And another thing...

I AM IN A SIZE 14 JEANS!!!!!!

Boo-ya!!!

Here's a close up (REALLY close up). See a difference??

Woo Freakin Hoo

I'VE LOST 25 POUNDS!!!!

And here is my 25 lb. medal from Weight Watchers to prove it!! I hadn't weighed in in a couple of weeks, so I was anxious to weigh in and see what was going on. I couldn't stay for the meeting because Jack was home sick. Having missed the last two meetings because of a snowstorm and being on Jack's field trip, I made him get up and into the van so I didn't miss another week!! LOL!! (nice mom, I know) So when I weighed in and lost 3 pounds I was dancing on the ceiling!! I actually interrupted the meeting with my good news!! LOL!! Of course at a WW meeting, this is welcome news!! So my leader, Jill, gave me my 25 pound medal and I think I actually jumped up and down!! LOL!! It's been a long road already (which I am OK with as long as the end result is a good one) and hitting that 25 pound mark just felt so huge to me!!

Here's my new and improved keychain!!

Been awhile...

I am still on track, sort of. I am certainly not off the wagon, but I am sitting on the edge. I've missed the last two weeks of weigh-in because of a snow storm two weeks ago and Jack's field trip last week. This week I am weighing in for sure!!! I hope I haven't gained!! I am slacking off on the tracking though, man do I find it hard to keep up with...day after day after day. And I must admit when I am not tracking, I sometimes think "oh this won't hurt". Had a glass of wine tonight, had a few mini chocolate bars since Halloween. Ugh. I guess that is why I called this my weight loss JOURNEY.

Wow, it works!!

I haven't posted in a bit. Didn't post last week when I gained .8. Two small gains in a row. Ugh. My WW leader asked me if there was anything she could do to help. Of course, I was like no, not really. I am a grown up, I know what I am doing wrong. I know I could be better with tracking, with eating from all the food groups, with eating breakfast, with eating all of my Points. It's DOING IT that I seem to struggle with.

So she told me to track this week and she wanted to see it at the next meeting. So I did. And guess what? I lost 3.4 pounds this week!! OMG!! She didn't even look at my tracker, because obviously I had done it and it works!! Shocking eh?!?! Now I have a fire under me to do it again this week. I am also going to start a workout routine - 3 days a week. Of course I am going to start on Monday. *insert groan* I know, what a cliche. LOL!! Oh well.

So I am down 22.4 pounds!! Next step is to hit that 25 pound mark!!

Clap

So in the same breath as my frick about the weight gain, I say YAY about getting my clapping hands at my meeting on Thursday. I have stuck with WW for 16 weeks!! So, you get the clapping hands to add to your 10% keychain. Here's mine:

I know I may not sound it in alot of my posts, but I am thrilled that I have stuck with it and lost (almost) 20 pounds. I am 39 pounds away from my goal. I can't even imagine that!! Next step, my 25 pound medal!!

Frick.

So I went to my WW meeting on Thursday and was quite dismayed to GAIN .4 pounds. WTF is up with that??? I seriously have to get more on plan, better about eating at least 3 meals a day, better about tracking. It's the only thing I can think of (other than it was freezing so I wore a sweater instead of a tshirt, LOL!!) that would make me gain. Not eating enough. Not eating enough of the right things. Do I say the same things every week??? I think I do. Frick.

Went to the 'Y'

So today I finally bit the bullet and went to the YMCA for my orientation of the gym. Not like I have never been to a gym before, but it's like a whole mental game to decide to workout as well as eat healthy. So booking that orientation was a big step for me. I have lost 20 pounds, it's a good time to add exercise into the mix. I am kind of excited about it actually!! (easy to say now when I am on my ass on my couch!!) I think I will go 3 days a week. If I say 5 days a week, I think I will overwhelm myself. But 3 days would be good, right?? So I will go 3 days a week and do cardio and weights. Man, I am gonna be smokin hot...eventually. HAHA!!

Guilty Pleasure

Oh yeah, so I have discovered a new guilty pleasure - and it's a good one!! They are Caramel Apple Pops (thanks, Kelly) and they are so good!! The best part is they are only 1 Point!!

So if a caramel apple is your idea of delish, you must get them!! I think they are easier found in the States, but here I got them at Bulk Barn.

