It's like throwing a pail of cold water on all our smoking inner head parts. Gears unjam, lines start rolling, and you settle back in the restaurant booth with a satisfied smile on your face and just blurt it out.........
"Parcheesi, that's what it was called."
Awesome!
This is the jist of "The Book of Awesome" and well worth the time to parouse. A pick up book, a bathroom book; no need for a lot of time. Open it up to any page and enjoy. It took Neil Pasricha a year to gather all the awesomeness resting between two book boards, but it's there for you for a moment or longer as you choose.
Now that's what I consider awesome.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Ongoing Saga or I Want a Blizzard..........
It's Almond Breeze time again. To be truthful, I'd about given up on creating a 3-5 point yummy over the moon "Blizzard" until quite by accident there it was! A Banana Mango, eat with a spoon concoction that equalled any real Blizzard. Well..... that is if you wanted a fruity blizzard and not something full of bits of Scor bar and pecan clusters.............. This was amazingly thick and creamy and now one of my favorite all time "I want something rich and creamy and tastes like it's full of calories (points) but isn't" instant satisfiers.
So here it is; just look at how thick it is! And it's even GOOD for you................
The Recipe:
1/2 a medium frozen banana (peel & break in half before freezing or you're in trouble)
1/2 cup frozen cubed mango (I buy them on sale by the case and freeze my own)
1 cup well chilled Almond Breeze
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (I like Sisu brand)
1 Tbsp. natural bran (optional)
Wizz in your blender until thick and creamy.
Yeild: 1 Serving
Points: 5
Note: If it's not thick enough, add more frozen mango or banana until it is the consistancy you like.
Friday, May 7, 2010
"Almost Ice Cream" Chocolate Protein Shake
I've been experimenting with my blender again. I said earlier that I thought If I used choclate protein powder I could create a 2.5 healthy mock Blizzard. It didn't work! I had overlooked the "freeze" factor and all I got was a thinish protein drink. Remember, the in the blueberry "Blizzard" protein shake I had added 3/4 frozen blueberries.......the freeze factor. There wasn't any frozen berries going into the chocolate "Blizzard" shake so all I could think of was some ice. Bad idea! All that accomplished was to water down what would have whipped into a nice thick protein drink.
This thought has been brewing in the back of my mind for a couple of days and today I pulled out the blender, chocolate protein powder and...........the freeze factor. (Yesterday I poured about a cup of Almond milk into ice cube trays and froze it!) Ah ha! I think I've got it!
Of course your blender won't work if all you put in it are chunks of frozen Almond Breeze, so I started with 1/2 cup cold Almond Breeze and topped it up with the "freeze factor" until the liquid reached around a cup. Actually it was all stacked up so I really don't know what the heck that measurement was. Oh well, this is just an experiment after all. On top of that I added one scoop of chocolate protein powder and a couple of teaspoons of natural bran.........can't forget the fiber........remember he helps with the thickening and acts as a scrubbing brush in our intestines. Enough said about fiber.
WHIZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz went the blender and I discovered I had too much "freeze factor" in the carafe and everything just got hung up above the blades so I added a drizzle more almond milk to get things going again. Away it went again and what I'd intended to be a mock chocolate "Blizzard" ended up looking more like ice cream!!! OMG, this is fantastic, I thought but it really wasn't all that great after all. It was too icy to be ice cream and not creamy enough to be a "Blizzard". What I got I think, is a chocolate slushy. Oh well, back to the drawing board...............
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Almond Breeze and an Adventure in Architectural Coiffing
I just read the comments on my new and amazing protein shake and am happy that some of you are going to give it a try. I had another one this morning because they are really decadent, creamy and filling for so little points. (3.5)
Medicmom, (defib64) to answer your querey; Almond Breeze is almond milk and you find it in the same place that you find the tetra packs of soy milk (bad stuff that soy milk). Here is a visual for you for next time you go shopping.
Now that that is out of the way I have to tell you I must have burned up a gazillion AP's today.....without walking or pumping iron. I've been de-dusting our house. Don't get this confused with ordinary dusting because it is not. I have been removing gargantuan amounts of sanding dust from every nook and cranny in my house..........just the downstairs mind you....I still have the upstairs to tackle. Yay, burning more calories again!
