Am I REALLY Hungry?

It's 11:38 pm. I got off work at 9 pm after a busy shift. When I got home I had a turkey burger that was worth 8 points with the bun and cheese according to my Weight Watchers Points Plus tracker. I didn't eat much today because I was so busy. Right now, all I can think about is how good some french fries with cheese would taste right now. I'd bake the fries, melt some cheddar on them, sprinkle some seasoning salt on them, and enjoy every single bite. I have to ask myself though: Am I really hungry? Can I smell the fries I haven't cooked? Yes. Can I imagine how good the gooey cheese would be that I'd have to lick off of my fingers? You bet. I used all but 3 points today. If I have that snack that I think is calling my name, it would cost me about 11 points. Is it worth it? A month ago I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Right now, however, I'm proud to say I DON'T need those cheese fries. I DON'T need to eat at all. If I REALLY think I need to eat, there are plenty of carrots and apples in there, but I'm so tired right now, the thought of chewing is too much, lol..It takes more effort to eat the carrots and apples. Therefore, I'm going to just pass altogether on food and get some much needed rest. I won't be going to bed with a full tummy and suffer the consequences later. Patting myself on the back.

Result of My Weekly Weigh-In!

Well, as promised I am back to post the result of my weigh in tonight at my Weight Watchers meeting.
I'm now down 4 more pounds. That's a total of 9.6 pounds. I've been on the plan since January 4th, so that averages out to 3.2 pounds each week. I'm almost at my first goal, which is 5% of my total starting weight. I have 2.2 pounds to go before I reach that goal, and I'm pretty sure I can do that!
It was so nice to get recognition of my accomplishments tonight!


I'm trying to plan out my meals because I'll be working evenings for the next week. I don't want to be tempted to go grab something at a fast food restaurant. I want to be prepared. I want to take the time to cook for a week. That's a challenge for me, because it's going to take some time, but I'm sure I can squeeze that in somewhere. I have to! I've noticed that planning my meals ahead really helps. It's so easy to go grab something, but then I end up exceeding my daily points. However, if I already have it in my fridge or freezer, why spend the extra money? I had already decided in the beginning that I would give up my frequent fast food trips and Starbucks mochas so I could afford the $42.95 monthly fee on Weight Watchers. It is so worth the investment. I'm losing a little money, but I'm gaining knowledge, self control, and I'm losing weight! 


I'm feeling empowered, and stronger than I have in a long time. I feel like I can and will achieve my goals. 
:-)

Busy Weekend!

Title says it all: It was a busy weekend! After being off almost all week due to weather, I finally worked an 8 hour day on Saturday. In case I haven't mentioned before, I work at H&R Block as a Client Service Professional (front desk) for the tax season. I'm working in two offices, because they have a shortage of help in one of them. I went to the busier office of the two yesterday and wow, I am STILL feeling the effects of standing on my feet for seven and a half hours. I haven't worked at a job that requires me to be on my feet since 2000, when I was waiting tables at Houlihan's. I learned the hard way yesterday that it pays to invest in a good pair of shoes. People were constantly coming in the office, and they seemed to arrive in packs! And of course as soon as someone walked in to check in for an appointment, the phone would ring. It was a very busy and productive day, and I had no issues getting to sleep last night. 


Today I planned out the dinner menu for the next 3 days. I put Turkey Chili in the crock pot to have for tomorrow, and tonight I made flank steak with sauteed onions, broccoli and quinoa. It turned out pretty darn good. One on the things I really enjoy about being on Weight Watchers is I'm making myself try new things. I'm usually a very picky eater, and this plan has pushed me outside my comfort zone and that's a great thing. 
I just wish that my youngest would be open to trying new things, too. My other half is eating my cooking, which is great. Now I need to get him to join WW. It would make it so much easier for me. However, with or without him, I'm staying on track. 


I haven't been weighed in almost 2 weeks. I couldn't go last week due to weather closing the city down, so I'm waiting until Wednesday. I could go sooner, but I like the group that's there on Wednesday nights, and the speaker is great, too! Tomorrow is another busy day at work I'm wrapping this up. Until next time...


