Weigh In Week Two: Eating out and Grocery Shopping Revelations!

Good Afternoon Everyone! I wanted to let you know how week two went with Weight Watchers, I lost .2 pounds, that is a decimal by the way. Yeah, it isn't much, but it is LOSS and that is what matters here!

I think in order to make my loss more substantial in weeks to come my activity needs to me higher and more intense. So that is my goal. There were a few things that had me hung up for a bit this week and few things that were really good.

For one, my hubby went grocery shopping with me and I was asking the deli for label info, and reading lots of labels and comparing things, and loading up on healthy options and he had some questions. Like why I was buying black beans and re-fried beans? I pulled out my little Pocket Guide from WW and showed him what was considered a power food and explained a little bit more about the WW world and he smiled and said he thought it was great I was taking so much time to pick healthy options in the store! That is a wonderful feeling folks!

Something that hung me up for a few hours was trying to plan my first meal eating out while on WW. Some good friends wanted to eat lunch with us and we decided on Red Lobster, a mutual favorite of everyone. I looked over the entire menu 3 times to try and figure out my best options. I hate fish and seafood but they always have those amazing biscuits and some really good chicken. Here's the problem: those biscuits are very very bad for anyone on a weight loss plan. The online menus also said that grilled chicken was only available for dinner. So, when we got there I asked about the chicken and I could get it grilled with a yummy maple glaze for lunch!! So I got Grilled Maple Glazed Chicken (FANTASTIC!) and a baked potato and salad with fat free dressing. AND I DIDN'T TOUCH the Cheddar Bay Biscuits!

So some small triumphs this week, but some triumphs that make for a great growth experience during this weight loss journey! Keep checking back and become a follower so you can see how I am doing! Your keeping me accountable is a huge part of my success!

Weigh In Predictions

Tomorrow is my first week weigh in at Weight Watchers, and I am not quite as optimistic as I wish I was. I feel like I should be doing one of those "Last Chance Workouts" that Bob and Jillian always do on Biggest Loser! I have used my points like I am supposed to, I have used almost all of my weekly extra points as instructed. So we will see what happens tomorrow morning I guess.

I have noticed how my mood seems to create eating habits, Sunday was a tough day for me emotionally, and it showed. I used more points on Sunday than I did any other day of the week! That is what the weekly extra points are about, but it definitely showed where food is a comfort for me; something I need to change like yesterday!

I have also noticed that I do make better choices when I am tracking and that eating a lot of fruits and veggies has a huge impact on my body. I feel better, my digestive track is functioning much better than normal (this is always a huge problem for me), and I feel pretty good. I hadn't really felt the hunger feeling in a long time, I just ate when I felt like eating, usually out of boredom. I felt hungry quite a few times this week, which is a good thing.

I also tracked my exercise this week and I was way above my goal on Activity points. That is a super feeling as well, and the walking and yoga I have been doing are making my body feel very good.

I am looking forward to my weigh in and meeting tomorrow so I can see how I did, but not really expecting a whole lot of loss to be recorded. My body is bloated this week and I know it, and there is nothing I can do about it this week, so I will just take it in stride. But you never know, maybe I will be surprised!

Yoga

I have found a renewed love of Yoga thanks to the Yogatoday channel on Youtube. There are so many full length yoga classes for every level of practitioner, for every type of yoga, for every time frame.

I have been using their yoga practices plugged in through my TV so I can see and hear them easier and I am amazed at how my body feels afterward. I woke up this morning and was sore all over, but it made me realize I had done good for my body. The muscles between my ribs were sore from being fully stretched through breathing and spinal stretches, every single ab muscle was sore from engaging my core (this almost never happens even with the best ab workout). The knots that live in my shoulders and neck are softened a little each time I practice one of the most amazing poses I have ever learned that involves sitting on your knees and going up on one hand and passing the other arm under your body and laying on that shoulder. The stretch through the neck, back, and shoulders is amazing with this pose, I apologize I don't know what it is called.

