I pulled out my old WW weight records so I could find the date that I first dipped into the lovely world of Onederland. It was August 2008. I noticed the weight logged above that was 200.6. That is exactly what I weighed-in at my last official WW Studio Workshop of 2020.
I’ve said before that my journey is split into many sections. Before WW, After Goal, Re-Gain Phase, and now Re-Losing Phase. Each phase felt different based on what what important to me at the time. I have been comprising myself to where I was in 2014 and 2015 completely forgetting that I had a journey down the scale the first time where I also saw these same numbers.
In 2008, I was right where I am now. I was hanging onto the 200s with my sights on the 199s. It is hard to remember what that felt like. I do remember what it felt like when I was going back up the scale in 2014 and when I saw 200 again. However, my first journey down the scale to 199 is a distant memory and one I can’t quite cling to anymore.
Reflecting back helps me move forward. I gain a new perspective and often I am better equipped to handle whatever twists and turns this journey has in store. I realize now I need to reflect more, not just on the last 6-ish years but those first few years too. Those years are just as important and should not be over shadowed by the back part of this journey.
The first time I saw the WW scale read under 200 pounds was August 2008. When your starting weight is 304.8, that is a big milestone.
Fast forward several years and a re-gain of 80 pounds, the next time I saw the WW scale read under 200 pounds that really had an impact for me was June 2020. I even ended the month of July with the best numbers I’ve seen in a while. I so badly wanted to stay under 200 as I continued my efforts towards my new doctor’s goal weight of 190. Despite all those efforts, I will not see Onederland again in 2020.
I know without a doubt that I will see Onederland in 2021 and while I am bruised, slightly disappointed, and wishing the outcome had been what I had hoped for, I am in a better mental space thanks to 2020 and all its challenges.
I am ending this year with a loss. Not many people can say that amongst a Global Pandemic. I am really lucky to have been able to focus on my WW program this last year. As I near the end of my day-by-day calendar I got while visiting Oprah in Dallas. This seems fitting for today.
Four years ago, after re-gaining a total of 80 pounds, I had finally made the decision to take control of my life and start to focus on my health and my weight loss. As a WW member for many years, I knew all the things to do to lose weight. There is a big disconnect when you know what to do, haven’t been doing it in a long time, and are really struggling to get back on course. I knew if I was going to re-commit to a weight loss journey again that I needed to do it differently this time.
So, I signed
up for personal training sessions.
My friend
Mark has been working out with a trainer and seeing great results. The shift from food to activity was just what
I needed for my re-start. After I
started meeting those weekly commitments and investing time in myself, I started
to clean up my eating and eventually found myself back on track to healthy
living and weight loss.
While I don’t
attend personal trainings session anymore, I am grateful for Tyson and all the support
he provided me. Support is so important
to any type of commitment. You need all
the people you can get in your corner that support you.
With the new
year approaching and resolutions in the forethought, it is okay to think about
a new way to approach those old healthy habits that may have fallen to the wayside
during a Global Pandemic.
Christmas 2020 sure looks a lot different for us all.
We celebrated with some of my immediate family on Christmas Eve and earlier today we went to my parent’s house for a small Christmas dinner. I work this evening and we will be having an ornament exchange as well as possibly ordering take-out from somewhere. We have been approved to wear jeans and a few of us purchased a team Christmas themed T-shirt. It is sure to feel festive at the Idaho State Police Dispatch Center.
I hope next year will look a light brighter. Whatever the day holds, I hope you spend it with those you love.
As I was driving to my WW Studio yesterday, I was really hoping that this would be the week I would dip back into Onderland. I was so close…200.6.
While I really, really, really wanted it this week, I know not reaching that goal just yet will keep me on track and accountable this week. It stresses me out a little bit but it also challenges me. If I had see 199.8 on the scale, I know I would have celebrated a little too much and shot back into the 200s the following week. So, instead of celebrating, we continue to stay the course.
I have some social events on the calendar and am working to balance it all. After my in-person workshop, I met Phoenix, her kids, and her boyfriend Stacey for a bite to eat and a beer. We had planned to go bowling at Big Al’s with their $2/game promo. Well, so did everybody else as it was a 1.5-2 hour wait. We snagged a spot in the restaurant and had a nice visit while the kids played video games. Plus, it was $2 beer night. The beer wasn’t anything spectacular but it was also cheap in point value which is a win in my book.
It was an early bedtime because I don’t get much sleep on Tuesdays. I am now awake at 3:30am as I type this blog post and I’ve been up since about 1am after a few hour nap. I will get back to bed once The Hubs is up for his workday. On the agenda today is exercise and then a meet-up with Phoenix and Stacey again to check out a new brewery.
