Goodbye 2012!

Well, goodbye 2012!

Overall 2012 was a good year with some notable highlights: I graduated from law school, passed the bar, got a job :), and joined weight watchers (notable because I made the decision to improve my health). Oh and, of course, how could I forget...I made my big screen debut. That's right folks, I was an extra in The Dark Knight Rises, the new Batman movie. Didn't you know that Pittsburgh is actually Gotham city? lol. I was one of those cool crazy people who sat in the stadium for 12+ hours in a winter jacket during August to film the winter movie scene. But hey, I was in Batman, even if the scene is only like 2 minutes in the actual movie. If you haven't seen the movie, you can check out the trailer with part of the scene here. What? You don't see me? I'm in that crowd somewhere! I had to listen to C.J. Coyne sing that national anthem 800 bazillion times!

The filming was in 2011, but the movie was released in 2012, so it was my debut. Here are a couple cool pictures from the filming too:

So now it is New Year's Eve and pretty much everyone is talking about the changes they will make for the new year, myself included. It's a new year, right? Time for a new you! Geeze. how many times have I heard that before?

Each year it is like I make empty promises to myself. This year needs to be different.

But, already this morning I found myself weighing the pros and cons fo allowing myself to get a piece (an 1100 calorie piece!) of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory tonight. We're celebrating the New Year! Surely a sweet treat would be ok. Really? I've done the math and if I skimped on every other meal and ate mostly vegetables the entire day then I could have enough calories for it. Really Katie? You've come to this? lol I have to laugh at myself. Sometimes I feel so strong saying no to cookies here and fast food there, but certain foods seem to trigger a crazy craving that makes me feel like I need to have it!

Well, I'm tired of it! Those foods that I think I need are just not worth it. I think that "It's not worth it" will be my new mantra this year when facing all those bad food choices. Because really...it's just not worth it!

If I keep doing what I've always done then I will only get the same results. So I know 2013 will be the year. I've made great progress these last couple of months and I am ready to carry it forward. I've started my resolutions, actually my list of 101 goals in 1001 days and I will post them all in another post later this week.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve! See you next year!

Do you have any big new year's resolutions this year?

Recipe- Chicken Parmesan Casserole

I forgot to take a picture of how it turned out, but this was definitely a delicious recipe that I will be making again!

If you haven't checked out the website Emily Bites  you should! There are amazing recipes that have been slimmed down. I'm excited to try more of her recipes in the future.

Here is the recipe or you can get it directly from her site here.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 lbs raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ t crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste if you want it hot)
¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 cups marinara/pasta sauce
1 ½ cups 2% reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (I used the smallest holed side of my box grater), divided
3.5 oz garlic croutons, roughly crushed, leaving some larger pieces (I used New York Texas Toast brand Garlic & Butter)

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2.    Spread the cubed pieces of chicken across the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer. Sprinkle the minced garlic, red pepper flakes and basil evenly over the chicken. Spread the sauce evenly across the top. On top of the sauce layer, sprinkle ¾ cup of the Mozzarella and one ounce of the Parmesan evenly across the dish. Sprinkle the crushed croutons across the top and follow with the remaining cheese.
3.    Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 8 servings. WW P+: 8 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 303 calories, 15 g carbs, 11 g fat, 37 g protein, 1 g fiber

. . .

I'm not the most adventurous eater, it is something I am working on, but I have a more bland taste. Food that really isn't spicy to others is  very spicy to me! So I didn't add the crushed red pepper flakes and I thought it tasted great. You can add more or less depending on your taste.

Stop by her website and check out this and other recipes and if you give this one a try let me know what you think! 

Weekly Weigh In- 12/30/12

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm ending 2012 on a good weight loss note!

This week's stats:

This weeks loss= 2.2 lbs :)

Total loss= 27.2lbs

I'm very excited about this. It took so much willpower to turn down the extra holiday goodies and it was totally worth it! I've had a far from perfect weight loss journey so far. I've been doing this about 20 weeks now and my total is 27.2 for an average weekly loss of 1.3lbs. However, only the past few weeks have I been having steady losses. My total weight loss for December is 7.6lbs for a weekly average of 1.9lbs!

So what's changed?

I feel like a lot has changed since I've started this blog. I wanted to start a blog for accountability and it has done that for me. In addition, I've been inspired and motivated by other bloggers. There really is a great diet blog community online!

One of the most annoying sayings you'll hear in your first year of law school, if you ever go, is "think like a lawyer." That phrase would become so annoying during that first semester. Every professor telling you that first you need to learn to think like a lawyer. For some people the new way of thinking clicked very quickly, for some people it took the first semester, some the second, and so on. It clicks at different times for different people. I feel like dieting is similar. Sure I started this diet back in the second week of August. I was staying within my points, most of the time. I was losing a little weight. But was I really getting it? Did it click? No, I really don't think it did. I've heard now many times the phrase "think like a skinny person." A skinny person doesn't ride the elevator up to flights, they walk. They don't order supersize fries all the time, they get salads, etc.

Now, I can't say that I think like a skinny person per se, but I do feel like something has clicked. My thinking has changed. For example, I went out to dinner with some of my friends from high school last night to an italian restaurant. Normally I would have gotten the chicken fettuccine alfredo, soup, and eaten bread. But yesterday I researched the menu, looked at the nutrition facts, and made an educated choice of something I would enjoy and that would be healthy and on program for me before going. Yes, I could have splurged, but to me it was just not worth it. It is like skipping Christmas cookies, for the most part, this year. I had 4.5 cookies total. I'm shocked. That is so not me, but maybe it is the new me. Eating a cookie when I'm really not hungry is just not worth it.

All I can say is that I hope I continue moving on this positive path. I know there will be ups and downs, but I really like December's progress!

On a final note, I received some great Christmas gifts that are great for anyone on a diet. So if you or a friend is starting a diet for a new year's resolution here are a few gift ideas:

An insulated, no sweat, tumbler:

I quit diet coke a few weeks ago and I haven't looked back! I work hard to drink more water and I've found a great way to drink more is to have it always around. I've made a routine of it, I get into work and I first fill up my tumble with ice and water, that is why the no sweat ones are nice because you don't have to worry about damaging your desk. When I have my water at my desk I'm finding that I drink way more. When I finish it then I use it as an opportunity for a small break. I get up walk back to the kitchen and fill it up again. I haven't been having a problem getting my 8 cups of water in.

You can find these almost anywhere. So check your Target, Kohls, Walmart. I'm sure you can find them elsewhere also. Here is an example of some with color: Insulated Tumbler, Kohls

Music!

For anyone looking to increase their exercise, music is a great gift. A simple way to do this is just by giving a gift card.