Mmmm green apple.

Mmmm caramel.

Mmmm...gotta go get one!!

So I did it!!

I went to the new meeting in town and I quite liked it. Much smaller and less busy, which I liked. The old meeting was packed with people!! Anyway, I decided to wear, gasp, jeans to the meeting too!! It's getting a little too cold for shorts and capris and I figured I had to make the move into jeans at some point. So I went in jeans and still lost a pound!! WooHoo!! So yeah, that brought me to 20.2 lost!!! YAY ME!! I am pretty happy about that!! So I will continue to go to those Thursday meetings instead now. Next goal is to get my 25 pound medal for my key ring!!! Speaking of that key ring...gotta remember where I put it. LOL!!

New gig in town

I didn't go to weigh in yesterday. There is a new Weight Watchers meeting in town on Thursday mornings, so I am going to hit that one tomorrow. I am hoping for the best!!

I think I had a pretty good Thanksgiving, but of course when I am being good I still don't have MAJOR weight loss, so we shall see. I did enjoy several glasses of Shiraz over the weekend (yee-haw) and a fine dessert of apple crisp with gluten-free oats and light ice cream. Awww, twas good I say. Oh and of course there was turkey!! But really the feast is turkey and veggies so that's pretty good!!

And I have started walking!! I did laps at the track while the kids had their classes at the YMCA and today I went out for a walk too. More importantly, I also booked my orientation for the gym at the Y so now I can stop procrastinating and start working out!!

I'll post tomorrow with my LOSS!!!!!

OMG so slow!!!!!!!!!!!!

So today when I weighed in, I was hoping to lose 1.2 to hit my 20 pound loss. Well of course the universe had other plans for me. I wasn't even close!! I only lost 0.4. Grrr. I mean, I know I should be happy and a loss is a loss but this is so slow it is getting frustrating!! I am trying the best I can, which I think just isn't enough. I have to buckle down and do better!! And I have to add exercise, I know that. It's like a whole other mental thing to just decide to DO IT and starting working out. Why is it so hard???

This weekend is Claire's birthday (and she wants to go to the King's Buffet for Chinese!!) and then Thanksgiving on Saturday with my family) and again on Sunday (with Geoff's family). So yeah, I am expecting a gain next week. Not because I plan to pig out, but if I am doing good and only lose 0.4 then I am sure I will gain, it's just realistic.

Sigh.

But on the good side -- I hit the 160's!!!! YAY!! I am just under at 169.6, but it's a start!! So long 170's I will NEVER see you again!!!

A New Pic - A Newer Me

Here is a pic of me at 170 pounds. Today I wore a pair of jeans I haven't worn since last fall. Although I did not think they felt that much different when I first put them on, I did find myself hiking them up quite alot so maybe they are looser than I realized. They are still a size 16 though. Haven't dared try a size 14 for fear they will be too tight. It would be something good to work towards though I guess.

Getting there...

Well I lost .6 yesterday for a total of 18.8!! My new goal for the week is to hit the 20 pound mark next week!!!! WooHoo!!

When I think about 20 pounds being off my body I just think WOW!! Mostly because the number seems bigger than what I actually "feel". You would think that with almost 20 pounds gone, I would notice a difference. When is that going to happen?? I thought I'd see it in my face at least. Maybe if I saw someone I hadn't seen in awhile, they might notice...

So my goal for this week is to track, track, track. I am going to get my oils in, come hell or high water. And next week I *WILL* see my efforts on the scale!!

Exactly when I am going to add exercise to my day is still undecided. Hmmm.

Need a boost

I can feel myself slipping a bit in the weight loss department. I have not been bad bad, but again haven't been tracking. And since I haven't been tracking in a couple of weeks, I feel myself doing a bit of "oh this won't hurt". Not with bad stuff, but still. Not weighing and measuring, not tracking. It will catch up with me. Tomorrow I weigh in, should be interesting.

Gluten-free Granola Bars

I am an avid reader of the Gluten-free Girl's blog.

She recently posted this picture with a recipe for gluten-free granola bars. OMG I want them like RIGHT NOW!! I am so pleased to now be the proud owner of gluten-free oats and these will be the perfect thing to make.

