Another Breakthrough!

So I guess I've figured out my body's weight loss pattern. After another couple of frustrating weeks with only a 1 pound loss, this past Sunday when I weighed in I was surprised to see a 4 lb. drop! A real surprise given that I haven't been carefully tracking my points, and I know I'm probably going over points on some days, and then the Halloween candy is looming large! But I guess the cumulative effect is what's important, and as long as I don't fool myself into thinking that I don't have to cut back as much as I had, then I'll be okay and continue to be successful.

So this makes another milestone - I'm now officially below 240! And significantly below enough that I don't think I have to worry about gaining back above 240 unless I just totally lose my mind and willpower this week. So now my next short term goal is to drop below 230.

People are noticing the weight loss, although in recent photos of myself I still couldn't see it. I have this terrible double chin that just horrifies me when I see photos! When I start seeing that go, I'll be much happier! But I'm also worried that besides the weight loss sometimes producing sagging skin where fat used to be, my family on my mother's sad is cursed with turkey necks - where you have the perpetual double chin that looks like a turkey's wattle! I've never really been tempted or vain enough to consider cosmetic surgery, but after I get the weight off, if I still have that neck, I may very well consider a surgery to get rid of that!

Hanging Tough

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything on the blog, and it's gratifying to know that people are reading it because I've had a few people remind me that I haven't written anything! Time issues and life transitions has interfered with updating these last two weeks. Since the last entry I've lost another pound - but held steady for two weeks. I'm slacking off a little because of schedules, etc. and so am planning to get back on track. I do pretty well during the week while at work, but anything off my schedule or during the more relaxed weekends is a little more difficult. There's also the going out to dinner or lunch with friends and family that can make it more difficult - if I want to use that for an excuse!

My home life has suddenly gotten very interesting which is one reason I'm delayed in writing here. I've gone from being a single woman living alone for the last 7, almost 8 years, to having my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson living with me. What started out as a temporary thing seems to becoming semi-permanent. With the state of the economy and our collective finances it just makes more sense to have them living with me and all of us contributing to the household upkeep. But we need to change from them living out of suitcases to a more stable environment. I have only a 2-bedroom apartment, although it's a large apartment. So we're in the midst of rearranging furniture, finding a place for the baby to sleep (he now sleeps in Gramma's bed!), and just making it a comfortable situation for everyone. And as soon as one becomes available at my complex, we'll be moving into a 3 bedroom apartment.

However, the current living situation makes staying on the plan a little more challenging. We're cooking a lot together, and we're not always cooking the healthiest of foods. But, Jenn, my daughter-in-law, is going to start on the plan as well, so our meals will be more healthy, within the plan. Chase will also benefit whether he wants to or not! Plus Jenn is at home during the day and can plan our meals. She also wants to start exercising on a regular basis, which should motivate me since I've still not gotten into a routine that includes activity. If she goes to the apartment complex fitness center in the evenings, I should go with her and at least get on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

So life is continuing to be the adventure it usually is for me! After a long spell of relative inactivity and a lot of "alone" time, my home is filled with loving family members and the delighted squeals of a 14 month old who thinks everything his daddy does is funny. It's not a bad life!

Setting Goals

I lost another 2.5 lbs this past week which gives me a total weight loss of 11.5 lbs! So on the WW website I get another little "star" for making the first 10 pounds - although I got fussed at again for "fast weight loss!" That just kills me!

In terms of setting goals for weight loss - I've got the long term goal for total weight loss of course, but I also look at the recommended goal that WW sets which is to lose 10% of your total weight as a step by step process. So my first short term goal according to WW is to lose about 25 lbs.

But I have found that my own mental goal is to get past certain weight hurdles based on 10s - in other words - I started out at 253.5, so I was excited when I got below 250. Now I'm at 242, so my goal is to drop below 240, etc. Then when I get to 210 - the big goal will be to get below 200. That'll be a day to celebrate!

With the first 11.5 pounds off I'm feeling successful and encouraged to keep going. I'm not always so faithful to recording the points each day - especially on weekends. But I find that I'm ALWAYS conscious about points and how many I have at a given time. I've done this long enough now that I have a sense of how many points there are for foods that I commonly eat, so I just keep running inventory and if I get unsure - then I back up and lighten up on what I eat to make sure I don't go over. And although I've never recorded them - I know also that I have 35 points a week to play with - so that gives me a cushion on the weekends!