I received a few itunes gift cards this year and I know they will be put to good use! If you don't know what music someone likes then gift cards are always a good way to go!

Measuring cups:

Finally, I thought this was such a cute gift! My cousin actually got me measuring cups that are matroyshka dolls (russian nesting dolls). They are cute, I can put them in my kitchen and be encouraged to use them and they store so easily!

On any diet, portion control is really important so any one on a diet needs to have measuring tools. So why not have cute ones? lol

If you like these then you can find them on amazon here.

Did you get any great gifts to help you with your diet? Please share :)

Russia's ban on US adoptions

Ok, so for those of you who have been following my blog this title may be a little surprising. I write about my weight loss, right? But, really I'm writing about my life and many things that are important to me, with a main focus lately on my weight loss journey. Today, however, the news of Putin signing a law in Russia banning US adoptions really upset me.

Why? Because for years it has been a dream of mine to adopt from Russia. I've wanted to do this for many reasons. I've thought about how great it would be to adopt a sibling group. First, I have a strong interest in Russian history and I was told once that if you ever adopt that you should adopt from a place that you have a strong interest in so that way you can share that culture with the child for all of his or her life. Also, in Russia children are still placed in mass orphanages. These children, some of them instiutionalized since birth, don't ever have the opportunity to experience what family life is like. The foster care system is far less developed there. I know the US has its own problems, we have many foster care issues, children who need to be adopted...I'm aware of this and did an internship for a year as a child advocate (legally representing the interests of foster children) while I was in law school. Still, I've always had an interest in adopting from Russia.

Sure, the ban may not last. By the time I'm ready, married and wanting children, I could adopt. Or I could pursue other countries because there are millions of children in this world that need homes. But, still today I am sad. I'm sad for all the families who began the adoption process that have now been told that they will not be getting the child they dreamed of. My heart breaks for those children who were going to be able to leave the orphanage life, but now must wait again. It is sad that the children and good families will suffer when they have done nothing wrong.

I went to Russia in 2006. I worked in an orphange in Yaroslavl, Russia. My senior thesis in college I wrote about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the orphanage system structure and policies in Russia. I've seen first hand what life is like in an orphanage. I met so many wonderful children and the people who cared for them, who truly cared for them. I fell in love with them. I would have taken them all home if I could. When you meet the children your perspective changes. Statistics now have faces. I still think about them all the time. I wonder what has happened to them. I dreamed of going back to a Russian orphanage and giving some children a home someday. Who knows now. Tonight my thoughts are with all those children and families.

Here are some of the wonderful children I had the honor of meeting. These children, and many more, really changed my life.

 

 

 

 

  

Surviving the Holidays

Well, it is Christmas night here and I am catching up on a few things before heading to bed and returning to work in the morning. I had a great holiday with my family. I received many wonderful gifts and so enjoyed seeing my family open the gifts I bought them. Being fully employed for the first time in a while I was actually able to buy some nice gifts. I know that isn't what it is all about, but I really do find a lot of happiness in finding the "perfect" gift for someone.

It looks like a lot of people were spoiled! Santa definitely made an appearance.

There were many presents, family members visiting, and, of course, food. I originally thought I was going to have a huge problem with Christmas cookies. I love cookies! I really did not trust my own will power and planned on limiting myself to a pre-made 49 weight watchers plus points bag of a selection of Christmas cookies, but I have shocked myself. I have at max had 2.5 cookies a day. Actually I had 2.5 on Christmas eve for dessert and somehow managed to not eat a single cookie all day today! I even bypassed delicious cake at my Aunt's house tonight.

I don't deserve all the credit on skipping desserts though. I told my immediate family to remind me that I in fact did not want to eat cake nor did I need to eat cake. So tonight when my mom was cutting the slices asking people which type of cake they wanted she completely skipped over me. When asked by another relative what I wanted I simply said I was full and you know I really was full. I had plenty to eat. I drank my water and played games and I don't miss the cake. It looked amazing and I was so tempted, but I would have been temporarily satisfied. I knew I didn't exercise at all today and that I was already eating more than average on my diet so why throw dessert on top.

A lot of people have the theory, for lack of a better word, to just not count on Christmas. Some of my family, who are also on weight watchers, decided to do this. That is totally fine! You need to do what you think is best for you. Christmas only happens once a year, so if you want the extra treats and not to track for 2 days and can get back on track then more power to you! My concern was that I just lost 5.2 lbs last week and I am on a motivational high. I really didn't want to throw it away for the temporary happiness of sweets.

I mentioned on my latest weigh in post that I feel like something has clicked. Mentally I feel different on the diet now. I think I owe a lot of it to the extra exercise last week. I would see that I burned say 300 calories in a given workout. I now had a number of approximately how much I was burning and how long it took me. Now when I see that 300 calorie dessert I am really thinking, "is it worth it?" If it is worth it to you then go for it. I'm happy and actually impressed that I was able to say no to some holiday extras. I don't feel deprived. Instead I feel proud. I hope I keep going this way!

Even if your holiday diet plans didn't go as well as you planned remember tomorrow is another day. Plan a good on plan breakfast and follow through the rest of the day. We are all allowed to have a few off-plan meals from time to time, so don't beat yourself up and the rest of the week just focus on trying to do better.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Weekly Weigh In- 12/23/12

Well, I'm a few days late with my weigh in report, but things have been busy with the holiday. Last week went really well for me. I found this quote really applied to my week:

"Keep in mind that action creates momentum, and that sometimes even very small actions can be effective in getting your energy moving in a positive direction again."

- Elizabeth Josefsberg

After gaining 1.6lbs the week prior, I was discouraged. I found myself questioning whether or not I could keep moving forward, but that was short lived. I had my pity party, where I did allow myself to have a burger and fries (I know, I know). Then I re-evaluated what I've been doing the past week and what change I should make. Honestly looking back I saw that I was lacking the most in the exercise department. So I committed to doing at least 20 minutes on the elliptical all last week. I did very well with this. I either listened to music or watched part of a show on my kindle.

The hard work paid off on the scale!

Stats:

This weeks loss: -5.2 lbs

Total loss: 25 lbs

Yes! I finally made it to 25 lbs.

I feel like something finally clicked. I am motivated to do better. To work harder and to reach the results I want. I know I had a big loss this week and that it won't be like that again, but I would love to be able to lose the 1-2lbs a week. I have so much to lose that I really need to be losing more steadily than I have in the past. I hope the changes I'm making help with that progress and I see the scale go only down more!

How did your week go?

Always Be Prepared...