But alas, I must try to figure out how many Points they will be. I don't enjoy that part of the WW plan...trying to determine Points in something like that. Do I add up the Points in all the ingredients, then divide it by however many I get? I have done that before. Yesterday I met a friend for lunch and I had chicken nachos. YUM. But I "assumed" that it was so many Points, I didn't eat for the rest of the day. But why? Nacho chips, sure, not the greatest. Chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, salsa, a little sour cream. Really, how bad can it have been? But when I do not KNOW, I err on the side of it being alot of Points and I could be wrong. Guess it's just one of those learning curves.

Anyway, I want those granola bars...

And another!!

This one is based on content from this Blog.

Weight Loss Wordle

OK I made another one!!

Wordle!!

OK I just think this is fun!! I made this Wordle about my home biz. Should I be out walking or at the Y instead? Sure!! But this is more fun!! HAHA!! I am watching The Biggest Loser, does that count for anything??

Gotta track!!

So I "only" lost 0.2 pounds today. I didn't track at all though, so I figure I only have myself to blame. I think I can keep track pretty good in my head but maybe I am wrong!! LOL!! And I swear one of these days I am going to add exercise into my day too!! LOL!! For now it's alot of the same old, same old. I have to get some better ideas, different things to eat. I feel like I live my life saying "I should" and "I have to". I hate that but struggle to change my ways. I need to be more diligent about not only tracking what I eat, but making sure I eat all the right things.

All of that being said, I refuse to always focus on the NEGATIVE which I think I do!! I have lost 18.2 pounds!!! WooHoo!! If I had not joined WW, I'd have those 18 pounds and maybe MORE on!! (probably more, let's be honest!!)

The Biggest Loser

The TV show The Biggest Loser started tonight. I love love love this show!! It is so inspiring!! Of course these people work alot harder than I do. I have lost 18 pounds so far and I think gee, what would that be if I actually hauled my ass to the gym?????

Since the show is on Tuesdays, it works out perfectly since that is my Weight Watchers day. So today I weighed in at 170.8 lbs. I am going to watch and see how much I can lose by the time this show ends in a couple of months or however long it takes. I know these people will kick my ass in that department, but still!! LOL!! If I had Bob and Jillian I'd have some kick-ass weight loss too!!

I can't wait to see my before and after pictures one day!!!

Woo Freakin Hoo!!!!

I DID IT!! I finally hit my 10%!!!! OMG it feels awesome!! I didn't think it would take this long to do it, my goal was to do it about a month ago, but the point is I DID IT!! And here I am with my 10% keychain that I received at my Weight Watchers meeting today!!!

So that brings me to a total weight loss of 18 pounds!! WOW!! 18 pounds is 12 weeks is pretty good I guess?!? I don't really feel it yet though. Probably because everything I wear is big and baggy and elastic-waisted. When I try on my jeans in a few weeks, I bet I will feel it then!! Kathy tells me I should buy some new clothes that fit better, but I am not ready for that. I still have way to far to go!! But hitting this 10% is such a great achievement!!! No McFlurry for me tonight though!! Yikes!!

Here's the keychain a little closer. Next step (I think) is my 25 pound medal to put on it!!

Holy Crap!!

So as I think I have mentioned on this blog before, I was inspired to join Weight Watchers because of my friend and next door neighbour, Kathy. She is my hero having lost 79 pounds so far!!!!! *YAY KATHY!!* Well, one thing she does is get a Frosty EVERY Tuesday. It's her treat and she really looks forward to it. I had a low point day so I thought, I am following in Kathy's footsteps and I am getting a McFlurry!! (I like them better than Frosty's.)

WELL!! I enjoyed it I guess but as soon as I got home I had to rush to my site and check the McDonald's calculator to see just how many Points it was. 11!! OMG 11 Points in one?? Holy crap I say!! And it was a small!! LOL!! I mean, it was good I guess but wow!! How many people eat one of those things after eating a Big Mac and fries???? Yikes!!

I would have preferred a couple of glasses of wine.

ALMOST THERE!!!

I have been slacking in the blog department, sorry. The end of August was a bit hectic and even though I was being good in the food department, I wasn't quite on track with tracking and weighing and stuff. So last week I only lost 0.2 pounds. Better than a gain like the week before. Still evening itself out?? That's what I like to tell myself.

