ActiveLink – Page 5 – This Crazy Life of Mine

Tag: ActiveLink

10
Aug
2013

WW Weigh-In #32

categories: #AugustCoreFocus, #beamazing, #expectamazing, ActiveLink, journey, meeting, running, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Good morning! Happy Saturday to all! As is typical for Saturday, I’ve been up since 5am and at my WW meeting at 6:15. I love getting there 30 minutes before the meeting starts so I can chit chat with everyone. It’s a perfect start to the weekend and I always leave there feeling refreshed and ready to face the new week.

So, how did I do this week? After maintaining last week, I had a loss this week!

I made a big change this week, on Wednesday. I’ve been struggling with tracking every single day. I was using eTools to track online via my iPhone, iPad, or computer. I don’t know why I wasn’t tracking everything. I have no answer for that. But I decided to go back to basics for a bit and track the old fashioned way. So, I got out the 3-month tracker that came with my welcome kit when I joined on January 1st. Since I jumped right into eTools then, I had not used the tracker so it was a clean slate, ready to use.

I’ve carried it with me each day since and will continue to do so. There is something about tracking by hand, rather than in eTools. And there’s no right or wrong way to do it, it’s about doing what works best for you. This may not be the answer long term for me, I may end up tracking on eTools again. Or I may do both. For the moment, writing it out is fresh and fresh has kept me tracking since Wednesday. So, I’m on the road to staying on track. Pardon the pun….

Things I did right this week are:

Changing up my method of tracking after realizing that I had to do something.
Enjoyed breakfast for dinner one night. Eggs and apple butter is a favorite of mine. Sounds strange, but it is so good!
Ran 5 days this week.
Kept snacks with me each day. This is always a huge help.

What I will focus on this week:

I need to add in a mid-morning snack. On the mornings I run, I always end up eating my lunch early because I’m hungrier, even after eating breakfast. A bigger breakfast might seem like a good idea as well, but a banana and peanut butter is just enough after my run.
This month’s routine is getting enough sleep at night. Lord knows I need to take this advice. I go to bed early enough, but my quality of sleep is not there. I need to do something about that.
I never made coleslaw last week like I said I was going to, so this week I’ll try to do it again.
With going back to paper tracking, I’m going to try for every single day. Fingers crossed.

This week, I ran 5 days but never made it to hot yoga. Still, I earned 25 activity points for the week. I need to get them up to 30 for the week…

No run today, since I ran the last 4 days in a row. I will do my #AugustCoreFocus challenge for the day, which I’m really enjoying. And if all goes well, we’ll run the bridge in the morning. I love running that bridge!

It’s hard to believe I’ve been back at WW for 32 weeks now. It seems like such a long time but then it also feels like I just went back. I can’t say enough about it. (Note to self…. Remember that when you get in a funk and think you can do it on your own. YOU CAN’T. Stay on plan!!!)

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!

03
Aug
2013

WW Weigh-In #31

categories: #AugustCoreFocus, #beamazing, #expectamazing, ActiveLink, hot yoga, journey, meeting, running, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

As I drove to my WW meeting this morning, I thought about how I made the smartest decision ever by going back on January 1st. I knew at the time that it was the right thing to do, but I didn’t realize then how much it would change me this time around. Prior to going back, I was convinced my body was done losing weight. I ‘m over 40, all the fertility meds I took that took a tool on my body, and daily work stress would never allow me to lose weight like I needed to again. But thanks to my sheer determination and working this program that I know works, I am succeeding. For 31 weeks, I have gotten up early every Saturday morning and weighed in. I haven’t missed a weigh-in yet. Even on the weeks where I *knew* the numbers would go up, I still faced it head on.

This week’s topic was “how to flip a slip-up”. We all have them, some weeks there are more than others. I shared at the meeting that the way I handle a slip-up is to face it and move on to the next meal. If I am bad for lunch and go through McDonald’s drive-thru while I’m on the road, I don’t throw in the towel the whole day. The next meal is back on track. There will always be slip-ups, none of us are perfect.

This week, I maintained! That was a nice thing to see. I am still on track to hit my goal by the end of the year. I am not in a hurry to get there – slow and steady wins the race.

Things I did right this week are:

I tracked 5 of 7 days – I still consider this a success.
I drank a lot of water.
I am working on finding balance when eating out on the weekends.
I missed a run this week, but I still got 4 in. I also went to hot yoga Friday morning with my friend Beth. It was the first time taking the early morning class and I liked starting the day with it.

