#expectamazing – This Crazy Life of Mine

Tag: #expectamazing

20
Apr
2014

WW Update!

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, accountability, running, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Somehow, I have not posted my weekly WW weigh-in since March 9! It’s been crazy around here… Work always keeps me busy, I ran the Sarasota Half Marathon and ElectroDash in March, squeezed in a few T25 workouts, my aunt was in town, we went to Las Vegas, I went to Orlando for my first Super Saturday event, and Iron Girl last weekend – my 10th half marathon. Whew!

Since my last WW post on March 9, I have been to 4 meetings, including yesterday. Yesterday was my first week back after missing 2 meetings. I always love the meetings, but when I return from missing a couple in a row, it’s a reminder of how much I miss them when I don’t make it. And how much I need them not for my accountability.

So catching back up, here’s where I’ve been…..

03/09/14………………155.6

03/15/14………………150.6

03/22/14………………154.2

03/29/14………………149.0

04/19/14………………155.6

Ironically, my last check-in here was the exact same weight as yesterday. Clearly, there has been a lot of fluctuation in my weight this last few weeks. I also may have eaten my way through Las Vegas, but I enjoyed every minute of it. And at the end of the day, I am still WAY below my highest of 178.

It’s been a bit of a challenge getting back into the swing of things since getting home. I may still be in vacation mode. But I am determined to get my mind back in the game and get to my goal.

Where I need the most work is getting back to tracking. I need to make that a habit again. We went grocery shopping on Friday and being prepared will help with that as well. It really all boils down to a healthy mindset.

In addition to the eating part, I need to get back to running regularly. Hubby and I went out to the causeway this morning and ran 3 miles. It felt great. I have missed going out there weekly and I hope we can make it a routine. I am also setting a goal to run 2-3 times during the week. I need to build my base back up for when marathon training starts in July.

I will say, though, despite the ups and downs on the scale, I am still having fun with buying new clothes. I have probably bought more new clothes in the last 6 months than I have in the last 3 years. I used to hate it. HATE it. There is nothing worse than shopping for clothes when nothing fits right. And now I am stepping out of my comfort zone and buying clothes in colors and patterns I would not normally buy. But I certainly don’t want to wear the same thing I’ve always worn. What fun is there in that?

Yesterday, I scored 8 cute new tops from JC Penney, all for $67. I saved a whopping $120. One thing I don’t’ want to do when clothes shopping is break the bank, so I have to get the most for my money.

As soon as I have more rewards built up and a more coupons, my next purchase will be more shorts! This girl is absolutely wearing shorts this summer.

How do you handle setbacks in your weight loss?

09
Mar
2014

WW Weigh-In #59

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, journey, power foods, race, running, Simple Start, Simply Filling, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers 360

What a crazy few weeks it has been… After my last WW Weigh-In post on 02/15, I missed the next two weekly weigh-ins and meetings due to races. Looking back, I could have – should have – attended a different meeting during those weeks to weigh-in and try to stay on board. Unfortunately, in my tunnel vision mind, I don’t think like that and I just knew that I was going to be busy during my regular meeting time.

Yesterday, I finally made it back. I was very excited to go and see everyone. I cannot explain how much I love that meeting and the people there. It’s such a great feeling to be a part of something like that. It also doesn’t hurt to be cheered on and made to feel very special about my running… During the meeting, Beverly mentioned that I was finally back and asked me to step to the front and tell everyone what I had been up to the last two weeks. And, much to my surprise, she gave me a cool little Thumbs Up! award. This is just one of the many reasons I love my meeting…

Of course, I knew going into the meeting that I was going to be up on the scale. Besides missing two meetings and running three races, we had a busy couple of weeks where we ate out 4 times just for dinner. Outback Steakhouse, Molly Goodheads, Mellow Mushroom, and The Thirsty Marlin. Everyone of those dinners was a great time with great company and in my world, part of the good time is enjoying food and beverages that I love. I believe that will never change. I work hard and MOST of the time, I am mindful of what I eat and the points. However, it is a rare occasion to eat out 4 times in such a short time.

I briefly thought about not weighing in until next week, but I reminded myself that I have yet to back down from the scale since January 1, 2013. So, I went in knowing that whatever it was, I could deal with it and move on from there. The scale told me that I had gained 5.4 lbs…. Happy? No. Frustrated? No. Holding myself accountable Yes.

I didn’t really want to see the 150’s again, but I know it’s not permanent. What I have decided, though, is that after doing the Simply Filling / Simple Start since the beginning of December, I think it’s time to get back to tracking my daily points. I still eat many power foods, but I think I need the added accountability of tracking every single point that I eat, as well as getting back to weighing and measuring portions.

