Saturday, January 30, 2010
I feel like things have evened out a bit. Now, with my new semester of grad school starting, my life is just a bit more chaotic. Also, January seems to be the time when people reach out to reconnect after being buried in the holiday season.
Because of all that, I haven’t eaten at home much this week, and when I was at home on Thursday I felt so tired I could barely eke out a healthy meal (to be honest, it resembled a grade-school lunch: meatless chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, and sugar snap peas--it was a little embarrassing). My exercise routine has taken a bit of a hit. Still, I went to my yoga class, had a run at the gym, and have been walking as much as possible. Plus, I am not overindulging.
So I'd say that’s an even keel. I didn't gain or lose this week, and I’m feeling pretty good. I know that just that little extra effort of taking time out and cooking for myself will tip me back on the downward slide back to goal (and springtime gorgeousness).
I guess it's not so exciting, but I'll take it! Schedule changes are a big challenge for people who are trying to lose weight (back to school, summertime, holidays)--so I'm happy to be riding the wave.
Categories:
Fitness, General, My weight loss
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
This week, I lost 4.6 pounds! Of course, this was compared to my late-day Friday weigh-in last week, which was artificially high, but I’ll take it! I couldn’t be happier. I’m down to where I was before Thanksgiving, and have renewed hope for getting back to goal before spring. It was due to all the good habits I know will keep me successful: - Tracking everything I eat: Logging in frequently throughout the day (thank you, iPhone app).
- Shopping and cooking: Buying lots of non-processed foods and making a point to cook for myself more often than not.
- Planning ahead: When I have dinner with friends at night, planning a lighter lunch, bringing lunch to work or choosing good old standbys at restaurants.
- Sensible snacking: Choosing a few pistachios or almonds, or fruits/veggies instead of processed food items.
- Exercising frequently: See this weekend’s post.
- Getting my liquids: Frequently sipping water, and lots of tea.
- Limiting sugar: Sugar and sweet things tend to make me want to eat more, so I’m limiting those a lot.
- Managing stress: Thanks to meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, and taking time for myself, I’m feeling good.
I’m noticing I’m eating less but feeling full and satisfied throughout the day, thanks to all the Filling Foods I’m getting.
Interestingly, I’ve completely cut out artificial sweeteners due to some headaches I was getting (which means no Diet Coke or Splenda — now I use agave for coffee), and I’m using whole milk in my morning coffee, and I’m still being successful. I’m managing with the extra 1.5 POINTS® values that adds each day.
This is all setting me up to continue to be successful, if I’m willing to do the work. I like the weight loss, so I guess I’ll stick with it!
Categories:
Love & life, My weight loss
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Sunday, January 17, 2010
It's been soooo cold! I hate having to bundle up in multiple layers and waddle around in the cold. It's so exhausting. It's pretty obvious that feeling tired all the time and wanting to avoid stingingly cold weather is a major deterrent to going outside and being active.
As much as I felt entitled to lie around and wallow under my comfy covers, I have not let this keep me from earning plenty of activity POINTS values in the past week. Last week, I earned an impressive 32 activity POINTS values. And 4 days into this week, I've already earned 25. How did I do it, you ask? Well, I'll tell ya. - Exercise DVDs. Thank goodness for the myriad of exercise DVDs that are out there because these can get boring fast. I've tried Bollywood bellydancing, ab workouts, pilates, and whatever else will keep me moving during the week when I can't bear to go to the gym. Plus, they're often in small, 20-30 minute bite-size segments, so I can do as much as I feel like doing.
- Yoga podcasts. This is my newest discovery. These audio versions of yoga workouts don't have the benefit of seeing someone demonstrate the moves, but they also provide a bit more freedom to customize the workout if I don't like a particular sequence someone is leading me through.
- Walking (yes, outdoors). I'm not letting the freezy weather deter me from getting off the train at my usual spot, which is a 10 minute walk from the office. I got a new coat and bundle up for the walk each way. It helps that this has become a habit, and I don't really have to think about it. And on the weekends, I hoof it all over my neighborhood, including the 20-minute walk each way to my regular Sunday yoga class.
- My fitness device. Although I can't reveal which one I'm wearing, having a device on your arm that reminds you of how many calories I'm burning each day is a major motivator. I plug this baby in when I get home from work, and if I've been sitting on my bottom all day it really shows. The other day, I jogged in place in front of the TV for 10 minutes so I wouldn't have a shameful showing for the day (hey, that's vigorous exercise).
