journey – This Crazy Life of Mine

Tag: journey

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!

07
Jan
2014

The one where I talk to Jessica Simpson about Weight Watchers…

categories: #AskJessica, #SimpleStart, accountability, ambassador, Google +, Hangout, Jessica Simpson, journey, Simple Start, video, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers

Over the weekend, I received an email from Weight Watchers, asking if I would like to participate in a live Google+ Hangout with Jessica Simpson and Weight Watchers. Space was limited so I had to reply soon and I emailed them back immediately. It was such an opportunity, I couldn’t possibly pass it up. Not. At. All. I am still in shock that they asked me!

Almost as exciting as being asked to participate in this event, was when I shared the news with my meeting leader, Beverly. She was beside herself and we must have been on the phone for a good 45 minutes talking about all of it. She could not wait to watch it and said she was going to share with several others. Thank you for your support, Beverly!

Jessica Simpson is the current Ambassador for Weight Watchers and she is promoting the new and exciting Simple Start plan, a two week jumpstart for both new and current members that puts the focus on power foods.

I have never participated in Google + Hangout before, but I was very impressed with the time and attention their tech department gave each of us in preparing us and making sure everything was just right. Everyone I spoke with was very nice and it was a fun time all around. I am usually terrified of any video camera, but my excitement outweighed my nerves. There were four of us, “special guests”, and we would each get to ask one question. Before the segment went live, we did an audio / video test and we each able to introduce ourselves to Jessica and she said hi to each of us.

At 12:30 yesterday, the Hangout went live and started with Aransas, a Weight Watchers leader in New York City, introducing Jessica Simpson and talking to her about how she is doing as a new mom to two young children, how she likes Simple Start, and a few fashion tips. She then introduced each of us and we each got to ask Jessica a question. My question was:

What is one piece of advice you would give someone if they are not sure that Weight Watchers is for them?

I was very impressed with Jessica Simpson and how she feels about Weight Watchers. Everything she said about it, tracking points, staying on plan, not being deprived, and more is exactly how I feel. I really believe a great Ambassador is one who you can relate to, and I absolutely feel that way about her. She’s a real woman, lives a crazy busy life between her career, planning a wedding, and chasing her two children around, and makes Weight Watchers work for her. And she looks AMAZING!

I am so excited to share the link to the video with you… It is 30 minutes long and if you have the time, you should totally watch the whole thing.

Live Chat with Jessica Simpson & Weight Watchers

What a fun time it was. I hope to be able to do more like this in the future. I never realized when I started blogging about my journey that it could lead to something like this. One thing I never tire of is talking about Weight Watchers and sharing my love of it. It works, it really does. If you have been on the fence about joining, I urge you to go to a meeting and check it out.

Do you have a question about Weight Watchers or Simple Start? Feel free to ask here!

14
Dec
2013

WW Weigh-In #50

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

Holy moly, was it good to be back at WW this morning. My whole week was off from not going last Saturday and it drove me nuts to miss that one weigh-in. I went into my meeting thinking I had gained simply because I missed last week. I was sure of it. But…. I lost 1.4 pounds! Whew!

I feel like the closer I get towards my goal, the harder it’s going to be and I struggle with not being so darn focused on that number on the scale. I had a HUGE NSV this week with my fabulous little black dress for the Christmas party and I have to remember that that feeling means more than any number on the scale. But still…. I have a goal in mind. Do you understand my struggle?

Things I did right this week are:

Tracked 5 out of 7 days.
I tried to keep snacks on hand when I could, despite the busy week I had. Dinners were not the norm either as we had hubby’s Christmas party one night and we were out late one night at the library with our Little Brother and to pick up bikes for donating.
I always fail to mention that I take my vitamins every day. I think it’s important. I take a women’s multi-vitamin and B12.

What I will focus on this week:

I’m really going to strive for tracking 6 days this week.
Being back at the meeting reminded me how important it is for the start of the week and helps to keep me accountable. It’s always so nice to catch up with everyone and to share thoughts and ideas.
Get back to running regularly…. I only ran one day last week and that was on Saturday at Pretty Muddy, a 5K mud run. It was very odd to not run and I am dying to get back to a regular schedule. I need it – mentally and physically.

My activity points last week were SO low – only 13! It’s so not me to be so inactive for a week. This week will be different!

This evening, hubby and I are running the Santa’s Twilight 5k on Honeymoon Island in Dunedin. I am very much looking forward to it. I enjoy having fun while being active – it certainly doesn’t seem like work then!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

08
Dec
2013

WW Weigh-In #49 (MISSED!!!)

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

The weigh-in that wasn’t… I missed my regular meeting Saturday morning because of the Pretty Muddy Mud Run, so I didn’t get to weigh-in. I planned to weigh-in Sunday (yesterday) morning, but slept in instead after being out late at a concert Saturday night. So…. I officially missed my first weigh-in all year and I’m bummed about it. For now, we’ll just pretend that my weight is the same as last week, although I feel like it would be less.

One thing I want to share with you is that last week, I tracked for a full 7 days. Everything I ate, I recorded – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It has been a long time since I tracked for the entire week and it was good. I already missed tracking one day this new week, Saturday, but I was back at it yesterday morning.

Things I did right this week are:

Tracked 7 days!!! This is a huge accomplishment.
While I did not have a lot of snacks on hand when I was out and about, I did drink a lot of water.
For lunch last Thursday, we had Subway and I tried a flatbread sub. It was very good, the perfect amount of bread / carbs. I also opted for mustard instead of mayo. Very tasty and saved on points.
Cake in a cup is still a hit in our house. We are currently enjoying yellow cake. I think it like it better than the devils food one.

What I will focus on this week:

Tracking. I would love to see 6 days of tracking.
Running. I need to put a plan in place because without one, I am not as focused. I ran just a little over 6 miles last week and that is nothing. Already looking ahead to my next half marathon on Feb. 1, I want to keep up my current pace, etc…
Hubby’s company Christmas party is Tuesday night and I am very much looking forward to it. It will be fun to get all dressed up and I can’t wait to wear my new size 10 dress and pretty shoes!

My activity points were WAY down this last week, again because of my lack of structured running. I feel like such a slacker!

I feel really out of sorts not weighing in yesterday. You do something for 48 weeks straight and miss it once and it’s like my world was turned upside down! That just goes to show you how it has become such a habit and routine for me. I can’t wait to go and weigh-in next Saturday and get back to my regular routine.

Have a great week!