Rachie0507's Wandering Thoughts--Starting Over Page 7

[Rachie0507]

(The first 7 pages are my original journal. I'm starting over after a few month absence on page 7. Thanks!!)

I joined Weight Watchers today!!! I'll be around a lot now, you might want to get used to me. I think this journal is going to keep me motivated and honest. I don't actually know you people, their is no reason to make anything up!! You'll be getting the whole truth--I hope you're ready for it. Just a warning, I love to write but I'm not claiming to be good at it just that I enjoy it!!!

Who I Am: I am a 26 year old wife and mommy. I have a 2 yr boy and 4 yr girl. I was SAHM until recently. I now run a business out of my house (day care). I love to read, scrapbook and be silly with my kids. I'm not able to relax like I used to though, hoping this will help.

My Diet History: Lots of random diets, nothing really worked until WW in 1998 when I lost 40 lbs, down to 160. Had baby #1. Joined WW again in 2001, lost 25 lbs, to 200 (it was a bad pregnancy). Had baby #2. Only gained 22 lbs, lost 15 lbs within a week after he was born. Then started to gain again. Joined WW. Quit. Joined WW. Quit. Joined the gym January 2004. Went 5-6 times a week for 5 months. Lost 30 lbs. Got lazy. Now here I am. I weighed in at 239 today (gasp). I need to do something NOW!

My Motivation: I'm too tired to play with my kids. I don't like walking too much anymore, my knees hurt. I feel a lot older than I really am. Taking kids to WDW this December, want to be able to enjoy it without painkillers and heating pads on my aching joints.

My Plan: Joined Weight Watchers. Will follow the Flex Plan. Want to work out 4-5 times a week. I will either walk around my neighborhood or start going to gym that I pay to belong to every month. Hoping that the motivation for exercise will come after the initial weight lose.

I'll be back....be prepared.

[Rachie0507]

I woke up this morning happy. This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but I think I am relieved that I have limits now. Before, I would eat whatever and hate myself for it. I want someone to tell me what I can and can't do. I want to be accountable for my choices. Every other time I have done this, I take that attitude that if I cheat it doesn't really matter. But it does. I'm thinking about "charging" myself for making bad choices. For example, if those Oreos in the cabinet are too tempting and I have a couple, I should have to but couple bucks into our Disney fund change cup. I had a great breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and OJ. For lunch, I am making pizza for my kids and daycare kids. I am planning on using 1/6 of the crust for my own pizza with fresh veggies and 1/4 c. cheese. Sounds yummy to me!!! I'm going out tonight, but think I'll be okay. It is a party at a friends house who is on WW and very successful. I don't think she would offer unhealthy choices. I'll find out....

[sarahsmom73]

Welcome!!! :wave2:

[pearlieq]

Welcome and best wishes! :wave:

I like the idea of "charging" yourself for cheating. I'll have to think about doing that...

Hope you have a great weekend!

[Rachie0507]

I actually had a pretty good first weekend (if I were talking you would here the surprise in my voice, LOL). I wrote up my food plan for the day first thing in the morning and I just stuck to it. Whenever I was feeling a little hungry, I would refill my water bottle and start drinking. I made normal dinners (I didn't change my recipes to low fat, I just modified my portion size). Breakfast was easy too, because I don't usually eat breakfast! I had fresh fruit, cereal and homemade waffles. Lunch was very low points. Yesterday all I had was a salad with homemade oil dressing. Still very filling though. The only "off plan" thing I had was a slice of a Friendly's ice cream roll cake. My parents came over for a turkey dinner and my mom brought that. I only had 1 point left so I used 4 Flex points also. I don't think that is too bad. When WW used to do the point range, I was often at the high end. I like this new system better. I have been trying to avoid the Flex points, and so far I'm doing okay. Funny thing happened last night--I got up and wanted to snack (bad habit I have). It was about 1:30 am. I went into the kitchen and had a hand full of grapes, probably about 1/2 cup. I woke up a couple more times feeling guilty for not having counted the points. So first thing this morning I deducted 1/2 point from todays total. I never was that serious before.

I think I have a friend going to WW with me this week. I'm hoping she goes. I would think it works better with someone to support you.

When we had my parents over last night, we finalized some of the WDW trip details (they are coming with us). We'd been debating over what resort, but we decided on Port Orleans French Quarter (the one I wanted! Parents wanted Riverside, DH wanted Pop Century). I am even more excited, and motivated, now. :cheer2: :cheer2:

Today, I am pretty optimistic. Already had a bowl of cereal, with banana and milk, and a cup of orange juice for breakfast with the kids. I'm having Healthy Choice Country Veggie soup and ham and cheese sandwich for lunch and hamburger and cauliflower for dinner. Update later or tomorrow.

[Rachie0507]

I was just reading other people's journals--how inspiring! I love to read about people who have done well and lost weight. I was just reading about someone who went from 235 to 125. Wow. I don't think I could ever weigh 125. I think I'm "big boned" as they say. I'd be happy around 150. But I try not to focus on the pounds. I like to think in terms of what size I wear, or how fast I can walk a mile (or perhaps even run a mile someday).

I had another good day, food wise. I just had another piece of that darn Friendly's ice cream roll that my mother left here. It bugs me really; when she said she wanted to bring dessert to dinner yesterday I said she had to bring it home with her. She left it anyway. I was craving sweets tonight and DH is out for a meeting, so I decided to have a treat. I had 3 points left for the day and a used a few flex point to cover the ice cream. I think I'll try to avoid using Flex points again til after my weigh in on Thursday. I'm hoping for an impressive weight lose this week. My friend is joining WW this week. I hope we can work it out to go together every week. My DH has class on Thursday evenings, so I have to have my mom come to the house to be with the kids. And her DH has to be at work by 7. I think we can fit it in though.

I have been sleeping really well (other than guilty feelings about grapes!). And I wake up much easier in the morning. I used to wake up feeling like I'd been run over by a truck. Makes me think about what I was putting into my body before to make me feel that way. Kind of crazy.

[Rachie0507]

I'm in a mood today. I didn't stick to my original food plan for the day so I'm kind of mad at myself. The first problem was that I couldn't decide what I wanted to have for my meals. Then my friend brought me some leftover Kapusta (polish dish with cabbage, saurkrawt (sp?) and pork). So I was tempted and had it for lunch. First issue was I couldn't figure out the points for it. It isn't listed in the WW books. And my friends mother made it so I wasn't sure of the exact ingredients. I ending up basing it off my recipe even though I could tell it was a little different. And really it wasn't that bad except for the pork. So I sit down to eat it and I'm all excited because I really like Kapusta, and it is horrible!!! Nothing like my polish aunt makes! So I had a few bites. I tried to avoid the pork because it was really fatty. I ending up pouring 90% down the sink. So now what. I just wasted 2 points on nothing. I made myself a turkey sandwich instead. I counted 5 points for that. I used Light Wheat Bread that is 1 point for 2 slices, probably 3-4 oz of turkey, lettuce, mustard. Did I have cheese on that? I can't remember...if I did I didn't count the points.
See this is why I am following the Flex plan. I need to write everything down and follow it. I would eat like crazy on the Core plan. I don't know why it is driving me so crazy!! For dinner I am having Italian sausage, baked potato w/ salsa and cheese, and mixed veggies. Yummy!

[Rachie0507]

Today is going better that yesterday. Here is my food plan for the day:

Breakfast:
3/4 c. Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
1/2 Fat Free Milk
Coffee with 1 tbsp of FF Creamer (won't waste a point on that often)

Lunch:
Ham Sandwich w/ Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato
On Light Wheat Bread (2 slices=1 point)
Healthy Choice Country Vegetable Soup
1 c. Fat Free Milk

Dinner Plan:
Turkey Sandwich w/ Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato
On French Bread
1 c. Peas
Salad w/ oil dressing

Kids are home from Grandmas. I check back later.

[Lesli54]

Just wanted to say Welcome to WISH! Your journal is the first I have read because I have been concentrating on starting my own program. I really do love the idea of putting money towards WDW if I eat the wrong thing. Good luck to you. :cool1:

[pearlieq]

Sounds like a great plan for today.

Hope you have a wonderful day! :flower:

[Rachie0507]

I've been trying to post all day about something I'm proud of, but I keep getting interupted. I have MORE ENERGY!!! I am so much more motivated to stuff...get up in the morning, play nice with the kids (I've taken the kids to the playground two days in a row now, that means putting snowsuits, hat mittens and boots on 5 children age 4 and under, mostly 2 year olds!). I don't know if it a difference of my mental attitude or what I am eating, but I'm liking it! And the headaches have gone away. Did any one else have headaches for the first couple days of not eating junk? It was driving me crazy!!

[Rachie0507]

I'm lounging around watching American Idol, and up until a week ago I would usually have a bowl of ice cream. But tonight, I had a salad!! I hadn't had my oil servings today so I figured I'd get them in with the dressing. I can't wait for weigh-in tomorrow. I don't think I have ever had this honest and on-plan week in my other times on WW. I'm so excited to be doing this.

I need to exercise. I'm going to try to drag my body out of bed tomorrow morning and walk the dog around the block. It is only like 1/3 of a mile, but is better than nothing. I used to do that all the time. I remember walking the dog first thing in the morning and then again at 10 pm right up until my DS was born. If I had the energy then, why can't I do it now? I'll try. That means getting up at, like, 5 am!! DH needs to leave for work between 6-6:30. We'll see how it goes ;)

[Rachie0507]

Today's Food Plan:

Breakfast:
Egg Sandwich on Light Wheat Bread
Tangerine

Lunch:
Salad
Homemade Oil Dressing
Fat Free Milk

Weight Watchers Weigh In 5:30

Dinner:
2c. Turkey Chili
1/4 c. Cheddar Cheese
12 Tostitos Chips
Fat Free Milk

1 c. Ice Cream

(I'm using 7 Flex Points, but not til after weigh in!! :flower: )

Kids are yelling, gotta go!

