I Need to Get Back to Blogging and Being Accountable!

It's been a long, long time since I blogged and it's time to get back to it.  The biggest reason that I'm feeling the urge again to blog is because Weight Watcher's current challenge is "Eight Weeks Until Thanksgiving."  Today at my WW meeting, the leader handed out an October calendar with daily challenges and inspiration.  So I think that I will use these daily hints and then blog at the end of each week and report on whether or not I was able to complete the challenge or how the inspirational thought inspired me.

Here's a list of this week's thoughts:
Yesterday (Monday):  Set a goal to reach by Thanksgiving.
Today (Tuesday):  What would happen if you tracked every day this week?
Wednesday:  Every choice you make makes a difference.  Which choice are you proud of today?
Thursday:  Are you serious about drinking 6 glasses of water daily?
Friday:  Make healthy plans for the weekend.
Saturday:  What can you do today to be healthy that you are willing to do for the rest of your life?
Sunday:  Know what you want to achieve this week.  Establish your priorities and get to work.
Monday:  What is a small step you can take today that will help you reach your goal?

I hope you'll join me on this week's journey.  I'll let you know next Tuesday how my week was and you can do the same.

Excuses and A Word of Warning

For the past few weeks, five to be exact, I have been complaining that I have been battling a cough that doesn't seem to go away.  Last week, I went back to my primary care doctor.  She suggested that, since my blood pressure has been under control, that I stop taking one of my BP medications that can sometimes cause a chronic cough.  So I stopped taking it last Friday.  It's been five full days that I've been off of this medication.  I was not warned by the doctor (I intend to speak to her about this!) that I could expect withdrawal symptoms from this medication.  So for the past three days I have had a headache, felt excessively tired, and nauseous at times.  Today I finally woke up without a headache.  We'll see!  So why do I mention this as it relates to my weight battle?  For one thing, it weighs into my excuses for not exercising.  When you have a headache & can hardly keep your eyes open, the last thing you want to do is any activity!  Last Wednesday and Friday I did walk for at least 10 minutes.  I even avoided an excuse to not walk (it was raining!) on Friday by going to the mall and walking.  Monday I did not walk because of my malaise.  I did go to my handbell rehearsal which earned me activity points.  I didn't track very well last week -- probably about 1/2 of the week.  Gotta get better!

So now to the weight results for the week -- and this is where my "word of warning" comes in.  I gained 4.4 pounds this week!  Aaaagggghhhh!  Then I realized I had stopped this medication -- a medication that is combined with a drug that acts as a water pill.  I can't really see any other reason why I would gain that much in one week!  So I'm not going to hit myself over the head (that would cause another headache!) and get back on track this week with tracking & adding activity.

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Stress Tamer

This week's WW meeting topic was stress tamers and yes, I'm probably a stress eater.  We all have a certain amount of stress in our life, but I feel I'm a boredom eater & an emotional eater.  Also, I'm a "I don't have enough energy" eater, and that has been my culprit the last couple of week.  I haven't been feeling well for over a month, and I'm still fighting having enough energy to care, to cook healthy, to add activity to my week.

So last week, I shared that I was surprised that I had lost a pound.  Well this week, I wasn't surprised that I had gained 1.2 pounds.  So I'm about even to where I was last week.  My walking goal for last week was to walk Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.  I only walked on Wednesday.  But on Monday, my daughter & granddaughter & I went to Disney World and that meant a whole lot of walking!  My tracking grade for last week is a C-.  I did eat breakfast every day.

So for this week, I'm going to get back on track.  I'm going to track 100% and eat breakfast every morning.  I'm going to walk 20 minutes on Wednesday, Friday & Monday.  That will be enough until I get feeling better & have more energy.

Hope you have a good week.

Climbing the Mountain Again!

Last week was another week of struggles and I did not expect a weight loss.  However, I was pleasantly surprised that I lost a little over a pound.  So I'm almost back to 6.6 pounds that I had lost three weeks ago.  

Here's my report card for the week:

Morning Breakfast = A

Tracking = F

Adding Activity = A

The tracking is self-explanatory based on the grade!  However, I did successfully walk Wednesday, Thursday, & Monday for 10 minutes each day.  That was my new, realistic goal for adding activity last week.  I also earned activity points on Tuesday for my Handbell Rehearsal.  And on Friday, I went shopping with my mother in a quaint little downtown shopping area, so I probably earned 1 activity point for that.  Also, I realized that I would be doing that on Friday, so I walked my 10 minutes on Thursday instead of Friday.

