Temptation

So, today at work there were several temptations. We had a rep that always brings in cookies there today (he comes 2x a month) and it was the weekly trip to Walmart where our office manager stocks up on candy to fill the bowls in the waiting area. I also facilitated an afternoon meeting which means you are able to get free drinks (soda/tea) while attending. This is some of what I saw today. Did I partake?

Well.....I had one single starburst candy at 4:30 as I walked out the door. So close! At least it was only 20 calories and I still was able to stay within my points for the day. I did an hour on the treadmill tonight in order to make up for it. I have earned 9 activity points; my goal was 15 by Sunday. Looks like I'll be working out on Friday and Saturday too.

Back to the temptation...Thankfully the cookies didn't look very good. I know that I am still not strong. If that would of been a plate of my sister-in-law's cookies, I would have definitely ate one. Did I mention that she makes the very best cookies. All flavors: chocolate chip, pumpkin, double chocolate, snicker-doodle, etc...they are all wonderful. Sweets are definitely my weakness. The good thing that I have learned from Weight Watchers is that you dont have to give them all up in order to have success, it is portion control. So why is it that I always want to go back for more. Why is one not satisfying enough? Will it ever be? I hope so. I really want to be able to still enjoy food and splurge a little on special occasions but have the ability to stop.

Feeling a Good Week

I feel a good week coming on...I have been really good, meeting all my goals. I have been doing the stairs at work in addition to my time on the treadmill and my calves are in knots but it is a good pain. The tenderness reminds me that I am accomplishing something. I have packed my lunch every day for work and I am actually eating breakfast at work too. I bought to boxes of cereal and I buy a small carton of skim milk in the cafeteria. I lasts for all three days and is way more convenient than bringing milk from home. If you haven't ever tried Fiber One Carmel Delight, you should. It has like 10 grams of fiber and almost tastes like something naughty. :)

Yesterday I was off; and I wanted to get in a little extra exercise so I walked to the farm across the street from our subdivision. I bought some melons, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and we have been enjoying all the yummy fresh produce. I love cantaloupe. A half of a one is only 2 points on weight watchers and I can easily eat a half for a snack or with my small sandwich at lunch. I still need to do better about my water intake. I love to fill up my hospital mug but I keep forgetting and leaving it at home. Guess I need to steal another one from the storeroom..haha.

Being back to work is okay. It definitely makes it harder to fit everything in. Spending time with the kiddos is most important to me so I feel like as soon as I get home it is lots of reading, playing, dancing, singing and interaction. By the time they go to bed, I am pooped and its time to exercise. I wish that your body only needed 5 hours of sleep but mine surely needs 7 and prefers 8. I think I am going to try and focus on exercising for longer stretches on the days that I am off and if I can exercise on work days it will be a bonus.

Some friends have asked me about the scale at the hospital (the original that I weighed in on). It is my plan to weigh on it next Monday morning to see the true results of my efforts, so stay tuned. I am really hoping to move the pendulum to the 100s. I am hoping for a good week. I haven't cheated and weighed daily as I don't want to get discouraged with the daily up and downs. Well, I need to get Hudson out of the bath and into bed and then I've got a minimum of 30 minutes to walk-run...wish my calves weren't killing me.

Weight Watcher results: Week 12

So I am so sick of the number 205.6. I feel like it is haunting me. I weighed about 25 times this week, it didn't matter when I weighed...day or night, before or after I pee, before or after I poo (I know a little TMI...but so frustrating), with or without clothes...the damn scale always said 205.6! So I have for sure hit a plateau but I can guarantee you that I am going to bust it!

I have set very specific goals for this week:

1) Stay within my points every day

2) Earn at least 15 cardio activity points this week (3points x 5 days)

3) Drink 64oz of water each day

4) Incorporate some weight training activity points this week (2 points x 3 days)

I get woman's day magazine (well actually I just get hand-me-downs from my grandma) but last month there was a good little starter workout for all your problem areas. There are 10 different exercises and all of them can be done with just dumbbells or they are resistance exercises (using your own body weight). Doing all the exercises together create a short 15-20 minute routine. I want to try and do this at least 3 times this week.

I am shooting for a minimum 3 pound loss based on these goals!

OK, so the good news is that last night was our anniversary and we went out to dinner. I had bought a dress several years ago similar to one of my favorite other dresses. When I bought it, it didn't fit and I have never worn it. Last night, just for the heck of it, I tried it on and WALLAA..it zipped right up. While I may not be losing pounds on the scale every week, I do know that my lifestyle is changing and I am making progress. I know that I need to lose pounds on the scale and I am going to but it still feels good to know that this is paying off.

I went to the store and purchased stuff for my fridge at work and to get me stocked up..so I should be safe there. I'll need some encouragement this week so give me a call or send me an email. Next week's blog post 202!

Blog Award

This picture was taken on our 10 year anniversary. I'll be posting a new one soon!

So it is that time again...time for July's blog award! This month the blog award goes to the man that I have spent the last 12 years being married to. In celebration of our anniversary and in appreciation of all his support the blog award goes to my wonderful husband Travis.