[toystoryduo]

Good luck at weigh-in today!! :wizard:

[plutosmyfav]

Hi Rachie,

I just found your journal! Welcome. Sounds like you are off and running. I'm so happy you are getting your energy restored. Taking 5 kids to the playground in wintertime REQUIRES energy! Great job! Not only will you be able to enjoy your children more with your healthy lifestyle, they will enjoy you more, too! I know I am more fun to be with for my kids when I have energy and actually *want* to go out of the house!!!

Keep up the great work, keep posting! :sunny:

Sunny

[Rachie0507]

Thanks Toystoryduo!!

So far today, I have have walk around the neighborhood 2x's!!! Once this morning around 5:45 and then again at 10:30. The second time took forever though. I had my son, who is 2, and three day care kids with me (DD was at swimming lesson w/ Grandma). The three extras are 3, 2, and 1 yr. olds!! The 1 yr old went into a stroller and the other three walked. And the dog, she came too. It was an interesting test on my patience :earseek: !!!! But I think we'll do it again. It was so nice to get some fresh air and move, though. We have had such a tough winter here. Winter is never easy in New England, but this year the temps never went up enough to melt what was already on the ground. This is one of the first times that the road doesn't have ice since December! It is getting into the 40's everyday now, so I think this is the start of the end!

One of my daycare kids had a fit this morning when his mom left. He only comes one morning a week and he has never cared before when Mommy left. He screamed (and schreeched and pounded the wall) for 45 minutes!!!! The mom doesn't work, just needs a break, so she told me if he didn't settle within 30 minutes then she would come back, and she did. I felt bad but he wouldn't even let me go near him, he would scream even louder!! So now I have a migraine. That is the kind of stress situation though that I would usually grab food to help me get through. But I didn't, I came to the disboards instead (my husband says I'm addicted!). That is when I posted my meal plan for the day. I just finished my salad-Yummy!! I have always loved salad. I just usually use creamy/fatty dressing, cheese and croutons!! Now I mix some olive oil with a little Balsamic Vinager and Italian seasoning and toss my salad in it. Still pretty tasty but without the sugar of store bought dressing.

I am so excited for my weigh in today. I hope I am not disappointed. I don't think I will be because I don't have any expectations for today. I have weighed my self at home twice in the last week. Once over the weekend and once this morning. I think my scale is way off!! I weighed in at 239 last week at WW. Over the weekend I was 232. Now I am 229. I know that is not a realistic weight lose, just a difference in scales. I guess I'm hoping for 3-4 pounds. I'll post again later!!

[Rachie0507]

The weigh-in went very well last night. I lost 4.2 lbs in the last week!!! I'm so excited. I know I won't lost that much every week but what a motivating way to start. I've planned out food for today and tomorrow (you know how Saturdays can turn into eating 'stuff' all day long, I wanted to be prepared with a plan). I have 4 extra points today but I am going to friend's house tonight to scrapbook. She always makes brownies and I want to have one!! I have already walked the neighborhood once today with the dog. I plan to do it again today with only 2 kids this time. I might even pull out the double stroller so I can go at a decent pace. But then I have to fight with my 2 (almost 3) year old to go into it. We'll see!!

Here is my food for the day:

Breakfast:
Fresh Strawberry, Banana, Grape Fruit Salad
1 Full Graham Cracker
8 oz. Orange Juice

Lunch:
1/2 c. Turkey Chili
1/4 c. Shredded Cheese
1 tbsp Sour Cream
1 1/2 c. Salad
3 Tostitos, crushed
8 oz. Fat Free Milk

Dinner:
3 Homemade Waffle Sticks
1/2 c. Sliced Strawberries and Bananas
1 egg Scrambled w/ margarine
8 oz. Fat Free Milk

I'll check back later, need to shower!!

[Rachie0507]

The kids are napping, kind of. My DD is at school all day today. She usually only goes for half day preschool, but with all the snow days lately they offered to keep the kids til 1:45. That means I need to get the three two year olds to nap earlier and I still probably wake them up. I have one though that doesn't like to nap. She is still playing in the pack-n-play. And the four year old is watching the Incredibles.

I walked about 1 1/2 miles this morning. I called a couple other moms and asked if they wanted to meet at the local bike path to walk. One was the friend who joined WW with me yesterday. Another was someone who considered going with us, but told me that she decided to start going next week to a different location (closer but doesn't fit into my work schedule). And a friend of her's came too, and now she is thinking about joining!! I told them we could start our own WW club! So anyway, I had two of the little guys with me at that point. I pushed one in the stroller and my DS walked. I never expected to go as far as we did though, and a 2 1/2 yr old really can't walk that far so I ended up with him on my shoulders for almost half the time. So I guess that is like an extra workout of carrying an extra 30 lbs!

My taco salad for lunch was so good!! I love stuff like that.

Off to do work. I like to ramble on and on. Hope nobody minds. When you are stuck in a house with toddlers and preschoolers all day long, you desperate to 'talk' to anybody!!

[Lesli54]

Good job Rachel! :banana:

Carrying around children is definitely a way to add to your work out. Take what you can get.

I don't mind "the ramblings", that's what makes the journals fun to read. Sometimes mine are so long, I am surprised that I don't bore everyone. Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I don't mind "the ramblings", that's what makes the journals fun to read. Sometimes mine are so long, I am surprised that I don't bore everyone. Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo


I'm always worried about being a bore also. Ultimately this journal is for me and my own motivation, but I also like to think people are reading it!! Thanks!

I "cheated" yesterday afternoon. The kids were all driving me a bit nutty and I wanted to escape. So while they were eating snack, I jumped on the internet and ate a Just 2 Points bar that I bought Thursday night. In my opinion, those things are a rip off. Because I can't stop at just one. And they are SO expensive!! So I had two of them. I was going for the third and I stopped and looked at my food journal. I couldn't do it because I didn't have the points. On one hand I am happy that I stopped. On the other, though, why did I have two? I had to rearrange my dinner plan to accomodate the 4 extra points (since neither bar was scheduled). I ended up with just chili for dinner, and a glass of milk. I had one point left for the day. Then I went to my friend's house for scrapbooking. There were about 10 people there (my friend is a creative memories consultant and she hosts workshops at here house). I planned on having something but I didn't plan on her ordering PIZZA!!! I had one slice, a small lowfat homemade muffin and a small chocolate chip cookie. I counted 10 points for all of that. I think that might be low but close enough. Other times that I have done WW, I would never count the points for a cheating night like that. Originally, I said I was going to "charge" myself for cheating, into the Disney Fund. But I can't decide if I should charge for this. The junk I ate while I was out wasn't cheating. I knew I could use Flex Points and I was willing to do that. What is bugging me are those 2 snack bars yesterday. One would have been okay but two is unacceptable, in my opinion. I know I have $1 hanging around in my purse (I usually don't carry any cash) so I'm going to throw it into the cup.

Today should be okay. I have food planned out but I'm losing my motivation to actually have those things. I might get ambitious and make stuffed peppers for dinner. I'll have to run to Stop and Shop to get some meat first though. I hate to go buy something when I already have a fridge full. But I also have a cabbage. Hmm, the wheels are turning now....

I'm trying to get the energy to get myself dressed so the kids and I can go walk the dog. DS already got himself dressed (he loves clothes much more than his sister, it really is pretty funny--since he turned two I wouldn't dare pick out his clothes without his approval or I'm setting us up for a tantrum!) DD is much more of a challenge. Her clothes are out and I keep reminding her to get dressed, but nothing!!! But I'm still in my pajamas too!

Okay, I'm off to face the world!

[Lesli54]

Yesterday, is in the past and today you will move forward. I am throwing my $1 in my jar today as well, since yesterday wasn't good for me either. Let's stick together and ENJOY the healthy food in our full refrigerators. Being aware of what and when you eat is half the battle. YOU CAN DO IT! :cheer2: ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Congrats on your awsome loss! :jumping1:

Great job keeping things under control at your friend's house. I know how that can be--you think you've got it all planned out and then WHAMO! Things change. Great job staying in control and managing the situation well.

You're making great progress!

[Rachie0507]

I just made the Zero Point WW Veggie Soup for lunches for the week. I love that stuff. You kind of forget that it is good for you.

DH wanted to go out for supper yesterday. He's first idea was Chili's because they have those Guilt-Free selections. He is very thoughtful :goodvibes . I told him Applebee's would be even better because they have WW options. Besides, Chili's is an hour away and Applebee's is 20 minutes. I didn't want to be in the car all day. So we went and I had the Onion Soup (3pts) and Tango Chicken Sandwich (7pts). Both were so good!! I told Bobby that even if I didn't have a lot of points left like I did yesterday, I would have been full with the soup and a small, plain salad. So I have a dining options. Yeah!!!

Today was okay. I ate a good breakfast. Then I cleaned my house during naptime and 'forgot' to eat! I had a good size salad early afternoon though. We had to run a couple errands and I bought myself a Milky Way bar thinking 'how bad can it be?'. Well, apparently, very bad!!! The stupid thing was 6 points!!!!! I won't do that again. Then, I had planned a Boiled Dinner for supper (kielbasa, cabbage, carrots, potatoes boiled in water). I couldn't believe how many points are in kielbasa!!! It was 10 points for a 4 in piece. It was a good thing I didn't use many points at lunch!!!

I definately had a more challenging weekend than last. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!!

[sarahsmom73]

Awesome loss! :cool1: You are doing great!

Also.. Great job at applebees!!! See you are already making great choices! :cheer2:

Have a great day!

[Rachie0507]

Sorry it has been awhile. I'm still doing well (I think!!) but I have just been busy!

Food wise I'm doing okay. I lived in fear for the first week, to make sure I did everything to the letter. I measured everything, didn't eat anything without writing it down and making sure it fit into my points, etc. I've relaxed a bit this week but I would rather be the other way!! Today was the first time I forgot to have breakfast. I had a mountain of laundry to fold and I just ran out of time before the daycare kids came. I ended up grabbing a SlimFast shake that I had hidden in my fridge and drank it while the kids played outside (side note: it is already 46 degrees today and snow is rapidly melting! We only have about a foot left!!!). Then I had 1/2 a corn muffin (WW recipe) with the kids during snack time at the playground (we got bored in the backyard and ventured out to the cool playground!). I'm not sure what I am going to have for lunch yet. I have plenty of point appropriate choices though, so I should be fine. I'll figure out what is for dinner first to make sure I have enough points for the whole day. I can't believe it is almost weigh in day again. I'm not as excited this week. I know that you usually have a big weight lose the first week and then level off. I'm trying to prepare myself so I am not disappointed that I don't lose 4 pounds every week!!