I’ve already pre-tracked a beer flight. Cheers to friends and navigating this different type of holiday season.
Good Morning.
I’m just sitting over here anxiously awaiting my weigh-in tomorrow evening. I am both excited and stressed over the numbers the next two weeks. I have this really important goal and yet what feels like so far to get there. I had some regrets on Friday of how I should have managed my splurges and points better. After a walk outdoors and some mental refraining, this week has improved.
I didn’t eat one bite of homemade cookies or candy at work last night! That is progress.
I have also been super emotional lately which means my period must be looming. Crying, chocolate/sweets cravings, and adult ache. Oh man…life is rough!
Today is a better day and my spirits are renewed a bit. I have one more work day and then the next three days off. I’ll spend some time with Phoenix and see my immediate family on Christmas Eve. I only have two more gift cards to buy and then some wrapping to complete.
It feels good to be in a better mental space. I’m glad my downer mood didn’t spill over into today. The weather is unseasonably warm so I’ll go out for a walk after I have my coffee and breakfast.
Happy Monday.
Good Afternoon. I had not planned it to be so many days before I checked in. I don’t know about all of you…but 2020 is just flying by. It was like from March to April it was all this dread on how we would adapt to staying home more and then bam…here we are December. Well, apparently I adapted quite quickly!
I have a post coming down the line of all my thoughts on 2020 as we inch closer to 2021. For today, I wanted to talk about December Weigh-Ins Of The Past.
My visit to the doctor for my annual physical went well. As she always says, “normal and boring.” I decided to take my shoes off when I got on the scale because I have to take them off to get undressed anyway. A few years ago, I stopped taking off my shoes at the doctor’s office. It is just a scale and all scales are different. This is why I felt I needed to liberate myself and stop being silly when I went for a doctor’s visit.
Earlier in the week, I really wanted to try to be under 200 pounds thus taking the shoes off. I was 201.4 at my WW meeting with my shoes on and 201.6 at the doctor’s office without my shoes on. This also included two days of eating out in between. I was very happy with the results, and so was my doctor. According to my records, I was down 6 pounds from my last visit to the doctor. That makes me really proud.
Before going to visit the doctor, I started looking back at my weigh-ins during the month of December. 2020 has brought a lot of challenges but the one positive it brought was my weight was finally close to or less than what I weighed back in 2015 and now, I am even close to what I weighed in 2014. That makes me so happy. And yes...the numbers don't lie. I gained 18 pounds from December 2014 to December 2015.
Since mid-2016 was the year I reach my all-time highest re-gain weight.
Seeing the anything similar to 2014 and earlier makes me feel really great. Now, I strive to get close to those numbers of 2013 and later.
From 2016 to 2020, I have seen continuous losses each year. I typically swing 10 pounds up/down through the year around March and also in the summer months. This is partly due to social situations and travel. By December, it all comes back down again.
Eventually I might actually get my act together and maintain during the summer vs. gain/re-lose. However, I love my life and I don’t plan to give up my social events and travel. If 2020 taught me anything, it taught me that life is too short to spend it stuck indoors fearful of a Global Pandemic!
Go out and live your life at whatever size you are now. Don't wait until you are thinner, in better shape, have more money, etc. Keep working on those goals. Slow and Steady still wins the race!
This last week just flew by. I can’t believe how fast the end of the year is going. Before we know it, 20201 will have arrived.
Despite feeling a lot of bloat yesterday, and a lot of nervousness of the scale, I had a nice size loss.
A WW Friend last week said, “maybe the WOOSH is coming” and that it did. Seeing this loss really helps me get closer to my Onederland Goal. If I can lose 0.8 the next two weeks, I will be there by the end of the year.
Our Workshop Technique this week is about JOMO, Joy Of Missing Out. We often get bummed out when we feel like we have to stay NO to something we really want. This is usually referred to as FOFO, Fear Of Missing Out. But, if we shift our thinking, saying NO doesn’t have to be negative. It can also be positive.
Saying NO to something means you are simply saying YES to something more positive such as helping to reach a goal, earning a blue dot, staying committed to tracking or your WW Program, etc.
I don’t know if I share my Crumbl Cookie story from a few weeks ago and this is what comes to mind when I think of a recent time I have said NO. I bought cookies for my work group to celebrate National Cookie Day. I didn’t order a cookie for myself. I thought about it, I had some points left, but I didn’t really want to spend them on part of a cookie. On top of that, part of cookie sometimes opens the door for eating more than planned because cookies are delicious. I really wanted to earn my blue dot and I had pre-planned by bringing a Built Bar so I could have a treat too.