Ok, so I'm not a boy scout (although I actually was a girl scout), but the motto holds true for a lot of things in life, especially dieting! Unexpected things happen all the time, so in my opinion, you need to know your options to have back-up plans at the ready when it comes to food.

For example, last night some unexpected delays occurred and on the way home I stopped to get fast food. Gasp! Ok, we can pick our jaws up. It is ok! To live in the real world it is inevitable that you will eat out or have to get something quick for dinner because it is late and you don't have x, y, z at your home. The key, I think, is being prepared and knowing what and where you can eat and still stay on track. Especially around holidays people may not be cooking every night because you may be running around finishing last minute holiday preparations.

I went to Chik-Fil-a, which I think has great tasting food and they have many diet options. My old order would have been a regular chicken sandwich (11 points or 440 calories)and a large fry (14 points or 520 calories). Wow! That meant I was eating 960 calories just for dinner. So not worth it! Instead, yesterday I ordered a chargrilled chicken sandwich for a total of 7 points (or 290 calories) so really that isn't too bad for fast food! Here are some other low point options at Chick-fil-a:

• 8 count nuggets= 7 points (260 calories)


• Chargrilled Chicken & fruit salad= 6 points (220 calories)


• Chargrilled chicken garden salad= 5 points (180 calories)


• Southwest chargrilled chicken salad= 6 points (250 calories)

* the salad totals don't include dressing.

In addition, you can always get a fruit cup as a side to have a more filling meal for 0 points. It is very possible to do fast food on a diet. You just need to know your options beforehand and have a plan of what you will get so you aren't tempted going in and getting a large fries or something you would regret later. It is like going to a grocery store hungry, just don't do it! You bring your list to the store, plan out what you will eat at a fast food place before going.

Here are a few other options and these and other restaurants can be found in the Weight Watchers Restaurant Guide:

McDonalds:

• Regular cheeseburger= 8 points (300 calories)


• Regular hamburger= 7 points (250 calories)


• Grilled honey mustard snack wrap= 6 points (250 calories)


• Grilled ranch snack wrap= 7 points (270 calories)


• 4 pice chicken nuggets= 5 points (190 calories)

Burger King:

• 6 piece chicken fries= 7 points (250 calories)

*I actually found not that many healthy options at Burger King. I try to looks for 8 points or less, maybe I will have to do more research for them.

KFC:

• Grilled chicken breast (all without skin)= 5 points or 150 calories, grilled drumstick= 2 points, grilled thigh= 4 points, grilled wing= 2 points


• Kids popcorn chicken= 7 points (260 calories)


• Honey bbq sandwich= 8 points (320 calories)


• KFC snacker with crispy strip= 8 points, 7 points without sauce


• KFC snacker, honey bbq= 5 points

Boston Market:

• 1/4 white rotisserie chicken= 8 points, without skin= 5 points (210 calories)


• Beef brisket regular serving= 6 points


• Rotisserie chicken salad= 4 points (160 calories)


• BBQ chicken slider sandwich= 6 points


• Meatloaf slider sandwich= 7 points

All of these places may have more, I'm not an expert, but think of places you like to go and look up the calories or point values and it will be eye opening to see what you ate before and then you can plan for what is ok to eat should you need to grab something on the run. Of course, if you can avoid fast food then you probably should. But hey, we aren't perfect. At least when we find ourselves in those situations we can at least make educated decisions to find a good alternative that will leave us satisfied and still on track.

Do you have a go to food while you are on the go?

 

My Holiday Game Plan

So as the saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" I've been thinking about how I will be tackling the end of this Christmas season. I haven't gone to any cookie exchange parties, I was invited but politely declined. I survived my office holiday party that had leftovers for two days. Now, after all that work fighting temptation, I need to get through the next week.

Tonight I am finally feeling in the Christmas spirit. I have one day of work left tomorrow and then I have through Christmas off. I found myself looking at our beautiful tree, with our village and train, and I'm so excited to celebrate with my family. The house is decorated, the gifts purchased...now I just need to finalize my game plan for eating.

In my family, Christmas Eve is our big night. There is a huge meal. My mother prepares it all and she knows that I'm dieting and we had a conversation about what I would prefer to eat and not eat. I think that is important. If you can, it is good if you can have some control on what you will eat. Obviously if you are going to someone else's home you would have more difficulty. I'm going to be avoiding most of the traditional foods (my father's family is Polish so we do a Polish Christmas Eve), and I will be having an altered meal. My mother doesn't mind as she has to make other things for some other people also and is understanding of my diet. I don't think  mass amount of pierogies are typically on diets, lol. So, that is my first step - tackling Christmas Eve dinner. I feel confident that I will be happy and satisfied with my meal and can avoid other things because I have a good option prepared. Next, while I enjoy a nice drink from time to time, drinking is not an essential thing for me. I'm not a person who really enjoys wine with food to where if I skipped it I would feel deprived so that's simple, I will go without and easily save on a 4 point glass of wine when I'm fine with drinking my water.

Well, the above all sounds great for dinner, but what about dessert? Ok, so I'm not going to lie - I'm definitely a chocolate chip cookie addict. My mother's homemade cookies are so good. It is Christmas, I'm not going to forego cookies all together. That is the beauty of Weight Watchers that I can still eat the things I enjoy, but in moderation. I've mentioned this tip previously, but on Weight Watchers you get 49 weekly points in addition to your daily points target. You use or lose them each week. So my game plan is to make a selection of cookies that I may want that total 49 points. I will put them in a ziplock bag or my own cookie tin and those will be my weekly allowance. I can eat them or not, but they are alloted for in advance. My family is preparing all the cookies so I will know their points values from the WW recipe tracker. I think this is a good medium, enjoy a few holiday cookies without going crazy crazy.

STAY AWAY FROM EXTRA COOKIES!

I'm feeling confident that I can restrain myself with eating. It won't be easy, but I know I can do it. The cookies really aren't worth it!

To combat facing more food during the holidays, I plan to up my exercise. I know I won't be able to use the elliptical on Christmas Eve and Christmas day because we will have too much family staying here and with the chaos it will be impossible for me to take the elliptical out in front of everyone. If it isn't a blizzard I will go for a walk, hopefully with some family. The rest of the days, especially the end of the week, my plan is to increase my resistance level and intensity.

At least I've thought out some details and I feel better knowing I have at least a little plan.

How will you stay on track this Christmas? Please share your tips and ideas! 

Proud

I'm far from a morning person, but I woke up early 2 days this week to work out. I'm proud of myself! I'm actually surprised that I feel more alert and in a good mood after. Yay endorphins! I feel accomplished.

"Don't wait until you've reached your goal to be proud of yourself. Be proud of every step you take toward reaching your goal"- unkown

Sure I'm not doing workouts like an Olympic athlete or something, but months ago doing 5 minutes on an elliptical would be pushing it. I'm celebrating the little victories!