What I will focus on this week:

I am going to make coleslaw! It was discussed at the meeting and it reminded me how much I like it. It’s good to have on hand and goes with everything.
Keeping my eye on the prize… Sometimes it’s easy to only focus on the exact number of the scale and not look at the overall picture.
I am hoping for another active week. 5 days of running and 2 days of hot yoga would be ideal. I’m also doing the #AugustCoreFocus challenge daily. It all adds up….
I always strive to track as much as possible, so I’m aiming for 5 of 7 days tracking this week.

I didn’t earn quite as many activity points this week, earning 24 total. Still, almost a whole extra day of points!

I was going to run this morning since I did not yesterday, but I am going to do Day 3 of the #AugustCoreFocus challenge and call it a day. Tomorrow I will run. I have a bit of a headache this morning and I’d rather run before the sun comes up. Isn’t it funny how I’ve come to love that? I wonder what I’ll do when it gets cooler…. If I’ll go back to running in the afternoon, or if the morning will become my normal? We shall see!

Here’s to a fabulous weekend for everyone!

27
Jul
2013

WW Weigh-In #30

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, ActiveLink, hot yoga, journey, meeting, running, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

I’ve talked before about how when losing weight, there are perfect weeks and not-so perfect weeks. Sometimes, you have a perfect week, tracked everything, worked out several times, and it pays off when you get on the scale and see a loss. There are also weeks where you do everything wrong and still have a loss. Or a week where you don’t do what you should and have a gain. What I have learned most in this journey is that it’s all about moderation. I strive to do the best that I can each day and still enjoy life. And this last week was just that….

I also know that coming off two weeks of losses, it was time for a gain. That’s pretty much how my body works. Whenever I have a gain, I look at the overall number. I am down 24+ pounds – the overall picture is what matters. Today is the start of a new week and there are new choices to be made.

At this morning’s meeting, we talked about building a smarter salad. I love salads and actually took in my favorite salad recipe and handed it out to whoever wanted a copy. Such a simple salad, full of flavor and color…

Romaine lettuce and baby spinach

Cucumber

Tomato

Diced red onion

Banana peppers

Artichoke hearts (in water not olive oil)

1 serving of Solid White Albacore Tuna in water (1 serving = 1/2 can = 1 point)

2 tbsp. Ken’s Steak House Dressing, Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette (2 tbsp. = 2 points)

3 points total

Things I did right this week are:

I tracked 5 of 7 days.
I ran 5 times and went to hot yoga twice. So much sweating.
So much water.
When I took my snacks or lunch, I made good choices.

What I will focus on this week:

Tracking 6 of 7 days. I am contemplating switching back to paper tracking, but I am such a technology girl I think that eTools is the best for me. Thoughts?
All this talk of salads this morning has me craving salads for lunch this coming week.
My unlimited yoga expires on Aug. 12, so I would love to get 3 classes in this coming week.

Another active week in the books – 35 activity points! I really love running in the morning. It is such a great start to my day. I’m not really a fan of running in the dark, but it sure is nice to see the sun come up.

Last week after I hit my 25 pounds, one of the members, Patti, talked about how her and I joined at the same time and we’ve both hit our 25 pounds. This morning, Beverly took a picture of us together to celebrate. Patti such a sweetheart, it’s nice to have that 25 pound milestone in common with her!

What’s in store for this weekend? It’ll be a pretty typical one. I’ll be blogging, reading, out to dinner with hubby, a run tomorrow morning, and some pottery painting with my sister-in-law and niece. I can’t wait!

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

13
Jul
2013

WW Weigh-In #28

categories: #expectamazing, ActiveLink, balance, goals, hot yoga, indulgence, meeting, milestone, running, tracking, upper body, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Some weeks are perfect. There is balance in all things – eating, being active, and indulging. That is how it should be. Work hard, play hard is a pretty good way to look at it. And this week was exactly that. Let’s get right to it, shall we?

This made me very happy. The week was absolutely crazy, but I managed to bring snacks every day, even when I was on the road. Thanks to our trip to Parkesdale Market last weekend, there were plenty of fruit and veggie choices in our house.

This loss puts me within 0.4 lb. of hitting my next goal, a milestone loss of 25 pounds. After that, I look to say bye bye to the 150’s and hello to the 140’s. And I’m 13.4 lbs. away from my goal of 140.

