marcia's journal (comments welcome!)

[honeymo78]

Marcia

Thanks for visiting my journal. I figured I'd check yours out too. It looks like you are getting off to great start with WW. Keep up the good work. For me the hardest part of getting healthy is to fit in some exercise but it looks like you've got that covered. How do you stay motivated? Have you always been a runner/exerciser? I should have walked on the treadmill yesterday but it was much warmer and cozier sitting on the sofa watching tv.

Have a great day!

 

[marsh0013]

hey stephanie! thanks for stopping by

i don't really know how i motivate myself. i used to run a little in high school, i was on the track team, but i threw shot put (i was one of the smallest throwers, hehe, you usually associate weight team with big girls...but our team wasn't like that). anyway, i would occasionally run the mile when our regular miler was away. so i'd run during practice, but nothing hard core. a couple miles a few times a week. the fastest i ever finished the mile was 7 min 59 sec. (not really good...i wonder what i could do now!)

then i went away to my first year of college, didn't really exercise. i never really gained weight, maybe 5 pounds, but i let the exercise go. end of freshman year, i got into a health kick. i ran about 4 miles a day, about 6 times a week (joined a gym). and i was barely eating. so i guess it wasn't really a health kick. it was a "i think i'm fat and i'm going to pretty much starve myself" kick. i'd have a carnation instant breakfast for breakfast, a yogurt or soup for lunch, and a small piece of chicken and melon for dinner. when i plateaued at about 135, i pretty much gave up. i now realize it was because i wasn't eating enough! crazy! this was about 3.5 years ago now. over the past year or so, i've noticed small parts of me getting larger. especially that area we so lovingly call the "love handles", and i absolutely hate them!

so a couple months ago, i started really reading this board. i got ideas in my head about getting healthier, started running again, and started trying to eat healthy. i was counting calories, but that didn't really work out too well for me. i'd slurge one night and think i'd totally screwed up and go like that for a few days. but i was reading about ww and flex points, and all that good stuff, so one day, i just decided to join online. and that brings us to the present

i was getting worried that the novelty of the running might wear off, so that's why i signed up to do the disney half marathon. that way, i know that there is no way i can stop running within the next year, no matter what! i love that! keeps me going for sure.

man, i'm really long winded. i'm gonna start another reply to talk about how my day went now

 

[marsh0013]

ok, so today was an interesting day. i have learned the hard way that having lunch as my biggest meal of the day is necessary. i don't know why i really switched it today and did a smaller lunch and figured on a bigger dinner. that doesn't work for me. i don't like to eat within 2.5 hours before i run, so an afternoon snack is out. ah, well, learn from experience. i still stayed within points though. even with the half granola bar i ate right before running and the 5 point protein bar i ate right after! i need to find where they sell those 2 point bars (pria or something?) for a bind just like this one.

but i treated myself tonight, i did all sorts of baking! but i was so good, i only ate one cookie that i made! and it was a 1 point cookie! i also made some fudge and muffins from ww recipes, i'm going to have a muffin as part of breakfast tomorrow. sweet. ok, so here was my day:

b: 1 cup cheerios (2) + 1/2 cup skim (1) + 1 med banana (1.5) = 4.5
s: dannon light n fit = 2
l: sandwich w/2 slices wheat bread (2.5) + 4 slices deli turkey (2) + cucumbers (0) + pepper slices (0) + 2 tbsp ff ital dressing (0), and then 1 cup carrots (0) = 4.5
pre run: 1/2 chewy low fat granola bar = 1
post run: zone perfect protein bar = 5
d: mom's chicken soup - broth (1) + 2 oz chicken (2) + 2 oz potato (1) + 1/2 cup br rice (2) + 1 cup broccoli (0) = 6 (original plan also included a flaky biscuit, but i was full without it because of the protein bar)
dessert: 1 choc chip cookie (ww recipe) = 1

total: 24

target - 20, ap - 4 (earned running and walking)

so i've decided that i think i really need to use my flex points. i used them all last week (yes, on the first 2 days because i splurged, but still). i think i got into a routine of sticking to my target as much as possible with occasional dip into the aps last week. i need to plan for a good filling lunch that will last me through my run, and then also a nice dinner to restore me after my run. i don't want to "waste" my points on crappy foods. when i see that my snack category is larger in points than my dinner or lunch, that's a problem. i'm not going to totally deprive myself, but i will give myself smaller treats, or just less often.