So as you can see, I'm back in the groove. I've been eating healthy, planning my meals, and even cooking for myself (those who know me know that I'm not much of a cook). I missed my meeting this week because I was out sick, but I even found my leader the next day for a personal weigh-in. She told me I was brave for weighing in much later in the day than usual (and the scale wasn't kind), but I did it. And that's something to be proud of.
Categories:
Fitness, General, Love & life, My weight loss
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Ok, so I admit it. Last week I was "too busy" for my weekly At Work Meeting and I didn't even weigh in. I'm so ashamed! I couldn't bear to see the scale after the holiday weight I was sure I’d gained. I kept thinking, "I'll just lose a little first and then go weigh in." I know from experience this is a terrible strategy. It usually spirals into total disengagement with the plan and my own weight loss. And eventually I end up gaining even more.
I haven't been tracking and have been banking on my continued exercise to see me through. I deserve three Family Feud X's for that! So I'm vowing to turn myself around. For the past two days I've tracked everything I eat, and I'm weighing in tomorrow no matter what. I can't allow the holidays to totally derail me.
And one other thing: the holidays seemed much more stressful this year. I mean, it was nice to see everyone, but I’ve had so many social engagements. I still haven't fully recovered. And that kind of stress usually totally takes me off track. I stop planning my food and then it's over. So the other thing I've done is print out a shopping list (there's a great one on the home page today) and make sure I'm doing the planning I need to be healthy.
Hopefully, this will be the boost I need.
Categories:
My weight loss
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Well, I survived the holidays, but was a tough week. First, my plane to Florida was delayed for two days. I had planned a little too well and didn’t have any food in the house, so I ended up having takeout for most meals, and gave in to the delicious pancakes that D made for breakfast before I left. I didn’t do so badly on the plane ride (which is usually my downfall), but I got very sick and stayed sick while I was there.
Sickness is another downfall of mine—I never felt satisfied because I couldn’t taste anything due to my stuffed-up sinuses. So I kept feeling like I hadn’t eaten much, and even though I made pretty good choices, I definitely had too much food.
There are some other complications. I stopped drinking diet soda (aspartame gives me bad headaches) but I was super-thirsty. So I drank a lot of juice mixed with seltzer. It’s not huge, but it’s definitely calories that I’m not used to.
So here I am back—no weigh in yet, but I’m feeling a little nervous about it. Probably gained a couple of pounds. But hey, it was a valiant effort facing some big challenges. And what better time to re-motivate myself than New Year’s, when everyone’s getting on the wagon?
Categories:
Family, Fun, General, My weight loss
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Monday, December 21, 2009
I keep having to remind myself that this month is not about weight loss for me. Otherwise, I get down on myself about not "being good" or indulging in a cookie here or there. I just don't want to gain this month. My goal is to stay about where I am through Christmas and then get back on a losing streak in the New Year.
This time of year really is exhausting, and the packed calendar can be pretty stressful. For me, it's more important to focus on eating healthy foods and feeling good, and not add the extra stress on myself of having to meet some weight loss target.
So far, so good. This week I gained back the .6 I lost last week, but that's with a ridiculous number of holiday parties and not much time to exercise. My flight to my parents' house was delayed because of the New York snowstorm, so I had an extra day for myself today. I did some shopping, went for a walk, and got in a 50-minute workout in front of an exercise video. Not a bad way to go into Christmas week with the family.
Everyone, stay strong! Just remember (as my blog posters have told me) that it's just a day (or a couple of days) and it passes. And I think it's important to feel relaxed, take care of and nurture yourself, and eat in a way that makes you feel energetic and healthy. I am not going to get down on myself for slipping. After all, when I imagine how much indulging I would have done back before I cared about healthy living, I'm doing pretty well! I'm sure I'll get in a run or walk with my sisters, and I'll probably have a few sweet treats, but I'll make it through.
Good luck this week. And Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and all that good stuff!
Categories:
Family, Food, Love & life, My weight loss
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
It was tough staying focused this week. As the holidays approach, there’s much more food around the office, and there are lots of parties, with lots of food. Saturday I went to a conference all day and a cocktail party at night. I was not in control of my food at all that day, and by the cocktail party, all my defenses were down and I pigged out on salami and pita chips. I guess that’s not the worst choice I could have made, but I definitely wasn’t proud of myself. Tuesday night I went to yet another holiday party, and Wednesday was a volunteer meeting, with food served. Tonight is our work holiday party. Could it be tougher?
On top of all that, I didn’t get much exercise in this week. I was wiped out from my trip to Florida, and work is busy this time of year, so I didn’t make it to the gym at all. I kept up my walking regime, and generally earned 2-3 activity POINTS values per day, but that’s not my usual level.
