WW Weigh In

HOLY COW I lost a pound!  Thank heavens! And now that I am back on program the ball should just keep on going.  :-)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I admit it - I basically took a week off for Christmas. I was on track and on plan through Friday and then fell apart. Christmas is my favorite time of year! I did not go as hog wild as I would have in the past, but I did allow myself a few cookies, some gumbo, pot roast and green bean casserole! I did not exercise. In fact, my darling Hubby bought me the Lego Harry Potter for Wii (didn't ask for it, but I'm totally nerdy enough to LOVE IT!) and I've spent many hours couching with it since Sunday. Today is the start of a new WW week though, so we are back on track, and (of necessity) kicking some ass. My ass in fact. I need it. I wish you could reach through the interwebs and kick it for me too. One bit of good Christams-related news. My in-laws are crazy spenders and the holidays. We always tell them not to spend so much on us, but the never listen. :-\ This year, my Christmas love check was sufficient to buy Hubby and I a standing freezer for our utility room - and enough leftover for me to buy a used treadmill!!!! EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! I found one on Craigslist yesterday and have been emailing with the owner. If she still has it today (waiting to hear back from her this morning), I will be the proud new owner of a treadmill! WOOT!! More running! Without being outside! Or at the gym! YAY!!!!!!

Having taken four days off program in the last week, I am not expecting good things from today's weigh in. But tomorrow is a new day!

WW Weigh In

HOLY SHIT,  Y'ALL!!  158.4 pounds!!!!!  I thought for sure I was going to see a gain this week and instead I lost 3.2 pounds!!  WOOT!!!  Not only am I out of the 160s, I am 1.4 pounds away from 20 pounds!!!  I cannot tell you how absolutely thrilled I am!  :-D

Stop It!!

I'll be honest with you - since there's no one reading this anyway. ;-) I have cramps from HELL today! When I got home from work (kind of late), I got dinner ready, ate and then got online. I kept telling myself "I'm waiting for dinner to settle and then I'll work out" while I was very secretly and privately telling myself that maybe I shouldn't work out because of the cramps. Then I deliberately got on Pinterest and started cruising the Fitness pins. :-) Next thing you know, I was scooting downstairs and getting in 30 mins on the Active 2. I'm gonna call that a close call, but a WIN in the long run!

Meatless Mondays

Hubby and I have been trying a few things lately with our food. One of them that I've been particularly pushing for is Meatless Mondays. I think it not only benefits us (weight and cholesterol-wise) to skip meat at least one day a week, but I've read several articles suggesting it can help out the environment as well. Not sure I believe that second one whole-heartedly, but it's not going to HURT the environment for us to do it, so why the hell not? :) So last night I made a recipe I found in a Weight Watchers cookbook. Mexican Polenta Pie. Basically black beans, corn, salsa and seasoning with polenta and cheese baked on top. It was actually pretty good too! I've been having a hard time thinking of meatless dishes that weren't pasta-centric. I'd prefer not to be limited to pasta on Mondays, not only because that would be boring, but one cup of pasta bare is 5 PPV! Start adding ingredients, and that number goes up!

While I was cooking dinner last night, I got in 30 mins on the Active 2. After dinner I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine. I had been thinking I'd do another 30 mins Active 2 after the elliptical, but I was beat. I will be getting in a 40 mins Wii workout this evening though! Even with the workouts and tracking like a madwoman, I'm pretty sure there will be a gain on the scale tomorrow. Going to be a pretty severe kick to the ego, but I am going to try to just stay on program and work harder for the next weigh in.

:-\ F.A.I.L

I have one word for the weekend: FAIL. Saturday was an unmitigated disaster. Our Christmas gathering with friends/ cookie swap (for which I made Weight Watchers 1 PPV cookies) was supposed to be over at 7. I was planning to workout when everyone left. Well, some of our friends apparently thought the only people that would really be leaving at 7 were the families with small children. The last couple stumbled away a little after 2 AM!!! Needless to say, I did not jump on the elliptical at 2 in the morning. I had also done really well with eating/drinking until about 9 o'clock that night. Then some friends were like "Come one! Have a beer with us before we leave!" That beer turned into at least 5 at which point I dove face-first into the buffet of food that was still out. *sigh* Yesterday I was hungover like a mutha!! I did manage to get in an hour long workout on the Active 2, but I swear it was touch and go. There were a few times I thought I was going to be sick or pass out or both! Way too old to party like a college kid.

Today I am trying like crazy to get everything back on the right path. I'm eating on program, but didn't get up early enough to exercise this morning. Was already planning to get in another hour of Active 2 and now I'm thinking I might do that 30 mins of elliptical I was supposed to do this morning later as well.

I can't tell you how disgusted I am with myself. I know that people make mistakes and this thing is a lifelong journey. I cannot expect to be perfect all the time. But I have been a weight loss idiot the last two weeks! I have GOT to get 100% back on program and stay there! The plan is easiest at the beginning. That is when you are losing the most. If I can't keep myself on plan now, I'm going to be ridiculous later. I have to make this work. No matter how on-program I am Monday-Friday, if I'm going to fall off the wagon every weekend, I am going nowhere fast. :(

No Excuses!!

Gonna Be a "Free" Day

I made a time-planning "Oops!" last night. I totally forgot until after I woke up that I had a haircut scheduled today. My hour I had set aside for working out quickly got reallocated. :-( After work today, I have to go with my sister dry to BFE to pick up my mother's Christmas present from the two of us. When we're done with that, I have to hit the grocery store and Target. I'm assuming I'll grab a bite to eat SOMEWHERE in there (Subway?). Hoping beyond hope that I get home in time to do an Active 2 workout tonight since I didn't get one in yesterday (got home at 9:45). I need to MOVE IT, MOVE IT!! ;-) But I got my hair chopped off. No more ponytails! I will be wearing a bandana every time I exercise from here out. Hopefully my Christmas shopping will be done by this evening as well. I also need to do some cooking/baking for our Christmas "Linner" tomorrow afternoon. I can't think of anything that needs to be cooked tonight that would prevent me from working out as long as I get home at a decent hour. Cross your fingers for me!