ok, so i'm still cheat free. tomorrow, i'm gonna have a nice big lunch. i think a big bowl of oatmeal with some strawberries thrown in, along with a pbj sandwich. or maybe i'll do something with chicken to make sure i have extra protein. whatever i do, i am determined to use my target, my ap, and then some flex tomorrow! i've got a bit of a longer run tomorrow than i had today, so i need to fuel my body! i'm gonna get the hang of this thing, trial and error as we go

off to change the cheat free clippie, put away the muffins and cookies, and check how the fudge has chilled. then i'm off to bed! i haven't gotten a chance to read anyone else's journal today because i was a bit busy, but i will do my best to make some rounds tomorrow!

 

[DoeWDW]

Marcia, I hear you about the trial and error of finding out what works for you! I'm still working on that one, but it gets easier as you go.

You're doing well by looking critically at how you're spending your points. If you're spending them on good food - meat, veggies, fruit, whole grains - then you're getting good nutritional value out of them and that scale will have to cooperate! Of course, with all your running and exercise, you're probably building muscle too. Have you taken your measurements? The scale may be staying the same, but it sounds like you are getting smaller in inches - fitting into those clothes that used to be "snug"!!

Keep it up, Marcia!! I hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!

 

[marsh0013]

hey doe! thanks for stopping by

i'm definitely working on using my points wisely, make sure i'm fulfilling enough requirements to keep my body happy and strong, and then move on to treats

and i haven't taken my measurements, but i think i'm going to start doing that. we may have a soft measuring tape at my house, i'm going to check, if not i'll go out and get one. i think my mini goal right now is to fit into my pair of 10 jeans comfortably by feb 2. why feb 2 you ask? well, i needed to pick a day, and that is a day i'm going to see a concert in nyc. so why not. gives me just under 2 weeks. i can do it!

on to today...

for breakfast, i had one of the choc chip muffins i made last night, along with a banana, and a cup of hot chocolate made from 1 cup skim milk and a nestle fat free plus calcium hot cocoa mix. the muffin wasn't bad. not as good as the cookies i made though. i think the muffins cooked for too long. hrmph. oh well. throwing it in teh micro for a few seconds worked well this morning. i'm gonna throw the rest of them in the freezer so i don't feel like i need to eat them or they'll go bad. breakfast came out to 7 points.

lunch i'm going to have a whole wheat wrap with lots of chicken, some mexican cheese, green peppers, and salsa. gonna heat it up in the toaster oven and make it nice and gooey. also a small bowl of oatmeal with strawberries. here's that nice big lunch i was talking about and it comes out to 11.5 points, which is fine with the rest of my day.

dinner, i'm making diet coke chicken. what is diet coke chicken you ask? i found a recipe where you use ketchup, a can of diet coke, and chicken and it comes out tasting like barbeque chicken. 4 points for the chicken, and i'll have some broccoli and maybe some brown rice with it.

even with all the food i have planned out, i'll use my 5 aps, but i'm only going to be going into .5 points of flex! what is up with that?? i do have a yogurt sitting in the fridge here at work that i may eat shortly. i usually have something to eat around 11am, so yeah, i think i'm going to do that. get me some calcium too

i may be around more often today, seeing as it's a slow day here at work

 

[LAinSEA]

Found some time to get through your journal. You're doing great!

I also got my BA in Communications (Broadcast Journalism) and actually work in my field doing TV graphics. But even at age 40, I still don't know what I want to be when I "grow up". Life is suppose to be a journey - it wouldn't be any fun if we got there early and had no where else to go.

I admire your commitment to exercise! Don't sweat the ice cream - it's really hard to stay on any kind of plan without having rewards as you go. You have to think about the way you eat and your activity level as your lifestyle not just as a "diet" to get into a size 6. Because once you get there you need to be healthy and stay there.

Keep up the fantastic work!

