Monday

So this morning was my official weigh-in and I'm down 3.2 lbs!!  YAY ME!  I find that exciting since I wasn't perfectly following the plan.  If you check my last post, I updated that with the official weight and my meals from yesterday.  

I did have a 1 lb+ gain from yesterday's weigh-in to this morning.  I'm sure that had something to do with going to the movies yesterday (flatbread pizza, popcorn, alcoholic beverage) and I may see that gone by tomorrow's weigh-in; but I think I'll change my weigh-in day to Friday.  Fridays were my weigh-in back when I first started WW and it was helpful to have the weeklies for the weekend.

Rather than a weekly update with meals and such; I'll just do them as I do postings.

Today, I'm staying with my Dad.  Dad lives with my sister J and her husband and they needed to be out today and so I'm staying to give them that needed break.  So I'm unsure what my lunch will be.  Whatever Dad decides, I guess.  I did have breakfast before I left the house though:

Breakfast:  1 egg, 1 slice light bread, banana, 1/2 cup skim milk = 3 bites

I'm hoping to get some activity in each day this week and up my water intake a little.

I got an email from WW saying they are offering "bling" this summer.  If you attend 6 of 8 meeting in-person meetings from May 5 to June 29..you get a charm!  Remember when they use to do that?  I love the bling!  So I'll need to try to get to some meetings.

I also saw someone on FB say they got an email from WW asking if they were interested in being part of a pilot program.  That normally means they are testing new programs.

So How Is My First Week Going?

 I'll have an "official" weigh-in Monday morning (though I don't know if I'll keep Monday as my weigh-in day); but I have been weighing in each morning just to keep me in line!  I find morning weigh-ins help you see how well you did the day before and if it was bad...you can switch it around moving forward.

Though not official, since starting back in weight loss mode last Monday...here's been my weigh ins:

Monday: 187.1

Tuesday:  185

Wednesday:  184

Thursday:  183.5

Friday:  182.3

Saturday:  182.5

Sunday:  182.3

Monday:  183.9  - OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN

What's been different this time around then prior times?  Well, I don't feel like I'm dieting.  Like I mentioned before, despite following the Blue plan on the Healthi app along with calories as a secondary measure; I'm not really paying much attention to points as much as I'm making better choices and watching portion sizes.  I've also been getting some walks in and of course, drinking water!

I'm not a person that can eat the same thing over and over; so I can't meal plan.  I wish I could, I've tried, but I can't. I fail every time I do it!  So I've been trying to eat a variety of food; some days haven't been as good as others but as from my weights above, you can see I'm going down except for this mornings weigh-in, but that's such a small increase.

What have I been eating:

My Breakfasts this week:

Monday:  2 eggs, 2 slices light bread, 1 cup skim milk = 5 bites

Tuesday:  1 egg, 1 slice light bread, banana, skim milk = 4 bites

Wednesday:  Protein coffee, banana = 1 bite

Thursday:  1 slice light bread, 1 tbsp no sugar added peanut butter, skim milk, banana = 7 bites

Friday:  3 Kodiak pancakes (frozen ones), 1/3 cup no sugar syrup, banana, skim milk = 9 bites

Saturday:  2 slices light bread toasted with spray butter, banana = 2 bites

Sunday:  black coffee and banana = 0 bites

My Lunches this week:

Monday:  Rigatoni (24 rigatoni with 1/3 cup sauce), watermelon = 9 bites

Tuesday:  3 oz. round steak, 1/2 instant mashed potato cup = 7 bites

Wednesday:  pork chop, 1/2 sweet potato = 10 bites

Thursday:  chicken breast, salad with vinaigrette dressing = 1 bite

Friday:  tuna, mini cucumber, wheat thins, watermelon, reduce fat cheese stick = 4 bites

Saturday:  crab cake, shoe string french fries (frozen), 1 ear of corn = 6 bites

Sunday:  flatbread pepperoni pizza = 22 bites

My Dinners this week:

Monday:  3 oz round steak, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup coleslaw = 11 bites

Tuesday:  grilled cheese, potato chips = 14 bites

Wednesday:  pork chop, salad with vinaigrette dressing = 8 bites

Thursday:  3 oz hamburger on roll, 1/2 cup baked beans, 2 ears of corn = 10 bites

Friday:  pork ribs, baked potatoes; 1/2 cup cole slaw; salad with ranch dressing = 28 bites

Saturday:  small Heath blizzard = 32 bites (yep, you're reading that right)

Sunday:  Chicken breast, 2 ears of corn = 0 bites

My Snacks this week:

Monday:  None

Tuesday:  Movie popcorn, no butter = 9 bites

Wednesday:  goldfish pretzels with laughing cow wedge = 5 bites

Thursday:  goldfish pretzels; girl scout cookies = 17 bites

Friday:  None

Saturday:  None

Sunday:  Movie popcorn, no butter = 9 bites

My "try" is to be in the 181 lb range for the week....but it looks like it may be in the 182-183 range.