I hope these changes reflect on the scale, but honestly I am making myself a healthier person by doing this aerobic exercise and I have pushed myself to do it everyday this week, and some days in the morning and evening! It will take time and dedication to make it a habit, but I'm working on it!

I do have a question though if anyone reading this has an opinion...if you work out in the morning, should you eat breakfast before working out or is it ok to eat after?

I've been forcing myself out of bed, stumbling downstairs to the elliptical lol and eating after on my way to work. I'm not sure what is best to do for weight loss so any advice is appreciated.

I hope everyone has a good Thursday! Celebrate all your accomplishments!

Happy losing!

Working out

I'm working to find all my motivation again. I had a bad Sunday, was very discouraged, but I'm definitely not quitting. I took the time on Sunday to reflect on areas where I need to work harder. Working out is the area that I have been lacking the most. My job is sedentary so I'm at my desk all day. Sure I take breaks to walk to the restroom, go get more water, or walk around a little of the city doing errands on my lunch break, but the majority of my day I'm sitting at a desk. My eyes were really opened to my lack of exercise during my assessment period using the Weight Watchers ActiveLink. It is good that I am not more conscious about my daily movements and just how much exercise I am really getting.

It motivates me when I read about people who have successfully lost weight as well. I enjoy reading books written by people who have reached goal, success stories online, and of course the other weight loss blogs on here. It is inspiring to see that regular people, just like me, are able to do it and keep it off! Each story is different, but there are some common aspects to each. One of the main things in common is that to lose weight and keep it off exercise almost always needs to be part of the mix. Examining myself and my activities, I've found that I am really lacking in this area. It is easy to make excuses after a long day of work because I'm "too tired" to work out. Instead I'd wind up watching tv for the night and going to bed, again being completely sedentary. Well, I've been getting my motivation back, really helped using some of the tools and ideas I discussed last post, but reading about exercise and writing about how I am going to do the exercise and actually doing the exercise are very different things. I'm very proud of myself to say that I am making a real effort to incorporate more exercise into my day.

I'm making a lot of small changes.  I'm drinking more water, I haven't had any Diet Coke since I recently quit all pop all together (yeah!), and I've been using my elliptical. I went on the elliptical for 30 minutes after work on Monday and then I woke up early and did 20 minutes before work and 40 minutes when I came home on Tuesday. Today I plan to do it again after work. I'm trying to keep this up and form a habit. When I was in high school and college I swam every afternoon/evening for 2-2.5 hours a day. Now, I can't imagine how I was ever so motivated. How did I spend so many hours a week swimming in college? I need to find that drive again of forcing myself to get on the elliptical and challenge myself more and more. Baby steps.

A big part of it I know is the feeling of how long will it take to see results. The amount of weight I need to lose is daunting, but I need to remind myself to be patient and work on making these healthy changes habits and then maybe it won't seem so difficult.

How often do you work out? What work outs do you enjoy the most?

Motivation: come out, come out, wherever you are...

Oh motivation. We all struggle and feel like we lose our drive from time to time. After this past weekend, I definitely have felt discouraged.

The new Weight Watchers 360 pack included in it a "Success Handbook" by Elizabeth Josefsberg. I've mentioned previously that I may go through some of that handbook here and after reading the section on motivation I thought I'd share a few things.

While I take this information from Weight Watchers materials, I think this information can apply to most diets.

According to the handbook:

Motivation is a circle

"Motivation is a circle: at the top of the circle is your most highly motivated state. As your drive starts to slip, it moves down and around to the right, like the hands on a clock. At the bottom of the circle is a less motivated state, where you may experience a plateau and start to disengage. At the 9:00 or 10:00 position, you are reaching the all-out unmotivated state. You may not care what happens anymore, and you stand outside yourself and watch as you make choices that lead you further and further away from your goals. You may be gaining weight, losing hope, and possibly even deciding that this is the end of your weight loss journey. It's not. The point is that even when you are feeling the least motivated, you are never too far from the highly motivated state."

It is nice to have a visual. Nice to know that your motivation dropping is normal and part of a common cycle. Also, the author is sure to note that while motivation is a circle, you can move in any direction or stay in any one spot for a period of time. Just because you slip to an unmotivated state does not mean that you have to go all the way to the 9:00 or 10:00 position, you just need to know how to "nudge" yourself out of it and get back to your highly motivated state.

3 steps that kick motivation into gear:

1. Take action:"you took an action, whether you knew it or not- maybe you stopped tracking or didn't plan- which made your motivation start to wane. To get back up, you have to take another action."

2. That action can be very small: Pick one change, like drinking more water, and focus on that for a full week. The next week make another small change.

3. The action doesn't have to be about following the rules: "The action that puts your motivation back into drive does not always have to be a step in the direction of doing what you think you "should" do. In fact, it might be the exact opposite."

The author offers 3 suggestions for examples:
1. Allow yourself to go out for dinner and have an off-plan meal. But, you must then plan an on-plan meal for breakfast.
2. Imagine what would happen if you quit. You can only quit if you can answer how your life would be better if you stopped following the program.
3. Visit weightwatchers.com and read a few success stories so that you can believe that you can succeed.

Use these strategies to get back to your motivated state again and then take time to realize what triggered you to be unmotivated in the first place.

Learn to see your red flags

Most "red flags" are personal so each person needs to think about an determine what they are for you, but the handbook does discuss a few common ones:
- Stopped tracking points values
- A plateau or a few weeks of small weight gains
- Talking yourself out of attending meetings.

The author states that her "red flags" are

"Little signs that tell me that I am either bored or deprived or stressed or that I have lost touch with why I am doing this in the first place. I know that I need to take a minute to figure out hat is bothering me and take the appropriate small steps to correct it before it gets larger, takes over, and brings me to a true low point."

Look for motivation drains

"Changes in your motivation are often tied to changes in your life."

Look to see what has changed recently. Do you have a new job, new home, less sleep, etc. Then think about what has worked for you in the past and start to implement your small changes to get your motivation back on track.

. . .

Different things work for different people. I'm writing this blog as I'm going through this process. I'm reading this motivation section because I feel like my motivation has waned so I want to implement this advice.

When I read things that I find helpful I will share it here. Feel free to leave feedback of what has worked/not worked for you. Everyone who has read this blog has helped keep me feel more accountable, so thank you!

Now, let's go find our motivation again!

<3 ktj

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl- Book Review

As you may have guessed already, I read a lot. I don't only read diet books and maybe I will share some things I enjoy from other books, but lately I have been reading a few books that go through someone's big weight loss. For me, it helps to see that this is all possible.

