Weekly Weigh-In 8/25/14

Not an ounce lost or gained last week, but I'll take it.

Last week's weigh-in (8/18/14): 164.2 lbs
Today's weigh-in (8/25/14): 164.2 lbs

Change in weight: 0 lbs
Total change in weight: -17.6 lbs

Monthly progress photo

August has been busy as heck, and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon! McKenna started preschool this week and I'm becoming much more involved with MOMS Club as the treasurer and coordinator for both Mom's Night Out and the 4 & More playgroup; I'm hoping to volunteer at McKenna's school as well. Holidays are right around the corner, too, and birthdays; soo many birthdays. I enjoy wholeheartedly, though, seeing our calendar filled with family and friends.

We'll be in Orange Park this coming weekend celebrating my Dad's 51st birthday. As much as I feel like healthy eating is starting to become second nature for me, going to Orange Park is always a huge challenge... I gotta stick to my guns!

Weekly Weigh-In 8/18/14

Is it just me or does anybody else have a hard time getting back on track with their normal routine if Monday doesn't go at all according to plan? All last week after our company left/McKenna's party/the Busy Bag Swap I felt like I was playing catch up - piles and piles of laundry, putting the house back together, sleep; then yesterday we took a family day trip to Orlando and didn't get home until midnight when I thought for sure that we'd be back in plenty of time for dinner me to cross the rest of the stuff off of my Sunday to-do list! 

Oy. At least I've reeled it back in as far as tracking goes, though...

Last week's weigh-in (8/11/14): 167.4 lbs

Today's weigh-in (8/18/14): 164.2 lbs

Change in weight: -3.2 lbs

Total change in weight: -17.6 lbs

We met up with The Waldens earlier today for our last "Monday Funday" before Beth and I send our big kids off to preschool next week; "You look really great!" Beth said when we walked in :-D Ugh, it feels so damn good to hear that.

Weekly Weigh-In 8/11/14: Up 3 Pounds

Last week was hectic and stressful, but still tons of fun with our play dates, McKenna's 4th birthday (!), a potluck for MOMS Club, party prep, lots of family in town to visit, and a Busy Bag Swap that I waited until the very last minute to get started on. I think I'm just about all caught up now with sleep and putting our house back together, though; slowly but surely getting there with the laundry...

Last week's weigh-in (8/4/14): 164.2 lbs
Today's weigh-in (8/11/14): 167.4 lbs

Change in weight: +3.2
Total change in weight: -14.4

So, it was a gain week. I tracked and made healthy food choices all week before our company arrived on Saturday, and then there was cake, margaritas, chips and dip, and a big dinner on Sunday night with a family friend right before my Monday morning weigh-in; I didn't track a thing all weekend.

Honestly, I'm not even that bummed about it; all of that junk food did quite a number on my tummy and I was ready to get back on track after everybody left. Still smiling big from the "You look good!" and "I can tell you've lost weight" comments all weekend :-D

I got this.

Weekly Weigh-In 8/4/14: It Feels Great to Lose!

I never thought I'd say this, but I've actually been looking forward to stepping on the scale every Monday morning. I go to bed on Sunday night eager to wake up and see the results of all of the hard work healthy choices that I made the previous week.

On Weight Watchers, you really can eat anything, but it's all about portion control and making healthier choices (veggies vs fries with that burger). You don't feel deprived of any of your favorite foods and that makes it easy to stay on track and LOSE.

Last week's weigh-in (7/28/14): 166.4 lbs

Today's weigh-in (8/4/14): 164.2 lbs

Change in weight: -2.2 lbs

Total change in weight: -17.6 lbs

McKenna's 4th (!!!) birthday is Wednesday and lots of family will be coming into town this weekend to join in on the celebration with our friends at the park. Tracking, planning, preparedness and home-field advantage will help keep me on track. See you next week!

Weekly Weigh-In 7/28/14 & One Goal DOWN!

One goal down, -15 lbs -- WOO HOO!!

Last week's weigh-in (7/21/14): 169.8 lbs
Today's weigh-in (7/28/14): 166.4 lbs

Change in weight: -3.4 lbs
Total change in weight: -15.4 lbs

At 166 lbs, this is where I was last April, my lowest weight after having started Weight Watchers at the beginning of 2013. Next up: -25 lbs.

Weight Loss Goals

Goal 1: 166 lbs (-15 lbs)

Goal 2: 156 lbs (-25 lbs)

Goal 3: 146 lbs (-35 lbs)

Goal 4: 136 lbs (-45 lbs)

Goal 5: 126 lbs (-55 lbs)

Keying in that last one, I started to get a little shaky. It seems impossible right now as I haven't weighed anywhere near the 120s since my early college years; however, breaking it all up into small goals helps me to breathe a little easier.

Patience, persistence, dedication.

I can do this!

Progress Photo & Weekly Weigh-In 7/21/14: Old Habits Die Hard

It's been a while since I've posted my weekly weigh-in, but I haven't been neglecting the scale altogether. Our staycation ended up being a complete fucking disaster and I found myself succumbing to the quick emotional fix of food.

When I first heard the term "emotional eating," I thought Pfft! That's the lamest excuse that I've ever heard! Yet here I am, CRAVING pizza when I'm feeling down in the dumps, completely unsatisfied by healthy food choices no matter how full I am and unable to think of anything else until eventually I throw in the towel and dial up Domino's, usually fighting back the tears.