I've not mentioned this before, but we are updating our home that we built 12 years ago. I call it architectural coiffing because it's kind of a fancy upgrade to an already beautiful home. We decided to remove all the carpeting from the living and dining rooms, hall and my library/office, and stairs and remove the granite floor from the foyer and replace it all hardwood . Very 2010! From there we decided "while we're at it" (the famous last words) we should do some special wall and woodwork treatments. In came the design team to help us decide which way to go. The woodwork, which there is a lot of, has been striaded and glazed.....this is a process of 6 to 7 layers.
The new wood stairs treads are spectacular so we needed to upgrade the stancions on the railings from wood to iron. Our living room is two stories high so we added beams that ended up getting antiqued. Our dining room which has a ceiling height of 9 feet got the royal treatment; coffered ceilings and beams that are being antiqued with silver, bronze and washes of burnished browns and crackled smokey sea pine colour. This is also a multi layer job. Similar ceiling in the powder room but this time we are using a bronze verdigre with silver undertones.
We just couldn't leave it there could we? No. The walls had to be treated to a multi layer process as well. Enter the plasterer who specializes in Venetian plaster. So here we are today, 7 months from when we started and the plasterer broke his knuckle this morning before he started our job and is in a cast! Falling back to my British roots; I have to shout......... Bloody Hell! Anyhow, he said all is under control and he has a couple of people starting in the morning to do the initial 3 layers. By the time they are done, he should be healed enough to do the final "what you will see" coats himself.
When will that be finished you might wonder....4 - 6 weeks. When he's done, the covers come off of the hardwood floor that were scraped and sanded during the past 3 weeks so that they can be stained and given 3 finish coats of some new and wonderful type of finish that I've never heard of before. If everything goes as planned we should be ready to roll out the area rugs and return the furniture to there places in say 2 months. That adds up to 9 months. 9 months for a reno!!!! OMG what were we thinking?
I really don't believe it will be finished then and today I overheard the Christmas word spoken this morning, at which time I decided to bury myself in my art studio and have some fun for a change. I'm done with it all, it has about driven me to distraction, my DH and I have had "words" on several occassions so I'm going to my "happy place" and having a glass of wine. When it's done, it's done and I'm not going to let it get the better of me or worse still cause a rift between my DH and myself. O H M!!!!! Zoning out now.
Moral to the story: Drink yummy protein shakes and DO NOT renovate your house!
Medicmom, (defib64) to answer your querey; Almond Breeze is almond milk and you find it in the same place that you find the tetra packs of soy milk (bad stuff that soy milk). Here is a visual for you for next time you go shopping.
Now that that is out of the way I have to tell you I must have burned up a gazillion AP's today.....without walking or pumping iron. I've been de-dusting our house. Don't get this confused with ordinary dusting because it is not. I have been removing gargantuan amounts of sanding dust from every nook and cranny in my house..........just the downstairs mind you....I still have the upstairs to tackle. Yay, burning more calories again!
I've not mentioned this before, but we are updating our home that we built 12 years ago. I call it architectural coiffing because it's kind of a fancy upgrade to an already beautiful home. We decided to remove all the carpeting from the living and dining rooms, hall and my library/office, and stairs and remove the granite floor from the foyer and replace it all hardwood . Very 2010! From there we decided "while we're at it" (the famous last words) we should do some special wall and woodwork treatments. In came the design team to help us decide which way to go. The woodwork, which there is a lot of, has been striaded and glazed.....this is a process of 6 to 7 layers.
The new wood stairs treads are spectacular so we needed to upgrade the stancions on the railings from wood to iron. Our living room is two stories high so we added beams that ended up getting antiqued. Our dining room which has a ceiling height of 9 feet got the royal treatment; coffered ceilings and beams that are being antiqued with silver, bronze and washes of burnished browns and crackled smokey sea pine colour. This is also a multi layer job. Similar ceiling in the powder room but this time we are using a bronze verdigre with silver undertones.