Staying Accountable

Today at work, we had a Holiday Potluck Luncheon. Meats offered were roasted boar (I kid you not - someone brought in a whole pig!!), baked chicken or ham. I had the chicken. I had a bowl of salad before I started on my plate of lunch. I tried to stick to "whole" vegetables. I had the steamed (I *think* it was steamed) broccoli versus the broccoli/cheese casserole, the whole kernel corn instead of the corn souffle thing, etc. I took two bites of cheesecake, one bite of pumpkin trifle, ate two bites out of a cookie and just ate the cream cheese icing off the pumpkin roll (the icing is the best part!). Probably could have done better, but I don't think I would have been as satisfied. If I had skipped the desserts entirely, I'd probably be downstairs scavenging the leftovers. Since I have NO idea how many WW PPV all that was, I just chunked my entire allotment of Weekly Points Plus Values at it. No idea if I hate 49 points worth of stuff, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Tonight is grilled chicken breasts and sauteed squash.

My youngest niece (who is in band) has a Christmas concert tonight that I promised to attend. So I woke up this morning and dragged myself upstairs. I am really not a morning exerciser. That was AWFUL! But I did it. 45 minutes of moderate activity kicked off the day today. I would love to get in a session of Active 2 this evening, but it will depend on time. It would have to be after the concert, but before 9pm (don't want to get heart rate up right before bed, or I'll never get to sleep). Since the concert doesn't even start until 7, that seems really unlikely to happen, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Otherwise, I will have to make up the workout tomorrow.

The weekend is looming straight ahead. Going to try to log into the blog Saturday and Sunday to stay accountable to The Program. And as counter-intuitive as it may seem, I'm also going to try to spend some time on the computer this weekend. Surfing Fitness pins on Pinterest seems to help me stay motivated.

Small victory this morning that I'm not sure I believe: Liar scale at home this morning said I weight 160.5. That was post-workout but before breakfast and like I said - that scale is evil and likes to screw with me. Guess we'll see what the WW scale says next Wednesday!

Weigh In

.4 lbs lost this week. I tell you I will TAKE IT!! Better than I had any right to hope for! And now that I am back on program, I *will* get a sticker next week!!

Weigh In

.4 lbs lost this week. I tell you I will TAKE IT!! Better than I had any right to hope for! And now that I am back on program, I *will* get a sticker next week!!

Back to Baby Steps

So, I graduated from the EA Active 2's "Cardio Kick Start" program with my workout last Thursday. Yesterday was my first workout in the 9-week program. 25 1/2 minutes of butt-kicking cardio, squats and lunges later, I was really kicking myself for taking four days off exercise. Amazing how weak you can get in such a short time. But it was good. I was panting like a dog and sweating like crazy - exactly where I needed to be! Tonight is my Weight Watchers weigh in. Hoping beyond hope for good things, but being realistic. I was a sloth for a week. I'm sure the scale is going to reflect that. You only get out of WW what you put into it, and I didn't give it a lot of effort last week. I am back on program now and (though I'm still struggling a little) motivated to get active! Cross your fingers for me!!

Hanging My Head In Shame

Although I have stayed on eating plan, I have been a SLOTH since last Thursday. I'm not even going to try to make excuses for myself, that's how lazy I am! But it all ends TODAY! I have like three Active 2 workouts to make up tonight. Fun, fun, fun! But hopefully it'll teach me not to be a lazy slug in the future. Pretty worried about tomorrow's weigh in, but at this point, I can tell you that I would deserve a set back. Desperately ashamed that I couldn't get it together at all the past four days. :-( Need to go browsing through my Pinterest fitness board and see if I can find some inspiration that will help me not go through this again. And I need to commit to updating this blog on the weekends as well as weekdays. The blog helps me stay accountable on days I update it. Yesterday, I was at jury duty, so I even missed a weekday! Y'all might get absolutely sick of me, but I really think that being accountable to the blog will translate to being accountable on the journey!

This Weeks Struggles

What it comes down to is my home scale is evil and I'm an idiot for listening to it. I got in a ton of workouts this weekend and Monday. Tuesday morning, my scale said I had gained 3 pounds. Imagine how disappointed, disillusioned and just generally upset I felt. I'd been staying on points and working out like crazy and I was gaining?!?! So Tuesday I did not work out. I stayed in Points, but didn't do any activity. Wednesday, I got home from work too late to run to the WW meeting...where I learned I had LOST 3 pounds!! I was losing the whole time, my home scale is just in league with satan! ;-) Even this morning, it said I was 2 pounds up from last night. So, I'm not going to use it anymore. It actually set me back this week, which infuriates me. I know the thing isn't accurate, yet I let it sideline me. So angry! Getting back in the swing of things today though! Definitely staying in points, and I need to make up my workout I missed from Tuesday on the Active 2 and also do tonight's Active 2 workout! Going to be a sweaty evening! Good thing Hubby has plans with friends tonight. :)

WW Weigh In

OH MY GOD!!!!  162 pounds!!  I'm down 15 pounds from when I first started!!!!  Eeeeeeeee!!

Rolling Along!

Yesterday at work, I was moved from the fourth floor to the third floor. This has thrown off my stair walking a little. I'm trying to get in to the swing of things on the lower level. You wouldn't think it would effect things, but it does somehow. So I was not great at stairs yesterday. I did, however, get in 35 minutes on the elliptical machine and 35 on the Active 2 again. I set out my clothes, etc to do the elliptical again this morning and just couldn't talk myself into it. The house was cold and the couch (with blanky) looked much too comfortable. So I will be working the elliptical tonight and getting in a few more workouts on the Wii. Tomorrow is my meeting and a RUN day! WooHoo! I talked with my Shmoo about the marathon over the weekend and (thank all things holy) she is thinking a full marathon in September might not be possible. So we're training to do a half together. That is still 13.1 miles and my longest run recently was 4. Still got lotsa training to do!

Yesterday's Active 2 workout had a lot of shoulder and back exercises in it, so my shoulders are a little achy today. I loosened the shoe laces on my workout shoes around the middle of my foot and toes and that, happily, seems to be helping my toes not hurt so much. Planning to buy new shoes soon, but there are several big-ticket items on my horizon that are taking precedence over shoes. :-( I will work with what I have for now!