Enjoy the pics below. These are foods I've cooked since being on Weight Watchers. 

Winter Storm 2012

Today was a real test of my commitment to my Weight Watchers plan.


At about 8:30 am we lost all power at home. Everything is electric, so we had no heat and no way to cook. 
I did ok with breakfast, but as lunchtime neared, I realized I wasn't going to be able to eat unless I had a microwave to cook some leftover soup I had made last night. I decided to drive to the store to get some fixins for tuna sandwiches, candles, and firewood. The store is just a 1/2 mile down the road, but man was it an adventure. Since the power was out all over, the store was operating on a generator for power, but it was still cold in there and crowded. I got everything I needed, but didn't really pay attention to the cashier's warning about trying to get my cart through the parking lot. I didn't make it far and 2 nice gentleman had to lift my cart and carry it to my car. Happy to make it over that hurdle, I skidded my way back home, and then I got stuck. 
I made a left into my apartment complex and got stuck in the entrance. My car was halfway in the road, and I was in real danger of getting hit if people didn't change lanes quickly enough to get around me. A nice couple walking down the street tried to push me, but there was so much snow packed under the tires there was no way they'd get me out of there. I called the apartment manager and told her the scenario. Two of her maintenance men came out with shovels and started getting the snow out from under the car. Then, a truck that had gone around me pulled in and the driver got out and started helping clear snow, keep the drivers on the road stopped, and then stared helping with pushing me out of that mess. A total of 5 people got together to help, 7 if you count the couple that wasn't successful. I was very relieved. 


Once I got home, I made my late lunch of tuna on wheat and hoovered it. I won't go into details about the other things I ate, but I did end up going over my daily points amount by 2. Not too bad, but my goal is to never exceed my points. I am giving a weekly points allowance, however, that can be used on those days I need it. I get 49 weekly points. Here's how it works: If I exceed my daily points I can dip into that 49 points. It's there to give some flexibility or for them times when I just HAVE to have that cookie, for example. If I wanted I could divide them up and give myself 36 points a day, however, I'd rather stick to my 29 daily points and use the 49 for emergencies only, lol. I'm going to call it my emergency points account. :-) 


 The power was restored at almost 9 pm, and if the roads are better tomorrow, I'm going to a meeting and will get my weight. If not, I'll wait until next Wednesday, my normal meeting day. Until next time....


Check out some of the Winter Storm pics below.

Winter Storm 2012 NOT Getting Me Down!

The Puget Sound area finally got hit with some serious snow this week. In my area we got around 4 inches, and places down south like Olympia got something like 14-18 inches! When we get snow on this side of the mountains the city seems to shut down. My office closed today, schools were closed, and even the fast food restaurants were operating with limited staff and hours. 


I didn't let being shut in keep me from sticking to my Weight Watchers plan and getting exercise. I decided to take a walk down to Fred Meyer to get some things to make for dinner. Driving was not an option, and I'm so glad I didn't try. People were sliding all over the road. Since temps were barely above freezing, there was ice packed under that snow. I was fine walking, except for the sleet blowing in my face. The walk to and from the store is a mile total. On the way there I was going at a decent pace, though I stepped in some deep patches of snow. On the way home, however, I struggled a bit. First of all it's uphill, second, I had 3 bags of groceries that weren't light, and third, there was snow. It took me awhile to get home, but I made it, and felt like I had walked 5 miles. The snow added some extra resistance so I got a pretty good workout today. Since there was no way I was going to drive to a meeting, I have to get weighed tomorrow, provided they won't close due to bad weather. I'm sure I lost at least 2 pounds. I will post the number when I get it. 


I made some eggplant parmesan for lunch, and for dinner I made Turkey Kielbasa black bean soup. I got both recipes from Weight Watchers and they were pretty good. I'm doing pretty good and patting myself on the back for not giving in to temptation. 


I do have PMS right now, so I'm scouring the WW cookbook I have and website for some recipes that can satisfy my cravings without going over my daily points. This is the hurdle I've been worried about getting over, but I truly believe I'll get over it. I'm opening up to trying new foods, so that helps. 