[CarolA]

Wehn I did WW I used Pria Bars and things like that instead of the Just 2 Points bars. I thought they were good, but a rip off. You can find cheaper snacks at the grocery.

Good job on the weight loss!

[Lesli54]

You are doing great! I have found that it is much easier to keep portion controlling my meals and will probably stay that way for another few weeks or more. Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[plutosmyfav]

Here's to melting snow :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: !!!!!!

You are doing great! I love Applebee's WW menu-- it takes all the guess work out! I love the french onion soup, too.

Sunny

[pearlieq]

Just wanted to stop by and cheer you on! You're doing great! :cheer2:

Isn't Applebees and godsend? I love their WW selections--the onion soup is really tasty! The berry lemon cheesecake is really yummy too--I love to share it with DH. It's a perfectly sweet small indulgence!

[Rachie0507]

I'm not keeping up with this...I need to start kicking myself in the butt to get myself going. I really appreciate everybody's nice comments and I apologize that I am not keeping up with this project. I'm going to try harder. Tomorrow, I have a goal to post my meal plan for the day first thing in morning and check in on other people's journals. I will follow through with this--I promise!!

I weighed in tonight. I'm still doing well. This week I am down 4.8 lbs, for a total of 9 lbs. I'm psyched! I didn't expect that much after the first week. Still, a good motivator and hopefully I'll continue doing well. As much as I would love to lose 4 lbs a week for a long time, I know that is not a real healthy amount to lose continually. I'd be happy with 2 lbs per week though. Maybe one more week of 4 lbs...that would be cool. I'm not too worried about Easter, since I had kids I don't have time to just sit and eat on holidays. I have to chase the kids around Grandma's house instead. She has nice pretty things, unlike my daycare house where we have no real furniture!!! If Little Tikes made couches, we'd have one!! So Easter will be fine. I'm making two different desserts--cheesecake and cupcakes. Both WW recipes. I might offer to bring/make a zero point veggie also. My mom tend to put all veggies in sauces or butter.

I am concerned about the weekend of 4/2-4/3 though. I am going on an overnight Scrapbooking Weekend thing. Meals are included so I am a bit limited in what I have. My friend, who is one of the sponsors, knows my concerns and she seems confident that I will find healthy choices. Her DH does WW and has been very successful so she is familiar with the restrictions. She is lucky and doesn't have a weight issue whatsoever!!!

My friend that joined WW with me last week is doing awesome! She had her first weigh in tonight and lost 7.3 lbs!! I was a little worried about her. She had real portions control issues along with very unhealthy food choices in her house (she is a very good friend so I don't mind being critical of her!!). She did a complete 180 when she joined WW and is eating great portions and low fat foods. But because of that she is having a hard time using up her points. But she did great. Maybe she'll relax this week and feel more comfortable using all her points.

I'll be back to fill my promise in the morning!

[pearlieq]

We'll be here waiting for you! See you in the AM! :sunny:

You can do it! :cheer2: :banana:

[Rachie0507]

Pearlieq, you are an awesome cheerleader. Thank you!!

As promised, I have my food plan made for the day. Here goes:

Breakfast:
1/2 c. Orange Juice (1pt)
Egg Sandwich on Light Wheat Bread (4pts)
10 Baby Carrots (0pts)

Lunch:
1 1/2 cups WW Veggie Soup (0pts)
2 Homemade Waffle Sticks (2pts)
1 tbsp Peanut Butter (2pts)
1 c. Fat Free Milk (2pts)

Dinner:
1 soft taco, 2 crunchy tacos (shells only) (5pts)
Lettuce, Tomato, Salsa (0pts)
3/4 c. Ground Turkey 7% Fat (5pts)
Mixed Veggies (0pts)
Milk (2pts)


I have 5 points left which we be for snacks. If I still have it at the end of the day I'll have 1/2 c. ice cream.

I got my activity booklet and point slide yesterday at WW. It is inspiring me to go to the gym again. I'm torn though--I love my gym. It is a trendy, health club--makes me feel cooler than I really am!! But I would love to start swimming and they don't have a pool. The other gym in town has a pool but they aren't as friendly and the facility is blah and ugly. Plus, I would have to convince my husband that I would go to the gym again in order to join the other. Right now we are paying $40 a month for a gym I haven't gone to since mid-January. Maybe I'll start going to my gym again 4-5 times a week. If I can pull that off and I am still wanting to swim, then I can switch. I don't think it is worth switching until I've made the commitment to go again. Sidenote here, when I joined the gym in January 04, I went 5-6 times a week, 2 hours per time. I loved it so much. Over 5 months I lost 25 pounds, slowly, and felt great. I've already lost 9 pounds with just WW in two weeks. I think that is why I am so interested in going to the gym now. I know my weekly losses are going to taper off so I'm thinking if I am going to the gym at the same time I am more likely to lose more weight. Plus, I've never felt so great in my life, physically, as I did when I was working out. Even though I was still (and am still) very overweight I had so much more confidence and energy. Hmm, something to think about.

I'll be back at naptime!

[kris1973]

It is hard to get back into the gym routine but once you get passed the first week I have found it gets easier to just think it is normal and you just do it. Your meal plan sounds great keep up the great work.

Kristin

[plutosmyfav]

Sidenote here, when I joined the gym in January 04, I went 5-6 times a week, 2 hours per time. I loved it so much.

You'll love it again, I promise ::yes:: It just takes a big push in the start to get the momentum going again. Maybe you should go to your current gym regularly for a few weeks or months before hitting DH with the idea of signing up for a new one??? At least then he'll know you're serious. Good luck, you'll do great :cheer2:

Sunny

[pettyone]

I know my weekly losses are going to taper off so I'm thinking if I am going to the gym at the same time I am more likely to lose more weight. Plus, I've never felt so great in my life, physically, as I did when I was working out.

I certainly agree...exercise alone won't do it...diet alone won't do it...but, boy, if you put the two together, you absolutely make progress!!

Weight loss and fitness are such an EVERYDAY struggle for all of us...it's tough, but the support here on the WISH board can really be motivating and make this "journey" seem easier than it really is!

Your meal plan for today looks great!!

Happy Friday & Happy Easter!!

[Rachie0507]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the encouragement about exercising.

DH just IM'ed me that his two buddies and their wives are meeting at the local dairy barn (aka fried food place) that just opened for the season, tonight for dinner. We don't see these couples nearly enough so I'd love to go. I'm studying the menu to find something small that I would enjoy. It is mostly seafood/fish which I DO NOT eat. I think I might sacrifice points for something small (I'm leaning toward a hamburger and a baked potato) rather than completely indulge. I hate the feeling of being full of fried food. And now that I haven't eaten junk for a few weeks, the idea of doing that makes my stomach hurt! Maybe, if there is enough time, I will go the gym first...I'll update later.

[Lesli54]

Sounds like you are right on track. :cool1: Being aware of your food choices and knowing how different foods make you feel is a huge part of the battle. Keep up the good work! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Okay, so dinner tonight went from some healthy tacos to ordering out at a not so healthy place. Now it has turned into a party at my house!! Three other couples were involved and one offered to have everyone over. We are the only ones with kids. Kids that go to bed early, at that. So we explained why it would be easier to come here and they all agreed.

I decided on some not so great stuff. My DH is there now getting my a Cheesburger Special with Onion Rings. I will not feel guilty though. I have been so good for two weeks and had great weight loses. I will sit down and figure out my points for tonight (probably all my Flex Points) and be a good girl until next Thursday. I can do it.

[Lesli54]

The cheeseburger is over and done with, so now back to the plan! YOU CAN DO IT!! :cool1:

Happy Easter. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

The last 24 hours have been less than perfect. I figured out my honest points for last night and used 1/2 my flex points!!!! And then this morning my parents wanted to go out for breakfast. I thought I was being good by order pancakes (it came with two) to split between me and my two kids. These pancakes came and had to be, no joke, 10 inches around!!!!! I ate 3/4 of one myself and handed the plate to my DH and asked him to put it at the end of the table for the waitress. And it also came with 2 sausage patties. I ate 1 1/2, gave the other 1/2 to DS. I am pround of myself though. I came home and sat down with my WW journal and recorded it all honestly. I used most of my points for the day now I have to deal with it. I had a SlimFast for lunch. I should have had a salad but I was on my way to a friends house for a Body Shop party. I was worried there would be food out and wanted to feel full so I grabbed that. Now I have 7 pts left. I think I will have a large salad with homemade oil dressing for 2 pts. and a glass of milk for 2 pts. My brother in law invited us for Chinese food tonight and I think we are going. I am going to have to politely decline eating though. Maybe one small thing but I can't make a meal of it. I have been drinking water like crazy today. We went for a walk/bike ride with the kids earlier too. We bought our son his first real bike today. He is almost 3 and we knew he was ready. He was all worried though about it getting dirty!!! And my daughter really figured out how to ride today. She was going fast and way ahead of us on the bike path. All right, I'm off to take care of the kids. They just came in from washing the car.

[pearlieq]

Weekends! Aren't they a minefield of social obligations/restaurants?! It does sound like your life is full of friends and happy family though--better than any medicine on the planet!

You're going a great job navigating through it. I can see that you're thinking through your food choices and keeping up with your journaling. That's REAL progress and a great habit. Yay for you!!! :cool1: :Pinkbounc :banana:

Hope you have a wonderful Easter! :flower:


BTW--I totally know what you mean about your gym making you feel cooler than you are--I used to go to gym like that before we moved away and it was awesome! Good luck finding the best fit for your exercise!!!