I Want More!

How Was Your Weekend?

What an awesome weekend. Friday, I ran FOUR MILES! YAY!!! I was pretty useless afterward, but it felt good. :-) Saturday, I spend 35 minutes on the Active 2 and 35 minutes on the elliptical machine. Yesterday, in between rain showers, I got in a 2 mile run. :-) And according to the scale this morning, I was rewarded with another pound gone! Can't wait to see what the official WW scale says on Wednesday. In the meantime, I am sticking to the new WW points allowance. I plan to get in 35 mins on the Active 2 tonight and (if Hubby gets the TV hooked back up in the exercise room) another 35 mins on the elliptical. I can't tell you how motivating it is to see results from the scale. I think I can find will power to exercise and eat right forever as long as that scale and non-scale victories keep pace with me. Keeps me pumped up for sure!

Let's have a great week of healthy eating and exercise!

Heeeere We Go

We are weekend bound! Here's hoping for will power galore and time between the sprinkles to get outside and run!

Yesterday, I got in 50 minutes on the Active 2. I was POOPED!! Both workouts were lower body, so I was totally worried that my legs would be too sore to run today. I'm feeling pretty good though, so I'm going to commit to at least 2 miles. Shooting for 4.

WW released the PointsPlus 2012 program today. Knocked me down from 29 PP a day to 26. Going to do my best to stay within that amount and my Weeklies. I have yet to touch an Activity Point and my goal is to never eat those. That's where the weight loss happens!

Okay everyone - let's get out there and have a great weekend!

Embrace the Basics

Thursday Means We're Heading Into the Weekend!

Felt pretty good about my weigh in last night. Was totally inspired by folks who received 5 pound stars, 10% awards and one lady who hit her goal weight last night. THAT is why you go to meetings! I ran to and from the meeting last night, got home, ate dinner and then did nothing! :( Hubby wants us to watch Christmas Classics together this week and to be honest, we really don't get to spend a lot of quality time together, so I think it's important. So even though I hate the Muppets and I really wanted to get in a workout, I watched the Muppet Letters to Santa movie last night. Hubby has his company's Christmas happy hour tonight (I'm skipping it), so I can get in some workout time tonight!

Today's Goals: stairs and water, finish out the "week" on the Active 2. Pretty sure that is going to kick my butt! I want to get the week completed though so I can get in a run tomorrow! My Shmoo (a very, very good friend) and I are supposed to run a marathon together next September! NEED TO TRAIN!!! Right now, a 3 mile run kicks my hiney. 26.2 miles might kill me!

WW Weigh In

165 pounds!  YES!!!!  I actually managed to lose a pound at Thanksgiving!  WOOT!!! Next week I will get my 5 lb star. :-)

Another NSV!

A friend of mine told me today that she can tell I'm losing weight because my face looks thinner. I will take it!! :-D

Got in 45 minutes on the elliptical machine last night and another 20 minute workout on the Active 2. I'm amazed at how good a workout that video game is! I'm still in the "getting started" portion of the game (the first two week program), so I'm hoping that's why the workouts are only 20 mins long. Should finish the Getting Started portion next week and then pick a new goal for myself (Weight loss, toning, muscle strength...) for a longer program.

Today's goals: stairs and water. Walk/run to/from WW meeting tonight. Also going to get in another Active 2 workout. One of the cool things about the game is that it gives you a few different goals every week. It wants me to do at least 4 workouts (done), exercise 2 hours this week (need 50 more minutes), and burn 600 calories (need another 150). I have 2 or 3 more days to finish out the week, so I need to get in a workout tonight and one tomorrow as well.

I'll shoot out a weigh in post from my meeting later. According to the crazy scale at home, I am down a half pound from last week. I will be happy with ANY loss!!

Back In The Saddle!

Yesterday was a good day. I got in TONS of water, used the stairs at least 7 times, got in 45 minutes on the elliptical machine (NCIS!!) and two workouts on the Active 2!! YAY!! Hoping my weekend of laziness didn't put me too far behind, but I'm not going to dwell on it. Keep moving forward is pretty much the motto of weight loss. Sometimes, you slip. Get up, get going. More good news: we are almost out of Thanksgiving leftovers!! WOO HOO!!!!! I  need the dressing, casseroles, etc out of my house. I will be throwing away leftover desserts tonight. I haven't been eating them (except a spoonful of Brownie Trifle on Sunday), but I know they're there and I can hear them calling my name. They must leave.

Today's goals: stairs, stairs and more stairs, 100oz of water, Active 2 workout, and either another 45 on the elliptical or a 2 mile run. I need to hit Target on the way home tonight and pick up another knee brace. My right knee is feeling awesome, no pain at all, but my left knee is being cranky. So I will be that lady jogging down the road with braces on both knees that you drive by and think "good lord lady, if you're doing that kind of damage to your body, maybe you should stop!" Hoping my knees eventually get strong enough that the braces won't be necessary. I think all the squats and lunges on the Active 2 are doing a number on them though...

Ain't It The Truth

Wagon? What Wagon?

When I got home from work on Friday, I went for a three mile run and worked out on the Wii Active 2. I was doing exercises all evening to prevent shin splints (they WORKED!) and planning my busy exercise weekend. Saturday, between helping Hubby decorate the house for Christmas and catching up on chores, I did nothing. I used the excuse that doing the Christmas tree hurt my back and I was still exhausted from Thanksgiving, but I did at least stick to the eating plan. I measured all my food and stayed in points. Sunday I completely and totally fell off the wagon. No exercise, no points. :-\  I'm going to have to figure out a weekend game plan. Hubby is not at all into the Weight Watcher plan, doesn't want to change our food, doesn't really like that I spend all my time working out. He supports me skipping workouts and "taking the day off" from WW. If anyone is going to deliver the kick in the pants I need on the weekends, it is going to have to be me!

So here we are on Monday Funday. We were out of eggs this morning, so I didn't get my usual breakfast of eggs whites. I had a packet of grits instead and I'm already getting hungry for lunch. Going to be a long day. BUT! I can do this!

