimming the extra nursing points from my daily budget. I've told myself over the past two months that I just need to be patient with myself while I lose the points. I've been taking away one per week while losing, gaining and maintaining the same weight week after week.
While on vacation I overdid my eating my first couple of days. After beating myself up for going off of my plan and feeling like a balloon that was about to burst I realized that I needed to be proactive about this so I cut my points. I decided that it was time to stop being so "patient" and lose this weight. Afterall, I had eating way too many points over the weekend and somehow I wanted to fix my mistakes. I couldn't just sit around waiting anymore. I didn't want to starve myself because I knew that would backfire, but I knew that I could eat less and try to make up for the terrible eating I had done over the weekend. I knew how many points that I should be eating according to WW guidelines for a non-nursing woman. I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and make that my new target.
It wasn't easy to do because I was used to eating a lot more food than I was now allowed. Then I began to think of when I was first a new WW member. I changed my eating habits and ate a lot less than I was used to because I was excited about losing the weight and knew that WW could help if I just followed their guidelines. If I could do it then, I could certainly do it now. I already have pretty good eating habits. I said pretty good, not perfect. I just need to keep that up and eat a bit less. I needed to stop making it so complicated. Boy can we make things complicated if we try, hey?
I've officially changed my target. I've taken away all of my nursing points and it feels good to do what is right. I went to my Weight Watchers's meeting on Saturday morning. After vacationing for 10 days, staying at my aunt's house and attending 2 family reunions, I stayed exactly the same on the scale. Perfect? No. Acceptable? Oh, yes!
I'll check in with you all again soon.
Corinna
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you great only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." -Matthew 5:46-48
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Pizza!!
As I told you yesterday, I controlled myself well on the car trip to Ohio for our vacation. It was a victory for myself. I tracked everything I ate and controlled my environment well.
When we got to my aunt and uncle's house we were greeted with 2 giant pizzas. These were deep dish pizzas with lots of great toppings on them. They were from the local pizza joint. They looked delicious.
I looked up the points plus value in my books and decided that I would eat one piece. That would take care of the rest of my points budget for the day and I would have just a few left. Boy was that pizza good. So good that I would have to indulge in another piece and use some of my weekly points. That was not the best decision since we had a family reunion the following day. I knew there would be tons of food at the reunion but I did it anyway.
Then after I finished the pizza the chicken called my name. It was good. It was crispy. It was fried. I just had a half of a piece. Uggh! I tracked it all but I ate too much.
The following day, Saturday, was the reunion. I ate a small breakfast since I had eaten too much the day before. I started the reunion eating nice and healthy. I had lots of fruit on my plate. By the end of the reunion I had eaten just about everything that could be eaten. That was way, way too much. My brother actually asked me at one time if WW had a "free day" where you could eat anything you wanted as long as you got back on track the next day. That's what I had done that day but it wasn't the way WW had built it and it wasn't the right answer for me either.
I had decided that Sunday was going to be different but that pizza came back out of the fridge when we got home from church. Darn that pizza! I ate too much of it yet again. I was eating what everyone else was eating and not thinking for myself. That pizza taunted me all week. There was so much of it that my aunt froze some so it kept reappearing for the 10 days that we were there. By the end of the week I had sworn off pizza because I knew that I could not control myself around it. This is something that I should have known about myself already. I have certainly had this issue in the past but this 10 day trip solidified my issue with pizza. It should not be a large part of my diet. It should not be something that I eat when large quantities are available.
Lesson learned. I wonder how I will do with it next time?
More tales from vacation tomorrow,
Corinna
"The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established. What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a liar. The fear of the Lord is life indeed; filled with it one rests secure and suffers no harm." -Proverbs 19:21-23
When we got to my aunt and uncle's house we were greeted with 2 giant pizzas. These were deep dish pizzas with lots of great toppings on them. They were from the local pizza joint. They looked delicious.
I looked up the points plus value in my books and decided that I would eat one piece. That would take care of the rest of my points budget for the day and I would have just a few left. Boy was that pizza good. So good that I would have to indulge in another piece and use some of my weekly points. That was not the best decision since we had a family reunion the following day. I knew there would be tons of food at the reunion but I did it anyway.
Then after I finished the pizza the chicken called my name. It was good. It was crispy. It was fried. I just had a half of a piece. Uggh! I tracked it all but I ate too much.
The following day, Saturday, was the reunion. I ate a small breakfast since I had eaten too much the day before. I started the reunion eating nice and healthy. I had lots of fruit on my plate. By the end of the reunion I had eaten just about everything that could be eaten. That was way, way too much. My brother actually asked me at one time if WW had a "free day" where you could eat anything you wanted as long as you got back on track the next day. That's what I had done that day but it wasn't the way WW had built it and it wasn't the right answer for me either.