My big success this past weekend though - was going to my brother and sister-in-law's for dinner and not overindulging - especially on the raspberry chocolate brownies and homemade chocolate ice cream. So I might have had a few too many slices of fried green tomatoes - but I only let her slice me a very small slice of brownie and a small scoop of ice cream. And although initially other family members teased me a little bit - knowing my addiction to chocolate - overall they were actually quite supportive and encouraging me (although I really know that they were just happy that it meant more brownies for them!)

An inspiring compliment

While I know that 9 pounds is a great weight loss in one month - I'm still having a hard time telling it, although my jeans fit a little more loosely. I've been trying to "visualize" being thinner and when I walk, I carry myself like a thin person - so perhaps the psychological benefits of the visualization will help as well - we'll see.

However, nothing works like when friends and family tell you they notice. I was shocked yesterday when my son said, "Hey mom, you're losing weight!" Now you have to understand that my son is not one to just give out compliments to me - and more often than not he gives "backhanded" compliments in which you're never really sure if he's serious or not. So I'm saying "Really? You think so?" - and he continued to affirm that I looked as though I had lost weight.

This morning however, still not really believing him, I asked Jennifer, my daughter-in-law, "Did you put him up to saying that, or did that come from him?" - figuring that she, like most wives, has to clue him in to things or prompt him. She insisted that it was his own comment.

So, that went a long way in inspiring me to keep going. The WW food plan is not difficult and I'm getting comfortable in keeping track of points values and knowing what foods have fewer points and choosing to eat more healthfully. And I even allow myself the occasional small piece of chocolate or something like mashed potatoes so that I don't totally freak out at some point and binge on large quantities of all the things that I shouldn't eat.

The support of family and friends has been crucial. When planning on going out to dinner with a friend last night, I was more cautious with my eating earlier in the day so I could "splurge" a little bit if need be. My friend was so cute when he picked me up and said "How many points do you have left for dinner?" That meant a lot to me because it means my friends and family are also being conscientious about my food plan as well. Quite unlike the early years of my first marriage when my ex-husband would deliberately try to sabotage my diets by placing unhealthy things in front of me.

But that's the past, and for now....it's all good.

Finally! A little breakthrough

Thanks to everyone who was so encouraging and supportive when I whined about not having lost any weight the last couple of weeks. As Susan, the Weight Watchers Queen, pointed out, sometimes you'll go without losing then drop several pounds. So I can proudly post a new weight on the blog (see the left of this posting) as I dropped 3.5 more pounds! That makes a total of 9 pounds in 4 weeks - which I can't complain about. I'll feel even happier when I can tell I'm losing weight from my clothes feeling more loose.

The irony of it is that Weight Watchers is "worried" about my fast weight loss! I was so proud to record my new weight on the WW website and darned if they didn't pop up with a little message about how I was losing more weight than was healthy - 2 lbs a week is optimum and citing all the dangers of fast weight loss! Geesh....talk about mixed messages!

However, regardless of that - I've also discovered some WW Smart Ones products that are both tasty and low points value. Since I never get up in time to eat breakfast before going to work, I'm usually bringing something with me - such as cereal and yogurt. I discoved WW has some breakfast items that are tasty and only 4 points. They have an egg muffin (a la McD's egg mcmuffin) and what I had this morning which was really good - a breakfast quesadilla.

But my favorite find so far is a Smart Ones meal that is only 2 points! And it is by far the most favorful and filling frozen meal I've ever had - it's called Chicken Santa Fe and is white chicken chunks with black beans, a full serving of vegetables and a tangy texmex flavoring. Man is it good! I was eating it by itself last week and with it only being two points was having to scramble to find more food to eat to keep my points going. But it occured to me as well that this was a great meal to add rice or pasta to - to bump up the bulk and the points and add some variety. Last night I took two of them and cooked them together and then made angel hair pasta and that's what little Hayden and I had for dinner. Very tasty - I'm having it for lunch again today!

So with all these plugs for Weight Watchers - do you think I qualify as a sales rep? Maybe I should send this blog to them and see if they'll pay me!