-Laurie

 

[marsh0013]

hi laurie, thanks for stopping by and i hear ya about it being a lifestyle change. you are so right. i know it's not just a diet, and it's nto just about getting to a certain size. that's why i know i can do it

today was a good day. i woke up and i was really tired all day, but i trudged through, made it to my run, and started feeling great about a mile in. i love it when that happens (and i was actually kinda banking on it). you start a run tired, but then you hit a groove, and you feel like you could go forever. but i was only scheduled for 4 miles today, so i stopped myself a little after 4 . also walked for about 15 minutes after that. i brought one of the 1 pt cookies i made to eat right after my run. kinda a reward also had half a cup of carrots while cooking dinner.

can i tell you how great the diet coke chicken was? oh man, tasted just like barbeque, and so nice and tender. mmmm. and only 4 points. well, i added a half cup of brown rice at 2 points, and a cup of broccoli at 0, but still, 6 points is great for a really filling dinner. then i realized, i told myself that i'm using some flex points today! so i had a 2 pt piece of the ww fudge i made yesterday. yay chocolate! i also plan on having a cup of strawberries with some ff cool whip in a little bit, cause i need to get in another fruit/veggie today. that'll be it for today.

b: choc chip muffin + banana + hot cocoa = 6.5
s: dannon light n fit = 2
l: chicken wrap made of wheat wrap, 5 oz chicken, 1/2 cup mexican mix cheese, green peppers, and salsa + oatmeal w/strawberries = 11.5
post run: choc chip cookie = 1
d: 1/2 cup carrots + diet coke chicken + 1/2 cup br rice + 1 cup broccoli = 6
dessert: piece fudge + 1 cup strawberries + 1/4 cup ff cool whip = 3

total: 30

target - 20, aps - 5, flex - 5

still have 27 flex points avail over the next 3 days. doubt i'll use em all, but they're there if i need em. off to change my clippie to another cheat free day, then i'll probably be gone from teh computer for the night. i've already planned to eat pretty much exactly the same thing tomorrow as i did today, because of leftovers and such, just makes it easy. and i know it worked today, so why fix it if it isn't broke

 

[marsh0013]

so i've been avoiding my journal all day because i had a bit of a breakdown last night. i guess i shouldnt' really use that word. because i just decided to use some more flex points. i have a 16 year old brother (17 in 9 days, getting his license, scary!!!), who is an eating machine. he's a crazy track runner so he pretty much eats whatever, whenever and never gains an ounce. he's completely ripped too.

what does this have to do with anything? well, he was eating around 10pm last night, and i got jealous. (i had already had my dessert of strawberries w/ff cool whip). so i decided to have a small piece of that delish crumb cake that has been sitting on our counter for a week now (it's all gone now though, thank god!), a 1 point choc chip cookie, and 1 girl scout cookie, peanut butter patty. 3 points for the cake, 1 for the choc chip cookie, and 1.5 for the gs cookie. 5.5 total.

oh man, it feels good to type that all out. i have been feeling bad about it pretty much all day, but now that i think about it, it's not really that big of a deal! i knew i had the flex points to work with, and i still have lots of them left (they reset on sat). phew. ok, glad that's out there and done with. and i still get to keep my cheat free bear clippie!

come to think of it, i never should have felt bad about it in the first place...ww isn't about depriving myself. it's about using my points. i had already fulfilled my veggie and milk ww requirements, plus the protein requirements that i place on myself on running days. no beating myself up over this! i could have actually done damage...what if i hadn't stopped at the 1 girl scout cookie? in the past, i've been known to eat 5 or 6 at a time. no more! one was enough. ok, now i'm just rambling on making myself feel better, hehe

enough of that. i've been doing well today, still a little tired, i'm going to try to get into bed by 10:30 tonight. i've eaten the same thing for breakfast and lunch today as i did yesterday, and the dinner plan is the same as well. i changed my morning snack though, instead of yogurt, i had a slice of whole wheat toast w/1 tbsp of chunky peanut butter. i don't feel like writing out the complete report of points and stuff right now, i'll do it later.

also scheduled for today, another 4 mile run.

i'll check back in again later, probably in the evening after my run and dinner.

 

[DoeWDW]

Your journal is your friend, Marcia! Once you write everything out, somehow it doesn't look so bad. You stayed within your flex points allowance - good going!!