[Rachie0507]

Easter was HORRIBLE!!!!! I had such a great plan. I ate really light for the first 2/3 of Saturday. And for Sunday I had planned my meal out. We were going to my mom's house. I was bring Sugar Free Cheesecake Pudding with Fresh Strawberries on top and these great Chocolate Cupcakes made with pumpkin that only have 2 points a piece. I checked with my mom to make sure there would be a zero point veggie available for me to fill up on at dinner. I thought I had made a great plan. But my willpower failed on me....

Saturday night we ended up at my Brother-in-law's house. DH's family is disfunctional at best, so when we were invited, Saturday afternoon none the less, to go over for to celebrate Easter with them we felt the need to say yes. So DH's parents go also--but apparently the other two brothers weren't invited. Weird! Anyway, they order Chinese food--my favorite! When it came, I made up small plates for each of my children (my BIL's wife couldn't believe my kids had never had chinese food because her kids LOVE it. I try to feed my kids healthy foods and don't want to introduce them to my unhealthiest weakness. DD didn't like it at all but she is picky. DS liked Lo-Mein, but only if he got pieces of brocolli.). Then I look over what there is and make my plan of attack. Unfortunately, I had already gone out for breakfast that day and only had 7 points left (again, we didn't find out about this until last minute). I chose a small scoop of lo mein, a small scoop of fried rice and a crab rangoon with the cream cheese scraped out. I was satisfied with that. I tried to eat standing up near the kids table so I wouldn't be sitting right with the food at the table. But they all made a big deal about it. I'm not one draw attention to myself when dieting. I like to just blend in, in life in general! So I went and sat down. When I finished, my bil starts to push more food at me. I said 'no thanks, I'm out of points for the day' (his wife has done WW and they are familiar with the system. She drives me nuts, though. She is well over 300 lbs, I would estimate. I don't have a problem with that. My issue is that she constantly complains about her health problem and seems to have no idea that it is related to her weight. She has had 3 surgeries on her knees/feet in the last 18 months. Each time she says the doctors don't know why it is happening. She also doesn't eat very healthy foods. I am overweight and I am well aware of it. I don't blame my health issue on anything other than my poor choices and my excessive weight. I wish she would do the same. Be accountable) Okay, so then she goes into how she hates WW, it nevers works for her, blah, blahblah, blahblah. Long story short, I eat more chinese food. My DH apologized the whole way home about how sorry he was for putting me into that situation and his family not being supportive. He's a good guy :love: , no matter how weird his family is.

So, we get home and the kids go to bed. We need to get the Easter stuff ready. The Easter bunny visits our house, but not to an extreme. We are
Christians and we focus more on the meaning of Easter. My DD, who is 4, questions the Easter bunny already (Quote: "Mommy, if we celebrate Easter as the day that Jesus lives, why does a bunny bring us candy?"). I think we'll give that up in a year or so. Anyway, DH went shopping for stuff for the baskets, I asked him not to get much candy. Get raisins, Goldfish crackers, and one thing of candy. That was the instruction. He got distracted apparently and came home with a bag of: Dove chocolate eggs AND Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Eggs AND Jellybeans AND Sweet Tarts. That was my first sign that it was all going to be bad. I snacked while I filled eggs. Sunday morning went okay. I didn't eat anything actually, because we were hurrying to get ready for church. Church was fine. Even after church was fine. We came back home so DS could nap before we went to Grandma's. I had a bowl of soup, nothing bad! At Grandma's though, I didn't even care. I think I had it in my mind that I had failed so miserably all weekend long, why work to make it better then? I had ham and brocolli and squash and potatoes au gratin (not so bad, except for portion sizes). For dessert, I had the two things I brought and a cheese and cherry pastry thing my aunt bought. Looking back now, writing this out, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Certainly not good, but not too bad either.

I am back today. I am a Weight Watcher!!! I am going to work hard to make sure I have a weight lose for Thursday. I'll post again with my meal plan for the day. Gotta go shower!

[Lesli54]

Dealing with family and food can be very hard. My grandmother (Dad's side) likes to tell me that I am a nice size as she pushes more food towards everyone. What is that supposed to mean? She is like your SIL in some respects. Overweight, tried WW so many times, has problems with legs, knees and feet, but just won't lose enough weight to make a real difference. It can be tough, but so are you! :banana:

The weekend didn't go great, but here you are still willing to make a difference in your life and willing to work for it. In the end, that is what counts. Hang in there, because you are doing great! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Today wasn't so bad. My DD suddenly got a fever this morning. Same thing happened to DS yesterday. So both kids were home along with 2 day care kids. Made for a long day.

For breakfast I had a homemade smoothie w/ fat free milk, strawberries, banana and ice. Mid morning I had one of those 2pt cupcakes. Lunch was a large salad with homemade oil dressing w/ ham and cheese mixed in. Mid afternoon snack was Easter candy and fruit. Dinner will be spaghetti w/ sauce and ground turkey.

[Rachie0507]

Yesterday was okay. Both my kids are sick now. DD just threw up. I still have daycare kids coming today. A feel guilty exposing them to my kids but I know a lot of times it is easier for the parents to do that than find alternate care. Make for a boring day for them though because I am busy with my own kids.

I just went to Stop and Shop, around 5:30. They had a 10% off coupon for all produce. I bought a ton of fresh fruit and veggies!! I need to be completely accurate and honest in my journalling for the next two days or I won't have a weight lose this week. I just weighed myself this morning and I'm still down a pound or two from last week. I want more than that though!!! I'm an overachiever!!!

Todays Plan:

Breakfast
2 pieces of Light Wheat Toast
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
1c. Fat Free Milk

Lunch
Large Salad w/ Homemade Oil Dressing
1 1/2 c. Strawberries
1 c. Orange Juice

Dinner
1/2 Pork Chop
Mixed Veggies
Baked Potato w/ Salsa & 2 tsp. margarine

Snack
Nectorine

This plan actually leaves me with 7 points. I think I will probably add a snack in for the afternoon. I'm hoping to have 3-5 points left to make up for my bad weekend. I'll check back later!

[Lesli54]

I think the tummy bugs are making their way through the boards and zapping all of us. DD7 was not well last night, but better now, so far. Sending you :wizard: :wizard: to help your children get over this fast.

Sounds like you have a great plan for the day. Keep up the good work. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Today I am happy because:
I am following my meal plan
I am on my 2nd Bottle of Water and it isn't even 10
I hid my kids' Easter Candy so I would stop eating it!!!!

Sometimes it is the simple things that can brighten your day. Have a great day everyone :earboy2: :sunny: :flower:

[pearlieq]

Hey! Sounds like a great start to today!

Keep that :sunny: attitude going--you're going to have a great day!

[Rachie0507]

Today will be a long day. All 4 of us are sick now. I'm still taking daycare kids, because it is easier than making the moms find backup. They were here yesterday, so they are already exposed. So Dh is taking care of our kids, I'm taking care of other people's and at some point we will take care of ourselves!

I had plain toast earlier this morning after I threw up ;) . I'm feeling better, stomach wise, so I am have a fruit smoothie I just whipped up in the blender. These are so yummy!! I can't believe I never tried it before. Today I used frozen strawberries, a whole nectorine, 1 c. fat free milk and a few ice cubes. I counted it as 4 points even though it isn't a whole 1 1/2 cups of strawberries.

I don't know what I will do for food for the rest of the day. I'll post later. I'm glad I made the WW Veggie Soup yesterday. That will work well. I don't have a stomach bug, it is more of a cold and cough. My kids and I are prone to bronchitis though, so we are all on the nebulizer w/ albuteral. That makes me shaky for hours and takes away my appetite.

I planned on going to gym again this week.....maybe next week!

[Lesli54]

Sounds like your day is going to be very tiring. Try to get as much rest as you can and hopefully everyone will be feeling better soon. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Well, today certainly is getting better. I feel a lot better and both my kids are acting a little more normal. DH stayed home, but I'm not sure how sick he really was :goodvibes . But I appreciate hime being her to help me.

I had some Chocolate Chip Bread w/ the daycare kids at snack time. I counted 4 points for it. I felt a little guilty until I loaded the two little ones into the double stroller and went for a 20 minute walk. I added 2 activity points for it--I was working hard pushing the 80+ lb stroller up those hills!! Now I am having my lunch--WW Veggie Soup and Large Salad w/ Homemade Oil Dressing. I usually use the Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning in the dressing, but for something different I used the Southwestern one today. Yummy with a kick!

I am optimistic today!!! I love WW again! I was thinking during my walk about how much I love to start jogging. I tried it a few times last fall and really enjoyed it. Maybe I'll start that again. I feel weird about jogging in my neighborhood now, while I am still this size. I used to wait until after dark!! I will probably do that again, until I am a little more confident. It is a quiet but safe area so I don't have to worry too much about cars. I will try that tonight. DH has a meeting at church (Bishop is in town and dh is junior warden). He should be home around 9ish though. Maybe after American Idol, I'll go for a jog. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Rachie0507]

The sickness saga continues.....

Dh was sicker today than yesterday but he hates to take off two days in a row so he went to work. He has school tonight but as of this morning he is planning on calling out. I guess his instructor is good about those things. I am getting fevers and body aches. I was up for 45 minutes last night shivering!! Don't you hate it when you can't make that go away. I remember moaning that if I had lived 100 years ago I would be dead because it hurt so much. I think I was a bit delirous ;) . Kids are still sick too. DD was up at some point and DH went to her room with her. Then DS ended up with me at 4 am. He has been up since. He actually fell asleep just after 5, but I thought I could sneak an albuteral treatment into him while he slept and the nebulizer woke him up. I ended up getting him to take a treatment though by offering jelly beans. I'm pretty sure he has croup now, he sounds like a seal barking!!

So, I have no appetite. I had an egg sandwich this morning to settle my stomach, not because I was hungry. I don't have much desire to have lunch. My weigh in is this afternoon and I don't think I have lost any weight this week. My own scale is completely unreliable though so who knows. I'd love for just a little more to be gone though. I've been really good since Monday. It was just the weekend that was horrible.