We just couldn't leave it there could we? No. The walls had to be treated to a multi layer process as well. Enter the plasterer who specializes in Venetian plaster. So here we are today, 7 months from when we started and the plasterer broke his knuckle this morning before he started our job and is in a cast! Falling back to my British roots; I have to shout......... Bloody Hell! Anyhow, he said all is under control and he has a couple of people starting in the morning to do the initial 3 layers. By the time they are done, he should be healed enough to do the final "what you will see" coats himself.
When will that be finished you might wonder....4 - 6 weeks. When he's done, the covers come off of the hardwood floor that were scraped and sanded during the past 3 weeks so that they can be stained and given 3 finish coats of some new and wonderful type of finish that I've never heard of before. If everything goes as planned we should be ready to roll out the area rugs and return the furniture to there places in say 2 months. That adds up to 9 months. 9 months for a reno!!!! OMG what were we thinking?
I really don't believe it will be finished then and today I overheard the Christmas word spoken this morning, at which time I decided to bury myself in my art studio and have some fun for a change. I'm done with it all, it has about driven me to distraction, my DH and I have had "words" on several occassions so I'm going to my "happy place" and having a glass of wine. When it's done, it's done and I'm not going to let it get the better of me or worse still cause a rift between my DH and myself. O H M!!!!! Zoning out now.
Moral to the story: Drink yummy protein shakes and DO NOT renovate your house!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Amazing Blueberry Almond Breeze Protein Shake "Blizzard"......all for 3.5 Points!
Having a protein shake for breakfast isn't a new thing for me; I generally have two of them every week. Each summer I freeze lots of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and mango chunks for these yummy "shakes". I use either 1 cup of skim milk or Almond Breeze, 3/4 cup of frozen fruit and a scoop of Sisu French vanilla whey protein and whip it up in the blender. Sometimes I throw in 1/2 a banana as well especially if I'm making a strawberry "shake". Strawberry and banana is such a classic combination.
Well..........today I had a brain storm and decided to add a tablespoon of natural wheat bran to the mix for extra fiber and here's what I got...........
Well..........today I had a brain storm and decided to add a tablespoon of natural wheat bran to the mix for extra fiber and here's what I got...........
.......it was the best one yet and it kept me full until well after lunch time today so I'm going to be adding natural bran to all of them from now on. The bran expanded and made my normally thick protein shake super thick; almost like a DQ Blizzard. No kidding you could have eaten it with a spoon. Of course, if you don't like the spots (blueberry and bran spots) you could blend it longer until they were gone but I kind of liked the way it looked and it felt more like a Blizzard somehow.
Did you know that skim milk will whip like cream whereas 2% or milk with any cream in it won't? That's why I like to use skim milk in my protein shakes.....they get thick. The Almond Breeze gets thick as well and imparts the most amazing rich creamy flavor you can imagine. I buy the unsweeted plain Almond Breeze and one cup has only 40 calories or 1 point. So if you have a hankering for a Blizzard, try it out with any frozen fruit or berries of your choice (if they aren't frozen, it doesn't get very thick)
That said, I'm thinking I'm on to something here and I'm going to experiment with chocolate protein powder, almond milk, a drizzle of chocolate syrup , natural bran and a few Smarties or pieces of Skor bar sometime soon.........I'll let you know how it worked out.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
My Salad
D e l i s h ! Leftover green beans, asparagus and chicken breast turned this bed of butter lettuce and tomatoes into a tasty 5 point lunch. It could have been less if I'd used a fat free bottled dressing but I really don't like them. I make my own olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing from scratch. Since I eyeball it, I think there was either 1 or 2 teaspoons of olive oil; if in doubt I always go for the higher number, so my dressing added 2 points. The only other points in the salad was the 3 ounces of lean chicken breast.
So there you have it, my "d e l i s h" lunch for today. Once I finish my cup of tea, I'm off to take my dog for a good walk to help take care of the tiny piece of birthday cake I had last night. All in all this was a great OP weekend for me even with the wine tasting event we went to last night. The only numbers that were unplanned for was the ones on the bills we put down for all the wine we bought.