I'm going to try for 4 miles tonight also - I'll be thinking of you while I'm on the treadmill at the fitness club!!

I have a son who just turned 16 - got his driving learner's permit on Saturday - how scary!! He isn't a ripped track star though!! He loves video games so we just got Dance Dance Revolution. Now he and my 14 yr old daughter are at least getting off the couch!

Keep it up, Marcia!! You're doing just fine!!

 

[ZerasPride]

Hi Marcia,

I just dropped by to see how you have been doing and I can see you are doing great! Another marathoner, good for you! You make good food choices and WW seems flexible enough to let you lose weight but still eat like a regular human being. I'm glad you are not beating yourself up over the snacks you ate. I can eat out of jealousy too. I don't want to miss out on any of that good food floating around!

Posting in your journal is such a good way for you to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. You are doing a great job, keep up the hard work!

 

[marsh0013]

hey doe and lisa! thanks for the words of encouragement, i really appreciate it . journaling really has been a positive experience for me. i'm so glad i decided to do it. reading other people's journals, posting in them and my own, and getting feedback from you guys, it's helping to keep me on track. so thank you everybody on wish

i love how i keep telling myself that i'm going to go to bed early and then i find myself awake still at 11:15. i ended up going to target this evening to find some dryfit material clothes so that i can run outside when it's chilly wihtout freezing from my own sweat. ok, that sounds gross. but it's true. supposedly, this material will "wick away" the wetness and keep my dry. we'll see.

food report:

b: ww recipe choc chip muffin (3) + med banana (1.5) + hot cocoa packet, nestle ff w/calcium (0) + 1 cup skim milk (2) = 6.5
s: 1 slice wheat bread (1) + 1 tbsp peanut butter (2) = 3
l: chicken wrap - whole wheat wrap (3) + 4 oz chicken (3.5) + 1/4 cup mexican cheese (3) + 1/4 cup salsa (0)
oatmeal - 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal (1) + 1/8 cup skim (0) + 1/2 cup strawberries (0). lunch = 10.5
s: 1 piece ww recipe fudge = 2
d: diet coke chicken (4) + 1/2 cup br rice (2) + 1/2 cup broccoli (0) + 1 cup raw carrots (0) = 6
dessert: nestle ff hot cocoa made w/water (0) + 1 ww recipe choc chip cookie (1) =1

total: 29

target - 20, aps - 5, flex - 4

another cheat free day! and i'm done snacking. not like last night

time to plan out tomorrow, change my clippie, and hit the sack! nitey nite

 

[honeymo78]

Marcia it looks like you're doing a great job staying OP. Oh and thanks for posting the cookie recipe on Lulu's journal by mistake - I was going to ask you for it lol. I can't wait to try them out, now just to find time to do some baking.

 

[marsh0013]

hey stephanie, you're welcome! it's great that i can find something yummy and then share it with you guys! the cookies don't really take that long to make. it doesn't require an electric mixer or anything, so cleanup is pretty easy too

i'd just like to say that i think i've found my new favorite breakfast! i had a slice of whole wheat toast w/ 1.5 tbsp chunky peanut butter, a banana, and hot cocoa. i must admit that i am a pb fiend. so that has something to do with it. but at the same time, it has kept me full! i brought an apple for my 11am snack, but i'm not eating it, because i'm not hungry! i made the hot cocoa with hot water this morning, and i'm glad because i think the milk would have filled me up too much. i did bring another packet of the cocoa to work, and just had it with milk. gotta get in those dairy servings!

for lunch, i'm having what's leftover of the diet coke chicken and steamed broccoli. i have a snack of yogurt planned for this afternoon. since it's an off day from running, i'm taking this opportunity to log some overtime hours at work. i need the money! just found out friends is a rerun (bummer!), but it's ok, because it will allow me to work later without worrying about making it home in time for the show. so i'll need that yogurt to tide me over. my mom is making her homemade spaghetti sauce tonight, so i'm going to have some whole wheat pasta, throw in some chicken (say no to high point meatballs!!!), and the great sauce! by the time i get home, it's going to be after 8 probably, so i may not eat too much.

also hoping to get in my pilates dvd later tonight. we'll see if i have the time. i haven't seen my best friend in a while, so it may be a catch up with her type night. i can forego the pilates if it means quality time with best friend . and let's see if i can get into bed before midnight tonight!

