Monday's QOTD:
What is one of your "can't-live-without" healthy foods (or recipe)?
I can't not live with out Almonds...I use almond butter on my whole wheat english muffin every morning, I have a handful @3:00. I think nuts are a great way to take the hunger edge off, with also adding good vitamins and fiber to your diet. Without nuts I don't know if I would be where I am today.
Just finished turkey gorditas for supper. Added some extra onions on top.
6:15- 2 mile WATP workout
8:00 Begin 2-3 miles on the elliptical while watching BL
Hoping to see the 150s tomorrow and continue through the week. Would love to see 158.8 as that was my ending weight for the last BL thread. PMS week too and I haven't had a whole lot to eat today. I hope I've had enough. I've been doing the Leslie Sansone 3 mile Thin and Sleek with Pilates for the past week. I LOVE IT! I have noticed a difference in my abs so I think that will be the one I will do at 6:15.
Time to get some more water as I hadn't had much to drink today.
I should try some almond butter or cashew butter. I really like regular peanut butter, but I know it is not super healthy.
I have to tell you all about the Vita Muffins. These things are awesome. I served the corn muffin variety with dinner tonight and no one knew they were diet. They are only 1 point on ww and so yummy. You have to try them.
I do love the Vitamuffins (corn especially). I rarely have more than 1 a week (sometimes two if I am feeling munchie!) mostly because of the price. But they are SO delicious. I toast the corn muffin tops and then sometimes put the tiniest bit of Smart blend butter blend on it and then cut it into 8 pieces and savor it!
Need some advice/comments...
Here is some background...I started this journey on the 1st of January and started WW about the same time. Each week I have lost a decent amount of weight (13 pounds for the month of January). Tonight when I weighed in at WW, I had loss 3.8 pounds for the week. I am logging all my food and eating my daily allowance of WW points. I am not eating my flex points or exchanging any of my exercise points for extra food. Last week I earned over 40 points for my exercising. For exercise, I am doing the C25K, walking on the treadmill, pilates, lifting weights, doing the Wii Fit, Active and Just Dance. I have been increasing my exercising every day. For example, today I logged 4.65 miles of running and walking (I ran about 1/2 of the distance). When I look at the data I get from my Nike+, I burned 648 calories for my efforts.
Here are my questions:
1. I have been really cold lately (this is not normal for me...even when it is cold outside) and have a hard time warming up. Does anyone else have this happen? I have only loss 13 pounds but could it be from the diet? How about all the exercising? Any ideas?
2. For those of you who exercise a lot, how do you decide what is the right amount to eat to do well with both exercising AND weight loss? I have been trying to change things up because some days I am hungry. I sometimes wonder if I should be focusing on certain types of foods to sustain the exercising or if I should try eating a little more at times. I am just worried that I might gain weight instead of lose it if I eat a bit more.
I guess I am just looking to hear from people who might be balancing the food and exercise better then me and how you make the decision as to how much to eat.
About the cold.... I am always MUCH colder now that I am about 85 pounds lighter. It is irritating, but I figure the alternative (continuing to be overweight) isn't very good, so I just try to make adjustments. I keep a big old zipper hoodie for "around the house" .... it goes over everything else and keeps me clean and warm. When I head out to work, I try to make sure I always bring a jacket or cardigan, just in case.
About the eating/weight loss question.... you seem to be doing GREAT!! I'm curious why you think you need to make adjustments. If you are concerned, just make sure that the calories that you DO take in, have the maximum amount of nutrition. It ASTOUNDS me the people that think that they are eating "healthy" when they continue to fill up on artificial "diet" and "lite" foods. You could do some reading up what some of the BEST foods available out there are. I just read most of a HUGE book about what the BEST fruits and vegetables are and why they are so good. It was a real eye opener. A few fruits and veggies that I figured were kind of useless (like onions) are actually really healthy. And broccoli and spinach DON'T top the list as far as the HEALTHIEST veggies (but they are near the top).
I agree with the PP about the number of WW activities points you can earn. I believe there is a max and 4 sounds correct.... but maybe that is old school WW?? I have been doing it for SO long (off and on) that sometimes I am remembering old rules!