I'm hoping to get some rest today. I am going to a weekend long scrapbooking workshop with some friends on Saturday & Sunday. I don't want to be sick for that. I offered to DH to come home for Saturday night (it is only an hour away) so I could help with the kids. He's awesome though, he said it wouldn't be fair to make me change my plans that I have had for months when he is perfectly capable of taking care of the kids, sick or not. I'll check in this evening to report my weight change (notice I didn't say loss!!).

[dismom9761]

Your doing a great job. Your motivating me to exercise.I also keep kids at my house(plus 4 of my own).Keep making time for yourself!

[Lesli54]

If only we could all get past these bugs. pirate:

Don't worry, if you haven't had much of a weight loss this week. You are doing well at staying with your plan even though you are not feeling well. Once you are on the mend, you will see a big difference! :cool1:

Get plenty of rest so you can go to your scrapbook weekend retreat! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Notice the time--1:30 am. Not my favorite time to be up posting on the Disboards. Not my favorite time to do much of anything other than sleep, actually. But I was just up with the kids. DS wanted me to bring him his medicine and juice while he stayed in his bed. When he was done he said "You go away now Mama". He's two! DD is in my bed with Dh, coughing and moaning--she's my girl!! I was just up with her using the nebulizer. She has a tendency to cough so hard she throws up so I thought giving her albuteral would be better than washing my sheets in the middle of the night. I pulled out the big guns in the end and gave her a dose of cough syrup with codeine (as I said before, the kids and I tend to be prone to these bronchitis type things so we usually have the codeine stuff on reserve, though I hate to use it). We all just need some sleep. She hasn't been to school all week. And she jumped around playing yesterday even though I kept telling her to lay down and rest. Kids.....

My dreaded weigh-in was last night. I told my friend on the way there that I just didn't have a good feeling about it. She questioned it, saying I had a good week since Sunday, it might not be so bad. But I had a gut feeling. So I gained .4 lb. The good part is that doesn't mean much. I could have eaten something salty, without thinking, and be retaining water. I drank water like crazy yesterday too and I didn't use the bathroom right before weigh in like I should have. I am not claiming that I shouldn't have gained weight. I definately took more bites here and there even after Sunday without recording them. I probably deserved to gain more. But I am more motivated now. I got home and DH and I had talked about ordering chinese food. I ended up saying no because I wanted to be good. I had a tuna sandwich and a glass of milk instead. I told him I would try to save my points all day tomorrow (Friday) and then maybe we could splurge a little. I don't know if I can be trusted to stick to my portion size with chinese though. My goal with that has always been to eat til it hurts! Maybe grinders or something would work better.

My meeting leader challenged us something last night. She said she doesn't want any of us to weigh ourselves at home for the next month. I think I am going to try that. She talked about how accurate their scales are and how inaccurate our home scales are. She asked how many of us weigh ourselves repeatedly through the day on Thursdays (that would be me!) and already have an idea of what to expect. I think that was an issue for me yesterday. I knew what was going to happen, so why keep trying? It was too late to lose yesterday. I know I get a little obsessive about tracking the weight, so I will only be weighed on Thursdays at WW through April, and maybe beyond!!

I'm going to try to rest now. I hope it works ;)

[Lesli54]

Well, now you KNOW you are dedicated if you are posting at 1am. ;)

Sorry to hear that everyone is still sick, but it should be over soon. I think you should celebrate and not worry too much about that .4 lbs. :banana: :cheer2: Considering that everyone is sick, you did really well. On the plus side, you will lose that and more once you are better and can concentrate more on your program.

:wizard: :wizard: To make you all better soon. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I was lost this weekend without my WISH journal!!! I'm back now from my scrapbooking weekend--I did 22 hours of scrapbooking over 2 days! It was so much fun and so refreshing to only be worried about me. DH had the kids under control so it was all about me!

Meals were provided but I still did really well this weekend. There were snack tables with soda, chips and candy around the room. I only allowed myself Diet Pepsi (and one rice crispie treat but it was 10:30 Saturday night and I needed something to wake me up!). I brought a big container of baby carrots and put it on the center of my table. I also brought 3-33 oz. bottles of Propel. I had small portions of the meals with a large portion of salad without dressing. I was satisfied. I did allow myself 6 or so hard candies yesterday but that was to relieve the cough more than anything. I counted my points all weekend and only used 5 Flex Points. Not too bad for not being in control what was put in front of me.

My goal today is to go to the gym. I need to add exercise to this to make it work. And I am paying for the membership, I should probably use it. So tonight after the kids go to bed, I'll go there and work out. I'll report later about what I did. I don't know what to expect. It has been so long!

[Lesli54]

Sounds like you had fun this past weekend. It is always good to be a little selfish and take time for yourself. A great way to relieve stress and feel renewed. :flower:

You did well on food. That could have been a disaster. Why is it that people always insist on junk food and pop? Even when I am not eating the best, I have always had a good spread of food so that everyone was comfy and I always try to limit the junk. Oh well, at least you made it through.

Good luck at the gym. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[pearlieq]

Sounds like a very fun weekend! Good job keeping your food intake under control!!!

[Rachie0507]

I MUST JOURNAL!!!!

I've been having a hard time getting back here--I'm sorry. I am doing my WW journalling, I'd fail no doubt without that, but I really enjoy this journal too. I'm going to try harder.

I did go to the gym the other night :cheer2: ! I loved it. I worked on the eliptical trainer. It is a Precor and I did the weight loss track, if anybody is familiar with that. It is about 35 minutes with varied incline and resistance. I enjoyed it. That is all I did though. I used to love using the weight machines and stuff but as I mentioned before my gym is kind of trendy. My confidence is down and I didn't want to go use the machines with all those cool and fit people watching. I hope I get over that. I didn't go last night, I had a migraine. I'm planning on going tonight. I might go a little later though. I'm hoping the weight area won't be as busy after 8 since the gym closes at 9:30.

I am staying right on track when it comes to my food this week. I am writing everything down and making sure I get all my requirements in. I think it is making a difference. I am wearing my fancy jeans right now (when you stay home with kids all day, fancy jeans are as good as it gets). I used to only wear these when we went out because they fit a little too snuggly, but are good quality jeans (they are IZOD, my mom bought them for me). I've been pulling them up all day. They have a little stretch to them so they are supposed to be tight, but today they are baggy. I'll find out tomorrow, but I am hoping for a good weight loss.

I'll check back again later.

[Lesli54]

Sounds like you are doing well. Isn't is wonderful when things get baggy? To bad the fancy jeans will have to go soon, but that is more reason to get some new ones. :flower:

Glad to hear you are doing well with the food. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Today is a good day. I feel great. I jogged last night around my neighborhood. I can't wait to do it again. I'm going to cancel that gym membership. I was thinking about it after my last post and I don't think I am comfortable there anymore. When I first joined the gym had just opened. I saw the same people there everytime and never felt intimidated. The last few times I have gone it is all young and beautiful people there. I feel like they must think I am old and lazy and shouldn't be there. I know a lot of that is just in my mind, but if that is going to keep me from going to a place that I am paying $40 a month to "go" then I need to change that. There was some girls there the other night that I was embaressed for. They were shorts that were so short that their bums stuck out the bottom!!! And little tank tops!! And then they got on the treadmills and jogged!!! I was very afraid of a wardrobe malfunction! I might say something about that when I quit because I am pretty certain that is against the dress code. What is the point of that--other than get the guys' attention and make the old/fat people feel horrible and uncomfortable.

I have a lot of energy today and I can't wait for weigh in. I'm starting to feel much more comfortable in my clothing. It must be working. My leader challenged everyone last week not to weigh themselves at home at all for the month of April. I took the challenge so I have no idea what to expect today. We'll find out!!

Off topic but I bought Kenny Chesney concert tickets this morning for a concert in July:banana: !!!! I love him! I probably should make a goal out of this--like be able to wear "hipper" clothes or somethihng! I know when I saw him last year all the women were wearing halter tops--I know I can't do that!!! But maybe a nice tank top would be fun. I'll think about it.....

[Rachie0507]

I just left weigh-in and I am down another 5.2 lbs!!!! I am so excited! This brings me up to 13.8 lb total loss. I was telling my friend on the way to the meeting that I truly believe that you have to be in the right state of mind to want to lose weight. I have wanted to lose weight for the past 2 1/2 yrs. since my son was born and I have tried and failed. But I don't think I truly was ready. This time, the urge to do this and do it NOW was so strong that I am making it work. I hope this drive continues. Realistically, I need to lose another 75 pounds. Will I?? I don't know. What feels good is to think that I don't need to lose 90 pounds like I did a month ago. And maybe next month I will only have 60 more pounds to lose. It is all relative. I think I can move on and be happy where I am because it is better than where I was.

Wow, that was a deep post........

[Lesli54]

You're so excited.......and you just can't hide it.........you're about to lose more lbs. and I think you'll like it! :banana:

Congrats! Doesn't it feel good? You must be on :cloud9: !

Keep it up and next month at this time will be even better. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

It has been a few days now. Friday night and Saturday were horrible. We were really busy and ended up eating out. I didn't even pretend to be good. Friday night I had a stromboli with steak, peppers and onions. I ended up eating the whole stupid thing. I don't even know why. Saturday I ate leftover cheese pizza and had a chicken sandwich and fries for dinner. Again, didn't even try to be good. I was pretty mad at myself yesterday so I through a bunch of dollar bills into my Disney fund cup (I'm charging myself for bad days!) and went grocery shopping. I got all the foods I need to keep me on track. I think a few things contributed to this bad behavior:
1. I'm an idiot
2. I was busy and didn't prepare things ahead of time
3. I was low on quick healthy foods and let the bad things call me instead
4. I was too confident from Thursday night.
So Sunday turned into a much better day. I'm glad I will have 5 solid days before my next weigh in. The good thing about the weekend was that I was very active. DH and I bought a used pop-up camper from a friend on Friday so we spent the weekend cleaning it. And raking the yard, uncovering and pulling out the kids' toys, chasing the kids around, etc.