 

[marsh0013]

oy, why do i do this to myself? after 9pm is horrible, horrible, horrible. i just ate 18 points worth of snacks. oh my god! and that's after 21 points during the day, for a total of 39. i still have .5 flex points left for tomorrow (also applied 2 aps for pilates i did), but this is definitely not a cheat free day . my clippie bear is going bye bye. i was in major major binge mode. no good. ugh. i feel so bad right now. i cna't even bring myself to type out everything i ate. let's just say i was doing fine till i decided to have lots of desserts. i think i need to get down to the bottom of this. why did i do it? what made me go and eat all that crap? i wasn't hungry. not at all. bleh. ok, i am going to go to sleep now.

so today is over. tomorrow is a new day. back on track. gotta do this for me.

 

[marsh0013]

alright, i'm feeling a little bit better this morning. i'm still very tired, even though i got in bed before midnight last night. i didn't even get to talk to my best friend, she was way too busy. she is working full time at a high school, coaching a crew team, a track team, and also taking grad school courses. so i can't blame her when she goes to bed at 9pm and i only get to see her maybe once a week. kinda bums me out though, i miss her! tomorrow morning though, she has a crew practice indoors at the high school's fitness center, and she told me i should come and use their treadmills for my run tomorrow. (she knows i really hate the cold). it's an hour away, but hey, when it's the only treadmill available, i'll take it! plus, it gives us at least the drive up and back to get to hang out. i hope she's around tonight too though, i don't think i can stand another night sitting at my house with all that food just calling my name. early to bed tonight, either way. gotta rest up for my 5 mile run tomorrow.

today i'm setting my goal for low points. even though i have a 3 mile run tonight, i do not want to use my aps. try to "make up" for yesterday a little bit. i really would like to run more, but i'm following a training plan, and i don't want to up my mileage too much too fast, or i will risk injury. not worth it. my goal is to eat 20 points today, and that is it! i can do it

so far, i had oatmeal w/strawberries and hot cocoa (prepared with water) for breakfast (3). lunch will be a whole wheat wrap with chicken, mom's sauce, and a sprinkle of part skim mozz cheese. also a cup of raw carrots. lunch total (8.5). dinner i think is going to be a frozen smart ones or healthy choice meal. also got an apple for a snack if i need it, and hot cocoa made with skim milk because i need to get my dairy (3). the way it sits, i have 5.5 points for dinner, so i just have to pick a meal out of the freezer. i know i have a couple for 5, so it'll be one of those. and i'll add on a cup of steamed broccoli for 0. that extra .5 i may use somewhere during the day (little extra cheese on my chicken wrap?).

i *will* stick to my plan today. and i think for next week, i'm going to spread my flex points out over the days (like mentally adding a few points to each day), that way i don't have a bunch sitting there at the end of teh week, which makes me feel like it's ok to go on a binge. i mean, i know they are there to eat them, but i want to use them on healthier foods. not a big huge pig out on crap one night. so that's my plan for next week, which starts tomorrow morning.

yikes, tomorrow morning is weigh in. i really wanted to step on the scale this morning, but i resisted. tomorrow is my "official" day, and i didn't want to peek today. i have a feeling that i haven't lost anything. i'm going to take my measurements tomorrow though. it will be the first time, so i wont' have anything to measure against, but at least it's a place to start.

 

[honeymo78]

I'm glad you're still thinking positively after last night. And don't beat yourself up too much about it - you did have flex points and while it may not have been the wisest use of them, they are there for a reason. I had a bad dessert night too - I have a higher points level than you so it wasn't so much of a dip into flex points for me. Maybe there was something in the air last night lol. It sounds like you have good plan for next week - use a few of those flex every day and then you won't feel you can go overboard with them all at once. Have a great day!

