Boo!

Going out for supper tonight with friends, not sure what I'll be eating.

Did the Cardio Party DVD this morning. Such a huge difference doing that DVD first thing in the morning vs. on the weekends when I usually do it later in the day - I just don't have as much bounce in me at 6:00 in the morning, and I have a hard time following all of the choreography. On weekends I usually leave the workouts for a little later in the day, and then I can really throw myself into it, follow all the steps and work up a good sweat. I am just not a morning person.

Last night after supper tried out the Leslie Sansone Walk & Jog workout. In all honesty, I picked that one because I was cold and I figured it would warm me up. It was pretty good - definitely a bit more of a workout than the walking ones, but one I can still handle in the evening after supper.

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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lbs

BF: Multigrain toast w/PB & J, coffee
Snack: apple
Lunch: Mexican Crockpot Soup (Vegetarian version - extra black beans, no chicken)
Snack: yogurt, raspberries, strawberries
Supper: ??

A.M. Workout: Cardio Party (The FIRM)

Getting Back On Track...Again

Sorta lost it for a few days there. Partially due to Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cravings that just would not go away, but also I think from not finding/making the time to sit down and track my points, check in with the WW message boards, etc. I kept meaning to, then I would put it off, and then it got easier to keep putting it off and then I would think: why bother? And of course, when I know I'm not tracking, it's too easy to have extra treats...As if they don't count when you are not tracking! Silly. I know.

Anyway, was back On Plan yesterday, points were tracked and well within range. Today, so far so good on the points and I got in my morning workout. Now I'm back in Blog Land as well. Two weeks left on the No Name Challenge on the Less To Lose board - two weeks to get down to 135.

Other stuff....

First snow this morning...Not a lot, just a dusting of that really wet snow, I'm sure it's gone by now.

Had to do some repairs to our cat fence yesterday after work. Moon found one of the cats sitting on the front step at 4 a.m. on Monday. So the window with the pet door was closed at that point, and the cats were in until we could check out the fence. Found the problem easily, and was not hard to fix. If it was going to happen, would have been nice if it had happened a week ago when the weather was still warm...Nearly froze my fingers and toes out there last night. And we decided it's time to start keeping the cats in at night anyway; too cold to have the window open now.

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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lbs

BF: 1 tsp Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple
Lunch: Morroccan Chickpea Soup
Snack: Yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
Supper: PC Naan & Korma Sauce w/chicken, cauliflower, red bell peppers

A.M. Workout: Hi-Def Sculpt (The FIRM)
P.M. Workout: Walk & Jog DVD (30 mins)

Thursday

Can't claim to be surprised at the number on the scale this morning. There was an unfortunate encounter with a jar of honey roasted peanuts last night, and the peanuts won. Bye-bye Flex Points.

Ordered more workout DVDs last night. I've already got quite a collection going, but now that I work out at home rather than the gym, I do use them a lot. So I discovered that Ellen Barrett is the instructor on two of the Self workout DVDs and I just love my other Ellen Barret DVDs (I have 5 of them) so I thought I'd give those a try. Then I finally got around to going to Ellen Barrett's website [http://www.ellenbarrett.com/home_v01.html] and discovered that she does have a new DVD....Hmm...Tempting...But I should hold off on that.

Freezing, freezing cold in the office again today. Fortunately I dressed warm, but my hands are like ice.

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Daily Record

Weight: 137

BF: Multigrain Cheerios w/2% Milk, coffee
Lunch: Morroccan Chickpea Soup, Apple
Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
Supper: ??

A.M. Workout: Fat Burning Pilates

Wednesday

8:30 a.m.

I had planned on today being a weigh training day, but just didn't feel like I had it in me. Did convince myself to get out of bed for an easier workout, so did the Walk Away The Pounds 2 Mile walk. Gentle, uncomplicated, but movement that I could handle.

Not feeling any worse today, maybe a bit better, so hopefully that was it. Happy to see 135 on the scale this morning though. I know it probably won't last, but makes me feel better after two days of being back up to 137.

Another grey, damp day. Hope the sun comes back soon.

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Daily Record

Weight: 135

BF: Multigrain Cheerios
Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
Lunch: Morroccan Chickpea Soup
Snack: Apple

AM Workout: WATP 2 Mile Walk (with 2 lb weights)

Tuesday sniffles...