Today's goal: stairs, water (think I got in 60oz of water all weekend). I also missed Saturday's scheduled Active 2 workout and I have another one scheduled today. I'm going to do them both! It will hurt. It will be exhausting. Hopefully it will teach me not to skip workouts!

You Are Far Too Smart

Time Marches On

Man, there was a lot of food yesterday, y'all! We had tons and tons of food and 8 fewer people than we usually have. So there were a ton of leftovers! I sent boxes of food home with everyone. I had some little aluminum tins that I'd bought for Christmas cookies years ago and forgotten to use. They were packed with food and sent on their way! My aunt and uncle were staying in a hotel and couldn't take a tin dish, so I gave away some of our tupperware. "Get this food out of my house!!" ;-) The bad news? There's still a ton of food left at my house. The good news? I only had one plate of food yesterday. We had lunch around 12:30 and I just never got hungry again! So, even though that plate was pretty full, I only did it once. Today I brought a sandwich made with leftover ham and some fruit from the fruit tray for lunch. I'll be picky about what goes on my plate for dinner. Also planning to get in at least an hour of exercise today. I think it'd be amazing to get a 5 pound star the week after Thanksgiving. ;-) That is this week's goal!

Weekly progress report: weight this morning (home scale): 166.5! I know earlier this week I was a little horrified to have a milestone victory right before a major food holiday, but now I'm thinking that was the best thing that could have happened to me! I also had the NSV earlier this week with the jeans.Those two things have kept me completely motivated this week! There was never any thought of "Well, I'll just coast this week and hope for the best." My two victories kept me mindful that "The distance between who I am and who I want to be is separated only by my actions and words." I'm determined to stay on program. I've enjoyed my progress and I want MORE! :-)

WW Weigh In!

166 lbs y'all!!! That is down 11 POUNDS since the middle of October!! Oh happy freaking day!!! Just had to share. :-D

I Don't Want to Curse It!

According to the scale this morning, I have lost 10 pounds from when I started this journey in the middle of October. My scale can be ca-razy though with it's unpredictable ups and downs. I want to use the offiicial scale at WW before I celebrate. I don't have time to stay for the meeting tonight (have I mentioned my ENTIRE family is descending on my house tomorrow?), but I am planning to pop in for a weigh-in. I am totally excited about this number and also horrified! The day before Thanksgiving I hit a milestone?? How is that fair? What are the odds of not gaining at least a pound (and therefore negating the milestone) over Thanksgiving? First World Problems, I know. Just going to have to keep on keeping on. If I hit the milestone once, I can do it again, right?

When I got home last night, I was pretty busy most of the night with Turkey Day prep and my Hubby (who wasn't feeling well) was hogging my TV while he laid on the couch. Around 8 o'clock though, I kicked him out so I could spend 20 minutes on the Active 2. I intended to do some Wii exercises afterward, but my balance board was completely drained of juice. :-( So yesterday's exercise total was an easy 45 on the elliptical and a good 20 on the Active 2. Not as much as I'd hoped, but I'm going to reconcile myself to the fact that holiday weeks are a little more challenging than most.

I did NOT work out this morning. I know - BOOOO!!!!! HISSSSSS!!! Trust me, the chorus of "slacker!" going on in my head is loud. I am going to get in 45 mins on the elliptical tonight if it kills me (and it might!). I'm also planning to walk/run to the WW meeting again. I have a sneaking suspicion tomorrow will be a non-workout day. :-( My family is coming over early to watch the Macy's Parade and will be hanging out most of the day. I will strive to do an easy 45 on the elliptical, but I have a feeling I will end up collapsed on the couch. My family really takes it out of me... Friday I will be up and at 'em and on the machine though!

Today's goals: stairs, water, do my damnedest to get in 45 on EM and run/walk to WW meeting. I will be doing lots of running back and forth cleaning my house and doing decorative things, but I'm not sure that counts as "exercise." ;-)

Happy Turkey Day everyone! May your meat be white, your veggies steamed and your pie worth the points!

Today's Quote From Pinterest

Don't go by the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat. Go by how you look and how you feel. The scale will mess with your head.

Non-Scale Victories

Part of the WW meme is the idea of Non-Scale Victories (NSVs). The idea is that sometimes the scale is just evil and not moving, but there is still trackable progress in weight loss. I had a small NSV this morning! I have a pair of jeans that has been skin tight the last few months. They aren't skinny jeans, but they've been fitting like them! NOT pretty! This morning (fresh from the dryer) they went on with minimal fuss! They buttoned easily. Still a little snug in the thigh when they first went on, but such a huge improvement! When I used to sit down while wearing them, they would dig into my stomach. NOT TODAY!! YAY!!! It's the little things, folks!

When I got home last night, I did 40 minutes on the Wii (EA Sports Active 2). Very, very nice workout! I was huffing and puffing and sweating like a dog. Every time the next exercise would come up I'd be all "OMG. I hate these!" in my head and then feel good when I was done with them. Downright comical really. I could really fall in love with the Active 2! Really good workouts with lots of variety built in. GREAT purchase!

This morning I woke up and hopped on the elliptical. My toes were KILLING me halfway through, so I lowered the resistance to zero and did the rest of the workout in easy-shmeasy mode. A little disappointed in myself, but at the same time, I don't want the elliptical to become something I avoid. I'd rather do an easy workout on it and something a little more strenuous later on (Active 2 anyone?) than push myself on it while in pain and then avoid it for my next workout. Really need to do some reading online to see if there's something I can do for the toe thing. Would taking a break every 15 minutes to flex my toes lower my heart rate sufficiently to negate the workout? Things to look up...

Today's goals: STAIRS (you'd already guessed that, hadn't you?), 30 more minutes on Active 2, 100 ounces of water. I also want to get on the Wii Fit for a few minutes just so it doesn't squawk at me about how I'm neglecting it. ;-)

It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Let's Get It Started In Here!