That much to say, it’s going to be a long few weeks. The good news is, I’ve been pretty good about my eating choices outside of the parties, and have been avoiding indulging in the many treats at work (or I’ll just have a quarter of a cupcake, rather than an entire one). And on the scale, it paid off. After gaining a bunch last week, I lost .6 this week. Yay! I guess you don’t have to totally sabotage yourself during this time of year. Let’s hope it keeps up.
Categories:
Family, Friends, My weight loss, Work
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Friday, December 04, 2009
Well, as hard as I tried to be prepared for Thanksgiving, I gained some weight this Thanksgiving weekend. But it does teach the importance of managing your environment when you're on plan.
I did pretty well on my first day at my brother's--Thanksgiving. It was really during the three days after that my will to stay on plan slipped farther and farther away from me in the face of all the sugary, salty snacks awaiting me in their well-stocked cupboards and refridgerator.
So, even though I brought some great snacks--popcorn, pistachios, Laughing Cow cheese, and other goodies--I couldn't help but have a little ice cream after dinner when everyone else was--or fully enjoy the tasty and sometimes elaborate meals my brother prepared for each meal (chicken salad sandwiches, grilled chicken with rice, chili with tortilla chips and cheese... yum!). It was all pretty healthy but in a new environment I had a hard time being so detailed about tracking what I was eating, and I didn't always pass up the extras like cheese or sour cream.
But the good news is I got plenty of activity. The fitness tracker that I wear told me that I was burning as many calories per day as I would if I walked around the city for more than 80 minutes in a day. That's because I was non-stop playing with my 3-year-old nieces. We played tag, and monsters, and basketball, and soccer... the list goes on. Every day when I woke up they'd want to go through the litany of games again, and I was pooped by the end.
In the grand scheme of things, the weight gain isn't a big deal--I'm right back on track this week, and I think I'll have a good week. But I really need to find a good strategy for getting through the next weeks through Christmas. I have 4 holiday parties and a baby shower in the week before Christmas! Yikes.
Categories:
Family, Food, General, Love & life, My weight loss
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! This year, I am suprising my parents by showing up at my brother's house for Thanksgiving dinner. I fly out tonight (hopefully, they won't read this until after!). I'm so excited to see my parents, my brother and his wife, and my cute little 3-year old nieces!
I'm feeling good about this trip both because of the good family time and the fact that I think I'm prepared to have a decent week on plan. I've had a great week leading up to the big day, and have prepared for Thanksgiving dinner and a 3 days at my brother's house with tempting snacks in the following ways:
- Packed lots of low POINTS® value snacks such as microwave popcorn, Laughing Cow Cheese, and pistachios to keep me on track for the week.
- Drawn up a rough plan for how I'd like to use my Weekly POINTS Allowance each day while I'm there.
- Packed some form fitting pants for dinner, so I don't overeat.
- Packed my running shoes and a yoga video for some exercise while I'm there.
Plus, I'm going to do a lot of playing with my nieces this week so I'm sure I'll rack up the activity POINTS values. Good luck to all of you in the coming days—and hang in there!
Categories:
Family, Fitness, Food, General, Love & life, My weight loss
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
It must be opposite month, because today when I weighed in, I’d lost 2.2 pounds. Of course I’m so excited, but this week I had resolved that I would not be losing any weight. It wasn’t that it was a bad week, I just had been eating a lot of my weekly POINTS® Allowance and activity POINTS values that I should have been saving for a huge gala on Tuesday and thought I was going to blow my week out of the water at the event.
This gala is a fundraiser for an organization I have volunteered with for about 10 years, and it’s an event I look forward to every year. We all get dressed up in nice dresses, and it involves passed hors d’oeuvres, sugary drink specialties, 3-course meal, wine and Champagne with dinner, and lots of debauchery. I definitely don’t want to feel like I’m depriving myself at this annual affair, so I planned on eating what I wanted—but only what I really wanted, and stopping when I was full. I didn’t eat a huge amount, but I also didn’t pass up the trio of tiny desserts that showed up at the end of the meal (or the drinks for that matter). I did exercise—we danced for hours. And I had a great time!
I didn’t track any of it, and I was pretty sure I would not lose anything as a result of my lax attitude. But I guess it goes to show that I can’t be sure of anything! I finally saw the good results of my past weeks of hard work that showed no results. Go me. Now, time to buckle down.
Categories:
Eating out, Friends, Love & life, My weight loss
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