Here's how it's been going down:

Previous weigh-in (6/30/14, before staycation): 169.6 lbs 

Weigh-in (7/7/14, after shit went down):  178.0 lbs

Change in weight: +8.4 lbs

We ordered pizza the night before I weighed in. 

...And two or three other times that week. 

And one day I had ice cream for lunch, straight from the carton.

^ So guilty :-\

I did get back on track "starting Monday," though.

Weigh-in (7/14/14):  172.8 lbs

Change in weight: -5.2 lbs

My focus last week was just to plan and track, as I still did not have the energy desire to work out... Baby steps? And that brings us to 

Today's weigh-in (7/21/14): 169.8 lbs

Change in weight: -3.0 lbs

Total change in weight: -12.0 lbs

Monthly progress photo

Just 3.0 lbs away from my first goal (-15 lbs)! 

Game plan for next week

Plan, track, exercise. 

Stay positive.

Weekly Weigh-In 6/30/14 & Our Weekend with Uncle Jonathan & Gomer

My brother, Jonathan, and our Gomer came to visit this weekend.

We had a lot of fun just hangin' out at the house and showing them around our little piece of paradise. I wish I would've gotten more pictures, but this one with Jonathan is pure gold - that's the same skirt that my sister and I would put on him when we were little! All that's missing here is some lipstick.

Saturday morning, I ate a light breakfast of coffee and fruit because we were planning to get Long John Silver's for lunch - probably the greasiest fast food around, but my family and I love it and the LJS here is the closest one to them. I filled my plate at lunch - a piece of fish, chicken, a hush puppy and a whole heap of fries; no color, everything fried - but I started to panic a little when I sat down; I did so well during the week and I didn't want to undo it all and undo it so close to my weigh-in day. I whipped out my phone to look up PointsPlus values while I downed a bottle of water and asked myself, "What do I want most right now? It's only lunchtime and I need to be sure to save points for dinner later." So I put the fries back and grabbed some watermelon from the fridge instead, indulging a little without going overboard and leaving enough points for the Chicken and Black Bean Tacos and Cheesy Red Hot Rice that I had planned for dinner. For dessert, though, I did tap into the weekly points allowance for a Weight Watchers Snack Size Chocolate Fudge Bar (1PT) while Jonathan and the girls had Blue Bell ice cream -- my favorite. File that under small victory!

Yesterday evening, we met my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in Port Orange to have dinner at Red Robin and leave the girls with them for a few days.

"You look skinny!" My mother-in-law said when we walked up. Agh, I could have kissed her!

Again, I ate a light breakfast and lunch that day so that I would have plenty of points to have what I wanted at dinner - a Burnin' Love Burger, sub a grilled chicken breast and broccoli instead of fries. Bottomless broccoli, that is. The fries that come with your meal are bottomless, so I thought that was really cool.

Last week's weigh-in (6/23/14): 173.0 lbs
Today's weigh-in (6/30/14): 169.6 lbs

Change in weight: -3.4 lbs
Total change in weight: -12.2 lbs

Another 3.4 pounds down, woo hoo!

What worked for me this week

I planned, I tracked, I exercised.

I made healthy food choices opting for fresh fruit or veggies instead of fries when dining out.

Game plan for next week

Plan, track, exercise, and make healthy food choices.

McKenna and Kendall are going to be with my mother-in-law until Wednesday or Thursday and Alex has taken the whole week off - VACATIONNN, woop woop! We plan on going out to eat a few times and enjoying some adult beverages tomorrow for the World Cup game, but I plan on logging in some extra activity points, too, when I bring Alex along with me to a few yoga classes and hopefully the weather cooperates so that we can do some kayaking!

Weekly Weigh-In 6/23/14

Another great week!

But, WHY am I just now heeding the 'five small meals a day' advice?! When I originally started out with Weight Watchers last year, I would eat bigger meals and no snacks, but I was absolutely starving by lunch or dinnertime! It was much more difficult for me to control my portions that way and I found myself chipping away at the weekly points allowance little by little every day until they were all gone by my next weigh-in. Granted, those extra food choices I made were probably not the best  - sure, you might be able to eat some or all of those points and still see a success on the scale - but right now, until I am more disciplined in my eating habits, I only want to tap into the weekly points allowance for special occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas or when the day really gets away from us and we're getting points-expensive takeout for dinner.

Last week's weigh-in (6/16/14): 176.4 lbs
Today's weigh-in (6/23/14): 173.0 lbs

Change in weight: -3.4 lbs
Total change in weight: -8.8 lbs

What worked for me this week

I planned. I tracked. I exercised 6 out of the 7 days last week. In Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, one of her tips for getting regular exercise was to never skip a work out for two days in a row. Before, I would workout Monday through Friday and then give myself the weekend off; not only did I feel kind of off the hook as far as food went (and it's always much more of a challenge to stay on track over the weekends), but it was a lot harder to get back into the exercise groove the following week. I took my rest day on Friday last week, and found it so much easier to make smarter food choices over the weekend after having exercised on those days - even with the Pineapple Bliss Cupcakes that I made to celebrate the Summer Solstice!

Game plan for next week

Plan, track, exercise 6 out of 7 days.

My brother and Gomer are coming to visit next weekend, so I need to make sure that I stay focused and stay on track while they're here - which shouldn't be too difficult with my home-field advantage ;-)