Saying NO was not a punishment. It was a reward for working hard on my weight loss progress.
In hindsight, I am double glad I didn’t order a cookie because the cookie order took so long to pick up (over an hour) that I was so mad and could have absolutely eating more than just a small amount of the cookie. Saying NO was twice as nice in that case.
The next time you feel like saying NO is a punishment, re-frame your mindset and ask yourself WHY you want to say NO and WHAT you will accomplishment if you do. That is the JOMO.
I branched out on some of my meals plans this week and I’ve been enjoying every bite.
Split Pea Soup
I had a hankering for pea soup after seeing a post on Instagram. I developed my own recipe that is just 1 point per serving. I added a little too much water and ended up adding more peas. I’ve also started cooking it in the Instant Pot vs. the crockpot for a quick and easy meal any night of the week.
Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowls
I love anything the involves rice and a rice bowl is so easy and portable for a workday. I love this recipe for chipotle chicken, although I never add a full pepper. Instead, I just add some sauce or it is way too spicy. You can add anything you like to your bowl and I kept mine easy with just some canned black beans, frozen corn, and topped with sour cream after re-heating it at work.
Turkey and Noodles
My parents dropped off some turkey and noodles they made with the leftover turkey. My parents are great cooks so I have been enjoying every bite. I made some Stovetop stuffing to add in after re-heating for an extra bit of deliciousness. It is also good served over mashed potatoes.
Pizza Pasta
I make a pizza pasta as a cold salad that I usually dress with Italian dressing when I am ready to eat. I love a pasta salad and this make it so easy for any workday. Since we purchased some Alfredo sauce, I thought I’d throw in 1/8 cup of that instead and heat it up in the microwave. It spices thinks up just a bit and made it just as enjoyable.
Omelette and Frozen Potatoes
I have been on a breakfast omelette kick lately since finally finding some of the Velveta slices of cheese. They are just one point and so melty and cheesy. When I got Kenyon some white bread for his upset stomach last week, I enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich. All I needed was some tomato soup to dip it in! I’ll have to add that to the menu plan next week.
Built Bars
I have been enjoying Built Bars for a low point dessert during my work week. When I have a low point day, I tend to have extra points left over. Thus, plenty of room for a Built Bar in my day. While I do enjoy the White Chocolate Cookies & Cream, the Lemon Almond Cheesecake is also very good. I am loving why new purchases.
I love that time of the day where I have finished my breakfast, completed my activity, and rounded up my meal prep for the rest of the day. It is only then that I can relax on the couch with a cup of coffee and some television before the chaos of the workday begins.
Those are the best moments.
I watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel over the last few days and I’ve just now started in on the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Both of these movies are absolutely adorable with a really great cast of characters. One of my favorite quotes is also in the movie.
With all that 2020 has entailed and the massive changes a Global Pandemic creates on your life, this saying rings true. Some days I don’t know if the world will continue to exist. In the words of Marigold Hotel, “…so if it is not alright, it is not yet the end.”
I’ve been impatiently waiting my Black Friday purchases. I’ll be honest, there was a bit less satisfaction to buy online and have to wait so long for it to come. Since I ordered some holiday thermals from Old Navy, as well as some holiday face masks, I wasn’t sure I’d get them before this season was over. Thankfully, they finally arrived!
I was feeling so good when I put on my new thermal that I just had to snap a photo. It is such a great feeling to feel good in your clothes, your body, and your life. Seriously, I think with age comes this little bit of not caring what others think and/or finally not giving that so much power. It feels good to just be ME and just do ME. 40s really are pretty great so far.
Since it’s Face To Face Friday, I also did a comparison from the recent Facebook Memory. Here is 44.6 pounds of re-gain gone again.
This re-gain has really taught me so much over these last four years. I have grown so much by this experience. I think I have grown more from re-losing the weight than I did during the re-gain years. Of course, losing weight always feels 100x better and more positive than gaining weight. So, naturally, the one journey is more positive than the other.
On top of that, you don’t really work hard to gain weight. It is actually pretty simple. However, losing weight is another story. You work so hard at it that seeing the rewards, scale and otherwise, just feel so good. These rewards need to be celebrated. Each day you accomplish a goal should be celebrated. Some days we win this battle of the bulge and some days we don’t. In the grand scheme of things, if we can move forward to health and happiness then we really are winning the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Several months ago, somewhere in the middle of a Global Pandemic, I spotted a share on one of the many WW social media outlets I follow and interact with. The person was sharing how their favorite WW snack is the Iced Cinnamon Puffs.