I'm Back....kind of....sort of

 I'm slowly getting back into routine....

Our Easter didn't go well.  I was due at my sister's house for the holiday.  As hubby is taking the ham out of the oven (we always provide the ham); my sister calls and says they just called an ambulance for my Dad.  Long story short...I still went to her house because other family was coming...she missed Easter; hospital kept Dad overnight but sent him home the next day and we have no idea what was wrong with him.  This is just  how our year has been going.

I've started using the Healthi app this week and have been tracking...I haven't stayed within my points, but I still have weeklies which is a plus, lol!!  The weather earlier in the week was beautiful...so I've got some steps in on walks.  I'm not really following a program but just being more aware of what I'm eating, how much I'm eating and making better choices.

I started following a young lady on FaceBook, Abby Loses 144, and I really enjoy her.  Abby isn't an influencer that has already lost all her weight and looking to hand out advice.  She's losing right along with everyone and having all the same ups and downs that we do!!  It's a refreshing change!  She just got her own Deer Run Walking Pad so we're all working on those steps or any activity you want.

I use to follow 2 gentleman from Canada that were known as the WW Gays.  They lost a lot of weight on Weight Watchers, were in WW commercials and would visit WW meetings.  They were WW celebrities until WW asked them not to visits meetings anymore.  It was kind of a downer.  Anyhow, they eventually moved on from WW and started their own program.  I signed up for it; but it just didn't suit me so I didn't continue with it.  Now they've closed up shop and are starting a new adventure which they offer for free!!  You read that right!  They don't care which plan you're following, everyone is welcome!  So go visit Jean-Luc & Nick and also visit at their FB page Jean-Luc & Nick on FB.  From their website you'll find their other social media.  The guys offer virtual step classes (no step needed if you don't have one), recipes and advice.  They are a lot of fun!

I was reading through a FB group (or it may have been Reddit) and someone was asking for people to follow on Instagram for weight loss.  A person was mentioned and immediately, someone was saying how not to follow that person because she's constantly starting and restarting and can't accept that maybe WW isn't for her.  I went to this instagram and what I saw was a person who obviously has lost weight on WW but has hit some bumps in the road, ventured out and returned to what worked.  Haven't we all done that? Haven't I done that?  Just read through this blog and you see me starting over all the time.  I can tell you one thing....when I put my mind to it - the program does work for me!  Let's encourage each other rather than bad mouth please.

In case you are wondering, I am following Better Balance (Freestyle/Blue) on the Healthi app; but again my main focus is more on the what and how much I'm eating and getting activity in.  I weigh myself each morning and see the scale moving in the right direction but until I have at least 10 lbs off, I won't be happy.

Oh, I've also started the Atomic Habits again.  Hopefully this time, I'll finish it!  I also started I Deserve A Donut, which isn't very big and a much easier read - it's Christian based.

HAPPY EASTER!

 

2024 Hasn't Been A Good Year So Far

 2024 - what can I say? We're only 3 months in and things just haven't been good.  

The first week of the year my mom needed moved from the rehab center to a nursing home.  None of us were able to give her the 24 hour care that she needed.  However, during that time, the nursing home was saying she didn't qualify for a nursing home; nor did she qualify for assisted living.  You're reading that right, too bad for one - not bad enough for the other.  During that same week, my brother-in-law, unexpectedly, needed to have quadruple bypass.

Also in January, my one Aunt passed as well as my cousin's husband.

My parents live with my sister J and this was her husband needing the bypass.  No surprise she was very stressed.  She has my Dad, her husband needs serious surgery and Mom's in limbo. Naturally the rest of us-myself and sisters E & S, jumped in to help with Dad.  Brother-in-law came through surgery perfectly and has healed nicely fortunately.  

I got the flu in January....which led into my 60th birthday....which meant really no celebration.  Though my sisters did take me to dinner.  They went out afterwards, I went home to bed.  For my 60th year I decided to invest in me by rejoining Weight Watcher meetings and buying a walking pad...neither has gotten much use 😞.

Because my sister hired an Elder Law Attorney (if you have the money, so worth it) we did get Mom into a nursing home.  Mom had her good and bad days.  I never seemed to catch her on her good days and several times she didn't know who I was; sometimes I couldn't get her to wake up.  It was sad and the mother I once knew, was slipping away.  I hit a point that I didn't want to visit her anymore; I knew I had to, but I didn't want to (E felt the same).  I started going over during my lunch hour; it limited the time I could stay.

Unexpectedly in February, my dog Dexter needed put down.  We knew this was coming due to a tumor by his liver; but it just was another thing to happen in an all ready stressful year.  I miss my Dexter Doodle Noodle. 