This book was recommended to me and I found it interesting. The last book I reviewed, "Finally Thin" by Kim Bensen, I found to be more motivational, but the styles were very different. Where "Finally Thin" was written more to show you that yes you too can do this, "Dietgirl" is an account of one woman's, Shauna Reid's, weight loss journey.

The author of "Dietgirl" started blogging at the beginning of her weight loss journey and she continues to blog at dietgirl.com. Her book starts at the very beginning and chronicles her 6 year journey. She started on Weight Watchers, but after losing about 100lbs in a year she decided to do it on her own. She then fluctuated, gained and lost, over the next several years eventually reaching her goal.

She is a compulsive, emotional eater and I think if you feel like you may be one as well then you would be able to relate to this book.

Personally, I thought this book started strong in that there was a lot that I could relate to. Perhaps because I am still at the beginning of my journey really. I felt as if I could relate to so much of what was written. I found the author to be very honest and really she poured her heart out. Interestingly enough, I found that I even share interests, such as the love of Russian history, with her. So, I thought this book was good. However, I found it to get a little long in the middle. The reality though is that life continues to happen. Things get in the way of weight loss and it takes time to learn to develop the skills and routines to reach your ultimate goal. I have to say that it was disheartening that it seemed to take so long for her to reach her goal, but this is a lifelong journey for all of us really. Whether it takes 1 year or 6 years, the point is that you made it and it is remarkably inspirational.

My favorite parts of the book were towards the end. I did feel the middle got a bit long and maybe I started to lose my interest, but I am glad I kept reading. The book is spanning a great period of time and as more and more time passes the author has more and more weight loss and life wisdom. I found many quotes, I enjoy quotes as you may have already guessed, that I found very helpful. I will share a few here that maybe you are finding yourself in a time where you need some motivation or a little reminder.

Some of my top quotes from this book:

Learning to say no:

"I have to convince myself that the brief thrill of a chocolate bar doesn't compare to the thrill of taking control of my life."

A motivational statement her Weight Watcher's leader told her reminding her that this is a journey we have to take step by step:

"Did I tell you about that guy who climbed Everest, and he said, 'If I'd looked at the whole mountain, I'd never have climbed it. I just had to take it step by step."

For starting out, this is the author giving weight loss advice to her mother:

"Don't worry about what you're eating and don't think about what you weight. Just try doing one positive thing this week. That will give you courage to add something else next week. I know it sounds simplistic, but it's much less daunting, and starting small can lead to something big."

Never give up:

"Weight loss isn't about will power or motivation; it's just the cumulative effect of tiny actions over time. Putting down the chocolate bars, putting on the running shoes. You just have to keep picking yourself up when you fall, over and over again, for however long it takes."

Don't compare your loss:

"You can't compare your achievements to anyone else's. All you can do is compare where you've been and where you are now, and what you chose to do in between."

It is a lifestyle change:

"That horrible phrase lifestyle change is really true. This is not going to end when i get to my goal weight. I will have to keep reading labels. I will have to keep thinking about what I eat. I will have to assess each situation individually and try to make the healthiest choice. All those little events that crop up will keep on cropping up. They're just life happening, not opportunities for wild abandoned eating."

Have you read this book? What did you think? Or is there a book that has been helpful to you?

Weekly Weigh In (12/16/12)

First, I haven't updated in a while. I was really busy this past week and didn't seem to find the time to write out the posts I thought about. I then thought I'd update about my week on Friday, but then everything happened in CT and really there isn't much you can say. My mother grew up in CT near the shootings and I still have family there. I used to visit each summer and there isn't a more calm and peaceful place. It breaks my heart to think about what the families must be going through. There really are no words.

Ok, so I promise to update more. I need to get back into the habit of doing it regularly.

So, after a crazy week, I'm disappointed. I still haven't had a Diet Coke, I've been going on my elliptical, but then I gained 1.4 lbs. I'm frustrated. I felt like giving up and throwing in the towel for a brief moment after weighing. I feel like I've given up the foods and drinks that I enjoyed the most. I would have thought those changes would have reflected on the scale. But I gained. Frustrating.

I can't do that though, even think about not continuing. Yes, it can be frustrating and losing weight is difficult, but it is up and down. the gain means that I need evaluate again the foods I ate last week and make some more changes. This is a reason, not an excuse, but I have a chronic disease that I was born with that does make losing weight more difficult. My metabolism is basically non-existent at this point. I know this, I've known for a long time,  but even with these changes and the fact that I seem to not be moving much I am thinking that maybe I need to change my medication, makes me wonder internally what my body is doing. So I will be seeing if I can get an appointment and seeing what changes, if any, I can then make.

Here are my stats for the week:

This week: +1.4 lbs :(

Total loss: 19.8 lbs

There it is. I'm not happy about it, but I'm determined to have a better week. Get my weight loss back on track. I can't think in the negative. I need to find the motivation to keep going. I won't keep falling.

Recipe-Creamy baked chicken breasts

I tried a new recipe tonight and I thought it was good so I thought I'd share :)

Creamy baked chicken breasts:

Ingredients:

• Four 4-ounce chicken breasts, cut in half


• 4 ounces low-fat Swiss cheese, sliced


• one 10 3/4-ounce can fat-free cream of chicken soup


• 1/4 cup water


• 2 cups Stove Top stuffing mix, crushed


• 1 cup 98% fat-free chicken broth

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F. Arrange the chicken breasts side by side in a baking dish. Lay the Swiss cheese over the chicken. Combine the soup with 1/4 cup water and pour over the chicken. Top with the stuffing mix and drizzle with the chicken broth. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes.

Makes 8 servings; Serving size: 2 ounces chicken and 1/4 cup stuffing.

• Calories= 208


• Total Fat= 4 g


• Cholesterol= 60 mg


• Sodium= 597 mg


• Total Carbs= 12 g


• Dietary Fiber= 1 g


• Protein= 25 g


• Sugar= 2 g

The serving size of 2 ounces looked small, but for the full piece of the 4 ounce chicken it is 9 PlusPoints on Weight Watchers. Not too bad! Enjoy! *This recipe was taken from "Finally Thin".

If you try this let me know what you think! 

Weekly Weigh In- 12/9/12

So much of what I've posted before is easier said (or written) than done. I had a loss this week, and it is a loss that has been better than some of my others, but I still feel disappointed. I think because I put such an effort in this week and I'm now on day 5 without Diet Coke. I thought some of those big changes would have had more of an impact on the scale, but again at least it is going in the right direction! I need to keep up the motivation and just do better this week!