Today was excellent. I had a Weight Watchers cereal for breakfast (I wouldn't recommend it though, was pretty blah) and an orange. For lunch I had a Gardnerburger on Low fat Multi-grain english muffin (1 pt) and Healthy Choice Country Veggie soup. Dinner was 4oz Pork Chop, Baked Potato w/ Salsa, corn & peas, milk. I also had a WW ice cream cone that my friend had given to me. Very yummy! I still have 5 pts. left. I haven't decided what I want yet.

I planned out my meals for the rest of the week today. I have all this different food that I just bought and I am dying to use it all so I figured I would organize a system so I could. I'll write up my plan tomorrow. I'm falling asleep, already, now. I need to get more energy!!!!

[Lesli54]

Don't beat yourself up too bad. I disagree with #1, because if it were true then you couldn't have figured out #2-4. At least you know how to combat the problem and are working towards that goal.

Hang in there. :grouphug: The learning process can be painful, but very rewarding. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Okay, so it has been awhile.

Last Thursday I lost 1 more pound. I was a little disappointed because I had noticed my pants were fitting very differently so I expected a more significant weight loss. So Friday morning I went to Old Navy and bought some new things. It was fun! I bought pants a size smaller and shirts the same size (but their shirts are so fitted that it might be awhile to go down in that!). And since then I have cleaned out my pants drawer to get rid of the old, big pants! Yeah!!

The weekend was okay. I was at a conference on Saturday and was not in control of my food choices. I was really surprised they didn't offer healthier choices because it was an event sponsored by the food program I use for my day care (they reimburse for healthy meals served to kids). It was like wedding food--breaded chicken w/ sauce and veggies. I counted all my points but I also ate all the food!

I had a chocolate craving yesterday--and indulged it. I didn't go too crazy and I counted the points. I need to do something to "freshen" up the program for me, I'm getting bored. I think I'll give myself 1-2 more weeks and if I still feel like I'm in a slump I'll try the Core plan.

The reason that I haven't been hanging out here if the last week is because I was using a free trial of e-Tools through WW. I don't have enough time to linger on two websites!! But I decided I didn't like e-Tools so I cancelled it. Hopefully, I'll be back here more.

[Lesli54]

You're back! :cool1: I missed seeing your posts.

:cheer2: Another lb. down! :cheer2:

Glad to hear that you are still sticking with your plan and are having fun shopping for new clothes. Have fun packing up the old! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I was pleasantly surprised at my weigh in last night. I lost another 2 lbs for a grand total of 16.4 lbs ! I had a blah week so I had no idea what to expect. I stayed on plan in terms of points but didn't always make great food choices. But it recharged me and I am excited again. I sat down last night and made my meal plan for today, which I hadn't done in awhile. When I tried e-Tools, it seemed easier to journal at meal time. I think I do better when I have a plan for the whole day.

My big goal for this week (and I know that I have said this a couple times before) is to EXERCISE!!!! I think that is where my "slump" stems from. I feel like I am making this WW experience too routine. I need to keep it fresh. I'm not doing much activity at all, other than being with the kids all day. We go outside a couple times a day and walk about once a day. But when you walk with 4-5 kids under 5, you aren't going anywhere fast!! I did manage to get 2 kids into a double stroller the other day and walk all the way to the playground with a 3yo and 4yo walking. That was a pretty good workout. Anyway, back on track now, I want to exercise. I jogged around my neighborhood last night. I need to drive the route today to find out how long it is, but I am guessing about 1/3 mile. I know this doesn't seem like a lot, but this is very big for me. I have NEVER been able to run in my life. I have asthma and as a kid I was the only one in my class that was asthmatic. It was until high school that asthma was diagnosed more and I met other people with it. But I think because there wasn't as much known in the early 80's, my parents and gym teachers allowed me, maybe even encouraged me, to not be too active. I remember going into 4th grade and being asked to run a mile. I thought I was going to die!! And because I was wheezing so much from running just a small amount of that, the teachers excused me from running! That continued on for the rest of my school career. The only gym teacher who ever encouraged me was in junior high. And I think I ran the mile in about 11 minutes that year. When I did WW 6 years ago, I used to walk around on wilderness pathes around a local state park. I got to the point that I was going so quickly that I might have well been running, but I was scared to try with my past experiences. It is crazy to think though that I was unwilling to try to jog when I weighed 160 lbs and was only worried about the asthma but now at 223 lbs I'm taking the challenge even though my joints hurt!! I wish I had been a little braver back then and tried it. Well, anyway, I keep getting off topic today. Last night, I ran around the neighborhood (which has lots of hills). It took me about 10 minutes. I stopped 3 times to catch my breath and stretch my leg muscles. I find that two things keep my breathing under control: 1. I do Lamaze Breathing!! I do a hee-hee-who pattern. I sound ridiculous but I remember to breathe that way! 2. I spit!! I don't know why but I feel the need to spit while running. What ever works, right!?! I got home and stretched out my muscles again and then sat down. After 10-15 minutes I was still wheezing pretty bad, so I used my albuteral inhaler. I think next time I will use it before I go. I wanted to go again this morning but I got going a few minutes too late and DH had to leave for work. I told him I am definately going tonight though.

So that is where I stand today. I'm so happy to see the scale down almost under 220. I haven't been in that zone since before I had my son, so over three years ago. I keep thinking ahead too. If I am down 16 lbs now, how much will I have lost by mid-summer? I am going to have a joint birthday party for my kids the end of July/early August. I'd love to be down 45 lbs by then. I think that is a reasonable expectation. What I look forward to most though is going to Disney World in December. I will be on WW for 9 months at that point. I really think that I could be a "new me" by then. I was even thinking yesterday about how I will get a Christmas Card picture while we are there. And maybe it will be a full family picture rather than just the kids. I would never have considered that before. These are fun things to think about. It keeps me going.

I have rambled on and on and on today and I apologize. I wonder if anyone ever bothered reading to end!! I'll be back later.

[Lesli54]

I read to the end! :cool1:

I think it is great that you have found some new motivation and having a friend who had asthma in school during the 70's & 80's, I understand your feelings about the taking it easy and not many have asthma experience. Unfortunately, today my friend smokes which just dumbfounds me with her asthma. Fortunately, you have choosen a healthier way to deal with yours and if the LaMaze breathing works then go for it!

Taking a Christmas Card Picture at WDW sounds like a great plan! Keep up the great work and you will really enjoy your trip down there this year. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I had a nice surprise last night. I drove the route that I have been running to determine the distance. I think I had posted before that I was estimating it to be 1/3 of a mile. I finally timed myself on Friday night and found I am doing it in 10 minutes. I didn't think that made much sense because I can certainly walk a mile in less than 30 minutes. So I rode it in my van last night and it 3/4 of a mile!! I can't believe I'm am jogging that far!! It is getting easier every time too. Friday night I only stopped twice, for about 30 seconds each time to catch my breath and stretch my legs. Yesterday I didn't get to do the whole route because it was raining SO hard. I actually went out and ran to the first intersection. I was wearing exercise pants, a t-shirt and a "waterproof" windbreaker. By the time I got to that intersection I was soaked to the skin, it was just coming down so hard. So I turned around and came home. That was still 1/4 of a mile, not too bad. I also walked yesterday morning before the rain. I brought the dog with me so I couldn't run but we walked about 1 1/4 miles.

Yesterday was a HORRIBLE food day. I love Chinese food and will quite often budget it into my weekend food plan. But I need to plan ahead for it or it just doesn't fit in. My kids wanted to play at Grandma's for awhile yesterday so DH and I ended up going out for lunch at a Chinese buffet. And sometimes when I have these bad days, I figure "why start being good now?". So I had cookies when I got home. Those are the only things I absolutely splurged on though. I went over my bestfriend's house last night and she and I each had a Subway grinder from the "healthy" menu. I counted all my points this morning and today is a new day! I think I am more disappointed with myself for not getting in all my fruits&veggies and milk servings yesterday than the fact that I ate bad foods. I am definately the type of person that needs to be able to eat some junk to get by. Maybe I'm just not disciplined enough, but I still need some of it.

DH went to car races today with his buddies. I don't know if they will actually happen because the weather is so yucky, but they are going anyway. So that means I might not get to exercise until tonight. I have asked for an exercise ball for Mother's Day so I can do more at home. I have a million videos downstairs also. I should and do one right now. The kids are watching PBS so I think they are all set for awhile. Maybe I will.....Richard Simmons Step Aerobics of Richard Simmons on Broadway??? What can I say, I like the guy!!!

[Lesli54]

Nice job on the jogging! Isn't it nice to see that you are going further or working harder than you think? Don't worry about the bad day, I bet that you are actually having fewer of those than you used to.

Keep up the good work and soon the :sunny: will be bring good weather again. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I had a productive day. The kids and I went grocery shopping before lunch time. While my little guy was napping, I actually cooked things for the week!! I made WW Veggie Soup, Chicken and Broccoli Salad and Vegetarian Chili. I used veggie/soy crumbles in the chili rather than meat. I haven't tried it yet, but honestly, I'm not so sure!! I LOVE chili. It just didn't smell the same. I have a feeling I'll try it, hate it and toss it. I guess it probably doesn't help that I have already made up my mind about this!

I just made a yummy dinner for myself, since Dh still isn't home. I used egg beaters to make an omelet with 2% Cheddar Cheese and broccoli. and I had a cup of watermelon chunks on the side. Very filling and different. And I still have points for some Edy's Grand Light ice cream after my run, if DH ever comes home! He called around 7 and was just getting back into town. I was getting the kids ready to go to bed so I asked him not to come home right away so he didn't get them all wound up. He went to a social club where he is a member to sign up for their golf league....now it is an hour and fifteen minutes later. But I'm not complaining....

I washed my running shoes today because they were so gross after yesterday's wet run. I've had these shoes for 4 years now. They have been washed many times. They are ready to fall apart at the seams but I can't find a pair that I like yet. I found a piece of rubber in the dryer when they were all done, but it doesn't seem to be important. Maybe now that I am looking for running shoes for running rather than a fashion statement I'll be able to find new ones easier.