If you have been afraid of yoga or don't want to pay for classes or got turned off by it, try it again. It can help with any workout regimen and anyone that has stress in their life can use Yoga. I don't practice the belief system of yoga, but I love what it does for your body. I actually recommend yoga to almost every massage client I encounter because I have seen such positive results in my own life.

Give it a try!

First Weight Watchers Meeting

I went to my first WW meeting yesterday, showed up an hour early and got to read through all the material before class. The leader was amazing, she was born to lead a class. I loved that they give you stickers and ribbons and other little awards to show your progress in the program.

I weighed in and found out that my doctor office scales are 7 pounds heavier than the scales at the WW office. I had been wondering about this because my Wii Fit was also telling me I weighed less than the Doctor Office said. So because of that I changed my PointsPlus Allowance a couple spots.

Then I went grocery shopping and filled a HUGE bag with Produce and found fat free cheese and sour cream and all kinds of healthier versions of what I normally buy. Then took it all home and portioned out all the fruits and veggies and snack crackers and so on so I can just grab it and know I am only having ONE portion.

And this morning I had my eyes opened again, for breakfast I had Honey Nut Cheerios and a banana and strawberries. A serving of cereal is actually a 1/2 Cup!! Can you believe it? So if you eat sugary cereal or your kids do, take a look at a serving size and figure out how much it actually is when you fill up that bowl! You might be shocked.

Weight Watchers

I did it, I signed up for Weight Watchers today, and weather permitting I will attend my first meeting tomorrow!

I have set up my e-tools site, logged my food for today, and set up my Weight Watchers Mobile on my BlackBerry. I am ready to go! I have found meetings in any place that I could foresee being for travel and such and I am getting acquainted with the website and PointsPlus!

Please pray for me that this will help to get my weight loss journey on the right trail. I have said that if I can't lose 20 pounds in six months (they say that the average weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week, this should be possible) then I will not keep going after that! I know I can do this though!!

Check back for updates on this new journey!

No Changes So Far

Well, there have been no real life changes so far. A lot of additional stress and craziness, but no healthy changes really.

I am talking with Caleb about the possibility of joining Weight Watchers soon, to get accountability, group support, great tracking tools, and a little more motivation. I think Weight Watchers has helped millions of people over 45 years for a reason and that doctors recommend their system because it is a healthy way of losing weight that actually works. Obviously doing this on my own is not getting the job done so I think becoming part of a network of people doing the same thing I am may be key to getting this weight to come off!

Keep me in your prayers as we make this decision, thanks!

Pain and Gain

I have heard the phrase: "No Pain No Gain" many times. I haven't ever really believed it. In middle school I decided to try track and field. I can't remember exactly how long I made it, maybe two weeks. It was not fun doing conditioning in Ohio in January, that is putting it lightly and into good perspective. So the beginning of my "athleticism" was rough. I didn't run again, EVER! I hate running, I think for women it is harder to run anyway, unless you are blessed with a flat chest! But I digress. This past week I have been trying to push myself harder during exercise, making myself try for longer durations and so on. I managed a personal best in everything yesterday. My coordination was working well, my rhythm was working well and my stamina was much improved; until my calf muscles cramped up after the longest time I have run at once: 7 minutes. Don't laugh, that is a long time for me, my normal is at most 3 minutes. So I was trying to make it to 10 minutes, and the last leg of the run was actually and jog and speed walk, but I didn't stop. I was hobbling along with both legs stiff as boards below the knee, but I made it! I was so happy! I ran longer than I ever had before and fought through the pain, that in itself is worth it to me. Since my routine is getting much smoother and I am scoring much higher I am guessing I am building up the muscles and coordination that I have not had in quite a long time. That is making it all worth it to me for now. I haven't really lost weight, but I haven't gained either, so for now that is fine. As long as I am gaining body control and not weight, the pain is worth it!!