Things I did right this week are:

I was super active. Since last weigh-in, I ran 5 days, did my upper body workout 3 times, and went to hot yoga.
Took snacks with me every day and lunch with me 4 of 5 days.
I made sure to drink plenty of water this week. The dead of summer makes me extra thirsty, as does all the running, so I always have water on hand.
Changed it up for dessert this week and made pumpkin fluff. It was nice to have something different that didn’t have many points.
Tracked 6 of 7 days. This is a huge accomplishment.

What I will focus on this week:

Ultimately, I would LOVE to hit 25 pound next week. A 0.4 lb. loss seems totally doable, but I also know coming off a week like this one with a huge loss could mean otherwise next week. So I’ll aim for another balanced week and go from there!
Time to stock up on fruits and veggies again for this week.
I would love to get at least 3 runs in for the week and 3 days of hot yoga. I have a month of unlimited classes that I started yesterday (thanks to the LivingSocial deal I’ve bought a few months ago) so I need to make the most of it.

If you follow along my weekly weigh-in posts, you probably see that my goals are pretty much always the same. It may be a little boring, but it helps keep me on track.

The new clip for my ActiveLink FINALLY came in the mail on Monday so I am back to using it (although I forgot to wear it on my run this morning…. Oops.) This reflects points I earned from Tuesday on, so it’s not a full week of points but it sure is nice to see what I’m earning again.

I went for my run this morning after the meeting. I wasn’t planning on running today, but I was so pumped when I got home, I knew I had to hit the pavement. Running has absolutely become a routine for me and I crave it. Who am I?? Despite the humidity and heat, it was a great run and my fastest pace ever.

I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend. It’ll be a typical weekend here, cleaning, laundry, baths for Blue and Ozzie, with some fun mixed in. Hubby and I are going out tonight and tomorrow we’re playing tourists in Tarpon Springs. Work hard, play hard. I can do that!

Have a GREAT weekend!!

06
Jul
2013

WW Weigh-In #27

categories: #expectamazing, ActiveLink, clothes, hot yoga, meeting, non-scale victory, running, tracking, u, upper body, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

This week, I had a HUGE non-scale victory. On the 4th of July, as a matter of fact. I wore a pair of shorts that have not fit in two years. I used to wear shorts all the time. The last two years, not so much. But stacked neatly on the top shelf of our closet are the clothes that have not fit the last couple of years. I decided to try them on and I was surprised that they fit, and fit enough to wear them without feeling uncomfortable. The non-scale victories are such an important part of my weight loss journey. This morning, I went to my 6:45am WW meeting, albeit very sleepy. I was hoping for a loss, that 25 pound mark just a little over a pound away after last week’s weigh-in. But alas, the scale reminded me that even when you work hard, it may not always cooperate and showed a gain. A big gain. I wasn’t happy but reminded myself of those shorts I wore the other day.

Ugh. It really is hard to be positive when you see a gain like that. But I have to remember that the numbers do not define who I am or how far I’ve come. I am still down over 20 pounds, still safely in the 150’s, and still over halfway to my goal. Things I did right this week are:

I worked my butt off. Would the scale have been even more cruel to me had I not worked so hard? I ran 5 days this week, went to hot yoga, and did my upper body workouts.
Enjoyed the 4th of July cookout at my brother’s house, dinner out with hubby one night, and lunch out with my mom one day. I enjoyed plenty of fruits, veggies, and proteins for the rest of my meals.
Yesterday, we stocked up on fresh veggies from a local produce market. I am excited about the possibilities for the week!
I tracked 6 out of 7 days this week.

What I will focus on this week:

Keep on working out! Running has become very much part of my routine, hoping for another 3 or 4 days this week.
Hoping to get creative with veggies this week. I am on a sweet potato kick and I have several recipes to try, thanks to input from Facebook and Twitter.
Tracking! It’s the heart of the program.

As for my activity this week, I have no idea how many points I earned. A week ago Thursday, the clip for my ActiveLink broke. I ordered a new one the next day and have been hoping all week it would come in. Just yesterday, I received an email that my order just processed on the 3rd and it will arrive in 3-10 days. I hope it comes in SOON, I miss using it. Going on the past several weeks, I think it’s safe to say I earned 30 – 35 points based on my activity. I already went for my run this morning and did my upper body workout. I had a delicious breakfast of eggs, whole wheat English muffin with apple butter, and a plum. Very filling and it hit the spot!

Tonight our niece will stay over which is sure to be fun. We’ll go to the park in the morning and be silly and she’ll keep me laughing. She’s so fabulous. Other than that, it will be a typical weekend here. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t pass to quickly. I am so not ready to go back to work on Monday.

Happy weekend!