Friday night I ate way more than I should have. It was a $85 per person 7 course beer dinner at one of Houston's finer restaurants. I was GOING to enjoy it, damn it! Each course came out on small plates and they were very small portions (one oyster for the first course, 2 shrimp and some lettuce for another, etc). But still 7 courses of small is still a lot of food! I did ix-nay Hubby's request to go out drinking afterward. We'd just had 8 3-oz beers (and we split a Full Moon Rye at the bar beforehand). Since there was no way I was going to be able to put that meal into WW (foie gras anyone? Is that in there?), I just devoted all my points for that day (I swear I just about fasted all day) and all my Weekly Points.As with any "binge" kind of Points day, I think the best thing to do is put it behind you and stay on program! Just because I blew a TON of Points Friday night does not mean I should blow off the rest of the week.So Saturday and Sunday, I picked up where I'd left off. I stayed within Points, exercised and kept on.

Saturday - I used some of my birthday money to buy myself the EA Sports Active 2 "game" for Wii. Tried it out Saturday (50 minutes) and I am *STILL* hurting! WOW! That thing is a real workout! Really puts the Wii Fit to shame! I was sweating like a dog and huffing and puffing like I'd never done cardio before! :-) I might have a new favorite workout even though it was brutal! Squats, lunges, mountain climbers, reverse crunches. Oi! $40 very well spent on that game. It suggests you set up a calendar for when you can devote time to it. I put in Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for my Active days. So more tonight! WOO HOO!!

Sunday - Even though I was totally sore yesterday, I still managed to spend a hard 45 minutes on the elliptical. Then my sister came over and we started prep work for Thanksgiving. The big day is at my house this year and I am a little anal about organization. We prepped all the food yesterday and sent it home to my sister's freezer. We will defrost it Wednesday night and start casseroles rotating through the oven very early Thursday morning. After we were doing cooking, I managed to get it an easy 30 mins on the Wii Fit (stuck to the snowball fight and the Kung Fu). Totally stayed within points.

My family is really big on turkey day. We are having a roasted turkey, a fried turkey, a ham, squash casserole, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, dressing, and cauliflower mountain (cauliflower with melted cheese and a mayo-based sauce). My cousin, who is a pastry chef, is bringing 3 pies (pumpkin, cherry, and pecan). I will be making a trifle and a 7-up cake as well. Is it any wonder people put on weight at the holidays??? OMG!! And my grandmother's dressing recipe calls for FOUR cans of "cream of" soups and 6 boiled eggs!! HOLY COW! My plan of attack is to only eat the foods I really love (and small portions of those!). I'm really not a huge dressing fan, so I'm not going to eat it! Green bean casserole? YES PLEASE! I also bought containers so that I can send leftovers home with other people! That food is NOT staying in my house! Hubby loves Thanksgiving. He loves leftovers. I'm going to have a hard time getting him to let go of the food. Which is ridiculous because we'll probably have several of these dishes again at Christmas. *sigh*

Monday Funday - stairs, stairs, stairs! Sports Active. 100 ounces of water. I would really love to get in a 30 min run as well. I might try to do that before the SP. I know there's no way I'll be able to do it after ;-). I really want to get back into running! I've been doing all this cardio trying to ready myself to run. I got my knee brace ready now and I want to hit the track! :-) Let you know how things turn out tomorrow!

MY Day

I took the day off from work today. Some girlfriends and I have a date with a group of vampires at a movie theater that serves real food and alcohol at lunch. Then I have errands galore to run (mostly to get ready for Thanksgiving). I intend to get in at least an hour of exercise today though! Will just have to be after movie/lunch/shopping and before 7 course beer dinner. Gonna be a busy day!

Weekly progress: down to 168.5. So we're slowly making weight progress. Energy levels and general "feel good" measures are up though, so I know we're seeing progress! YEAH!!! This weekend is going to involve a LOT of house cleaning and food prep. We're hosting my family for Turkey Day this year, so the "Tavern" as we like to call it must be spit polished and putting it's best foot forward. I *will* still get in at least an hour of exercise both Saturday and Sunday! Gotta get as ready as possible for gluttony day, oops, Thanksgiving. So let's get out there and do it! Let's work our butts (literally) off despite the fact that there's a food-centered holiday next week. See y'all later!

Never, Ever, Ever, Ever, EV-AH!!!!

This felt appropriate now that I'm out of the 170s. WOOT!!

Comparison is the Thief of All Joy

I have been working like a dog for three weeks to lose weight. I work out on average 5 days a week. I no longer eat mindlessly (which was kind of fun) or frequently enjoy beer (which was a lot of fun). And it has come with several rewards. My body *feels* healthier. Muscles feel stronger, posture seems improved... But the scale is moving so very, very slowly! I know that some of that is probably because of increased muscle, and I'm trying to focus on the fact that I *feel* better. The tape measure says inches are coming off. I don't see them and the scale doesn't move. I'm working hard at being zen about the whole thing. Don't sweat it....keep on program...the results are going to be amazing! THEY WILL COME!!!! And usually I'm okay with it. I know that it took a while to put the weight on, it is going to take a while to get it back off. I just get frustrated when people I work with sit around eating donuts and cookies, and eat fast food at least 5 times a week, never exercise and LOSE WEIGHT! Holy crap that bugs me. But remember young Grasshopper, comparison is the thief of joy. Their path is theirs. I'm on my own path and it's the one I need to focus on. By comparing my success (for the love of Pete, I have had SUCCESS) with theirs, I am robbing it of its worth and significance. Maybe I'm just tired. Normally when I work out in the morning, I am energized. Today I am POOPED! The balls of my feet hurt from the elliptical machine (you tend to scrunch your toes on an elliptical - at least I do), my eyes feel dry, I've had 20oz of coffee already and still feel like I just crawled out of bed. *sigh* The good news is that I worked out this morning! A hard 45 minutes on the machine. Think I'll go fill up my water bottle and see if this exhaustion is just dehydration in disguise. My path is proven. My success is real. The goal is worth it.

Today's goal: drink 100 oz of water. STAIRS. Not drink more than 24oz of beer at tonight's beer event. I will volunteer to be DD for Hubby so he can have fun. :-D

BTW - WW weigh-in last night? 168.4!! WOOT! And I walked the 2 mile roundtrip to the meeting.