I did find myself re-reading this excerpt today to reinforce that it is just the scale and the life changes I've made, and will continue to make, are worth it even if the scale wasn't what I was exactly hoping for.

"The scale can’t measure your will, your drive, how much time you put into your food plan, or how many temptations you said no to. It can’t tell how many old habits you broke or new, healthier habits you started. It doesn’tknow the effort you put in at the gym , and it doesn’t care. It won’t  heap praise on you because you chose the stairs over the elevator or know that you passed on a slice of a colleague’s birthday cake even though you wanted it with all your heart."

So here are my Stats for the week:

This weeks loss: -1.6 lbs

Total loss: 21.2 lbs

What I did well on this week:

Giving up Diet Coke was probably my greatest accomplishment for the week. I had a pretty bad addiction and I've replaced it with water. I've had more water this week then I've had in a very long time! I also made an effort to go to bed a little earlier to have more sleep during the work week. I also was better at tracking my meals and points during the day. I remembered to bring snacks to work and most of the days had a lunch prepared. Finally, I introduced more exercise.

What I need to improve on this week:

I definitely need to add more exercise into my day. My job is very sedentary. I spend the day in my office at a desk and I am reading and writing. I have a busy job and it does not allow for walking around too much, but I am afforded a lunch break. This week I'm going to make an effort and brave the cold and walk downtown during my lunch break to get exercise in during the day and then do my elliptical in the evenings. I also need to eliminate some eating out. I need to be better with planning my lunches to avoid needed to make those decisions to find a healthy alternative during my lunch break. I will also continue to drink water instead of my Diet Coke.

I'm hoping with all of these things that I will continue to lose and have that scale continue to go in the right direction!

Additionally, I did get the new Weight Watcher's 360 pack today and with it came a Success Handbook, among many other things. The handbook is written by Elizabeth Josefsberg and she is the leader for celebrity clients like Jennifer Hudson and Jessica Simpson. It is broken into many sections and has activities or points for reflections so as I review more of that I may post some of the things on here as well.

Here is some of my materials to help me in this journey with the new 360 program:

So with that I feel ready to take on this new week and need to get over the little disappointments I had, I mean 1.6lbs is pretty good! Let's hope the Steelers win and then my mood will be in a much better place! :)

How did your week go? What did you do well? What changes do you plan on making?

Happy losing everyone!

<3 ktj

It's so much more than losing weight...

I am not even sure how many times in my life I've said something like: I'll wear something like that when I lose weight, go there when I lose weight, do that when I lose weight...it isn't worth it until I lose weight.

What makes me believe that I am not good enough, deserving enough, to enjoy, wear, do those things right now?

I don't know where it coms from or if others feel this way who are in a similar situation. I often think I look bad no matter what I wear so why put that much effort in. I don't wear a lot of make-up, I just let my hair curl naturally, I don't really accessorize. But why? What is the real reason. I'm not saying you need to do more to be beautiful, I only mean from my own personal experience and mentality. It seems like I don't put enough effort into my appearance and I think the root of it is I don't want to draw attention to myself, maybe? I am unsure. I feel like I am starting to explore more of my feelings and emotions and pinpoint and nail down what I want to get out of this and what my ultimate goals are. I'm not married and I am single, but I wouldn't want someone who only liked me when I was at goal weight, you want someone who would love you at any size. But, truly you really can't find someone to love you like that until you learn to do it yourself.

Last night I went to a jewelry party at my one sister's apartment. I had a really nice time and it was a jewelry party/housewarming party since she just moved into that apartment a few months ago. I watched the presentation and saw how the people recommended accessorizing and realized that I feel like I have no fashion sense, at all. LOL it is actually pretty bad. But, I want to make an effort now! I don't want to keep saying that in time or 50 lbs, 100lbs, down the road that I will do this or that. Truth is, who knows how long this journey will take, if I will even make it all the way (although I am determined to do so). I can't continue to sell myself short. I am who I am and I need to love and accept who that person is at this moment.

So, I bought some jewelry. I'm not saying that is the be all end all cure that if you throw on some accessories you are a changed person, but I think people need to be ok with themselves and be able to present themselves as beautiful and as they care about themselves no matter their size.

Tomorrow is my weigh in day and I honestly do not weigh myself at home. I don't know why, but so far I have just gone by the scale at Weight Watchers and use that as my official weekly weigh in. No matter what the scale has to say, good or bad, I know I worked hard this week and made a lot of changes and no matter what... I love me. And really, that is all that matters.

Happy losing everyone!

<3 ktj

What are all these "Points" I'm talking about?

Ok, so I write a lot here about my diet and sometimes I post about what I eat and when I am referring to food I mention the points value. This is because I follow the Weight Watchers (WW) program and do the tracking method. Now, I do not think that this is the way you must lose weight. I say if you've found a program or a method on your own that works for you then that is great, keep it up! I personally need more structure and acknowledge this and why I picked WW.

Now, you could think "Who is this girl? She has only lost 20lbs, so what could she possibly know?" My response is....good point! lol! Honestly, that is the truth. I have been following WW now going on 17 weeks and that is my current weight loss. What makes this time different is that I have stuck with something this long. I've been overweight my whole life and I've done many diets from Atkins and South Beach to WW many times. Of course, the other times I dieted it wasn't really in my "adult life." I'm now at a place where I am accountable for myself and what food I give myself. This weight loss journey is all on me, my successes and maybe even my failures. I would love to share anything I've learned in the past or I am learning along the way. This is at least my honest account of my weight loss.

Saying that, I know this needs to be a complete lifestyle change. Through my experiences on different diets I have found the WW program to be the most realistic for me. It is realistic because I can still eat out, I can go out with friends and have drinks and I am falling off the wagon really and that is because you can eat anything really...as long as you have the points!

So how it works: Each person has a daily PointsPlus target. Your target is based on a number of factors (age, sex, height, weight). The minimum points target is 26. You can figure out how many points you would have using this calculator.

Once you know how many points you are allowed each day you treat your appoints as if it were money in a bank account. Each item of food has a "price" which is its point value. So everything you eat you pay for and the key is track each item either online or in a paper tracker, notebook, wherever you want.

So if you want a cheeseburger, fine! Go ahead, eat it! But, do you have the points? Is it worth it? That is what you will learn to ask yourself. I find that when I earn my own money I am not as easy to spend it, I don't want to be frivolous. This is just like that!

Now, if you have 26 points a day and you look up some food items you may think that it really isn't that many points. Well, in addition to your daily target everyone gets a weekly allowance of an additional 49 points. You can use those 49 points however you like, you can save it for a special occasion that week like a wedding you have on Saturday or divide it up and have a little extra points each day. Your weekly allowance does not carry over though, so use it or lose it!