My goal for this week is to get back to tracking 100%, continue to make eating breakfast every morning a priority, and increase my walking goal.  My goal is to walk 20 minutes on Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday.  I also have to do some deep cleaning (vacuuming, changing sheets, moving furniture to vacuum behind, dusting, etc.) because my daughter & granddaughter are coming on Sunday and we're going to Disney on Monday.  Yes, one of the perks of living in central Florida & having friends that work at Disney!  So that's why my goal is going to be to walk on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday because on Monday I'll be walking a lot around Disney World.

So we'll see how this week goes.  Hope you all have a great week!

It's Been Another Rough Week

Okay.  I learned my lesson last week -- it wasn't a bad week, it was a challenging week -- a rough week.  I've been sick for a couple of weeks & that has probably contributed to not having a successful couple of weeks.  So confession of the week -- I gained 1.2 pounds this week, a total of 1.8 pound gain during the last two weeks.  However, my net loss is 5.4 pounds for 5 weeks -- about a pound a week which still is respectable.

This week's topic during WW meetings was tracking.  Our leader asked us to give ourselves a grade.  Last year and probably several years preceding that I would have given myself an F.  But since I've started this blog & added this additional layer of accountability, I would give myself an A for the first 3 weeks and probably a C+ or B- for the last two weeks.  Even though there have been weeks that I have gone over my points, I still tracked everything & that red negative weekly points number appeared very boldly on my computer.  

So this week my goal is to get back on track (no pun intended), track everything, eat breakfast daily, and to continue my journey of adding activity to my week.

Last week I walked 2 out of the 3 days that I had planned and besides my evening of handbell rehearsal (which I count as an activity) I added 10 minutes of alternative activity to one of my walking days.  So this week I'm going to make my activity goal more realistic & obtainable.  I will walk for 10 minutes on Wednesday, Friday & Monday and 10 minutes of activity on Thursday.

Hope you have a great week.

It's Been a Challenging Week!

I knew this week was not going to be very good because I've been sick all week -- not so sick that I've had to stay in bed and don't care what I eat but sick enough that I don't have any energy, don't care what I eat, and want comfort food.  However, I only gained .6 pounds this week, so I was happy with that because I thought I had probably gained more.

 

As far as my goals, I did pretty good with tracking.  I obviously went over my points for the week, but I did track almost everything I ate.  I also ate breakfast every morning.  As for my new goal that I set last week -- adding exercise -- I should not have made that goal knowing I was getting sick.  However, I did add some additional activity to my week.  One thing I do every week is participate in my church's handbell choir.  Ringing is a very aerobic activity and I always earn 4 to 6 activity points per rehearsal depending on how fast the music is.  We rehearse for an hour & a half & probably 1/2 of that time is spent actively ringing.

I had planned on walking on Monday, Wednesday & Friday for at least 10 minutes and then adding at least 10 minutes of activity each non-walking day and also to the walking days.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  Last Tuesday, I earned 4 activity points for my handbell rehearsal.  On Wednesday, I didn't walk because I didn't feel good and it was raining.  On Thursday I didn't do anything.  On Friday, my daughter nudged me & asked me if I had walked -- no, I hadn't but that nudged me to do 10 minutes of Wii activity (1 point).  On Saturday, I did some gardening (1 point).  On Sunday, I rested.  On Monday, I was feeling a little bit better and the morning air was nice and crisp so I walked for 10 minutes (1 point).

So now I'm at the start of a new week, and hopefully as I continue to feel better, I can walk on Monday, Wednesday & Friday like I planned and add 10 minutes of other activity each day.

Just one more thought for this week -- this week's Weight Watcher meeting theme was about snacking.  In my earlier blogs, I have been planning (successfully, for the most part) for my snacking frenzies.  So I want to share a recipe I found on another blog.  It's called the 3-2-1 Cake in a Mug.  You take an angel food cake mix & any other cake food mix (your favorite flavor) and combine the two mixes together -- one mix must be an angel food cake mix.  Store the mixed dry cake mixes in a ziplock bag.  Then when you get the urge for a snack, take 3 Tablespoons of the dry mix and put it in a coffee mug or a small microwavable bowl.  Add 2 Tablespoons of water & mix well.  Then microwave on high for 1 minute.  And you will have a delicious snack cake that satisfies your urge for something sweet without have a WHOLE cake sitting around on your counter.  Depending on the cake mix you use, this will be 2 to 3 PPV per serving.