Despite this weight gain, I went shopping afterwards and bought 3 new bikinis for our upcoming Vegas trip. Hubby is going for work and we are very thankful we could make it work so that I could go with him. I look forward to pool and sun time while he’s at his meetings during the day and I knew that I needed a new bathing suit. The last time I bought one was back on 2006 and it’s too big on me now and I wanted something new. When I couldn’t decide on just one, I bought all three. I’ve worked hard to be able to wear them and I deserve them!

My activity was way down this last week. After running 3 races over the course of 8 days, I was exhausted and my legs were tired. My back was also bothering me and I knew it would be best – and very smart – to take the week off from working out hard. That will change tomorrow when I get back to it again. And, I have half marathon #9 coming up next Sunday, the Sarasota Half Marathon.

I am breaking from my regular WW post and skipping what I did right and what I will focus on this week. I know what I need to do and I know how to do it. And, I will.

How do you handle weigh-ins after missing a couple? What changes do you make to get back on track?

15
Feb
2014

WW Weigh-In #58

categories: #beakindrunner, #expectamazing, Beachbody, Focus T25, journey, plank-a-day, planks, power foods, Shakeology, Simple Start, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Happy day after Valentine’s Day! Another week has passed, another great meeting this morning… I had to get my fill of WW today since I will miss the next two Saturday morning meetings because of races I am doing.

This week, I went into the meeting knowing that I would have a gain. Hubby and I went out to eat Thursday night for Valentine’s Day (a night early, of course). And we went to Hooter’s for wings and beer. Anyone who knows me knows that I love wings and beer. WW or not, I still enjoy wings and beer. And we did just that. It was a nice evening out. I thought momentarily about how it wasn’t the smartest thing to eat just two nights before a weigh-in, but then I realized I couldn’t think that way.

My weight loss journey is not a set time, one that has a deadline. It is ongoing and I will face it the rest of my life. It’s part of who I am. It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet. I use to eat bad all the time, every day. The healthy lifestyle that I have learned from following WW allows me to enjoy foods I love in moderation while eating healthy most of the time. If I had to go without my favorite food indulgences, I would walk away from WW. I cannot live in that world.

So, I accept the ups and downs that I have along the way. Being able to go out and accept a gain means I am living life and enjoying it. And dinner out with hubby is a treat.

Things I did right this week are:

I had a great long run last Sunday, 9 miles over the bridges to the beach.
I was flexible with my workout schedule this week. It’s easy to give up if the workouts don’t happen as planned, but I just rearranged the schedule. Flexibility is important. (Here’s a recap of my my first full week on T25)
Lots of water!
I had a Shakeology for breakfast every morning and I am loving it. So many ways to enjoy it, but my favorite is the chocolate with almond milk, banana, and peanut butter – all for 5 points. And it is very filling.
I made a delicious Simple Start meal last Sunday and had it during the week for lunch. It was really good – ground beef, diced tomatoes, onion, zucchini, squash, and brown rice. I’ll share the recipe here this week.

What I will focus on this week:

Since I will miss my regular Saturday morning meetings the next two weeks, I will have to weigh-in on Friday mornings. This will mess with my schedule a bit, but like I just reminded myself – flexibility is important.
Being prepared for the week ahead. I am going to go through the freezer and see what meals I can make from what’s in there because it’s getting a bit out of control.
I hope to run tomorrow, as well as catch up on the one T25 workout I still have to do from yesterday. Then a new week of workouts starts again on Monday. I am absolutely loving the T25 program.
The excitement of races the next two weeks. It never gets old!

Activity points for the week…. A total of 40! This makes me happy since I didn’t run two extra days like I had hoped.

I am super excited about today! I am registering for my first FULL marathon and then I am going with hubby to cheer him on while he runs the Spartan Special Ops race in Tampa. I am super proud of him for running it, especially since he’s also joining me the next two weeks for Gasparilla and Best Damn Race!

Have a great weekend!

08
Feb
2014

WW Weigh-In #57

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, Beachbody, challenge, challenge group, Focus T25, plank-a-day, planks, power foods, running, Shakeology, Simple Start, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Technically, today should have been weigh-in #58. But since I was running my seventh half marathon last Saturday, I didn’t make the meeting. I was so happy to get back to my meeting this morning. It’s so amazing how you get used to do something, it becomes a routine, and then when you miss it , it throws everything off.

Following any big run, such as a half marathon, I tend to eat like a mad woman for a couple days. I expect it. I let it happen, and then I get back to what I know I should be doing. I let myself enjoy the extra indulgences since I burned crazy calories and earned equally crazy activity points. It was also my birthday last weekend, which meant that those indulgences included birthday cake.