I had decided that Sunday was going to be different but that pizza came back out of the fridge when we got home from church. Darn that pizza! I ate too much of it yet again. I was eating what everyone else was eating and not thinking for myself. That pizza taunted me all week. There was so much of it that my aunt froze some so it kept reappearing for the 10 days that we were there. By the end of the week I had sworn off pizza because I knew that I could not control myself around it. This is something that I should have known about myself already. I have certainly had this issue in the past but this 10 day trip solidified my issue with pizza. It should not be a large part of my diet. It should not be something that I eat when large quantities are available.
Lesson learned. I wonder how I will do with it next time?
More tales from vacation tomorrow,
Corinna
"The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established. What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a liar. The fear of the Lord is life indeed; filled with it one rests secure and suffers no harm." -Proverbs 19:21-23
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Travel tips
I am back from vacation! We went to Ohio to visit family and attend 2 family reunions. It was a great time.....for the most part.
I drove there and back. It was a 9 hour drive one way. As you know, I have 5 kids to travel with. My strategy to keep me from eating too much on the drive was to take no snacks in the car. I know that is not what you usually hear. I have been hearing in my meetings about all of the healthy treats that could be packed for traveling this summer. I have learned from my past experiences that I am better off not snacking on the road at all. After all, I am sitting in a car driving. I am expending very few calories with this activity.
On the way there I was traveling in my minivan with 4 of my 5 kids while following my brother and my mom in another car. Bryan was not able to go with us because he was not able to take the time off of work. We have learned over the years of making this drive that we all need to get out of the car at least once during the drive. We stop for gas, potty breaks and one meal.
We went through a drive-thru for breakfast before we left town. We drove until lunch time. I was surprised no one had to stop to go potty earlier. We went in the rest stop, got lunch and ate it in the car while we continued the drive. We would have normally taken the time to eat in the rest stop but my brother had his police dog with him and it was too hot to leave him in the car. It was just enough for us all to get out and stretch our legs for 15 minutes. No one complained that they were hungry or thirsty during the drive. We ate dinner at my aunt's house when we made it to our destination.
This works for my family for many reasons. First of all, I don't have any tempting treats in the car to take me off plan. Secondly, we don't have to stop for too many potty breaks since we aren't filling our bodies with a lot of food and drink. Thirdly, it saves us money. I know we are spending money at the rest stop on a meal but it's less money than we would have spent if we had stocked up on snacks. When we go to the store to buy snacks, we always buy too many. Lastly, it saves us room in the car. When traveling with 4 children and one of them is a one year old, there is a lot luggage. We need the space in the car for bodies and luggage - not coolers and bags of snacks.
This was our traveling method. It worked very well for me because I tracked everything I ate on the drive and was able to stick to my points. What traveling methods do you have? What have you used this summer? What do you plan on using for the rest of the summer? Post them here by commenting on the blog.
It's nice to be home. I learned lots more about myself on this trip so I will tell you more about my trip tomorrow.
Corinna
"The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves." -Mark 6:30-32
I drove there and back. It was a 9 hour drive one way. As you know, I have 5 kids to travel with. My strategy to keep me from eating too much on the drive was to take no snacks in the car. I know that is not what you usually hear. I have been hearing in my meetings about all of the healthy treats that could be packed for traveling this summer. I have learned from my past experiences that I am better off not snacking on the road at all. After all, I am sitting in a car driving. I am expending very few calories with this activity.
On the way there I was traveling in my minivan with 4 of my 5 kids while following my brother and my mom in another car. Bryan was not able to go with us because he was not able to take the time off of work. We have learned over the years of making this drive that we all need to get out of the car at least once during the drive. We stop for gas, potty breaks and one meal.
We went through a drive-thru for breakfast before we left town. We drove until lunch time. I was surprised no one had to stop to go potty earlier. We went in the rest stop, got lunch and ate it in the car while we continued the drive. We would have normally taken the time to eat in the rest stop but my brother had his police dog with him and it was too hot to leave him in the car. It was just enough for us all to get out and stretch our legs for 15 minutes. No one complained that they were hungry or thirsty during the drive. We ate dinner at my aunt's house when we made it to our destination.
This works for my family for many reasons. First of all, I don't have any tempting treats in the car to take me off plan. Secondly, we don't have to stop for too many potty breaks since we aren't filling our bodies with a lot of food and drink. Thirdly, it saves us money. I know we are spending money at the rest stop on a meal but it's less money than we would have spent if we had stocked up on snacks. When we go to the store to buy snacks, we always buy too many. Lastly, it saves us room in the car. When traveling with 4 children and one of them is a one year old, there is a lot luggage. We need the space in the car for bodies and luggage - not coolers and bags of snacks.
This was our traveling method. It worked very well for me because I tracked everything I ate on the drive and was able to stick to my points. What traveling methods do you have? What have you used this summer? What do you plan on using for the rest of the summer? Post them here by commenting on the blog.
It's nice to be home. I learned lots more about myself on this trip so I will tell you more about my trip tomorrow.
Corinna
"The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.' For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves." -Mark 6:30-32
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