Friday, April 30, 2010
If you read my last post you will understand what I'm about to say. I weighed in at my WW meeting yesterday and had a "bad loss"......only down 0.2#'s! I kind of liked the way the #'s! looked after the 0.2....it was kind of like swearing without meaning to. Freudian slip I suppose. Anyway I suppose to my DH it would have been a "bad loss", that is until I teach him otherwise. He didn't ask so I didn't offer what happened at WW yesterday. Good thing; maybe this his way of not deflating me.....you know the age old addage, "If you can't say something nice, say nothing". He might be learning.
I wasn't happy with my weight loss but it was a loss none the less and I'll take it graciously. The meeting got me thinking about a few things though and I have an entirely new outlook for this coming week. Our leader asked us to pick another goal of creating a new habit. My first one was to walk 5 times a week. As I looked over my MapMyWalk calendar and journal I noticed that each week I walked a little less than the previous week. Hmmmm maybe that's a clue to why my weight loss was declining. It's not rocket science after all and I got it! So for my new habit I have chosen to stop procrastinating about going for a walk. I will practice going out for a walk the second I think of an excuse why I can't, don't want to or any other excuse that comes to mind.
So I made myself a reminder that I can't miss. It's on my desk right next to my computer. So far it's been working.......so well in fact, I have a strong urge to get off the computer and go for a walk right now. Well, I'll wait until after lunch. Is that an excuse? Oh oh! No I think missing a meal for a walk wouldn't be a good plan but I promise, right after lunch, I'm hitting the trail!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Closet Blogger
I just finished reading the blog "Let Them Eat Lettuce" and a question was put out about how our husbands or signifigant other related to us blogging away the pounds. I was glad to see that other women's spouses had the same feelings as mine so now I know I'm not alone with a guy that just doesn't get it. Other than the computer time I put in, my husband is great with the different type of meals I've been preparing, saying he actually like it better this way. He even will go to the supermarked and buy his own "goodies" and eat them out of my sight. That is a biggy as far as I'm concerned.
Now I have a thought to put out there. My husband is always very excited for me if I have a "good loss" but is kind of indifferent if I have a "bad loss". Sounds silly huh? Well it is, but it bothers me a lot. Everyone knows what a "good loss" is but what the heck is a "bad loss"? In his estimation and considering all I did during the week, each week should be a loss of at least 2 pounds. When I have a "bad loss" I'd have lost 1 pound or less. In my own mind I know that any loss is a "good loss" but his attitude makes me feel like I didn't do well enough when the numbers are under the one pound mark.
He's the kind of guy that is perpetually slim. Yeah, you hate him already; I hear ya! LOL He's also the kind of guy that when he weighs himself after a holiday and has gained a lot of weight.....read that as 3 or 4 pounds....he freaks out as if it were the end of the world. How do you suppose THAT makes me feel? Now he begins weighing day and night ....."only down .7 pounds"......"what the heck is wrong?" " I've gained 2 pounds!" "Don't you know you weigh more at night than in the morning?", I ask. "Why can't I lose weight?" " Better get upstairs and start working out double time.....I'm fat.....look at this" (see pinched skin the thickness I'd kill for) "Don't buy anymore "goodies""........I'm about to kill him if he doesn't shut up about HIS weight problem. I've told him how this makes me feel, but it's there, in the background now waiting for me to have a "bad loss".
Don't get me wrong.......my husband is great about our meals, sometimes having to make his own lunch when I'm budgeting points for dinner out that night. He's even gone in the "closet" so to speak with his ice cream or chips for me so I really don't have a lot to complain about. Now if I can get him to understand that there is no such thing as a "bad loss"...............
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The End of Week 1
What a journey this week has been. I've learned so much between my online WW program and my WW meetings. Never before could I manage to have several glasses of wine during the week and still lose weight. I finally figured out how to do it. First and most important, I learned that the wine must be planned AND recorded in advance. Second, and equally important for me, is to make sure I have some point friendly sweet treats for the sugar craving wine seems to leave me with. Finally, I must go out walking at least 30 minutes every day to get away with it. Easy peezie, now I have figured out the wine to sugar craving equasion. I never over indulge; 1-2 glasses of wine 2-3 times a week is my norm and now that I know I can do that AND still lose weight, I'm a happy camper.