So onto this week when I have just been feeling heavy, not expecting to have a good loss. Waiting for my gift from Mother Nature this week. Just ick. I am not quitting, but just feeling blah about the whole thing, like I have to be SOOOO strict for little results. And to be feeling this way so soon into my journey just sucks!!

But I lost 2.8 pounds this week!!! I was so excited and shocked!! And truthfully a little worried that OMG will this mean I will gain again next week???? I sure hope not because now I am 1.8 pounds away from reading my first milestone - my 10% loss!!! YIPPEE!!!!

So this should be just the thing I need to pump myself back up and get back into tracking. I CAN DO THIS!!!!

Well pooey!!

I am away in Oshawa and thought I'd still attend a meeting since I was hoping to hit my 10% loss. Well so much for that!! I frickin GAINED 1.6 pounds!!! *insert sob* I don't know if it's because it wasn't my normal weigh-in place (even though I am sure WW would say their scales are all calibrated the same...), or if it's because I lost so much last week because I hadn't eaten in days due to my strep throat. I dunno. Maybe it was because I have not been drinking my water and didn't write down in my tracker since I forgot to get one last week. Needless to say I was STUNNED when she told me I had gained. OMG!! But, I will not let this get me down, I would be kidding myself if I thought this wasn't a JOURNEY and will have ups and downs. (Funny how the "downs" get you up and the "ups" get you down when you are talking about weight loss!!)

I still struggle with eating all of my Points and I think that is part of my problem. I also just cannot get that "healthy oil" in!! I am looking forward to next week when the kids are back in school and I can get into more of a routine again - including going to the Y!!

Hoping to hit 10% this week!!

Tomorrow I am heading to Oshawa again for a week. We've got a birthday party, dinner at a friend's, a trip to The Ex, Carnival Day at my brother's trailer. Food, food, food!! And through it all I am hoping to hit the 10% mark in my weight loss (18 lbs). Can I really go to The Ex and not get cotton candy??? OMG!!

They made a mistake!!

OMG the ladies at Weight Watchers are human!! They make mistakes!! And they made a math mistake on my weight loss tracker!! I have actually lost 15.6 pounds!! WOOHOO!! That is SO CLOSE to my 10% goal!!! I am so excited!! That one pound is huge!! I guess I actually lost 3.4 pounds last week but she wrote 2.4. It never occured to me to check actually. But today while browsing other weight loss blogs, I found on Heather's site a link to Roni's Weigh where I was thrilled to find a template in Excel for tracking your weight loss!! (If I knew how to post an Excel file I would do it. Does anyone know?) Anyway, you can get it yourself here. So when I put in my own numbers, I saw I had lost 15.6 and I was like WHAT? So sure enough I check the math on my WW tracker and there was a mistake last week. Oh, how I enjoy when a mistake works out in my favour!! LOL!!

Strep Sucks!! (except in the weight loss department!!)

Yep, I am sick. I hate being sick. I especially hate having a sore throat. I am a self-described "sore throat wimp"!! So it figures that I have strep!! Ugh. My throat started to hurt last Thursday and by Saturday night I was achy and exhausted and had a fever. So Sunday morning I spent 2 1/2 hours at the clinic and found out I have strep. So I have been on Penicillin since then but my throat still hurts!! The good news? Not eating much for a few days is great for weight loss!! LOL!! I weighed in this morning and lost 3.4 pounds!! I have a total loss so far of 14.6 pounds!! WOW!! Getting into the double-digits just makes it seem so much more real, so much more like I am really doing it!!!

Munchies!!

I had a good day today again. Other than heating up a nice 5-Point Lean Cuisine only to discover (before digging in, thankfully!!) that it had whole wheat orzo pasta in it!! I thought it was rice!! Yikes!! I really have to go grocery shopping!!


I am still struggling most days to use up my Points. Crazy, I know!! Tonight I still had 6 Points left. Seems weird to eat just because I "have to". So I grabbed a couple of those little 100-calorie Lay's chips bags.
I bought them awhile ago, but hadn't even opened the box yet. I thought they were 2 Points for the bag (duh, 100 calories) but they are actually 3 Points!!! That darn fat content!! LOL!! Luckily I had enough Points so it was OK. I have to admit though, it wasn't worth it!! What a teeny bag and really just a tease!! And I had two of them!! I think I'd rather weigh out a serving or two from a big bag into a bowl. Something about that makes it seem more satisfying. And I am all about tricking my brain!! LOL!!