At the time I spotted this, the Studio location were shut down all across the US and the only way to try these puffs would be to order online. The biggest bummer of WW online shopping is that you have to order $25 for free shipping. So, I never tried them.
At my weigh-in Tuesday night, a gal ahead of me told the Coach she needed to pay for her Ice Cinnamon Puff snacks, which she had not tried yet. I was suddenly reminded that I have been wanting to try these and I could finally buy a box.
I have zero regrets! They were ah-mazing. I didn’t know how many would be inside the pack. The WW Cookies only has five cookies so it doesn’t feel like much bang for your buck. The Iced Cinnamon Puffs have lots inside. They are a mini rice cake with a slight cinnamon/sweetness to it and then it is amplified with the drizzle of icing you get occasionally. Wow. They were great.
I ate them in tiny bites, savored every bit, and also had a cup of coffee along with them. I think this helped as well because they are puffs so they “puff up” inside your stomach. I feel satisfied at the end of the pack.
I also finally got my Built Bar Thanksgiving purchase. I’ll pop in soon to share more on that. I did a taste test this morning of the two varieties I bought along with the freebie peppermint brownie flavor. So far I like them at room temp but I also want to try them out of the fridge. That is my preferred way to try Built Bars.
Stand by…I’ll check back with a review.
Sadly, I gained another pound this week. However, there are still some positives.
Prior to going to my WW Studio, I was trying on a dress I ordered from Lane Bryant. I bought both the size 14 and 16 just in case one or the other didn’t fit as it was a good sale. I was pleasantly surprised the size 14 fit great. I’m not going to keep the dress because I didn’t love it. This prompted me to try on another dress in my closet that I really loved but haven’t worn due to my weight gain. It also fit!
Despite my small gain this week, I have some positives to cling to. I also had some great activity this last week. The WW Weekly Check-in really is neat. It’s a nice new feature. It also tracks trends.
I have nothing on the agenda this week and I have started to think of my meal plan. I am going to make this week fabulous!
Good Afternoon. Happy Monday!
It is my Friday and (fingers crossed) nothing on the agenda for work for the next three days. WhoooHooo. Of course I often get nervous for sick callouts and overtime coverage when I have three days off with no actual plans. Needless to say, let’s keep those positive vibes going about a nice weekend. My weekend last week went way too fast. I am ready for a re-do.
It has been a good week on the food and activity side of things. I set a goal to earn 3 blue dots and I met that goal earning 6 blue dots this week.
So far, December is looking nice.
We started a Blue Dot Challenge with my WW on-line groups to try and gain some re-focus as we head towards the end of 2020. It is also a challenge that means we don’t have to be perfect and we build on our success each week.
Week 1 - earn 3 blue dots
Week 2 - earn 4 blue dots
Week 3 - earn 5 blue dots
Week 4 - earn 6 blue dots
This allows us flexibility for the holiday season and yet still keeps us focused on our goals. Week 1 is now complete, or will be tomorrow. I am ready for my scale check-in and I anticipate a loss. I have worked hard at it this week so I am hopeful it will show.
I also completed my first of two 200% Apple Watch Activity Goal December Challenges last week.
It was a doozy and I was exhausted the next day. But, we got one done and I’ll strive towards one more either later this week or next week.
Have a great Monday.
I can easily get into a food rut. I tend to eat the same breakfast, which I really do love, and then rotate similar type meals in/out for lunch and dinner. Occasionally I find new recipes to try but mostly, I’m pretty boring.
While wondering the isles of Costco looking for canned soup, my husband spotted this Alfredo sauce. I scanned it and revealed it was 1/4 cup for 4 points and 1/8 cup for 2 points. I don’t like my pasta dripping with sauce so we decided to pick it up and give it a try.
The back of the label suggested using it on pizza and a brilliant idea came to mind. I love to switch out pizza sauce for “white sauce” at pizza restaurants so why not do it at home too? I made a pita pizza using a Joseph’s Pita and OMG…it was amazing.
My pita pizza came out to 7 points. I wanted to savor every bite so I cut it into six slices, and even shared one with The Hubs. I had gotten a bit too hungry in the afternoon since I was out running errands so I paired it with a huge salad. This brought my lunch to 10 points, which is a lot more than I typically have. Had I gone to an actual pizza establishment, I would have run me three times that amount. Pizza craving satisfied!