The end of February my Dad turned 90!  A celebration finally! Not a big one, but we took him to his favorite diner and that made him happy!  (by the way, he and mom celebrated 70 years in 2023).

Then March started.  At 1:30 a.m. on March 7th, I was awakened by a phone call from J letting me know that Mom had passed away.  We knew this was coming; but you're never truly prepared for it.  And also, once again, I was 7 days in with a flu! (no meds as the doctor says it was viral).  My work is very good with bereavement leave, so I didn't have to worry there; but we had all the preparations, contacting family and such and it just seemed so whirlwind.  We went through a lot of photos, reliving the memories.  My Dad kept insisting the photos of him in the younger days weren't him.  We told him that that must be our real dad - the mailman (inside joke, my Dad was a mailman 😀).  

We get through that.  And then, Dad is in the ER with an UTI....he was very ill, but doing much better.

The day after the funeral I went to Urgent Care and finally an antibiotic for my flu!!  It's gone, but I've been left with a dry cough that doesn't seem to want to go away.  And of course, we're starting allergy season.....

On Sunday we will spend our first year without Mom on Easter.  There will be a lot of firsts in the next year.  I think maybe Mother's Day will be the hardest.

So 2024 hasn't been a good year.

Hello!

 I'm still here.

Had a bad week but am still pushing forward.  Still off track most days, but not all.

Let's talk eating out shall we?

I think it's important to know what to order eating out,  because you can't avoid eating out (though if prices keep increasing, I won't be eating out much).

Like for instant....I had lunch from Chick Fil A :  

12 grilled nuggets (0 pt)  with a side of fruit (1 pt) and diet lemonade (0 pt).  I had ordered the Zesty Buffalo Sauce (1 pt) for the nuggets but they accidentally gave me BBQ sauce (3 pts); but the lunch was still only 4 pts total.  Back when Chick Fil A first started offering grilled nuggets, it was just that - grilled nuggets.  Now they marinate them and I really hate the taste, however, adding sauce over them really makes them taste better.  Chick Fil A is very expensive and I'm thinking to keep things cheaper, I need to keep fruit at work and only purchase the nuggets.

Some more eat out meals:

KFC:  Original chicken breast with skin removed (2 pts) and mashed potatoes with gravy (4 pts)

Applebee's:  Blackened Cajun Salmon (1 pt); 6 oz. Top Sirloin (4 pts); 8 oz. Top Sirloin (5 pts); Grilled Chicken Breast (0 pt); Garlicky Green Beans (3 pts); Steamed Broccoli (3 pts)

Chipotle:  This is how I build my bowl:  Brown Rice (6 pts); Steak (3 pts); Chili-Corn Salsa (0 pt); Tomato Salsa (0 pt); Lettuce (0 pt).   I keep fat free sour cream (up to 5 tbsp for 1 pt) and reduced fat cheese (1/4 cup for 3 pts) at work to top it off...but if I'm not at work; I get both of those items on the side to control it a little.  I also like to keep baked tortilla chips on hand so I don't buy theirs.  This is a more pointy meal; but if you have the points worth it.

I like to mess around with the WW app in the restaurant section and look for point worthy food.  It helps to prepare.  About every 4 to 6 weeks I have a night out with the girls; on that day I do mostly zero foods and not in large amounts.  I want those points for the evening.

Another option is to go to the websites of the chain restaurants and figure out points; remember their nutritional information doesn't take into count the zero foods list.

If you end up somewhere that isn't a chain, you have to play the guessing game when it comes to points.  I always try to find something similar in the app.

I know this post is all over the place....  I've been dealing with a lot.  My mother isn't well and isn't going to get better and I just lost one of my dogs due to illness.  So yeah, I'm stressed!

Let's Review Those Tries

I'm going to try to walk a mile each day.  (I have my walking pad to help)

I'm going to try to drink 48 oz of plain water a day. (This is what WW use to recommend)

I'm going to try to stick to the WW program. (Just rejoined in-person meetings)

I'm going to try to read one chapter of a book per day. (starting today)

Other than the last one....LOL!!  Actually this is the start of my week.  I almost have all the water in already!  I drink 8 oz. first thing in the morning; 8 oz. while I'm making my coffee; 8 oz. before I leave for work and 8 oz. on my way to work.  Yep, I have to pee when I get to work!  I'll have the other 2 in by noon.  Then I drink whatever I want or add a flavor pack to my water.

I'll start my walking today and I am tracking!  Gotta get to a book though.

Anyway, I weighed in at a meeting last night for the first time in FOREVER and at the highest weight I ever weighed in at.  Not good; but I'm there and on track and hopefully I can get some of this weight off.  We always aim for that first 5 pounds....but I'm aiming for the first 15 pounds.  I really need to get the much off and yes, I know, it's not going to happen in a week.