I really don't even know where to begin. Seems like we have been together forever. We have been through a lot. Our life has been a fun adventure. He has never failed me and never will. He is smart, determined, funny, kind, hard working and hard headed. My husband has never let me fall, and when I have tried he has carried me and held me up. I have watched him grow from a boy to a man, from an amazing husband to a wonderful father.

Travis loves our little growing family with all he has. The strength he brings to this family, his biggest success is his presence as a father and husband. The love my children have for their father, the joy and wonderment in their eyes- that is success. It is such a wonderful sound to listen to the laughter in our home. He has never been too busy to feed a baby, to run through the sprinklers, to put a bandaid on a boo boo. We are his priority. He always makes time to play hide and seek, to get up and dance, to read a book, to jump on the bed or to change a diaper. Yes he changes diapers! He is very helpful and this only reinforces how much he loves me.

Travis respects me as a women, as mother and as a wife. He has always been my biggest fan and shown me much admiration. Even through all my weight struggles; he never once acted like it mattered. His love was unconditional whether I weighed 117 (the amount I weighed when we met) or 252 (the amount I weighed when I delivered Reese). He has always made me feel beautiful no matter what size I was. I don't think a day has gone by that he hasn't given me some compliment.

I love him so much! He has my heart and I can't wait to grow old with him.

Trivia

So I am watching the new season of Biggest Loser (well new to me...it is actually season 4) and they have had a little trivia on the show. Thought I would ask my followers to see how savvy you all are. I am also going to try and start making my blog more interactive. I am trying to figure out how to incorporate polls and trivia. Anyway, please put your guesses to the questions in the comments. I will be posting the answers in a week.

1) How many jumping jacks would it take to burn offa pint of chocolate ice cream?

a-2000

b-5000

c-8000

d-12000

2) How many spoonfuls of sugar are in a single can of coke?

a-1

b-3

c-5

d-7

3) Which food has the most calories?

a-double bacon cheeseburger

b-22 oz chocolate milkshake

c-medium order of french fries

d-medium order of onion rings

4) On average how many food related decisions does a person make in a single day?

a-12

b-50

c-100

d-200

Lets see who can answer all the questions correctly..first...

A day at the office

So today I went to work prepared. I had some go lean kashi for breakfast with skim milk. At lunch I had packed a dry salmon pack (similar to tuna) and a deli thin slice of bread. I got condiments from the cafeteria (light mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickles) and made myself a yummy salmon sandwich and enjoyed a glass of unsweet tea and some snack size carmel rice cakes. This afternoon around 3PM I was a little hungry but I had packed some oven roasted almonds which I had roasted a few weeks ago and had about a dozen. They held me over till I got home. At lunch I asked my friends if they would do the stairs with me twice a day and two of them agreed. So I will pack some comfy shoes in order to start this.

Tonight I went to Walmart and bought more produce, cheese, yogurts, and two boxes of cereal for my fridge at work. I have really been trying to shop the outside isle and skip all the processed food. There are still a few things I pick up but getting better at eating fresh. I noticed the the farmers market across the street has cucumbers, squash, corn and peppers. I am off tomorrow so going to go by early in the morning before it is picked over and get us some! Well, that is all for now....nighty-night!

Why choose failure when success is an option?

So today was my first day back to work. It was good to be back and I must say that many people noticed my weight loss. I didn't think they would but they did. I have so far still to go so I have to come up with a plan of attack. I know that it will be hard to pack lunches so I am investing in a mini fridge that will fit under my desk! I am going to buy a box of cereal each weekend, 3 yogurts, diet cokes, 3 pieces of fruit and snacks to keep. I want to buy everything on the weekend and prep it and take it to work on Monday and have enough for the whole week. While I can't eat the same things every day with out going crazy I know that 3 days a week I can eat cereal for breakfast, yogurt & sandwich for lunch, a piece of fruit for a snack and some other little snack like a snack pack of crackers or something. The good news is that the hospital always has condiments, beverages, and sandwich fixings (lettuce, tomato, pickle) available to me everyday so I dont have to take all that stuff. I am really leaning toward tuna sandwich as I can bring those small dry packs of tuna and slap it on some bread and make something real easy. I hate packing a sandwich ahead of time because the bread always gets soggy. So, I just want to stock my little fridge with some essentials (lunch meat, carrot stix, etc) that way I will always have a plan.

Now, this will not always work! For example today my boss came up to me and asked if I could go to lunch with her (her treat) so we could get caught up on some things. What I am I supposed to say? I told her yes but said to please pick somewhere with some healthy options. Luckily she picked Olive Garden and I knew exactly what I could have. I had the capellini pomodoro with salad. I only ate about half of it though and neglected to eat the bread. I am really going to try and avoid eating lunch out though. The good news is that my best buds at work eat at work almost every day so I can pack my lunch and still meet them upstairs in the atrium and eat. I have told them to hold me accountable.

Not sure what my slump has been in regard to exercise. It might be that I am sick. I have the worst chest congestion and runny nose and I have been coughing my lungs out. The idea of running makes me wanna die. Tomorrow it is my goal to do the stairs G-S-1-2-3-4-5 (7 floors)...I think I can do it at least twice. Hoping to get back into my routine on the treadmill. I have an entire season of Biggest Loser waiting for me. I know once I start, I'll be hooked again! Hopefully, I'll get feeling better too. Being sick is the pits!