Not going to make this long as I'm tired and even though the roads will be a sheet of ice tomorrow, I have to get some rest in case they decide to open the office anyway. I posted a pic below of how the main street by my apartment looked when I took my walk.

Before Pictures and Stats

In my last blog I mentioned that I was going to be brave and give my current stats and upload some "before" photos. This is not easy for me because when I normally take pictures of myself, they are just of my face, since I hate my body so much. I mean, it's no secret that I'm fat, but when I take those pictures that don't show my lower half I can forget for a little bit just how fat I've gotten over the years. I like to joke around and say that I'm not fat, just short for my weight, but what's going on with my body is no laughing matter.

 I'm so tired of being the "fat girl". I'm tired of being told that I'm fat but I have a pretty face. What the hell? And to hell with the "Big and Beautiful" shit. Why can't I be just classified as Beautiful? There are dating sites for people that are big. So what happens when a "BBW" loses weight? Does that person lose their mate because their too thin? Sure, if health wasn't an issue and it turned my man on I'd pop cheeseburgers like candy, because I love to eat. I just don't like to look like I love it SOOOOOOOOOOO much! 

So, without further ado, here are my stats:

Height: 4'11.75"

Weight: 217.2 (this was as of 1/11/12. I'm supposed to get weighed tomorrow at my Weight Watchers meeting, but there is a snow storm coming so I may not get to go. I'll update this as soon as I get it) My starting weight at my first WW meeting was 222.8.

Waist: 43 inches

Hips: 53 inches

Below are pics taken of me 2 days ago (January 16, 2012)

Yep, I'm huge. Of course what I was wearing was pretty dumpy, too. I will upload pics again as I lose more weight.

Today was my first full 8 hour day at work. I had to remind myself to eat every 3 hours because I did not want to risk going home and diving in the fridge searching for food, and throwing my progress out the window. I stayed under my 29 points today. I did very well!

Tomorrow is another 8 hour day, and I'm going to see what I can do with my Points at Subway when I go to lunch. Temptation is there to get a meatball sub, but I won't, because just looking at these pictures is a reminder to me that I've given in to temptation waaaay too many times. 

Eggplant? Me?

Today I tried eggplant for perhaps the second time in my life. I think the first time I had it someone else prepared it and it was very delicious, but this was over a year ago. Since I've begun Weight Watchers I've been determined to expand my palate and try new things, instead of turning my nose up at them. I looked up some recipes for eggplant and tips on preparing it and I must say I have a new favorite vegetable. I dipped slices of it in Best Foods Low fat mayonnaise that is made with olive oil, stirred in some garlic and oregano, then put a very light dusting of flour on the slices. I put them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes per side. Sooo good. What's really bizarre is I'm having PMS symptoms right now and for the first time in a VERY long time I'm craving something other than chocolate. I want some eggplant! My mind is churning. How can I make it next time? Should I make eggplant fries? Saute it? Bake it? Eggplant Parmesan? Chocolate dipped eggplant? I'm kidding on that last one, seriously. 


It snowed here today, but that didn't deter me from getting in my exercise. Instead of driving to the store, I took my daughter with me on a walk so that I could get a few things. At the time we walked to the store it was not snowing, and it appeared that maybe we wouldn't see anymore because the streets were clear. However, on our return trip the sky had darkened and the snow was falling hard and fast. The old me would have complained and walked faster to get home. Today the new me laughed and kept grinning like an idiot as I made my way home. 


I mentioned before that I'm considering the Big Climb in Seattle on March 25, 2012. That's 69 flights of 1,311 stairs! The event is to help raise funds for Lymphoma and Leukemia. I was on the fence about it because I was afraid of not being ready. I've decided to DEFINITELY sign up. I'm going to see if my Weight Watchers leader will allow other people to join Team Believe if there are still spaces available. I'm very excited! 


In my next blog I'm going to get personal, and post my "Before" pictures, and my current stats. I'll update them on a weekly basis when I have progress. That's right. I said "WHEN" not "IF"!