Went to bed with a headache last night, and I have sniffles this morning (well, more sniffles than I usually have). I can feel the headache and scratchy throat sort of waiting...don't know where this is coming from, hope it doesn't amount to anything. However, it means I skipped my morning workout in hopes that the extra hour of sleep would make me feel better. Hopefully I can get in some activity this evening. Or maybe I should just take a cue from my body and rest?

On the up side, the office seems to have evened out at a comfortable temperature this week. Of course, it's been warmer outside for the past several days and we've been getting lots of sun until today. But I'll take it for as long as it lasts.

Chocolate is still calling to me....

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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lbs
BF: Multigrain Cheerios w/2% Milk, coffee
Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
Lunch: Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Snack: Apple, 6 almonds
Supper: PC Naan & Indian Madras curry (w/chicken, red bell pepper, cauliflower)

Beautiful, sunny Monday

Forecast for the day is a high of 18 degrees, most likely it will be warmer than that at our house - not that I will be at our house, I will be uptown in the office all day. But the sun is still shining through the window, and I did get out and enjoy the sunny weather yesterday. I really enjoy this warm weather so late in the year - makes it hard to be upset about global warming.

Yesterday was busy, busy. Tried to get some cleaning done inside, plus some cooking, but I just couldn't stand to waste the beautiful day by staying inside. Went out for a walk, then did some work in the yard - pulling weeds, planted 4 different kinds of bulbs that I picked up at the Superstore on Saturday, dug up a plant that I am hoping I can over-winter in the house.

It felt like I didn't stop yesterday. Good for the Activity Points I guess, but I could have done with a bit more relaxing. Oh well, guess there is plenty of time for that once the weather turns cold.

My one complaint - as usual I am running around trying to get stuff done while Moon sits behind the computer and plays games. I'm always hoping he'll notice that I'm working my butt off so he'll get up and help....Hasn't happened yet, so I don't know why I keep thinking it will.

Have discussed this with my sister. Our Mom is a neat freak, and when she wants something done, she wants it done now. The result is that her house is always neat and tidy. I so wish my house could be that way, but I just did not inherit the gene...I always have lots of clutter around. Add to that a husband who is just as bad, and two cats that like to track in all the mulch from the flower beds, and you end up with a perpetually messy house. I do try, but I can't keep up. And (finally coming to the part my sister and I have discussed) I think I try so hard not to be a nag, that I go too far in the opposite direction. I will gently and politely ask for help (after I have already spent an hour running around the house doing things), at which point Moon may get up and do the few things he considers to be his part, then he'll go back to the computer.

I like it when my house is clean. It's just so hard to get there and it doesn't seem to last. Wish we could afford a maid.

Afternoon thoughts:

The chocolate is calling to me! Went for my daily stroll to buy a bottle of Evian and the Peanut Butter Cups were calling out to me...I resisted. Came back to the office, where a coworker across the hall is selling Cadbury chocolate bars for his kids fundraiser. Fortunately he is across the hall and I can ignore it....But wait, a friendly co-worker bought a bar and offered me a piece...Silly me I accepted and it tasted so good and now I want to buy one for myself and eat the whole thing!

I do allow myself small chocolate treats, but a family size bar of chocolate is not a small chocolate treat. I could eat the whole thing quite easily though.

But no. I will just sit here and drink my water. Maybe chew on a few almonds and see if that does the trick.


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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lbs

BF: 1 slice WW toast w/Olivina, 1/2 c. cottage cheese, coffee
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Snack: yogurt, raspberries, strawberries
Supper: Mexican Crockpot Soup

Lazy Saturday....

Well, sort of lazy Saturday. Was lazy for a while in the morning, eating my cereal, drinking my coffee, watching some TV. Then I did my workout, had lunch, made grocery list, went out shopping. Came home, put groceries away, fed cats, cleaned up kitchen, threw some laundry in the washer, made supper. After supper, cleaned up kitchen again, folded some laundry, and now here I am doing the blog thing.

Need to get the house cleaned tomorrow, and I bought some bulbs at the SuperStore, would like a chance to plant those tomorrow but who knows...I tend to operate in slow motion on the weekends, which is nice, but not so great for getting lots done. I need to cook up a batch of soup to freeze for lunches tomorrow too, finished off what I had in the freezer this week.

Sounds like an exciting life, doesn't it?

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Daily Record

BF: Fruity Cheerios w/2% Milk, coffee
Lunch: 1 WW tortilla with 2 oz grated cheddar, sliced green olives and salsa. 1 apple.
Supper: Shrimp Scampi
Snack: 70% cocoa dark chocolate, Multigrain Tostitos w/salsa

Workout: The FIRM Hard Core Fusion

Yay for Friday!