I went into the meeting this morning not really sure what the scale would say and would not have been surprised either way. I didn’t feel like I had gained much, if at all, but I also didn’t feel like I had a loss. When I got on the scale and saw a tiny gain of 0.6 lb., I was absolutely fine with that.

I posted a picture of my weigh-in graph on Instagram about this small gain and someone actually commented that it is more of a “fluctuation”. I like that…. Sounds better than “gain”.

One thing I will say is that in *mostly* following Simple Start and power foods, I am still not tracking with the exception of the running tally I have in my head when I have indulgences. I am happy with how that is going and as long I continue to work towards my goal, I am going to stick with it and not track every thing I eat.

Things I did right this week are:

I burned 1502 calories running my half marathon. Crazy.
For most of the week, I stuck to Simple Start. I made my chicken & broccoli casserole, as well as black & red chili last Sunday and enjoyed both dishes during the week. I also had power foods for lunch and snacks when I could. One day for lunch, I had the most simple meal but it was so good! Albacore tune (in water not oil) and diced tomato with pepper.

Besides running the half marathon, I ran two additional days during the week, did my plank-a-day all week, and five days of Focus T25 as part of a new challenge I am doing. It was a very active week!
As you can imagine, all this activity means I drank A LOT of water.

What I will focus on this week:

Sticking to Simple Start as much as I can this week. I will say that we are going out for pizza tonight and I am going to enjoy the heck out of it. But, during the week, my focus will be on power foods.
As part of the T25 challenge I am doing, I have switched to a Shakeology shake for breakfast, 4 points if I use unsweetened almond milk and fruit in it. It’s very filling and delicious. This also makes for an easy breakfast to take with me on the go.
Three days of running…. I have a long run tomorrow (hoping for 9 miles) and then 2 more during the week in addition to the 5 days of T25 and planking. I am determined!

As for my activity points this week, I had 56 for the week! 28 of those alone were from the half marathon. It’s no wonder I am so hungry after running that far!

I love seeing all this activity and it just makes me feel strong!

Have a great weekend whatever your plans may be!

25
Jan
2014

WW Weigh-In #56

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, power foods, running, Simple Start, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

When I first started back on this weight loss journey in January 2013, I was all about the numbers, what the scale would say every Saturday when I walked into my meeting. As I now get closer to my goal, I have found that I am more focused on the non-scale victories and how I feel more than what the scale says. This week I had a slight gain but I wasn’t bothered by it at all.

It’s such a small gain, it could be water. But there are several reasons I wasn’t phased by this gain…

It was the first gain I’ve had in 4 weeks since switching from tracking to Simple Start so I was certainly due for one.
I recently bought some new running clothes in a smaller size and feel very confident in them.
I feel incredibly strong and tall and all around confident.

It just seems silly to be upset about a 0.4 lb. gain in the grand scheme of things. This morning I wore one of my new running tops to the meeting. I love how it fits and how it looks on me – and it’s certainly not a top I would have attempted to wear a year ago. I worked hard for this. Wearing this shirt was a reminder than despite that small gain on the scale, I have come so far on this journey and I can thank WW and running for it.

I feel like Simple Start is still really working for me. I haven’t really tracked in 4 weeks now but the foods I’m eating make a huge difference. I plan on doing a blog post about it and it will more than likely be a vlog. I have so much to say about it!

Things I did right this week are:

Power foods are my friend. Tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, lean protein, eggs, almond or soy milk…. For snacks and as part of my meals. For me it really is simple.
I actually feel like I’m snacking a little more during the day, but it’s smaller portions and just fresh fruit or veggies rather than pre-packaged processed foods. I still have them from time to time but it’s mostly fresh foods.
Water.
I ran 3 times this last week and did my plank-a-day every day. I am very excited to add a new workout challenge in starting Feb. 3 and I’ll be blogging about that as well. My longest plank to date is just over 5 minutes which is no joke. My whole body shakes when I do it, but I feel it in my core and arms so I know it’s working.

What I will focus on this week:

I am sticking with Simple Start because it’s working for me.
I am hoping to run 4 times this week. Tomorrow’s run will be a 5K, a shorter distance than I would normally run on a Sunday so I’d like to get an extra day in this week. My seventh half marathon is next weekend so it will be good to run a few times leading up to that. I am very excited about it!
I plan on making two meals this week that will last a few days. Both are power foods / Simple Start and will be good for both a full meal or snacking in smaller portions.
Keep up with my plank-a-day for the last week of January. I’ve had a few people ask me if I plan to continue it after January is over and I would like to. They are awesome.

My activity this week definitely seems on the downside. I love to get 40-50 activity points, but I only had 27 this week. Still, I got out there and ran and stayed active when I could.

All in all a good week. I am excited to run The Color Run tomorrow with hubby and friends. It is more of a fun run, not really timed, but being active should be fun!

Have a fabulous week!