Have a good week!

Successful Challenge

I had another successful weight loss week -- .8 pounds!  Since I started my accountability blog, I have lost 6.6 pounds in 3 weeks (an average of 2.2 pounds per week).  Yay!

My challenge this past week was that I was going away for the weekend.  I went over my points for the week, but I still tracked every day and made smart choices where other times I wouldn't have.  For example, we flew to our weekend destination & we had to get up really early on the day we left.  Before we left, I had a breakfast bar to eat.  I also toasted a couple of mini bagels and put Weight Watchers cream cheese on them & packed them in my carry-on.  So instead of going to McDonald's when we got to the airport and ordering a 14 point breakfast, I had one of my bagels.  Then on the plane, I had the other one & a snack bag (airport version) of pretzels.  My daughter made a Weight Watchers Filling Foods Beef Stew for dinner and we had leftovers the next day for lunch.  What took me over my points was our dinner out on Saturday night.  I decided to have stuffed broiled shrimp, a baked potato (w/butter & sour cream), a tossed salad w/ dressing on the side, and a couple of rolls with butter.  Probably not the wisest choices, but I really enjoyed the meal.  And I was even able to find the points for stuffed broiled shrimp online.  I didn't feel guilty.  I was ready to take the consequences.  So I was very happy to have lost .8 pounds this week.  So now it's back to a regular week and being in control of my meal and snack choices.

My new goal is going to be adding more activity to my schedule.  In a month, my daughter, granddaughter, & I are going to Disney World for a day which will mean a lot of walking.  I have trouble, physically, walking sometimes.  So I'd like to increase my daily walking to see if I can't condition myself better for walking.  So this week, my goal is going to be to walk for 10 minutes Wednesday, Friday, & Monday mornings and to add at least 10 minutes of other activity on my non-walking days and on the days that I walk.  And my short term goal is to have lost a total of 10 pounds (by February 14th - Happy Valentines Day!)  before our Disney World visit.  And of course, I will continue with my first three goals -- tracking, eating breakfast, & controlling my snacking.

Hope you have a great week!

End of Week 2 -- Another Good Week

Today was my Weight Watcher's Meeting.  It was another good week -- I lost 1.6 pounds!  I was happy, because you never know what's going to happen after that first week especially with a large loss the week before.  I was much more successful during this week than the first.  I tracked every day.  Goal #1 continued!  And I ate breakfast every day.  Goal #2 continued!  

The third goal I set for myself last week was conquering my afternoon & evening snacking -- especially my evening snacking!  And I'm happy to say that I made a plan & I stuck to it.  I planned snacks that were indulgent & satisfied me but were within my daily & weekly points.  So here's what I did:  Apples have become my best friend.  I like eating one in the late afternoon.  It stays my hunger until dinner.  I even bought an apple corer/slicer.  In the evening, I (obviously) crave either salty or sweet (or sometimes both!).  For salty, I have crackers and a 1 point Laughing Cow cheese wedge or a 2 point Weight Watcher Cream Cheese and I spread them on the crackers.  Or I have a bag of 94% FF Popcorn.  For a sweet treat, I like ice cream but if I get a 1/2 gallon of ice cream -- forget it!  So I bought Weight Watchers Ice Cream Cups or Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cups.  Then I make myself a banana split -- 1/2 of a WW Ice Cream Cup (2 pts.), 1/2 of a banana (free), 4 T. of Light (aerosol) whipped cream (1 pt.), and 4 maraschino cherries (1 pt.) = 4 points.  If I have enough extra points, I've also added a chocolate Vitatop muffin (3 pts.).  I also like the WW Dark Chocolate Raspberry Chocolate Bars (2 pts.).  They're also good to break up on top of a banana for a banana split.  But the biggest point is that I plan ahead for it and have something to look forward to while I'm watching TV.

My goal for this week is to continue with goals 1, 2, & 3.  After all, it takes 21 days to form a habit and I've only been doing goal 1 & 2 for 14 days.  I had hoped this week to add some activity, but this week hasn't cooperated so far.  I was going to designate this week as my heavy lifting/cleaning week, but my back isn't cooperating with me.  So I'm just going to have to do light cleaning.

My challenge for this week is that my mother & I are flying to see my daughter.  We'll be visiting from Friday morning through Monday morning.  I'll be able to track on my Iphone & use my extra points.  I just have to save for the rest of the week before we go.