Additionally, you can earn Activity Points. This means that if you exercise during your day you can convert that exercise to be worth additional food points. I think of it like this, if you really want something and don't have the points then you have to work overtime and earn the points (extra income) to spend on that food item.

I think the PointsPlus system is pretty easy to use and it makes sense. I use WW with eTools so I can track all from my iPhone and can search food items, go to the restaurant guide, and also scan a bar code and directly get the points value per serving.

So if you didn't know how points worked before I hope my explanation makes sense and that future posts of mine mentioning points does not cause confusion. Of course if you have any questions about this (or anything else!) you can comment below or feel free to email me at steppinguptothescale@gmail.com I think it is always wonderful having a nice strong support group so if I can be that from afar for you then I would be more than happy to :)

No matter what method you choose, whatever works for you, just go get started! It is your life!

Happy Losing!

<3 ktj

Lunch Time Reform

I am relatively new in the working world. The full-time adult working world I should really say. I've had a job since I was 15, but had also been in school. I finished grad school this past summer and I am now working full-time and it is different. The benefits are that I do have a more defined schedule. When in school I could have a class that started at 9am and another one at 6pm. Now I generally work 9-5 and I am attempting to sort out my life on a solid schedule.

Unfortunately for me, I've always been a night person vs. a morning person. So staying up late to finish papers and read all my course work became my habit and with that a lack of sleep. I don't prepare for the next morning as I should. I am always too tired by the time I remember at night and too rushed in the morning.  This led to skipping meals or paying for something on-the-go that is not so healthy. When I would return home from school I'd be "starving" and I would eat everything!

Since starting my life in the "real world" I have tried to make those adjustments. I grab something, usually a granola bar for breakfast, and I make sure that I have snacks (low point ones) in my bag to avoid the "ravenous" feelings. I feel like I am being better with that. It does finally feel like a habit to throw those items in my bag on the way out in the morning.

Now to the new challenge: Lunch

So for the busy working person, what are some good lunch options?

Well, lately I have really enjoyed the Weight Watcher's SmartOnes meals. They vary in point values, but lunch can easily be under 10 points, fast, filling, and I think they taste good.

Also, we've been buying Healthy Choice meals also and all the ones I have tried I have really enjoyed so far.  Like the other meals, their points values vary, but I haven't had any over 8 points, but I do not know what range they actually have.

Now that it is winter (at least here it is cold!) soups are great options to warm you from the cold. Progresso's soups are 4 points for the whole can. they have many varieties, but I still like the nice traditional chicken noodle. Yesterday I had it for lunch and was very satisfied!

Do you have a favorite healthy lunch?

I should note that I am not the most adventurous eater and I tend to like food that is more plain. Yes, I am one of those annoying picky eaters. In recent years though, I have been trying to branch out and try more new things. I am a creature of habit though (obviously of bad habits) and I could eat the same thing every day and not get bored.

Now I am forcing myself out of my comfort zone, like today. I am actually very happy and proud of myself. I did not have the chance to go to the grocery store last night and knowing I did not have anything to pack for lunch I thought of reasonable alternatives. I knew my conference call was going to run long today and I was going to be short on time. Well there is a Subway right down the street from my office. So, I looked up the point values (using the nutritional information) for the subs and made my own, put it in my tracker, and did not deviate from the list I made when I went there to get my sub.

Here is what I got:

6'' trukey Sub on 9 grain wheat bread, with lettuce, cucumbers, pickles and light Italian dressing (remember I am just starting to combine more foods and get over my picky self). With my sandwich I added some Veggie Straws (a new snack favorite, 34 straws in a bag). I like chips with subs and I feel less deprived when I have something crunchy. So the total points for the whole lunch = 10 points (7 for sandwich, 3 for Veggie Straws). 

Not bad at all! I really enjoyed my sandwich. I didn't feel deprived or unsatisfied.

Now, let's compare to my old typical Subway order:

12'' oven roasted chicken breast on 9 grain wheat bread, with american cheese, lettuce, and ranch dressing. Doesn't sound too terrible, right? Well, of course I would add a bag of baked lays chips and a 20 oz. Died Coke. The total points = 27 points! (the bag of baked lays included is only 3 points like the veggie straws, but for that same amount of points you only get 11 chips vs. 34 veggie straws). 

Talk about tackling lunch! I enjoyed the 10 point lunch as much as the 27 point lunch and saved myself 17 points and money!

On the Weight Watcher's program the lowest amount of daily points for a weight range is 26. My old lunch at Subway was more points than some people are allowed to eat in an entire day! A very eye opening day for me!

My new lunch of 10 points may even be high for some, but not at my current point levels. I understand talking about all the points can be confusing to non-weight watchers so I will make another post explaining how they work and why I like it shortly.

Until then, happy losing!

<3 ktj

Book Review- "Finally Thin"

I've posted on here before about some of the things I have found helpful in the book "Finally Thin" by Kim Bensen and well now I've finished the book and I thought I would share my review about it here.

Overall, I really liked this book. I found that the author's honesty and story is very motivational. As a person who has a lot of weight to lose it is great to know that it is possible. Reading different parts of her story I realized how similar I am in many ways and that maybe my weight is linked to more than I realized. I honestly wish that I had read this book sooner and I feel that now it has helped me process some of my thoughts and feelings and regroup some much needed motivation. While there are many great sections and tips in this book, especially the 5 steps for what you should do when you fall off program, but I think her best section is her section on motivation.

I thought I would share an excerpt about how much power the scale has over us:

"We measure the progress of our diets by the numbers on the scale. For that brief moment in time, this is what this machine on this particular floor in a room with this specific air pressure says. That's it. Nothing more. 

The scale can't measure behavior or determination, two things that are much more important to long-term weight loss than the numbers themselves. So the scale cannot be the only measure we use to feel successful."

In more detail:

"The scale can't measure your will, your drive, how much time you put into your food plan, or how many temptations you said no to. It can't tell how many old habits you broke or new, healthier habits you started. It doesn't know the effort you put in at the gym , and it doesn't care. It won't  heap praise on you because you chose the stairs over the elevator or know that you passed on a slice of a colleague's birthday cake even though you wanted it with all your heart.

Most of all, the scale doesn't have any idea how hard you're trying, or how many times you overcame a slip and got back on track when you felt like giving it all up together. Only you know that.

Every time you get on the scale, take a minute to measure what's really important  especially your behavior and your effort. We all get zapped by the scale from time to time. It's inevitable. But even if you feel as if the scale gave you a D for weight this week, give yourself an A for effort when you've had a fabulously successful week. I promise you, that effort will show up at the scale eventually."