Weigh-In: 136 lbs (-2)

So it's official - I seem to have finally broken out of my rut. I had a good solid week of Weight-Watchering and I am down two lbs to 136. Woo hoo! Now I just have to lose 16 more. I'm not even sure I can do that and I'm already questioning whether I will be happy with that weight...One step at a time Miss Java...Get to the first goal, and then you can worry about the next step.

I know I had things on my mind earlier today, but it seems that by the time I get home from work and get supper out of the way, I'm too tired to think...at least for the past couple of days. But tomorrow is the weekend and I can sleep in and relax and maybe then my brain will start working again.

Oh, there we go - just went down to finish filling in my meals for the day and thought of something. Our cupboards were pretty bare tonight, and we were lazy, so we had some leftover chicken from last night, and a package of Lipton Sidekicks Noodles or whatever they are called. They were sitting in the cupboard for just such an occaision - sort of an emergency food if you will.

I remember years ago my roomates and I used to have them quite often (they may have been called something different then, but it was the same thing). They were a cheap and easy filler for 3 young girls on a budget (still can't believe that the three of us survived quite happily on $60 a week for groceries for the three of us - now it's more like $200 a week for two of us...but I digress), I think we had them fairly regularly. Anyway, I was surprised tonight at how salty they were - and I like salt.

Oh well, groceries tomorrow. Now my eyes are getting blurry - time to take out my contacts and settle down with a book for an hour or so, then sleep.

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Daily Record

Weight: 136 lbs

BF: WW toast w/Nutella, coffee
Snack: yogurt & raspberries
Lunch: Greek Fest Wrap (greek salad, chicken breast on WW wrap)
Snack: apple
Supper: Chicken, Lipton Side-kick noodles

Thursday Night - almost the weekend!

So it's been a good week, and I'm hoping tomorrow morning's weigh in will reflect that.

Tired tonight though - been a bit of a stressful/frustrating week at work. So, I think this is it for tonight.

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Daily Record

Weight: 136 lbs

BF: Toast w/PB & J, coffee
Snack: apple
Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup
Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
Supper: Chicken, rice, raw veggies, PC Splendido Sparkling Grapefruit Juice
Dessert: 70% cocoa dark chocolate

A.M. Workout: Burn & Firm Pilates

Mid-Week Reflections

I was thinking about something last night, I posted about it briefly on the weightwatchers.ca forum this morning, but I'm going to repeat it here...If I repeat it enough times, hopefully it will stick in my brain!

This week has been going really well, following the program is easy. Finally. For a few while there it seemed like I'd never get back here. That seems to be the way it goes though - Sometimes it's so easy, other times it seems impossible. The problem is that during the easy times, I start to get confident. I start thinking: I can do more! I set higher goals for myself; I'm feeling great! I can work out twice a day! I have time! I have energy! So I will pencil out a plan for myself...Then something goes wrong and it all comes crashing down.

Like the week that Moon got sick. Meal plans went out the window. Who has time for extra workouts when there are pots of chicken soup to be made? All the chores to be done by one person? Then I got sick. Then work was crazy, we had a deadline, there was overtime...And once it went off the rails, it seemed impossible to get back on and do the bare minimum, forget about all the extras I thought I should be able to fit in.

Then discouragement sets in. Who am I kidding? I have tried this so many times before and it never works. Why should this time be any different?

Fortunately, the down-swing was halted and I eventually climbed my way back onto the wagon. This week has been easy again.

I just need to remember to take advantage of the good weeks when everything is going right. Then when the bad weeks come along, to just hang in, do the best I can, and not get discouraged. I'll find the rhythm again.

That being said, I do have a few things to work on:
1. I've been drinking too much coffee, not enough water. Mainly because I've been finding it so chilly in the office I think. But it must stop. I just don't feel as good if I'm not drinking enough water.

2. I've earned extra AP's this week, I've done well with points, as a result I had quite a few Flex Points left this morning, and things reset on Friday. When I went out for my coffee this afternoon, I also came back with a little packet of shortbread cookies. I wasn't hungry. I didn't need them. But I wanted them and I ate them. I will say that I enjoyed them, and I felt satisfied when I finished. So I'm not going to beat myself up about it. However, when I thought about it, I realized that I ate them because I knew I had points left. While it is a good thing that I had points left, it was not a good reason to eat cookies. This is something that I want to stay conscious of. I don't want to (don't think I ever will, really) turn into one of those people who can never have a treat...But I want to have a better reason than "I had points left".