BTW I lost 5 pounds this week! I used about 6 of my WP due to the cookie fiasco I reported earlier and none of my AP. It wasn't difficult, stressful or unpleasant.............as long as I remember to record my points BEFORE I eat them I feel confident I'll finally reach my goal.
BTW I lost 5 pounds this week! I used about 6 of my WP due to the cookie fiasco I reported earlier and none of my AP. It wasn't difficult, stressful or unpleasant.............as long as I remember to record my points BEFORE I eat them I feel confident I'll finally reach my goal.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Revelation
The sun is shining and the birds are nesting.....what more could I ask for? Well 35 lbs. less of me I suppose but I have a strong feeling THIS time I'll reach my goal. Now for last night. After 2 glasses of wine which were planned in advance and recorded, the cookies in the pantry started acting up. Fortunately they are Peak Freans LifeStyle cranberry citrus oat crunch 1 point cookies....how bad is that you might wonder? By the time I was through 12 cookies had somehow found their way into my stomach! I think there might be a lesson here I thought. DAH!
Actually there is a lesson for me at least. If I drink wine I always crave sweets afterwards. So what to do? Hummm????? I suppose I could have some frozen grapes or a 1 point Dairy Queen fudge bar on hand to safely take care of the after wine sweet attack. Cookies on the other hand, must not be in residence if I want to enjoy a glass or two of wine from time to time. It comes right down to this, either cookies or wine? No contest.......I'll have the wine!
Actually there is a lesson for me at least. If I drink wine I always crave sweets afterwards. So what to do? Hummm????? I suppose I could have some frozen grapes or a 1 point Dairy Queen fudge bar on hand to safely take care of the after wine sweet attack. Cookies on the other hand, must not be in residence if I want to enjoy a glass or two of wine from time to time. It comes right down to this, either cookies or wine? No contest.......I'll have the wine!
Friday, April 9, 2010
I've Joined WW meetings plus WW online!
It just had to happen one of these days. I finally got tired of gaining weight and growing out of my clothes so a month ago while we were still down south, I joined WW online which helped me halt the upward trend. Once home and immediately after Easter, I went to my local WW meeting and rejoined. Did I forget to tell you I became a Lifetime member back in 1992? Anyway, I'm motivated and back out walking, tracking everything I eat and feel relieved that I've finally set a goal and am working toward it.
In the map below, if you click on Full View, you will see camera icons along the way; click on them to see what I saw at that point in my walk. Isn't technology amazing! This marvelous little iPhone app cost me $1.99. Where else can you get GPS for the price of a couple of extra large apples?
In the map below, if you click on Full View, you will see camera icons along the way; click on them to see what I saw at that point in my walk. Isn't technology amazing! This marvelous little iPhone app cost me $1.99. Where else can you get GPS for the price of a couple of extra large apples?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Everthing Went Sideways............>>>>>>>>>>>>
I've had house guests since my last blog and haven't done well. The truth be known, I sort of threw in the towel on the entire weight loss thing and went back to the same ol' same ol'. They all (all 4 of them) left this morning and I've spent the day thinking about what I did...............or I should say didn't do, and feel fairly confident that I can get back on track tomorrow. I didn't record anything today or go to my WW online program but have a pretty good idea that today wasn't a bad day except for the ginger snaps after dinner. I did however, get out for a 30 minute walk with my fur baby tonight so I think I'm about even. Only tomorrow will tell.............wish me good luck cuz I'm trying to be a looser.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Muffin Tops
I'm feeling considerably better this morning. Was it the good sleep or the walk last night? I'm not totally over this cold and and hoping I won't have another relapse. By the way, did you feed my fish? They're hungry little devils. Just point you curser in the pond and click some food out for them. They love visitors and really like to follow your curser. If you have a munchy attack why not come and feed the fish instead?
Today I went out looking for those yummy looking Vita Muffin Tops that are advertised on the WW online site but can't find any. Since I'm in the States at the moment, I thought I be able to find them here. I've been reading the WW boards and the girls are ordering them so I thought they might not be available in Canada. You can buy just about anything down here...........except of course, Muffin Tops. Maybe this is a good thing because I heard they are really really really good. Maybe I should stop looking and leave that one alone.