Tortoise vs the Hare

When I got on the scales yesterday morning I was really annoyed. I didn't have any recordable weight loss this past week. I have to keep reminding myself that 5.5 pounds over 3 weeks is still good, but I want to see immediate, tangible results of my new discipline. All week I was careful with my points, and kept track of them so I know I ended each day without having gone over or maybe not even eating all of the points I'm allowed. So why no weight loss? I realize I still need to work in the exercise and I probably will lose weight VERY slowly if I don't start getting some cardio activity on a daily basis. Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, I need to look at getting out at lunchtime and walking, but that would necessitate remembering to bring my walking shoes to work. A new discipline to work on!

Weekends
Part of my problem is keeping track of my points on the weekends and not going too far afield of the plan on those days. Keeping track of my food intake is much easier during the week when I'm at work and then usually go straight home and am in for the evening. I keep the Weight Watchers website open on my computer at work all day and then on my home computer in the evening. That way anytime I eat something I can record it instantly and can continuously check on the points values of various foods I may want to eat. But the weekend is just harder. I usually have meetings to go to or am with family or friends, and making the choices to eat correctly get a little harder. I've determined that Sundays are my days for not sticking as strictly to the plan to give myself a little reprieve, and I've been pretty good the last two Sundays with not going too overboard. And my friend Susan, the WW weight loss queen, reminds me that if I screw up one day that I just start over the next day. Still - I should at least make an attempt to record the points on the weekends and keep a closer eye on the food choices I make.

Still, Americans are all about instant gratification - especially if any perceived sacrifice is involve. My brain wants to automatically go to - I've eliminated so many calories, fats, and sugars from my diet, by God I should be losing 5 or more pounds a week! So I get mad when I don't. That's when I'm in a danger zone - when I get close to saying "What's the use?" and revert back to old eating habits. I've got to remember that I'm still making positive changes, but the results of those changes may come slowly. I need to be happy with the slow, steady progress instead of the quick spurts. I need to be the tortoise instead of the hare.

Planning Ahead

My challenge this week has been not being prepared when I'm not where I need to be at meal time in order to eat healthfully. Part of the problem is that as a single woman, I don't keep a stocked refrigerator or pantry the way you do when you have a family - especially children. For the most part I'll only buy food for a few days and eat out most of the other time (a clue to my weight gain as well!). Or I keep frozen items that I can zap and eat - and then there have been the times in the evenings when I simply ate a bowl of cereal or straight out of the peanut butter jar!

Plus when I grocery shop, I tend to do it by the seat of my pants - no shopping list in hand, just a mental checklist and cruising up and down all of the aisles to see what catches my eye and hoping I remember everything I do need (I always forget something!)

So since starting on WW I've been gradually trying to rebuild my pantry with stock items that can help me make wise choices when it comes time to eat. And I'm trying to think ahead when shopping, actually make a list, check the WW website to figure out points for certain items and go from there.

What happened two nights this week is that I didn't know until the last minute that I was going to be somewhere other than home for dinner - so it ended up being late before I could eat - and while I stayed within my points and made relatively good choices, it just was more difficult and stressful. I'm trying to think of "emergency rations" - perhaps a protein bar? - that I can keep in my purse when that happens again. (I don't think a Rice Krispies bar counts - even though that's what I had with me yesterday!)

However a midweek weigh-in at the doctor's office showed a few more pounds coming off - assuming their scale is calibrated closely to mine - so I'll be interested to see what the scale reads this weekend.

I can say that this has not been difficult so far and for the most part I feel satisfied with the foods I eat, and I already feel better from not loading myself up with sugar and fats. The only thing I don't like, and which has sabotaged most of my diets, is having to be constantly aware and conscious about my food intake. Having to plan and think about it all the time gets old after a while. Of course, the alternative to not being aware and thoughtful about it, is to eat anything and everything and continue to gain weight.

A little primer on making comments to my blog
Some of you seem to be a bit challenged about commenting directly to the blog post. Most of you have my email address so it's perfectly fine to just email me. However, if you'd like to comment on the blog, here's what you do: At the end of each post you'll see a "0 comments" or perhaps there'll be a number which means someone has already commented. Just click on that link and you'll be taken to an area where you can read the comments and then write one of your own. That's all you have to do - don't have to sign in or anything! I think there's some kind of little puzzle you have to interpret - but we all have seen those before. Just remember - these are "public" comments - anyone will be able to read them. So if you want to say something to me in private then it's better to email me directly!