Hope you are all having a good week.  Until next Tuesday!

It's Been A Good Week!

This morning was my weekly Weight Watcher's meeting.  I was looking forward to it because I knew that I would have a weight loss.  I always do following the week that I go back on program & track.  And I was right!  I lost 4.2 pounds this week!  As for my goals for the week, I tracked everything I ate every day and I ate breakfast every morning.  So I completed my goals for the week.  Now that doesn't mean that I did everything right this week.  In fact, I'll confess that I went over my weekly points and I had problems with evening snacking.  We went out to eat on Saturday night and I didn't really plan ahead for it, so that really put me over the top.

So this week's topic during Weight Watcher's meetings was planning ahead.  How appropriate!  I usually do pretty good at planning out my week's meals, even when going out.  But planning for evening munchies has always been my downfall.  Also, sometimes I have problems in the late afternoon before dinner.

So my goal this week is to continue to track everything and eat breakfast each day.  I am also going to add planning strategies to keep myself from becoming bored in the late afternoon & during the evening so I won't sit & watch TV & eat!

Here's my strategy for planning for evenings:  On Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evenings, I have evening activities.  However, when I get home from those activities, I will sometimes be overcome by the munchies.  So I'm going to plan a "when I get home" snack that will be special & satisfying.  On Thursday & Friday evenings, I don't have any evening activities so I need to come up with some activities to keep my hands busy during the evening while I'm watching TV and then add my "special treat" sometime during that time.  Weekends are another thing entirely & I'll work on that another week.  I think tackling Monday through Friday is enough for now.

Any of you that are reading this blog, if you have suggestions, please let me know.

It's Cold in Florida Today!

It's cold in Florida today!  A nice day for a hot bowl of soup.  I love the chicken & wild rice soup at Panera Bread but it's a little "pointy" for Weight Watchers.  So I found a recipe that looked similar & I trimmed it down.  So for your Weight Watchers out there (or even if you're not), it's 4 points plus per 1 cup serving.  Here's the recipe:

5 2/3 c. water
1 pkg. long grain & wild rice mix (I used Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Original Recipe)
1 env. chicken noodle soup mix (I used Lipton's)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell's 98% FF)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken

Directions:

In a large saucepan, compbine water, rice with contents of seasoning packet, and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in celery, carrot, & onion.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken soup & chicken. Cook 8 minutes longer or until rice & vegetables are tender.

Yield: 8 cups

Weigh In Day

Today is Tuesday & it's the day of my Weight Watcher's Meeting.  As always at the beginning of a new year, there were many people waiting in line to join the Weight Watcher's meeting.  Today we talked about believing -- believing that we can do it.  And that's probably a big part of my reasoning for this accountability blog because I know if I track that I can do it.  I've done it before, but it gets harder each time.

I gained .6 of a pound today from my last weigh in which was the Tuesday before Christmas -- two weeks ago.  So all in all, that's not too bad for the time through the holidays.  Yesterday, I tracked all day long & today I'm on the way to tracking all day.

I'm planning on blogging each Tuesday -- my Weight Watcher's Meeting Day -- and share my progress from the week.  So I'll see you again next Tuesday, unless I have an accountability trauma & feel like I need to blog.

A New Year - A New Beginning

My goal this year is to be more accountable in my life.  What better way to do this than to blog about it!  My daily life of organizing is pretty good and I do have a good grasp on being able to determine what tasks I need to get done by a certain time to, for example, get the house cleaned by the time company arrives.  And the main reason I'm able to do that is because I don't work and I can arrange my schedule to allow me the time to do what is needed.  This is one area in my life where I've finally been able to be in control.  I have "purged" things that have been hanging around our house forever.  I regularly go through closets and cupboards & bring clothes and unused things to Goodwill.  So, HURRAY!!!!, I'm happy that this aspect of my life is fairly under control -- even thought I still need to work on it.

The area of my life, however, that is not under control is my health & weight.  The one positive thing I do is to go to Weight Watchers, religiously, every week.  That is the one thing I do to be accountable.  However, I'm still not very good at it.  I struggle with tracking, exercising, eating healthy foods, and everything else that goes with weight loss.  So this blog is going to be mostly devoted to becoming more accountable to the Weight Watchers program.

So here goes....This week, my goal is to track every day. 

Tomorrow we'll see how it's going!