New Life Motto

So Far, So Good

The ball keeps rolling, y'all! When I got home last night, I did everything on my list! 45 minutes HARD on the elliptical, 30 mins on the Wii, turkey cooked, dinner cooked. Last night was the "end of the week" for WW and I survived the week with all my activity points and 8 of my Weekly Points leftover! HELLS YEAH!!!! I hopped on the scale this morning and I am the same weight I was last Friday before Hell Weekend. WOOT!! Tonight is the official weigh-in at WW though. We'll see what their scale says. I know my scale and I have had some serious issues in the past. Might be time to buy a new one. I know I can't rest too comfortably on my laurels. It is still Houston Beer Week. Tomorrow night, Hubby and I have a private event at Houston's No Label brewery (we are a part of a non-profit movement trying to change the restrictive alcohol laws in Texas - membership has it's privileges). We also have a beer dinner at a 5 star restaurant Friday night (my bday present). We're talking a 7 course meal here! Pretty sure that will kill all points for this week and then next week is THANKSGIVING! AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!! The only way I will survive intact (much less lose) is to work out like a fiend!! I did 45 minutes at moderate intensity this morning. Planning to walk/run the 2-mile circuit to my WW meeting tonight. If I have time, I'll try to squeeze in 30 mins on the Wii as well. Must keep moving forward! I am in SERIOUS need of a grocery store run. I had to bring a frozen Healthy Choice meal to work today instead of a sandwich (out of lunch meat). We're out of fresh fruit at home too. *sigh* I need more hours in the day!

Today's goals: eat with points, stairs to potty, 2 mile walk/run this evening. If I can get in 30 mins on the Wii, I'll consider it a bonus.

Still Within PointsPlus

What a good birthday yesterday. Hubby was taking care of dinner and cooked up a delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu. Very tasty! I had a TON of carrots so that I wouldn't eat a lot of the mashed potatoes. No alcohol with dinner. Trying my best here! :-)

I unfortunately did not work out this morning. I'm pretty sure my groggy brain actually cussed itself out for suggesting it. So, I will be hitting the elliptical machine after work today. And very likely the Wii as well. Dinner will be an easy affair of spaghetti with Italian sausage, so that won't distract me too long from my workout. I do need to cook one of the Thanksgiving turkeys tonight though (yes, we have two). The plan is to get the bird in the oven, workout, cook dinner and eat, carve the cooked turkey and freeze it until next week. Our freezer is PACKED right now. Hubby loves side by side refrigerators which have such TINY freezers. I've been asking for a standing freezer for the utility room for years. Might just buy one for myself as a special X-mas gift. Would be so nice to be able to store food!

Anywho! Going to shoot for 45 minutes (HARD) on the elliptical tonight and at least 30 on the Wii. Let you know tomorrow how it goes!

Eat Clean, Train Dirty

I would totally bust my ass on whatever that thing is on the floor, but I like the quote! :)

Survived - barely!

I was less than successful this weekend. I did get in a two hour Wii workout yesterday, but there was no exercising on Saturday. I drank faaaaaar too much beer, but managed to stay away from the majority of the food. I did have a soft pretzel and some cheese soup, but I didn't even look at most of the food. So I am going to say that I WAS successful this weekend afterall! I was not perfect, but I was a helluva lot better than I would have been had I not been focused on this journey. Unfortunately, the week is not over. I ate a good WW breakfast this morning and packed a healthy WW lunch. I do plan to go get my birthday ice cream though and I have no idea what we're having for dinner. I know I'm not cooking. ;-) The hardest part of this week is over though, I think. Monsters of Beer was a success for the charity we were volunteering for and I stuck to trying only beers I hadn't had before. I used the same game plan for the tasting last night. There were just a LOT of beers available last night I had never had before. I asked a lot of the servers to only give me a 2-ounce pour instead of the usual 4-ounce pour though. I was at least making an effort, so I'm going to cut myself some slack. The scale totally reflected the weekend of gluttony this morning. I'm going to ignore it, get my workout on and keep moving forward.Let's hope for a great week!

My Mantra for Houston Beer Week

Into Hell Week

I got derailed again this morning - this time through no fault of my own. I had a late night with the Girl Scout Convention last night. Crawled into bed just before midnight, but still had every intention of getting up this morning and working out. Apparently Hubby thought I'd earned a lie-in however. He got up with the dogs (our alarm clocks) and then went back to bed!! I swear the first word out of my mouth this morning was "shit" when I woke up, looked at the clock and it was EIGHT FIFTEEN!!! Appreciate you thinking of me, honey, but I have a JOB! I flew around the house like a mad woman and got to work at nine (whew!), but there was absolutely no working out. I will be hitting the elliptical when I get home today! And very possibly the Wii as well!

This weekend kicks off Houston Beer Week. Hubby and I are volunteering at the Monsters of Beer charity event tomorrow (MUST work out in morning!) where there will be free beer samples. Going to try to only have samples of beers I've never had before. Hoping this will minimize intake. Sunday we have tickets to a very limited-invite beer tasting. Going to employ the same plan: only try things I've never had before. In the mean time, I will be working out (the *hard* elliptical workout) every morning. I haven't used any of my WW weekly points this week, so I have those and all my fitness points to swap. Hoping it'll be enough to get me through the weekend and Monday, which is my birthday. I have a weird birthday treat I give myself every year. I always get myself a cheesecake ice cream from Marble Slab. YUM! This year I will be doing a bowl instead of the waffle cone (which is usually stale anyway, so save the calories and skip it). I usually get myself a McDonald's McRib too. I don't know what it is, but I love those nasty things! Think I may skip the McRib this year though. I know I won't have the opportunity to get one for a year, but seriously - priorities! I'd much rather have the ice cream than the sandwich and there are a lot of beers coming my way next week. Need to try to be smart. Just hard to be smart once you start drinking! ;-)

I'm having some confusion with when to measure my progress. My 90 Day Challenge at work weigh in date is Fridays. WW weigh in date is Wednesdays. So I think I will post my progress both days and my weekly goals on Friday. Work for you? Good! ;-)

From last Friday, I am down 2.5 pounds!!! Which brings us to 169.5 lbs. WooHoo!! I also did measurements and the most impressive one (which I'm not sure I should believe): 1 inch off my hips! WOW!!! Exercise is awesome! Goals for the coming week: to be honest, I just want to get through next week without a setback. I know we have a lot of Houston Beer Week events on our calendar, my birthday is next week, and I'm also taking next Friday off to have a girls' day brunch (while watching Twilight! HA!). It just SOUNDS calorie-soaked, mostly alcohol! So, I'm going to try to eat as sensibly as possible and avoid eating at ALL after drinking. I'm going to do my utmost to exercise every single morning and on nights when we don't have an event. It's going to be tough and I'll be okay if the scale doesn't go down...I just really don't want it to go back UP! Wish me luck!