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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lb

BF: 1 slice WW toast w/Nutella, coffee

Snack: Apple

Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup, 1 Mini Babybel cheese

Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries

Snack: Coffee, shortbread cookies

Supper: Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, raw veggies on the side

A.M. Workout: Cardio Overdrive
P.M. Workout: WATP 1 Mile Walk

So far so good...

I seem to be having a good week - sticking to my meal plans, I am well within my points. I feel energetic (well, as energetic as I ever am). I think you just have to take advantage of the good weeks, where things seem easy and you feel like you can do more.

Today's outfit: wearing denim trousers, t-shirt, long sleeve button-down shirt, long sleeve sweater, knee-socks, and my brown Kenneth Cole Reaction boots that I got for half price at the end of last winter - first time wearing and I love them. I was still cold though - it seems to be my feet/legs that get cold. Must be the ceramic tile floor? I'm already dressing for winter, what am I going to do when the weather actually turns cold? It's still above 10 degrees every day.

Went for my afternoon walk to buy a bottle of water and the weather was beautiful. A slight breeze, the sun was shining, I could feel the warmth...I didn't want to go back in the office. Was still beautiful when we got home from work. The sky was that shade of blue that you only see this time of year. Summer is my favourite season, but there is lots to love about autumn as well!

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Daily Record

Weight: 137 lbs

BF: 1 slice WW toast w/PB & jam, coffee

Snack: apple

Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup, 1/4 c. cottage cheese

Snack: yogurt, raspberries, strawberries

Supper: Western Omelette on WW toast with raw veggies on the side.

A.M. Workout: The Firm Hi-Def Sculpt
P.M. Workout: WATP Get Up and Get Started (1 mile)

Monday Again....

Meant to do the blogging thing on the weekend, but didn't get to it. Was a good weekend on the WW front though - lots of exercise (Two FIRM workouts - Hard Core Fusion and Cardio Party plus Pilates) and cleaning around the house. Was very happy when I got on the scale this morning - not only did that extra pesky pound that showed up for Friday's weigh-in go away, but I was down another pound. Now if it will just stay gone!

Still trying to figure out how to dress warm enough not to be cold at work. I'm being stubborn about not wearing tights under my pants - seems to early, but I may have to give it. In any case, I'm thinking it will be sweaters for the rest of the week.

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Daily Record

Weight: 136 lbs

BF: cottage cheese, apple, coffee
Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup
Snack: yogurt, strawberries, raspberries
coffee (trying to warm up)
Supper: leftovers (turkey, potato dressing, veggies, gravy)

A.M. Workout: Pilates Yoga Blend

It's raining, it's pouring...

Weigh in: 138 lb (+1)

And despite being all dressed for fall, I'm downright chilly. Brr.

So yesterday was good, meals went according to plan. Weigh in this morning was not good - up 1 lb. Guess that's what I get for not behaving myself over the past couple of weeks.

But, I'm still feeling the optimism and "I think I can, I think I can" spirit that somehow manifested itself again over the past couple of days. So I am ready to head into the weekend and give it my best effort to stay On Plan.

And I'm thinking I may go back to what I have done in the past with weigh-ins; weigh myself every (or most) mornings and take the average weight. I feel like that may be more accurate.

3:15 - Wild weather. The rain is coming down so hard it looks like someone is on the roof dumping buckets of water over the edge. Meal plans went a little off track. I planned to buy my lunch today, for a change of pace, but was really busy with work over the lunch hour. By the time I was ready to go for lunch it was raining so hard I didn't want to go outside. In addition, I'm freezing, so I'm drinking a cup of coffee, hoping to warm up a bit.

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Daily Record
BF: Cottage cheese, apple, coffee
Lunch: yogurt, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries
Snack: 6 almonds, 1 Werther's candy, coffee
Supper: Thai takeout - chicken pad thai, red curry with chicken
Dessert: Black thai rice with coconut milk

I Feel Good...

Cue the James Brown music. :-)

So, when I posted yesterday it was at the end of the work day while waiting for darling hubby to let me know he was on the way to pick me up. When I recorded my meals for the day, I knew supper would include some sort of veggie side, but wasn't sure what so I didn't include anything in the record.