 

[marsh0013]

hey stephanie, thanks for the kind words they mean a lot

today went well. very well. i ate my 20 points. and nothing else. i had a 3 mile run, along with 15 minutes walking, and cruchnes. so i earned 4 aps, but didn't eat them, jsut as planned. yay for sticking to the plan!

b: 1/2 cup oatmeal uncooked (2.5) + 1/4 cup skim (.5) + 1/2 cup strawberries (0) + 1 packet splenda (0) + hot cocoa made w/water (0) = 3
s: hot cocoa made w/1 cup skim (2) + 1 apple (1) = 3
l: whole wheat wrap (3) + 4 oz chicken (4) + mom's sauce (1) + 1/8 cup part skim mozz (1) + 1 cup raw carrots (0) = 9
d: 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta (2) + 2 oz chicken (2) + mom's sauce (1) + 1 cup broccoli (0) = 5
dessert: sf jello w/ff cool whip = 0

total: 20

good.

so tomorrow i was going to be having access to a treadmill, but my friend said i can't go to the practice. dammit. so i spent the past half hour driving around trying to map out a good, flat 5 mile course to run outside. so that's done. i'm going to brave the cold. i'm going to bundle up, and i'm going to make it.

plan for tomorrow: i'm either going to eat oatmeal and a banana or a protein bar for breakfast. wait a couple hours and run. come home and have a protein and carb filled lunch. maybe out to dinner tomorrow night w/the fam (mom is away...so this is even more likely since my dad won't fill in cooking, and no one will eat if i cook healthy ).

i plan to eat my 20 target + 5 aps + a few flex points. my flex start over tomorrow morning, and that also means weigh in! i'm a little worried about it, but not too much. i'm prepared to see a gain. i'm also gonna try on my size 10s and check the progress there. and i will take my measurements for the first time. busy day! hehe

that's a wrap for me. and hey! today was a cheat free day. so i'm gonna go grab my cheat free for a day clippie! ooh, add to goal for tomorrow: stay cheat free so i can turn the bear into a 2!

(and i want to apologize for not making it to anyone's journal today...havne't had much computer time, but i will do my best to make the rounds tomorrow!)

 

[DoeWDW]

Marcia, you're doing just fine!

You hit a bump in the road, but you have devised a plan to get back in the groove and to keep it from happening again - you ROCK!!

Good luck on your long run today - hope you can stay warm. Cover up those hands and your head & ears!

Your bear is lookin' good and I'm betting he'll be sporting a 2 this evening.

 

[marsh0013]

hey doe, thanks for the encouragement, it really is nice to have other people around telling me i dind't totally screw up

so today was weigh in, try on the jeans, and take measurements. check! here's the results:

weight: 131 - holding steady. although, i need to get a digital scale, because it might have said 130.5...i just couldn't bend over to look cause then it would waver!

size 10 jeans: looser than last week. that's for sure. and this is what really counts. i really don't care what the weight number is as long as my body keeps shrinking

waist: 30
hips: 36.5
thigh: 23 (i only measured the right one...i don't know if i'm supposed to measure both then add them up? i'll go measure the left one too, just in case)
chest: 30.5
bust: 32

and i have great news! i just called up the gym that i used to belong to a few years ago, to see if they had a day pass sort of thing, and i talked with a membership guy, and he's going to let me use the gym on the weekends for 30 bucks a month! i told him i'll probably only need it through march, because then it'll defintely be warm enough to run outside, and so i'm thrilled. i was going to be willing to pay 10 bucks a day when i need it, just to get out of this frigidity. i have my schedule set up to only run 1 out of the 2 weekend days, but i may change that now to get the best bang for my buck! plus, it'll give me an extra day during the week to work overtime! oh this is wonderful

breakfast is eaten. oatmeal and a banana. now i'm headed to dunkin donuts to pick up some donuts for my brother, and a small coffee for me then i'm headed to the gym! yay! no freezing my butt off running!

 

[sharoncity]

Marcia- wow - way to stay positive! That is so important in order to make this a way of life. And good for you to recognize when you need to loose a few lbs/inches, before it becomes 20 or 30 lbs! I wish I had the common sense last winter to get my butt in gear and do something about the extra 10/15 lbs, cause now its more like 30!

I haven't been able to do a 20 pt day yet. I just get too hungry! But it seems like your planning is really working out for you. Good job!