Exercise in the Morning

YAY!!!

I did it! I did it! I did it!! WOO HOO!!! I actually got up this morning and spent 45 minutes on the elliptical machine! I gotta tell you - it was touch and go for a few minutes there, but I out-stubborned myself! YAY!!!!!!! I can't tell you how refreshing it is to know that I've already done all my exercise for the day! *HappySigh*

As for yesterday - another case of "the best laid plans..." My intention yesterday was to go home, put on comfortable shoes and walk to the WW meeting by my house and then walk home. By the time I got out of the freakishly hellish traffic, it was too late. :( Seriously - there's NEVER traffic on the way home and I was stuck for-evah yesterday. So, I did what any irritated Weight-Watcher-ian would do: I hit the elliptical for 45 minutes! And then the Wii for 10. The Wii for 10 was really so much more about getting in a body test than any real exercise. Still - not bad for a girl who still has some trouble breathing. I will make I sure I leave work EARLY next Wednesday so that I can become a part of the WW group. Truly irritated I didn't make it over there last night. At least I didn't decide the whole evening was shot though and couch.

Today's goals: STAIRS (cuz you know, I already exercised this morning!) BOO-YAH! My nieces are performing a dance at a very large event tonight, so I will be driving into the greater Houston area, which means I will have to find a parking spot and WALK this evening as well. Probably nothing drastic, but every bit counts, right??

Discipline

oi vay - SUCK IT UP!!!

Before I went to bed last night, I laid out exercise clothes and filled my water bottle. I was getting up this morning and EXERCISING, Dammit! ... Yeah. After coughing, sneezing and being miserable most of the night, I let the dogs out at 5:30 this morning and promptly curled up on the couch until 7. At that point, in the middle of debating with myself about whether or not I should go get on the elliptical machine, my friend Sara called to ask if I could give her a ride to work. She was sitting at the mechanics with her car. *sigh* Typing this, I know these are excuses! Yes, your head is full of goo. Yes, you def gotta help a sistah out when she needs it. FIND TIME TO WORK OUT, YOU LAZY SLUG! Good grief. I have at least been following the WW ways though. And I did go get the blood workup done yesterday. Should know LDL and HDL and all that good stuff by Friday. And tonight, I will be going to my first WW meeting in something like 3 years. Trying very hard not to beat myself up for quitting three years ago. I was so, so close to my goal! But hey - maybe you need to fall a few times before you figure out your journey, right? There's a quote flying around on Pinterest "Stop dwelling on the past - you don't live there anymore" or some such. I just tried to find it, but it looks like Pinterest has taken down their "search" engine. :-\

This week's successes: STAIRS! LOL! I am rocking the stairs. Food - I've been tracking everything I eat and even planning the next day's food the night before.

TODAY'S goal: stairs (no brainer), WW meeting at 6. Workout for 45 mins before meeting. Walk to meeting (about 1.5~2miles round trip).

sick

Sorry I have been absent. Some crazy weather change on Friday brought about a HUGE allergy upset. I have been sneezing and hacking ever since. Needless to say, I have not been exercising. I have however been following the Weight Watchers eating plan. I may feel like crap, but I'm not giving up! Still sneezing today and still have congestion, but I can tell it's already easing up. Hoping to get in a run later in the week! Doctor's appointment in an hour to get cholesterol, etc checked.Time marches on!

Stay on the Wagon!!!!

Damn It

I totally fell off the wagon yesterday. One beer at happy hour turned into three. By the time I got home, it was 9pm and I was not exercising. Instead, I ate a very hearty meal with yet another beer. *sigh* This is totally reinforcing the idea that I need to exercise in the morning before work. Get it done early, do whatever you want later in the day. That will be my plan of attack starting tomorrow.

I found out there is a Weight Watchers meeting a mile from my house every Wednesday night at 6. I will be joining WW next Wednesday! All this working out is useless if I don't get a handle on food. I did WW a few years ago and it REALLY worked! I lost over 30 pounds in six months. I quit because I was tired of spending $40 a month on it and thought I could go it alone. To say I was wrong is a massive understatement. WW has so many tools that help you on your journey. I'm really going to need the help going into the holidays. No more guessing at how much of something I can eat - time to measure and count!

For the 90 day challenge at work, week 1: weight loss ZERO pounds. :-\  Hence the Weight Watchers...



Today's goals: stairs, stairs and more stairs, 150 jumping jacks, 45 minutes on elliptical. I'm also going to try to get my BF to check out a walking trail that is between our houses after work.

Back in the Saddle

Over the weekend, I had Hubby hook up one of the satellite boxes to the TV in the room with the elliptical machine. I did a very hard 45 minute course last night while watching NCIS. WOOT!!! I had been thinking I would go to the gym after work, but I left my gym bag at home (I don't do mornings). So the elliptical machine and I had a hot and sweaty 45 minute date while I drooled over Mark Harmon instead. And because that wasn't fun enough, I also got in my 150 jumping jacks and 45 minutes on the Wii. I admit I steered clear (for the most part) of the cardio, yoga and strength training last night. I concentrated on the balance games and the "training plus" options. Still felt like a good workout, but I was doing the Wii after dinner and didn't want to overdo it.