Today's QOTD:
What is/was the WORST thing (in your opinion) about being overweight/out of shape/unhealthy?
I always have a hard time choosing just one thing, but in this case, while I concur with all the other things to dislike about being overweight, the toughest thing for me has always been:
Clothes.
When they're too tight, they are uncomfortable and squishy and cause all kinds of bulges. I always felt like I didn't have anything to wear in a closet full of clothes because nothing looked the way I wanted it to. And shopping for clothes - I am not a fan even at goal, but it is really hard to feel good about it when things don't fit or look flattering, so I'd tend to just wear the same old stuff as long as I could.
EXACTLY the reason that I worked from 11/2004 to 1/2009 with the same 3 pairs of work pants.... one tan, one black, one brown and the same handful of tops (maybe 5 winter tops and 5 summer tops and two pairs of capris for spring). I just tried to mix and match and add the occasional scarf or pin. I HATED, HATED, HATED clothes shopping and I REFUSED to buy more "fat clothes". I still don't love shopping, but at least I don't dread it! I totally get it!
Thanks, Jen! It does feel good! Counting my calories very closely for the next 2 days so I can have a decent loss this week. Only had one good week of loss this time around but since I'm nearing my goal I know that's why it's like this!
Asked DH for the Just Dance Wii game for Valentine's Day! It's $30 on
Amazon and $40 everywhere else!
QOTD: My thing has always been clothes. When I began this journey I took out a pair of red jeans that I hadn't worn in years and everyday I tried them in until they fit comfortably. I just donated them to BB/BS last week! I have gone from a 16 to a 10/12 though those are feeling big right now. I lost weight in my hips first so most of my pants are hanging. I have some that are a little snug in the waist but I think that's the way they are made. I'm looking forward to buying some 8s soon. I have to see if I still have some up in the attic from before having my kids. That would be cool. I have my dress from my rehearsal dinner which is the next dress I hope to fit into. I have some 10s that I still can't fit into but they are getting better.
I have been doing the Slim and Sleek Pilates 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone and have noticed a big difference in my abs in the last several days. I did 2 of the miles this morning and then the 2 mile fat burning walk with the 3 pound weights. I feel I need to do at least 1 workout with weights everyday to make it really work for me. Some of the exercises on the EA Sports Active are getting easier to do as well including the push ups and crunches. Though i still seem to have to yell at the Wii when it tells me I'm going too fast! My husband just laughs at me!
I am definitely going to look for the Slim and Sleek DVD. I think I had it in my hand one day and put it back. But now that I've heard your review, I might need to go back and get it!
I have my rehearsal dinner dress too.... I suppose I should try it on now. I weigh a bit less than I did when I got married, so it should fit.... but things have "shifted" around and it may not fit the same!
The worst thing for me about being overweight is I would avoid places I might run into someone that knew me when I wasn't heavy. Or if I was at a high school game watching my daughter, I would avoid leaving the stands because I didn't want to walk in front of all those people. I also had the major embarrassment of being asked to get off a roller coaster because I couldn't buckle the belt. My kids were more upset that I couldn't ride, not that I was heavy.

Thanks for sharing that story. I'm sure it was tough to bring it up. It is amazing the things that we think of that the "average size" person might not even think about... like walking in front of others.
Well.... my poor kitty has a terrible UTI going on. I finally got a urine sample to bring to the vet today and it is bright red. Just another thing to add to my busy week, but I'm sure she is feeling icky, so I will fit in the 30 minute ride to the vet today.
Aunt Flo arrived this morning (I never know when she will visit these days as "the change" has begun").... and that explains why I have been wanting to eat NONSTOP for the past few days!

Hopefully now that I know WHY I feel this way, I can find a way to combat the feeling. But I have a feeling that it won't be a great week on the scale. Plus I've had a few exercise interruptions, so I haven't gotten in my 5k run since last Friday. I have been exercising, but I am suffering from some stress incontinence issues (sorry if that is TMI) and I need to get that solved before I can continue to run (I do okay running in the morning, but evening run is different.) . I am avoiding my water today to see if I can run tonight without incident. It's a B*TCH getting old!!
Talk to you later.......................P