I love it when that happens............when I start typing whatever pops into my mind. I find that I talk myself through things I've been thinking about and what ends up on the paper is generally the best solution.........I'm my own therapist! LOL So forget the Muffin Tops. Besides, a muffin top isn't the nicest thing to have hanging over your waistband is it? That is a very good visual for me now. Whenever I see the Muffin Top ad or hear the girls talking about them I will think about a muffin top waistline and be turned off.
I'm going to get and apple now.
Today I went out looking for those yummy looking Vita Muffin Tops that are advertised on the WW online site but can't find any. Since I'm in the States at the moment, I thought I be able to find them here. I've been reading the WW boards and the girls are ordering them so I thought they might not be available in Canada. You can buy just about anything down here...........except of course, Muffin Tops. Maybe this is a good thing because I heard they are really really really good. Maybe I should stop looking and leave that one alone.
I love it when that happens............when I start typing whatever pops into my mind. I find that I talk myself through things I've been thinking about and what ends up on the paper is generally the best solution.........I'm my own therapist! LOL So forget the Muffin Tops. Besides, a muffin top isn't the nicest thing to have hanging over your waistband is it? That is a very good visual for me now. Whenever I see the Muffin Top ad or hear the girls talking about them I will think about a muffin top waistline and be turned off.
I'm going to get and apple now.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I Thought I was Better...........
I finally got a good nights sleep. I got to bed and fell immediately to sleep at ten last night and slept until eight this morning. Thinking to myself, "Finally, a good night's sleep!" Then I realize the cold I've been fighting for the past week had worsened. Yesterday had been a great day, I felt almost myself again, had two really good walks with the dog..........she's losing weight with me........I was on top of my game. Not so much today. My dog got a mini walk this morning and I'm medicating myself with Homeopathic cold meds, sneezing, my ear is blocked which is throwing off my equilibrium, making me feel a bit woozy and my throat is a bit sore. So that's my situation.
What I used to do under these circumstances was to get all cozied up on the couch and munch my way through the day, self medicating with food.......well, the truth be know, my medication of choice would be sweets. Wine gums and red licorice come immediately to mind. Cookies, Westcoat trail muffins (aren't they health food?), good bakery crusty bread, butter and cheese, ice cream (mother gave me that to make me feel better and "help" cool my sore throat) and anything chocolate.
What the new me is doing now: The TV is on in the other room and I'm listening to the storyline while I journal. I know it doesn't burn a lot of calories but it beats laying on the couch. I type fast so that has to be good for something. I've been reading several other blogs which have inspired me enough to stay on track and make a concerted effort not to resort to the couch. For the sake of my health , I plan on having a nap this afternoon and chicken noodle soup for lunch. It really does clear the nasal passages! As for my dog; she will get a decent walk after dinner no matter how I feel.
Update: The dog and I just got back from a 35 minute walk. Mission complete.
What I used to do under these circumstances was to get all cozied up on the couch and munch my way through the day, self medicating with food.......well, the truth be know, my medication of choice would be sweets. Wine gums and red licorice come immediately to mind. Cookies, Westcoat trail muffins (aren't they health food?), good bakery crusty bread, butter and cheese, ice cream (mother gave me that to make me feel better and "help" cool my sore throat) and anything chocolate.
What the new me is doing now: The TV is on in the other room and I'm listening to the storyline while I journal. I know it doesn't burn a lot of calories but it beats laying on the couch. I type fast so that has to be good for something. I've been reading several other blogs which have inspired me enough to stay on track and make a concerted effort not to resort to the couch. For the sake of my health , I plan on having a nap this afternoon and chicken noodle soup for lunch. It really does clear the nasal passages! As for my dog; she will get a decent walk after dinner no matter how I feel.
Update: The dog and I just got back from a 35 minute walk. Mission complete.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Looking back on my first day.