I ended up doing Richard Simmons on Broadway this morning. My DD did it with me!! It was so cute because she has absolutely NO rhythm!! I actually lost interest after she got bored and went off to do her own thing. I stopped too!! But I got about 20 minutes of it in first--enough to be sweating and feel it in my legs.

I'm going to go get dressed to head out for my run now. Maybe sometime soon I can go....

[pearlieq]

Sounds like you had a great day yesterday! Preparing food ahead of time is a great idea!

I bet your DD was adorable trying to keep up with good old Richard Simmons. Too cute!

Hope you have a great Monday!

[Rachie0507]

I am having a yucky day. I want JUNK FOOD so bad. I allowed myself some M&M's after lunch. I just had a little bag of ranch doritos. I had pizza for breakfast. I don't feel like I have gone overboard.....yet. I just want junk. I don't know why.

[mking624]

((((Rachie))))
I hear you on the junk food!! Sometimes I just get that craving in me SO bad. I mean I know what the healthy alternatives are that supposedly will help control my craving...bite me, I want that junk!! :rotfl: I started getting those Endulge bars or whatever they're called...so I can get some supposed "junk." I also have a bag of dark chocolate M&Ms and I allow myself up to 10 per day...and only if I did really well that day. It's helped a bit. I'm rooting for you!!

[Rachie0507]

I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I can't believe it....I just took off my wedding ring!!!!!!!!

I haven't been able to do this since before I had my son, probably about 3 1/2 years ago. I was just playing with it, because the skin underneath tends to get sore and moving the ring around helps, and it CAME RIGHT OFF!!!

This may seem dumb but this is something I have been trying to do for awhile. I am really proud of myself for this. I would never consider not wearing my ring out in public, but I want to show everyone what I can do!!!!

[Rachie0507]

My DH wasn't real impressed that I can remove my wedding ring now. He said,"great, our 5th anniversary is next week and you don't want to wear your wedding band anymore!". I put it back on this morning, with no difficulty, after giving it a good cleaning.

I am having a much better food day today. I had light wheat toast with fruit preserves for breakfast. And a SmartOnes Smartwich (kind of like a Hot Pocket) and a large salad for lunch. DS and I are now snacking on Healthy Pop Kettle Corn Popcorn stuff. I was worried I would eat the whole back but my little pig of an almost 3 year old is taking care of quite a bit (he only weighs about 26lbs but eats like a crazy. i wish i had that problem ;) ). And I have spaghetti planned for dinner, with 1/4 c. of sauce and one sausage.

I don't know what to expect tomorrow night at weigh in. I think if nothing else I maintained. I had a horrible 3 days right in the middle of the week so I can't expect a huge loss. I have kept an accurate journal though, and know that I am still within my Flex Points range. I only have 9 flex points left, I've never gone done that low! But I have been running every night and walking a couple of the mornings. And my pants keep feeling bigger. I feel like I am swimming in a lot of my tops now. I have a variety of sizes available though so I am pulling out some of my smaller stuff. It is kind of fun!

[mking624]

Oh I bet being able to take off that ring felt AWESOME!!!! Good for you girl, that's something to celebrate about!!

Cheering you on for that weigh-in...can't wait to hear an update!

[Lesli54]

I understand the wedding ring problem and got mine off two weeks ago. It was great. Much easier to clean your ring when you aren't wearing it.

My DS can pack away the food as well at 2 1/2 and about 28 lbs. Everyday, he is into the cupboards or fridge and it seems that he never quits eating. It worries me some as it seems constant. Everyone else tells me that's just a boy. My DD's never did that. If it is not tied down, he will eat it. Kind of scares me when he gets to those teen years of eating me out of house and home. :rotfl2:

Hoping that your weigh in goes well. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

I had another good weigh in. I am down another 2 lbs for a total of 18.4 lbs! I am going to kick it up this week by making healthier food choices and exercising every day.

After weigh in on Thursdays I usually get takeout. It is my splurge for the week. I had a steak and cheese grinder from D'angelos. But I counted the points. My WW leader often suggests that when you start to get bored to freshen up the plan. One way she is always talking about is the 'Dinner Plan', where your points start at 5 PM everyday rather than in the morning. She pointed out that it is a lot easier for most people to get by on a few points at breakfast and lunch than it is at dinner. I'm trying that. Since I had that grinder and some light ice cream last night, I only have 10 points left for the day today. I can do it though. And then at 5 o'clock I magically get more! I am having an orange and an iced coffee this morning. I'm not sure what I am having for lunch. My DH is home today and we are all going on a field trip with DD's preschool. Part of the field trip is a pizza lunch, but I really don't want that. I'm not sure if they are offering anything else. I'll bring carrot sticks with me.

I hope everyone has a great day. I'll be back later!

[mking624]

:cheer2: 2 pounds GONE!!!! :cheer2: Way to go, Rach!!!

I like the idea of counting the points starting at 5pm rather than in the morning. Yeah, I can see how it would be so much easier for me to a have only a few points for breakfast and lunch since those aren't very big meals for me.

Keep up the AWESOME work, girl!!

[Rachie0507]

Yesterday could have been a horrible day but I think I turned it around. We all went on a field trip with DD's school. I had an orange for breakfast and stopped and got a Dunkin Donut's iced coffee with cream and splenda. I got the kids munchkins and ended up having a few. But I counted the points. I brought a baggie of carrots and one of grapes to snack on since lunch at the farm was pizza and lemonade. But DS was having a fit about something and DD's teacher brought him some pizza to cheer him up. He didn't want it--guess who ate it? I need WILLPOWER!!!!! I continued to snack like that through the day. By 5pm, when I closed out my points, I had gone a few points over into Flex and didn't have many of my requirements at all. So last night when we finally got around to getting the kids to bed at 8:30, I was ready to call for Chinese food. By DH and I were so exhausted that neither of us wanted to go get it and we would have been asleep before the delivery guy came. So, I had a large salad, like I would usually have for lunch. It was very filling and yummy and a lot less points than crab rangoons!!

So today will be a better day. I am watching my best friends kids--a 2 yr old and a baby--this morning and then my DD has a birthday party for a friend at McDonald's tonight. I'm not too worried about food choices through the day. Hopefully I'll have a good report later.

[Lesli54]

:banana: 2lbs. kicked to the curb! :banana:

You did great at salvaging the day yesterday. Willpower? You don't need that, you just need a plan. Obviously, it is working because you have almost hit the 20 mark! :banana:

Keep it up. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[mking624]

Wonderful job with picking up that salad yesterday!!! After a day of just "junking" it, the good I eat at the end always seems so much more satisfying....when I thought the junk would be the thing to satisfy me! You did awesome!!

[Rachie0507]

I'm just posting to say that I need a few days off. Two things are going on that are totally sabotaging my efforts and although I am fighting them, I am not staying on plan at all.

First, my 2 yr old son injured his leg Sunday night. He can't walk at all. We brought him to the ER right after it happened, around 6:30 pm. They didn't get around to doing x-rays until 10. This poor boy SCREAMED the whole time we were waiting. And his screams while they x-rayed his leg were the most heartbreaking I've ever heard in my life. It took my DH and three nurses to hold him down and they only got one x-ray at a bad angle. At this point it was 3 hours past his bedtime and he was so uncomfortable that we all decided to not try again. So that x-ray did not show any fracture, but here we are 2 days later and he still can't walk. He crawls really well though!! Every once in a while he forgets he can't walk and tries and falls flat on his face. He can't put any weight on the leg at all. So his pediatrician wants us to wait until the end of the week and if he still isn't walking we need to do more x-rays. So I am overtired and very stressed over the whole situation. Isn't it awful as a mother to not be able to fix something for your child?? I am more upset by that then the idea that he may still have a broken leg.

Next, I am suffering from HORRIBLE cramps. My womenly cycles were all screwed up, if you know what I mean, and I haven't had a period since November. Just when my week couldn't get worse, my body decided it wanted to be normal again. My back and belly hurt so bad that I slept with the heating pad last night. I never have had cramps before so I don't even know what to do. But I am craving my comfort foods so bad and I don't have enough energy to resist everything. I just had a fried egg sandwich with cheese on white bread. Yummmy!!!!!

So, I am here to say that I WILL be back, just give me a few days. I probably won't weigh in this week, though I might go to the meeting anyway. Wish me luck!!!

[toystoryduo]

:hug: for you today, Rachie.

I am so sorry for all that you are going through right now. You and your son will be in my prayers. :grouphug:

Take good care of you! :hug:

[Rachie0507]

Just an update here. My son, Nate, still can't walk or stand. Looks like we'll be doing more x-rays tomorrow morning. The Dr. said he wanted to wait until Friday but I think 4 days without walking at all is enough. Plus, we are supposed to use our brand new camper for the very first time this weekend. We can't get our money back on our reservations and even if Nate is "broken" we would still like to go. But he NEEDS to have more x-rays before then. I'm trying to justify this because I'm feeling really guilty for not just cancelling our camping plans. The thing is, he can function, he just can't walk. I want to make sure we are not injuring him more by not treating a fracture. The campground we are going to is only 30 minutes away and it is a "resort", so there are a lot of non-rustic things for us to do there. If we find out there is something more seriously wrong tomorrow, then I will cancel. But the two pediatricians I have talked to keep talking about "green stick fractures" which apparently are very common in kids his age. If that is what it is, it needs to be in a cast.

I've had enough of feeling out of control with my food choices, so I am going back on plan at lunch time. The "comfort foods" helped a little bit yesterday, but made me feel sick by bedtime. Today I have a migraine and feel bloated. Was it worth it--NO!! So back on plan with healthy foods!!

I'll check back tomorrow with an update on Nate. Hopefully, it will be good news (at this point I'm hoping for the fracture, I keep having these worries about a joint injury that would require surgery!!!).

[Lesli54]

Sorry to hear about your son. :wizard: Hope you get things figured out soon. I don't know anything about medicine, but I am with you as a mother. Get more x-rays done as soon as possible so that way if there is more they can do, then it can get done and he can begin to heal. With a bad x-ray, they might have missed something. If he can crawl, then I would think the problem is in the lower leg. Also, if it was in the joints, I would think that crawling would hurt as well. Like I said, not a medical expert, but it all sounds logical and I realy do feel for you. :grouphug:

As far as the cramping, that can happen especially when TOM has been away for so long. I say take a few motrin to keep the edge off, get some exercise, drink LOTS OF WATER, eat well and get some good sleep when you can. Sounds like being on paln. ;) Well, it does work better than the junk, I agree.