Feeling Optimistic

Today was a pretty good day for me. I intended to do a 5k walk in the park, but I slept in until almost 11. Even though I started out lazy, I was determined to fit in my exercise, so I decided to walk around the block. Yesterday my other half and I walked the 1.7 miles together in 36 minutes, but today, walking it alone, I was determined to beat that time. I made it in 32 minutes, and I'm determined to do even better than that tomorrow. There is a steep hill that's a challenge for me and until I do this walk without getting out of breath when I walk up the hill, I'll keep trying.


There is an event called the Big Climb in Seattle on March 25, 2012. It's to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma. In the Columbia Center where this is held there are 69 flights of stairs, with 1,311 steps and 788 feet of vertical elevation. Just the thought of it at this moment is making me out of breath. I know that if that even were today, I couldn't survive going up even 5 flights of stairs. I'm considering registering myself for this event and committing myself to be in better shape to handle the Big Climb in 2 months. Problem is, the spots fill up fast, and after 6,000 participants they will close the registration. So, this means that I pay my $40 very soon and make sure I'm ready to do this in March, or I basically lose the money. If I keep pondering my decision, then space will fill up and I'll miss out. It's for a good cause and I want to step out of my comfort zone and give it a shot. Members of Weight Watchers in my area have formed a team called Team Believe. Key word there: Believe. I have to believe I can do this. The only way to find out is to try, right?


In case anyone reads my blog but me and David, here is the link to the event. 
http://www.llswa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BC_homepage

My First Week on Weight Watchers

I got a call on my 38th birthday. My dad had suffered a heart attack and was in the emergency room. I was able to talk to him on the phone and I teased him about trying to "steal my thunder" by getting himself put in the hospital. We laughed about it, but inside I was scared to death for my father. 


Some great friends of mine bought airline tickets for my daughter and I to go visit my family, because my father's health has not been the best, and I felt like I needed to see him as soon as possible. While I was there Dad ended up in the hospital again, this time for pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and his kidney was starting to fail. His other had failed years ago. When I visited him in the hospital, looking pale, and watching him eat his VERY strict diet I had to fight back tears. I had to make jokes to keep from crying, because I'd be flying home soon and wanted to leave there with us both smiling, in case it was the last time we saw each other. I'm happy to say that since the last time I saw him my dad has been recovering nicely, and his kidney is fine. 


After that visit back home I realized that I was heading down the same path my dad had traveled. For him it started out with Type 2 Diabetes, which he tried to maintain with diet. Then he got high blood pressure. He suffered a stroke in 1998, and later found out one of his kidneys was starting to fail. After doing some research and based on what he's told me, it all started with the diabetes, which he may have gotten from being overweight. If he had maintained his diabetes with proper diet, things wouldn't have snowballed like they did. If he had been in better shape, perhaps he wouldn't have gotten diabetes in the first place. 


I decided it was time to start making drastic changes in my life NOW. Not because it was the new year and I was making a resolution like everyone else. It was because I want to live. I want to see my kids have kids. I want to retire someday, when I'm much, much older. These things won't happen if I'm sitting on my ass eating large portions of junk. 


After seeing how successful a friend of mine was on Weight Watchers and Zumba (she lost 302 pounds) I decided to join. I figured that the $42.95 is a very small price to pay if it adds years to my life. I joined January 4, 2012. Weight Watchers has a Points Plus plan. The short of it is you're given so many points a day and if you don't go over them, go to meetings and use the online tools you'll be successful in losing weight.  I'm proud to say that in my first week I lost 5.6 pounds. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be to stay within my daily points limit. I've always stayed under my limit except for one day, and I went over by 2 points. I've started eating more vegetables, I'm trying new recipes, and best of all, I never feel like I'm starving or deprived. I'm trying to get my other half to join with me because he is overweight as well, and I really think that having a buddy would bring us both great results. 


I know it won't be easy, but I believe now more than ever that I can do this. Not so much because I want to, it's because I HAVE to. There is no choice in the matter anymore and no excuses! I'm not taking no for an answer anymore when it comes to this. I have to tell myself yes! Can I lose weight? YES! Can I make a commitment to exercise at least 4 times a week? YES? Will I be successful? YES!