As you can see, I've been busy on my computer again. It really helped me focus on something other than food yesterday. As I said in my previous bog, I wouldn't let the computer get in the way of exercising. I didn't. I got out there and walked twice accumulating 50 minutes at a moderately brisk pace. Today I got up in a renewed frame of mind, feeling successful instead of feeling down in the dumps because I'd eaten everything but the kitchen sink the night before. I hope I can keep those two feelings clearly in my mind because I think this is my AHA moment.
Did I tell you that I became a lifetime WW member in 1993? I lost thirty-five pounds on the old Selection Plan; way before the Points System was introduced. I felt vibrant, strong, and proud of my accompishment. I was walking 3 - 8 miles a day at a 4 mph speed so I'd also become fit and didn't have any jiggly bits anymore. I had made a goal of losing weight and to be fit enough to climb a mountain.......not a really huge one requiring ropes and things, but a smallish one where hiking boots would suffice. Little did I know the mountain I would have to climb wasn't going to be made of rock. Our eldest son died suddenly and I spent the next 10 years climbing a mountain of grief.....up into the mountain then down into the valley only to have to climb all the way up again. It was agonizing. During this time, I lost myself and comforted myself with anything sweet and eventually regained the thirty-five pounds plus an additional five. I returned to Weight Watchers five or six times, losing ten or so pounds, then find myself back on my "mountain"; give up an regain the weight again. I finally said, "If I'm going to be fat, so be it; I don't care". But inside I really did care and I kept trying over and over again and failing over and over again. I think I have tried every reasonably sensible diet on the planet.
There is a saying "You are only a failure if you give up trying". It's true isn't it? It's been fifteen years since my son's death and I've been off my "mountain" for five. I believe I've come full circle because somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Weight Watchers was the place I needed to be. So here I am, not as young or as strong as I was...........but I'm here and going to give it my all and get this job done once and for all.
Did I tell you that I became a lifetime WW member in 1993? I lost thirty-five pounds on the old Selection Plan; way before the Points System was introduced. I felt vibrant, strong, and proud of my accompishment. I was walking 3 - 8 miles a day at a 4 mph speed so I'd also become fit and didn't have any jiggly bits anymore. I had made a goal of losing weight and to be fit enough to climb a mountain.......not a really huge one requiring ropes and things, but a smallish one where hiking boots would suffice. Little did I know the mountain I would have to climb wasn't going to be made of rock. Our eldest son died suddenly and I spent the next 10 years climbing a mountain of grief.....up into the mountain then down into the valley only to have to climb all the way up again. It was agonizing. During this time, I lost myself and comforted myself with anything sweet and eventually regained the thirty-five pounds plus an additional five. I returned to Weight Watchers five or six times, losing ten or so pounds, then find myself back on my "mountain"; give up an regain the weight again. I finally said, "If I'm going to be fat, so be it; I don't care". But inside I really did care and I kept trying over and over again and failing over and over again. I think I have tried every reasonably sensible diet on the planet.
There is a saying "You are only a failure if you give up trying". It's true isn't it? It's been fifteen years since my son's death and I've been off my "mountain" for five. I believe I've come full circle because somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Weight Watchers was the place I needed to be. So here I am, not as young or as strong as I was...........but I'm here and going to give it my all and get this job done once and for all.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A New Beginning
"The Day" finally arrived and I stepped on my glass and metal nemesis that sits threatening on the bathroom floor.........well, let's not dwell on that nasty experience and move on.
I spent most of the day on the computer figuring out the online version of WW, searching the boards for motivation, rethinking meals and now I've even started a blog. Busy hands have no time to put food into the mouth so I think for awhile, until I get the hang of it, I'll be spending more time in front of the computer screen. I've put time aside for my "Walk the Weight Off" DVD in the morning and a 30 minute walk in the evening and won't allow the computer to become an excuse for non activiity.
I realized I'd forgotten all the great WW tricks of filling food and bulking up higher points recipes with lower point veggies so I actually had fun with it and created some great meals today. As time goes on I know I'll remember some of the other things I did to be successful 15 years ago.
Week 1 Goals
- Record everything I eat
- Drink more water
- Walk 20 - 30 minutes a day.
- Exercise dvd 3 times this week.
- Stay off the scale. (This is the hardest)
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