Today's goals: more and more stairs, 45 minutes on the elliptical (got two episodes of "Unforgettable" yet on the DVR!), 150 jumping jacks. If I get on the Wii at all tonight, it will likely just be for the Body Test. A co-worker's last day is tomorrow and he is having a farewell happy hour tonight. I feel like I should stop by and say goodbye. Tuesday's experience told me I don't like to work out so much after a drink. :-\

From the Inside

First Rough Day

OMG - yesterday was ROUGH!!! I achieved all my goals, but it was sheer act of will the whole way. I think the trouble was that after work, I went out with Hubby for a beer (just one!). When we got home, I made dinner and cleaned up the kitchen and only then got ready to workout. I was just not in the mood! I got in an hour and a half on the Wii and 150 jumping jacks, but my attitude was completely wrong. I just wanted to be done.

I went to bed with the intention of getting up this morning and hitting the elliptical machine to start the day so I wouldn't have another late-nighter like yesterday. The Brats had other plans though. The dogs wanted out THREE TIMES last night! Most nights they don't go out at all. It's like they were trying to sabotage me. Needless to say, I did not work out this morning. I did however bring my gym bag with me and I'll be going by the gym instead of going home this afternoon. Going to try a very light running/walking combination and see how the knee holds up. Still planning to buy a brace Friday regardless. Not taking any chances!

Today's goals: continue working to potty (this is really working. I am up and down three flights of stairs 8 times a day! LOL!), 150 jumping jacks, 45 minutes run/walk, 20 mins Wii

Motivation

This girl's "before" weight is so close to my own! Very motivational!!

Spooktacular Success

I accomplished everything on yesterday's agenda!! WOOT WOOT for me! I drank (easily) 90 ounces of water, walked up and down the stairs at least 8 times, did 30 mins on a difficult setting on the elliptical machine and got in 150 jumping jacks!! Aaaaand, I only had one piece of Halloween candy. :-D Feeling good from the exercise and great about the will power!!

Today's goals are very similar to yesterdays. Stairs to potty, scads of water, 150 jumping jacks. Think I'll vary it up with some Wii tonight. And/or maybe a little run. :-D

Get Yer Guzzle On!

Every study I've seen recommends 10 8-oz glasses of water a day. Are you guzzlin'?

Hoppy Halloween!

Yesterday was less than ideal as far as my journey goes. I had a bacon and beer hangover that would not quit. I did nothing besides sit on the couch and watch the Law and Order SVU marathon. I refuse to feel too guilty about it though.It was a wasted day, but that's going to happen occasionally. Need to limit it to no more than one day a week though. Today is a new day and the beginning of a new week. Time to focus on what comes next.

I was a little worried this morning about when to get in my workout. I figure the Trick or Treaters will start ringing the bell around 6:30-7 tonight. Hubby isn't really the passing out candy sort of guy. So I need a fairly quick exercise routine with lots of impact. I'm thinking 30 hard minutes on the elliptical machine and 150 jumping jacks. I read something on Pinterest the other day that said if you do 1,000 jumping jacks, you've burned a pound of fat. Well, 1,000 jumping jacks in one fell swoop is not happenin'. I figure I can do 150 a day though. By the end of the week, that should be a pound gone.Even if I need to break that up into smaller sections. At least it's getting done.

 Another goal I have for the week: working to potty. LOL!! I am trying to get my water intake up to at least 80 ounces a day. That means frequent potty trips.My desk at work is on the fourth floor of my building. I figure every time nature calls, I will take the stairs to the first level and climb my way back to the ladies room. Again, not a whole lot of effort in each "set," but I figure 3 flights of stairs once an hour is a whole lot better than merely walking the 100 feet to the bathroom.

Hope everyone has a happy Monday, a great week and a fabulous Halloween!

Weekend

45minutes on the elliptical machine last night (plus 20 minutes on Wii). 1 1/2 hours on Wii today. Hosting a Bacon and Beer pairing tonight though. Going to try that whole "moderation " thing. Wish me luck!!

Wii Maniac

Another hour and a half on the Wii Fit last night! YAY!!! I discovered the snowball fight in the training section. I may be in love. LOL! Don't know what is so awesome about throwing imaginary snowballs, but I'm hooked. Made up my mind last night to also make an appointment with an MD to find out such lovely information as blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. I'll be calling to do that later today.

In the meantime, Hubby and I have been doing pretty well on the food front. Been eating my usual breakfast (scrambled egg, piece of toast and glass of milk), a sandwich at lunch and then smaller portions at dinner. I know Hubby and I well enough to know that if we tell ourselves we can't eat certain foods, we will fail at this. Our only hope is eating moderately and stepping up the exercise. I cannot WAIT to start running, but I think I'm going to buy a knee brace before I let myself get started. I always love running. I always hurt my knee. Time to stop the vicious cycle! I also moved one of our TVs into the room with the elliptical machine last night. Hubby is going to hook up the cable box on Sunday. Plan: I'm only allowed to watch  my favorite DVR'd shows while on the elliptical machine! "You wanna see NCIS? Get yer butt upstairs!!"

Still pumped up about all this. Heading into the weekend though, which is usually where I get derailed. Plan of attack - work out in the morning so I can do weekend stuff the rest of the day. Wish me luck!

Strong is the New Beautiful

Wii Woot

More Wii last night! 1:40 to be exact. :) What is it about playing Wii Fit that you get sucked in and want to keep hitting "retry"? Whatever it is, I love it! A little sore in the arms, glutes and abs today. WOOT!!! Planning to run by the company gym later this afternoon to sign up. Yes, my company has a gym that is free to employees and I am finally getting around to signing up in OCTOBER! Tsk tsk tsk. Better late than never, right?

So a crazy thing I've noticed. I have exercised exactly 3 hours in two days and I already feel amazing. What is that about anyway? I knew this would happen. I have exercised before and I'm always euphoric. So the question becomes: Why do I stop?? I know the last time was because of a knee injury while running. Instead of giving up entirely though, maybe I should have gotten a pool pass. Motivation to exercise is really strong right now, but not strong enough to get me out of bed in the morning. The dogs got up at 6 this morning and instead of getting out of bed and putting on the clothes I already had laid out in the bathroom and heading upstairs to my elliptical machine (I know, I know), I let Hubby get up and feed the Brats. Hoping to get back into morning exercise. I used to love knowing I was done for the day before I even got to work. Need to force the issue tomorrow. :)

Strong, Healthy and Happy