I have been introduced to a WICKED alcoholic beverage!! (thanks, Ange!!) First, Mikes LIGHT Hard Lemonades are only 2 Points for the bottle!! That is awesome enough!! But then my dear friend and colleague shared with me this weekend the wonderful world of Silhouette Citrus Fiz and Lime vodka!! OMG Delish!!! It would be the same Points as the Mike's Light, but I think this tastes better!! I have Cranberry vodka too so I bought both the Citrus and Cranberry-Raspberry Fiz so I can try that one too!!

Hit the 10 pound mark!!!

It's been awhile, but I am happy to say I did good while away!!! I weighed in today and lost 2.4 pounds for a total of 11.2!! YAY!! I have to admit I was worried, even though I was really good!! Sometimes I my body can betray me!! LOL!! So yeah, I was away in Oshawa visiting my family and friends. We visited our friend's trailer and my brother's trailer. Lots of opportunity to eat - and drink - too much!! Then last weekend I was away at the Epicure Leadership Conference for my home biz where again I could have eaten - and drank - too much!! LOL!! So I was pretty proud of myself for not overindulging!!

This slow and steady stuff is hard though. I joined WW on June 24th and have lost 11.2 pounds. I was hoping to have hit my 10% mark by now (18 pounds) but noooooo. I mean, I know that 1-2 pounds a week is the best way to lose it, but sometimes it is just hard and frustrating!! I wouldn't say it is hard to eat the way I do now, though it is hard to say no while you are out and stuff like that, but still, I'd like to see more loss so far (I know, I know, who doesn't!!).

But all of that aside, I am LOSING!! I am under 180 pounds and I cannot wait to see myself thin!!!!!!!

I DID IT!!

I lost 1.6 pounds at today's weigh-in!! Yippee!! That brings me to a total of 8.8 pounds in 4 weeks. Slow and steady wins the race, right?? I would love to lose it faster, but I am confident this is the best for me and I will keep it off in the long run. I was hoping to break the 170's, but I guess I will have to wait until next week. I am 180.0 right on the dot. Only 50 more pounds to go!! LOL!!

Today my mom and I took Claire (my 6 year old daughter) to see Mamma Mia and I had movie popcorn. Oh how I LOVE movie popcorn!! I didn't put butter on it, so that's my justification!! LOL!! I had a pretty good day otherwise, not that the popcorn was completely horrible!! (this was my second time seeing Mamma Mia, love it!! Claire has become a HUGE Abba fan!! LOL!! She was so cute watching the movie!!)

I was at my cousin's house today (shout out to Tammy!!) and I am now in love with her Keurig coffee/tea maker. I WANT ONE!! LOL!! I know when she got it she loved it, but I hadn't yet seen it for myself. It is so cool!! I am not a big coffee drinker, but I do love my tea!! You get these little "K-cups" and pop them in and hit the button!! The water is automatically hot!! You can use it with tea bags too - just add hot water. Yep, I can see one of these on my counter in the not-to-distant future!!

Got a new haircut!

But of course it just makes my face feel fat. It's nice and light though, which I do like. I can't wait until my face looks thinner!! (well my body too of course!!)

Had a good day again today, though it's 10:21pm and I think I still have a few Points left. Weigh-in is tomorrow and I can't wait!! As always, I am hoping for at least 1 pound lost.

I've been asked how the Larabars taste and I have to say, I quite enjoy them!! You have to like dates and the like though, as that is basically the "paste" that holds them together. Today I had to run out and do some errands right over lunch time, so I grabbed one of those to have. I love that about them!! Otherwise, in my "old life" I would have just not eaten or maybe grabbed something junky while I was out. Something so small is such a big deal for me!!

I'm all packed up and ready to head to Oshawa after my WW meeting tomorrow. I've got my kitchen scale, WW books and my handy-dandy little Points calculator. This should be interesting to see how the week away from home goes. I know I can be good!!

LARABAR

I was introduced to these bars at an Epicure party I did recently. These bars are great!! They are raw, whole food bars.

(click picture to go to their site)

Here’s what was on the wrapper:

No added sugar - Unprocessed - Raw - Non-GMO - Gluten Free - Dairy Free - Soy Free - Vegan - Kosher.

