Wednesday, February 28, 2007

WWIN

Fine, fine, fine. I'll be first. Wish I had great news, though.

I'm 5.7 above my starting weight. Grrr.

How'd you do?

Tuesday, February 27, 2007


I found this in Parade Magazine several weeks ago. I don't normally read Parade, but did this particular week. Do ya' think it's a coincidence? ;)

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Feb. 21 check-in

Well, looks like I might have lost my cute little tracker. No matter -- I know where I started last year and I know where I am today, which is 11 pounds lighter! That may not seem like a big whoop and holler thing, but it is a positive for me. I'm just two pounds from a previous landmark weight and gives me hope of going on down the scale to other landmarks.

Do you have those too? Those weights that stick in your mind at certain times in your life? I have several. The weight I was when I had surgery in 1990. The weight I was when I got married in 1987. My lowest adult weight, when my brother died and the scale started spinning up again. Oh yes, I have a weight for all the memorable dates in my life, and I bet you do too.

I'll have a birthday coming up in just over a month, and I imagine I'm going to have a weight for that too. Then my best friend is getting married this summer, and there will be one for that too.

Funny, isn't it? How great would it be to just have and maintain a good, safe, healthy weight all the time?

One reason I'm allowing myself to go slow with this weight loss is because I am SO TIRED of the wild fluctuations and the yo-yo dieting. I'm tired of having a 50-lb. swing in my weights, depending on the events in my life.

So... onward and downward!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Oh for pity's sake

Can't someone else post first on the dreaded Wednesday Weigh-In? Why must it be me? Why? And why is it that fattening foods taste great? WHY? Well, actually I know that one. We humans are made to like fat. Our body responds to it. It likes fat. Comes from ancient days when we would face starvation in the winter. Now, of course, Big Macs lurk behind every tree, waiting to pounce and force their way into our mouths. Evil Big Macs. Evil.

Anyway, I lost 3.1 pounds. At least, I think I did. The scale is still acting strange, and now I think it might be broke. (Great. I broke the scale. Can't tell you what that does to my self esteem!) So I'm going to have to get another one.

How did you do this week? Were you good? Were you bad? Happy? Sad? And how's the weight loss going?

Did you read Linda's Monday post? Good, inspiring words and tips. Go back and read it if you haven't. It's worth your time.

Monday, February 12, 2007

A Few Tips

I've been thinking about some things lately and thought I'd share.

Sometimes I think it's too easy to follow a particular program and forget to ask what we need in our lives. If we don't get what we need from the program, we'll definitely fall away. I'm not talking about need as in "proper nutrition and exercise". I'm talking about need as in celebrating holidays, special occasions, having favorite foods, or having a social life (which always has food in it).

I have a few tips that I've been remembering as these things have come up. One issue is eating out. Sometimes when we eat out, it's a replacement for a regular meal. Other times, it's a holiday or other celebration. One trick to managing eating out is to be aware of whether you're replacing a regular meal or whether you're celebrating a special occasion. I had a Weight Watchers leader once who said we got ten days a year where we could celebrate and eat whatever we wanted. If it's not one of those "ten days", you'd choose healthy foods or to make a real effort to eat the way you would when you're at home. You'd save the treats for those occasions that truly are special. After all, a treat isn't a treat if you have it all the time.

Another thing I've been thinking about is the battle we often have with sweets. I noticed that if I eat fruit with every meal, I don't crave sweet desserts as much. But I do like them and don't want to completely give them up. I read a tip somewhere that suggested choosing sweets only once a day. So if you have a doughnut for breakfast, you'd have to pass on the birthday cake for the colleague at work. What this does, really, is get you to think before you eat, to make mindful choices, rather than just going along with whatever's going on around you.

A tip regarding junk food starts with a little story. I was grocery shopping with my son the other day. He bought a decent mix of good food and junk food. He said,"When I get junk, I try to get 'good' junk." I laughed, but I know what he means. If I'm going to spend calories on sweet treats, I'm not wasting them on stuff that doesn't taste good. If one cookie isn't enough, it's not a good enough cookie, in my opinion.

The last tip I've been thinking about comes from a friend who trains people to be personal trainers. She says that a good, overall food plan is about 80% good food and a maximum of 20% "stuff people feel guilty about eating." I stopped feeling guilty about food a long time ago. But this rule of thumb, if you're honest with yourself about following it, is a good way to be healthy without following a food plan that's so restrictive that you can't stick with it.

I hope you all have a great week!

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Wednesday Weigh-In again

Here we are. Another Wednesday Weigh-In. Whose idea was this again, anyway? They should be shot, I tell you, SHOT! And then poked with sharp pointy sticks until we're sure they're dead ...

Well, maybe not. I still don't have a functioning scale -- how long can I use that excuse? But I've been bad this week so I suspect it wouldn't show me a good number. Starting today, I will do better. There's no point in doing this unless I truly commit. And I'll will try my best get the proper batteries for my scale. (My Wal-Mart was sold out of them, which is odd because I wouldn't think that size of battery was used much.)

Anyway, how did you do? Are you winning the Battle of the Bulge? Or are you slipping into the Valley of Weight along with me? Are you spreading your wings and soaring above calorie-filled temptations or are you wallowing in the fat? Win or slip? Soar or wallow? Which is it?

I can beat this weight thing. I think you can, too. We just have to do it. And we can. But will we? I think we will.