Since I am on the Purple Plan and whole wheat pasta is zero points, I knew I wanted to have this Alfredo on some pasta. Do you know how easy it is to make a single serving of pasta? So easy! (I actually made two servings)
Weight/measure out your pasta and boil it for 7-ish minutes.
Weigh/measure out your pasta sauce, any type of spread works great too and heat it up in the microwave just a smidge.
Pour your cooked pasta over it. Mix and enjoy.
It’s as easy as that! I served my Alfredo pasta with a Trader Joe’s chicken sausage and some frozen peas/carrots for an was 5 point meal.
In October, I attended to a two-day Crucial Conversations training to assist me in my supervisory role at work. Before you can have a conversation with somebody else, you have to take a long hard look at what you are doing. One way we can hold a conversation with somebody else (or even ourselves) is to Master Our Story which is how you stay in dialogue when you’re angry, scared, or upset. We are wired as humans to make assumptions based on more than just facts. Facts only go so far and if we don’t know the other side of the story, we start to invent our own version of the story. The more we move into our “story brain,” the more we move away from the facts. When we recognize we are going into our “story brain,” we can hopefully pull ourselves back out and look at the facts again.
Here is an example of a script I can use when talking to my employee: “I noticed that (fact, fact, fact). This leads me to conclude that (story, story, story). Can you help me better understand?”
Since this training, I have noticed with myself how easy it is to slip into my “story brain.” Instead, I need to get back to the facts. When we catch ourselves slipping back into our “story brain,” explore if it is time to get back to looking at the facts or if we need better understanding as to why we started to invent a story.
My return back to the in-person Studio Workshops went really well. While I has expected to have a gain since my last “official weight-in” back on November 3, it was a small one. I was down 1 pound from my at-home weigh-in and up 0.8 at the WW scale.
My official weight is now 202.0. It is both exciting and terrifying. I am focused on Onederland some 2021 and this is looking very promising. I am my own worse enemy though so it is no way “in the bag” and will still require a lot of focus, commitment, and hard work. I am ready. I can do this. I want to do this. I will do this.
Since I needed some perspective before going to the Studio last night, I went over my weight record. I compared this week 2019 and 2020.
Even if I had shown a more substantial gain, I knew it wouldn’t be as high as 2019. Facebook Memory reminded me of Brenda’s birthday celebration four years ago where I was still 44 pounds heavier.
When I reflect over my journey, it helps me push forward. There is a reason I am on this journey and there is a reason I will always work hard for it.
It is 100% worth it.
Phoenix found a new peppermint vodka and an amazing recipe we were also excited to try. I’ll admit, I don’t think I’d ever thought of trying Peppermint Twist Vodka in anything other than some hot chocolate.
The original recipe was from Parade magazine Celebrate Candy Cane Day With A Peppermint Cranberry Moscow Mule.
I wanted to make this drink at our Thanksgiving dinner which meant I need to swing by the liquor store. I picked up some Diet Cranberry, with only one gram of sugar in a bottle and I also already had some sugar-free ginger beer mixer on hand.
A low-point festive cocktail was adopted.
1.5 oz Smirnoff Peppermint Twist
2 oz cranberry juice
6 oz ginger beer
Until I get a cocktail shaker, I mixed the peppermint twist and cranberry in the glass first and then poured over the ginger beer until the glass was full. It was amazing! You first get the taste of peppermint and then you get the sweetness of the ginger beer on the back in. Of course, my sugar-free ginger beer wasn’t quite as delicious at regular ginger beer, but this way, I don’t have to count point for anything but the vodka.
My drink is just 3 points.
After trying out a drink at home a few nights ago, I was craving more. I didn’t need to spend the points nor did I need to get really drunk at home…although temping! I decided to have a mocktail with the rest of the cranberry and ginger beer. It still hit the spot!
I also found this Ruby Red Grapefruit also made my Ocean Spray and just 1 gram of sugar in 8 ounces. I love the cranberry varieties and this grapefruit is just as delicious. I got some diet ginger ale to try another cocktail recipe with spiced rum.
This the season!
I earned my November Apple Watch Activity Challenge Award yesterday completing 21 workouts this month. WhoooHooo!
It has been a good week of shaking up met activity and as I move towards the end of the year, I will keep it up. I am always anxious to know what the next month’s challenge will be. I know the hard ones push me but I also hope for an easy one.
On Thanksgiving, I earned a special award for walking a 5K.
These types of challenges and awards really motivate me. On a day where I would think I don’t want to exercise, I can summon the motivation.
With that being said, I am taking a rest day today. Television, coffee, and the electric blanket sound mighty nice before I head to work.
Happy Sunday.