Gluten-free??? I'll try them!!

Now with the WW lifestyle, they are a little high in Points and not Core at all, but from a healthy lifestyle they are phenomenal!! They are rich in Antioxidants, with a good balance of Vitamins, Essential Enzymes, Fiber, Minerals, Omega 3 & 6 EFAs, Protein and Complex Carbohydrates!! (OK I stole that line from another site, LOL!!) Anyway, they are basically full of GOOD STUFF even though they are high in calories. But for me, having a transportable snack that is gluten-free (and not potato chips or a chocolate bar) is HUGE!! I wish I had one of these today at my SIL's!!

They come in some amazing flavours too like Cherry Pie, Banana Cookie, Cashew Cookie, Key Lime Pie. *drool* Just the names make you think you are eating something bad!!

I bought a mixed box at Costco but I have seen them individually sold at the Superstore. I say try em!!

One of those days

Today was one of those days where I wasn't home much, therefore not eating properly. I had egg substitute and a piece of toast for a late breakfast (egg substitute is not as good as eggs, can I just say that right now?), and then we went to SIL's house for a visit. By this time I am starving. She invited us to stay for dinner so that was good. But she also proceeded to put out some bowls of chips and snacks (AND I AM STARVING) and normally I would have had a couple of glasses of wine too. Wow did I show self-control!! I did have a couple of European Pepperettes (OMG 7 Points!!) and a few broken up potato chips. It was so hard not to just devour them. At dinner I made good choices even though I couldn't weigh my food. When I got home I checked my Points and figured I had none left, but had also not gone over!! YAY!!

I am really hoping that I have a good weigh-in on Tuesday because I am heading to Oshawa for a week and I want to be motivated to stick with it, not discouraged. It helps that I said no to wine today (I've had one glass of wine since I started WW!!) and didn't scarf all the chips down. This is huge for me!!

It's going good

So things are going good even though I only lost .2 pounds this week. I honestly think it's because I often don't eat my full day's worth of Points. I am trying though!! I also find it hard to follow all of Weight Watcher's rules, especially the "healthy oils" one. But is that enough to stunt my weight loss? Oh God, I can't believe I am talking about stunted weight loss only a month in. That can't be good. Hopefully I will have a better weigh-in this Tuesday so I won't get too discouraged. I am in possession of the "travelling tracker" this week so I've been writing it all down. I'm usually pretty good with all that anyway. But, like I said, I often have Points left over. I think I just have to get better about planning things out. Why is that easier said than done?

Weigh-Ins So Far

Week 1: Canada Day so no weigh-in
Week 2: -5.8
Week 3: -1.2
Week 4: -.2

TOTAL: -7.2

Day #1

I joined Weight Watchers on June 24th, 2008. I started a weight loss blog somewhere else, but decided to switch to this instead. Here is my original post from the other site.

Well, here I am. Day #1. The start of my new life. I know that I have been here before, but I really feel like I am READY to do it this time. And I decided to start this blog not only to track my weight loss, but so that I can also have a journal, which I know is so important.
Motivated by my neighbour, Kathy, who has lost 55 pounds so far with Weight Watchers, I too joined this morning. I bought the 6-month package. I am commmitted. I only even considered it a few days ago and instead of hmmming and hahhhing and making excuses, I just decided to DO IT. There is no meeting next week because it’s Canada Day. I considered waiting and joining the following week. My parents are coming to visit for almost a week on Thursday. I considered waiting and joining later because of that too. But I didn’t!! I know I could do alot of damage in 2 weeks and instead I decided to join NOW!! I am so proud of myself!!

Now to get my head around all this POINTS stuff. I am sure I will get the hang of it quickly, but I have to say, it’s given me a headache. LOL!!

I weighed in at home this morning and was 188.5. At Weight Watchers I was 188.8 so I thought that was great that my home scale is so accurate!! My first goal is to lose 18 pounds - that’s 10% of my body weight. I would like to do this by August 5th. I am going to Toronto for the Epicure Selections® Leader’s Conference from August 8th-10th so I thought this was a good mini goal. Plus I get my 10% keychain from Weight Watchers!! My main goal is to lose 58 pounds and be 130 pounds. I can’t wait!!