I also appreciated her reminder that having a lot of weight to lose will actually hopefully create better odds of keeping the weight off because new habits have been formed for so long.

"If you are extremely overweight, remember, there is a real blessing to having a lot of weight to lose. Why? By the time you reach your goal, many of the new healthier habits will be ingrained because you've practiced them for a longer period of time. You'll be one step ahead in your maintenance."

Finally an overall message is that the "diet" never ends. For those of us who have made this commitment  it doesn't stop. It is a life change and it has to be or the weight will come back on. It really is overwhelming to have so much weight to lose and to feel like you will always be on a "diet." But as this book points out, everyone is on a "diet" and it is called life. So we all need to focus on losing weight the right way, forming new healthy habits, and then we've changed how we live our life.

Clearly, I would recommend this book if you are looking for some inspiration and you have a lot to lose. Does anyone have any books that they found really helpful to them on their weight loss journey? Please share! 

Water, water everywhere...

So what is missing from this picture of my lunch yesterday?

What is missing is that there is no diet coke! At work yesterday I had a good SmartOnes broccoli fettuccine alfredo meal and to drink I had water. Yes! I am very proud of myself. I made the goal to not drink as much diet coke and thought maybe I could go cold turkey, but later in the day I did get a caffeine headache so I had 1 can with dinner, but that is all, only 1! I will not pack any more with my lunches. For lunch, I am not a morning person and so it is easiest for me to take one of these microwave meals for lunch. What is great and easy about them is that I already know the points because it says right on the box. So my whole lunch yesterday was filling and it tasted good and it was 250 calories and only 6 points. Not bad!

I am making a much more conscious effort to drink water. I looked online at a water calculator to determine how much water I should actually be drinking. Here are my results:

"You need roughly 24 cups (191.7 oz.) of water every day. Of those, 19.4 cups (155.3 oz.) should come from beverages and the rest from food."

That is a lot of water! To help with this, I brought a tumbler into my office and filled it up first thing and continued to drink it and refill it throughout the day. I do think it helped with keeping me more full. Reading about the benefits of making sure to have enough water is that often times when you think you are hungry it is really because you are thirsty. I never realized that, but if I need approximately 155.3oz of water then I am sure my body has often been deprived of water. Adding to my overall goal of quitting my bad diet coke habit, I am going to continue working on my water consumption. I am hoping to see a bigger weight loss difference from not having all the sodium from pop this week.

I still need to follow through with my goal of using my elliptical 3 times this week. I had intended to set it up last night after work, but then I ended up going shopping. At least I walked around a lot! So tonight I need to make sure to add in my extra exercise. I need to make daily exercise an eventual habit, so I am starting small with the realistic beginning goal of 3 times a week.

Speaking of exercise... I have been inspired by another blogger, Milk & Honey Jars, to participate in a virtual 5k. I had never even heard of a virtual 5k before, but all you have to do is either map out your own outdoor course where you live or run/walk it in your house and then submit your time. The woman (SlimKatie author of Runsforcookies.com) sponsoring the 5k is doing it for her 31st birthday and she is truly an inspiration as she lost 125lbs in a year! Amazing! So, who wants to try to run/walk with us? You can fill out the sign-up form here and comment below if you are signing up with us and we can all support each other from afar in this effort! The 5k is on Friday, January 25th at any time of day you want! I hope to see others join us :)

For anyone else who never thought they would run a 5k in your life, you have a few weeks to start increasing your exercise level. Also you can try the couch to 5k app to help you! I will be starting this program myself!

Happy losing everyone :)

<3 ktj

Weigh In Day- 12/2/12

Today was my weigh in day and after I decided to take a picture. Let me tell you, it is awful. I feel like they are embarrassing pictures, but we had been putting up the tree and figured I should probably keep a record of the progress. It really makes me feel bad about my appearance. Well all I can do now is work on it and change it!

Stats:

This weeks loss: -1.6 lbs

Total loss: 19.6 lbs

Changes for this week:

This week Weight Watchers 360 was released and so each month will have a focus. This month is focusing on routines. If you change your daily habits and things become a routine then it will be easier to live and keep with the program. This week's focus is on snacks and making sure you carry snacks with you to curb hunger and avoid temptation. This week I am going to make sure I follow through with this and keep healthy, low point snacks, on me. I think this will help with the holiday season and there being more treats in the office.

Also, I plan to make exercise a habit. I am going to be using my elliptical and exercising needs to become a routine! Today I walked outside for 2.5 miles and it was great! The elliptical will be great as it gets colder.

I need to read my materials for the new 360 program and I received my ActiveLink today so I will post more on both later.

Let the holiday season begin!

 

I can't believe that it is already December! The holiday season is wonderful and filled with so many wonderful opportunities to spend time with family and friends. Filled with parties and activities...and food. I think the holidays, no matter which one you celebrate, brings challenges to anyone on a diet. It is so easy to think that you are celebrating and you deserve a treat and I know this will be a struggle for me.

I love christmas cookies! Don't put the chocolate chip cookies near me! Realistically, you cannot go an entire holiday season and not be near cookies. Inevitably you will go to a party, someone's house...anywhere really...and christmas cookies will be there at this time of year. I found that gum helps or mints. If you are chewing gum you can't eat a cookie as easily, same with sucking on a mint. I heard a great tip for Halloween candy for Weight Watchers members and I am going to apply it to christmas cookies. The tip for Halloween candy was if you know you are going to eat it then select 49 points (the extra weekly allowance) and make a bag with that candy. When you've finished those extra points over the week then you are done. You still got your Halloween candy, you weren't deprived, but you preemptively restricted yourself. So for christmas cookies my plan is to make myself a 49 point bag for that week and that will be my allowance.

Besides that, you need to rely on your own willpower. Today I was faced with my first challenge...the potato patch...I mean look at it even in all of its glory decorated so nicely:

I live in Pittsburgh (pretty much the best city ever!) and Kennywood is an amazing place. It is a local theme park, actually also the movie (not a really good one) Adventureland was filmed there. It is open for the holiday season and decorated with lights and the KiddieLand is open for all the kids, I brought my niece. Anyway, it is a tradition for everyone pretty much to go to Kennywood and when you go you get potato patch fries. They are amazing! Well, today I skipped the potato patch and I will celebrate the little victories! Instead of wasting all the great walking tonight through the park by eating that very fatty treat, I said no and I still had a wonderful time!

I guess when it comes down to the holidays this year all of us losing weight need to remember why we want to lose weight in the first place and know that the benefits of skipping that extra cookie or traditional snack at wherever you like to go because in the end it will be worth it! Very motivated to see the scale go down and never see this weight again!

Anyone have any tips or strategies for the holiday season? Please share them!