When I got home, I decided I was too lazy to make salad and raw veggies would do the trick. So I quickly chopped some veggies and arranged a dish each for Moon and I (his with Renee's dip, mine with Spicy Hummus). Now, normally I would sit down and munch my way through the veggies, finishing them all by the time the main course was ready. But since the weather has started cooling off, I've started in on some knitting projects again. I decided to try making a baby blanket for a freind and fearing that it is going to take me forever to finish, I've been spending as much time on it as I could. So, while waiting for the sauce to defrost, the water to boil, the pasta to cooked, I turned on the tv and sat down with my knitting and veggies.

Knitting keeps your hands pretty busy. I have often found it helps with evening munchies, because when my hands are busy I seem less likely to decide that they need to be putting food in my mouth. Last night, it meant that by the time supper was ready, I had barely put a dent in my veggies. So I worked away at them for the rest of the evening, finishing the last few just before I went off to get ready for bed. I did not have a chance to get hungry all evening. I'm feeling like I ate really well yesterday - aside from the peanut butter cup incident - and yes, I feel good!

OT - I have been forgetting to wear my bite plate at night (I grind my teeth in my sleep) and I have been feeling it. Must remember to wear it tonight.

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Daily Record

BF: Multigrain toast with PB & a smidgeon of jam, coffee

Snack: apple, cottage cheese

Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup

Snack: yogurt with 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup raspberries

Supper: Chicken & veg stirfry

A.M. Exercise: Burn & Firm Pilates

Where oh where...

has my motivation gone? I just can't seem to get back into the Weight Watchers mind set. Have not felt like sitting down at the computer to log points on the WW site, or to blog about it. There has just been too much on the go. And I don't know if I have the energy right now to go back over everything I've done wrong for the past little while. Suffice it to say, when weigh-in day rolls around I'll be lucky not to see the number on the scale go up...Sigh.

So, it's time to get back to it.

Also, there is new hand soap in the washroom at work and I think I'm allergic to it. My throat has been itchy, I have been sneezing and blowing my nose all day and I just clued in to the scent coming off my hands. I'm guessing that must be what it is. Off topic, I know, but it contributes to my mood.

What I did right today:
- Exercised this morning
- Mostly ate very well.

What I did wrong today:
- caved into a craving for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Until then, I had a good chance of not going over my Flex Points for the week, but that did it. And I still have one day left.

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Daily record:
BF: cottage cheese, an apple, coffee
Lunch: Lima Bean Tomato Soup
Snack: Activia FF Vanilla Yogurt, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup strawberries
2nd Snack: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Supper: Spaghetti with homemade sauce (made w/extra lean ground beef, lots of tomatoes, diced celery & bell peppers).

A.M. Workout: Burn & Firm Pilates

And We're Back...

So, things have been a bit crazy.

Last week Moon was sick. Then of course I caught his cold/flu, whatever it was. So I was not feeling well, but dragging myself to work anyway because we had a serious deadline. So I just kept popping Advil Cold & Sinus pills and drinking orange juice, promising myself I just had to make it to the weekend and then I could rest.

On Friday the realization hit me that I was going to have to work the weekend. For a few minutes there I could have cried. But I was starting to feel a bit better, and you do what you have to do, right?

So I was at the office all day Saturday. Worked from home on Sunday. Nothing got done around the house, except for a bit of cleaning that Moon did on Saturday while I was at work. But he still was not feeling well, so he didn't exactly have a whole lot of energy for cleaning....not like it's his favourite thing to do at the best of times. No laundry done. No grocery shopping. No cooking ahead for the week.

I just felt exhausted and defeated.

I did get back to my workouts on Sunday. Did Hi-Def Sculpt on Sunday, this time with 5 lbs...Still want to take it easy until I'm familiar with all the moves. Cardio Party yesterday. Today nothing because Moon had to be at the office early, so I didn't have time. According to The Firm's Workout plan, this was supposed to be a rest day anyway.

Eating is tough this week, no grocery shopping means no meal plans and I am still coming home and working in the evenings. I'll be glad when this project is done.

Tonight Moon wanted Wendy's. So, I looked up their nutrition info and decided to have the Ultimate Chicken Grill and a side salad. Sadly, it was disappointing. Definitely will not order that again. The chicken had a weird texture and there was not a lot of flavour.

I don't eat much fast food. Never eat McDonald's or Burger King, but I do usually like Wendy's. Did not like this though. And when I have a disappointing meal, I don't feel satisfied and I end up looking for something else to eat.

I will be glad when Friday rolls around and my points reset and the weekend will be here so I can do some grocery shopping and planning and hopefully next week will be better.

Now, tired, off to bed.