Hope your day gets better and hopefully you won't have to cancel the camping trip. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[CarolA]

I am amazed that you have waited this long for xrays.... Good for you for getting the Doctors to do this sooner rather then later. It doesn't sound like he is getting better on his own.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

[Rachie0507]

I am amazed that you have waited this long for xrays.... Good for you for getting the Doctors to do this sooner rather then later. It doesn't sound like he is getting better on his own.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

I agree that it needs to be done soon. We did get one set done at the ER Sunday night but they didn't come out very good, partly because Nate didn't cooperate. I think the doctor decided to wait a few days with the assumption that there was no break, and if we waited a few days he might feel better and he could forget a little more about the experience from the other day. The doctor wanted to wait until Friday but I am pushing for tomorrow. It kills me to see him like this.

[mking624]

Rachie, I would get checked out by your gynecologist regarding your period and the cramps. Irregular periods and bad cramping can be signs of something more serious. I suffer frrom extremely bad cramps and occasionally go through irregular periods, which is caused by my endometriosis (which can only be diagnosed through a laparoscopy). Even if it winds up being nothing, it always best to at least have yourself checked out so you can rule different things out and have a better idea of what's going on. I grew up with people always telling me that how I lived with my period was normal so now that I know what's going on with me and know that it's *not* normal, I'm much more passionate about women making sure they find out exactly what's going on.

I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I hope you can figure out what it is and soon and I'm praying that he has a speedy recovery!

[Rachie0507]

I had a rough week last week. I hope I didn't scare people away with all my complaining. I hate complaining, but it was bad enough that I needed to do it!

A quick update before I get to business. My DS is walking again. The Dr. wanted to do more x-rays on Friday morning unless we got him walking before that. He started walking Thursday afternoon. He still has a limp but is getting better each day. I'm feeling better also. I know that I probably should go to the Dr. My Dr. is very laid back about everything and that is what I love about her. She would probably tell me to wait a couple more months to see how everything pans out. So rather than paying the co-pay to hear that, I am just going to wait. I love that about her for me, but I switched my kids out her practice because I want a more proactive approach for them.

Okay, back to the business of WISH. I have been completely OFF PLAN for 1 1 1/2 weeks now. I weighed myself this morning to find out where I am since I didn't weigh in last week. I am down 1 pound from my last weigh in. I'm very surprised that I didn't gain. So I am committed again. I had a Fat Free Hot Chocolate and Light Wheat Bread Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich for breakfast for a total of 5 points. I am planning on having a baked sweet potato for lunch. I haven't planned out anything else yet. I desperately need groceries so the kids and I will go this afternoon after the daycare kids leave. I can't wait to get fresh produce in my house again!! I got an exercise ball for Mother's Day so I am going to workout with that during naptime. And I hope to jog tonight. I'll report later with how it goes.

[Lesli54]

Glad to hear that your DS is on the mend.

Congrats on the 1lb. lost! :banana:

Don't worry about the complaining, I took it as someone who just needed to talk and if it helps control some of the eating then it is a good thing. Have fun with the exercise ball. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Yesterday went well. I had my yummy healthy breakfast. And I planned on having a baked sweet potato for lunch. My friend on WW swears these are awesome. I've never been a big fan of sweet potatoes but decided to give it a try. Yuck!! So I threw it out. Then I did some unnecessary snacking but I counted the points, kind of. I was a little out of control. I went grocery shopping and then had a good, on-plan evening. Well, today is a new day.

This morning, I had a huge low point breakfast. I had 2 pieces of light wheat toast with 1/4 cup Fat Free cottage cheese (eaten like a sandwich), 1 cup of strawberries and blackberries and Fat Free Hot chocolate. For lunch, I just had a SmartOnes meal, Peppercorn Filet of Beef and a little bit of Fat Free Popcorn. I haven't entirely planned out dinner but I know I can pull it off. I have a lot of points left.

I played on the exercise ball last night. So far, I'm moving around a lot on it but not actually doing the moves on the poster it came with. I'm definately using some muscles, I can feel it when I'm done. I just wished I looked a little more graceful.

[Lesli54]

You can't convince me that sweet potatos taste very good. I have even tried them w/ all the brown sugar and marshmallows and still don't like them. Funny thing is, I make great candied yams for those in the family that love them. It usually occurs during one holiday a year. I even had sweet potato pie once and didn't like it. Everyone tried to convince me it was just like pumpkin. Well this discerning palate can tell the dif. ;)

Glad to see you are getting back on track. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Lesli54, I'm glad I am not the only one who doesn't appreciate the sweet potato!!

I'm excited for weigh in today. I haven't gone in couple weeks. I am definately down some, it is just a matter of finding out how much. My scales in indicating about 3-4 pounds, but it is never in line with what the WW scales says. I try not to weigh myself much at home for that reason but I was curious!

Food wise, I did very well yesterday. I getting away from the junk food snacking, again. I had an apple and Fat Free Hot Chocolate last night for my pre-bed snack. My Dh had ice cream!! I did well though!

I'll do an update later after weigh in.

[Rachie0507]

I weighed in last night and I am done another 2. My total weight lose is 20.4 lbs. My goal for next week is to reach my 10% weight lose. I have another 2.6 lbs to go. I can do it!!

I'm going to do something a little different today. I want to talk about my friend. My friend Sarah joined WW with me. I started 10 weeks ago, she started 9 weeks ago. She had been wanting to lose weight for awhile but wasn't sure how. She had never followed a diet program before. Sarah has taken the WW guidelines very seriously. I tend to "cheat" within my points and sometimes even beyond my points. She has NEVER cheated during the 9 weeks. She has written everything down. When her family goes out to eat, she chooses her food carefully and only has healthy foods. I don't think she has had fast food or greasy food at all since starting the program. She tells everyone that she is NOT on a diet, she has changed her lifestyle. She has a great attitude about this. I am so happy for her and proud of her for sticking to the program like this. When she joined, she had it in her mind that she would do it for 12 weeks and hoped to lose ~30 pounds total. She weighed 208. After yesterday's weigh in she weighs 177 lbs!!! She has lost 31 lbs in 9 weeks!!! She is so excited about the program and I think she will be involved with WW for a long time. At this rate, she will be a Lifetime Member by the end of the year. She told me that this is the lowest weight for her since before her first child over 8 years ago. She had her daughter at 18 while still in high school so basically she hasn't weighed this amount since the beginning of her senior year.

I am inspired by her. I think if Sarah wasn't doing WW I would not be so successful. Of course, there is the aspect of competition. Even though she has lost more weight than me, I still need to lose everyweek to try to keep up. We talk everyday, almost always about different foods we have tried or meal ideas. I have thanked her for this and she has thanked me for getting her to join. I'm glad we have had the experience together.

[Rachie0507]

I haven't been having great weekends. But I think this one was better than some. Saturday's dinner was kind of bad and Sunday's breakfast was kind of bad. I counted the points, but I'm pretty sure I purposely underestimated them :blush: .

I have been on plan all day today. I feel pretty good about it too. Here is what I have had:
Breakfast: LF/Whole Grain Bagel, Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Fat Free Hot Chocolate
Lunch: Salad w/ Homemade Olive Oil Dressing, Smart Ones Ravioli
Dinner: Not sure yet...

I need to weigh in on Wednesday this week. Thursday night is our local high school's spring band concert. The band director is my best friend's husband and he is leaving the school district this summer. So I want to be there for his last concert. He is very well liked by the community, so we are a little worried of a "mr holland's opus" type event!!

I'll check back tomorrow.

[Lesli54]

2 lbs. down and gone forever! :banana:

I loved the story about your friend, what an inspiration! Definitely what I needed after a snacky afternoon.

Please let us know how the concert went. I wish my children had had wonderful band teachers. Unfortunately the one at the HS is really bad and most who continue on end up losing almost everything they learned in MS. The main reason why my older two quit and are now doing piano lessons at home. At least they are still getting in the music.

Have a great day! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[Rachie0507]

Okay, so I'm back.

I did HORRIBLY through the summer. I don't know why. What I am focusing on is getting back on track and this is going to be my first step. I'm NOT ready to count points or even give up my favorite junk foods. But I'm hoping by posting my thoughts (and vents) here I might just get into the right mindset. We'll see.

When I was posting here last time, I really appreciated all the nice things people said. But I always felt guilty that I rarely posted back on their threads. So I want to say that I am sorry. I run a daycare in my home and I don't have a lot of time to use the computer. I do read other people's journals I just don't usually post. I'm going to try to do better at that this time.

I weighed myself Monday morning and I had gained about 5 pounds since mid-summer. I'm actually pretty happy with that. It could have been a lot worse! I planned to just be completely on plan with WW starting Monday but that didn't work out. I think I need to go back to meetings to be motivated. I'm not sure I am ready for that. I hate to go back having gained weight. So I am going to try to get that 5 lbs. off within the next 2 weeks and then I am going back no matter what. I'm going to stay aware of my portion size and be certain that I get my daily requirements in. That is my goal for now. Points can come later.

Exercise has been a sore spot for me, literally! About a month ago, I decided to help DS3 learn to do a flip on the rings on our swingset. I tried to do one. A 200lb woman should never try that (lesson learned!). My back is all out of whack. I think I want to go to a chiropracter but I would be too embaressed at this weight. I know that my weight causes extra strain on my body so I wouldn't want anyone to think I was going there to fix problems that I should be taking care of by dieting. Does that make sense? So I'm not sure how much activity I can add at this point. I am walking a little more now that school has started because my DD's school is only 3/4 of a mile from our house. With gas being as expensive as it is, I've been walking her most mornings. She takes the kindergarten bus home though.

So those are my goals. My last goal is to check back in here once a day, whether it be bad or good. Wish me luck!!!