It's The Middle Of My Week

It is the weekend for most of you out there in Internet-Land but it is just the middle of the week for me.  

I have been snacking quite a bit on air popped popcorn (zero points on the Purple Plan) and having a Built Bar ( 3 or 4 points depending on which kind) most days.  I have really been struggling with my sweet tooth so the Built Bars are helping.  I just ordered two boxes on their 15% off sale.  Maybe that is also why I feel like I don’t have to hoard them as much.  They have really helped with travel and I plan to take some with us next week when we head to Orlando and Dallas.

I’m not sure if I’ll use the last of my 4 points today or if I’ll roll the over.  I’ve used several of my WSPA this week.  Plus, Fridays and Saturdays are middle of the week and the best days to use the majority of the WSPA as that tends to shake up the body nicely.  But, with no social plans this week, staying on track has been easy.  We are having a Super Bowl party at work on Sunday, but I’m bringing chili so I have a low point meal for me to enjoy.  I’ll have to stay out of all the other snick-snack items though.

I’m ending my month strong as far as activity goes.  It was nice for the month of January having to only strive for 15 minutes of activity.  It took the pressure off of feeing like I had to workout really hard all the time.  I will know soon what the February Apple Watch Activity Challenge will be.

Have you tried the Bubly drinks?  When Dawny visited in October, we tried the apple flavor.  I love flavored water and have at least one a day.  But, I’m struggling finding a good replacement for the Kirkland flavored waters, which the kiwi strawberry hasn’t been tasting good.  I spotted Bubly as I was walking into Wino the other day so I got the mango and the blackberry flavors.  They are not as sweet as other flavored beverages but I’m trying to adjust my pallate.  The mango tastes like the mango White Claw and the blackberry was also pretty good.  I hear pineapple and watermelon are good.  I’ll have to keep an eye out for other varieties after I get these two 12-packs finished up.

I love heart & brain so I’ll leave you with this dose of motivation.

Thursday Check-In

Howdy.

I didn’t check in yesterday because I didn’t have much to say.  It was a very chill day with lots of couch surfing and TV watching.  Finally, I got myself rounded up and went to the Pound class at the gym.  It is always nice to move.

Anybody else feel like January is the longest month ever?  Boy am I ready to get February started.  We actually go on vacation in a little over a week so we spent some time looking over the Florida Disney and Universal parks as well as what other things we might want to do in the area.  I’ve never been to Kennedy Space Center so that is on the list and I stumbled across a fun dinner/theater show with an amazing looking dinner buffet and unlimited drinks (alcohol too).  I might have been hungry which is why the dinner buffet looked so appealing.

I am back to work for a six-day stretch.  Oy!  Also, there might be some last minute coverage issues too before we leave for vacation so some additional OT.  I have started my day earlier with an after incident review on a pursuit a few weeks ago.  I didn’t sleep well so this will make for a very long shift tonight.

Food is in check this week.  I’m using some leftovers to get my through the next few days and have meal ideas in mind for the days after.  I’m earning those blue dots and staying focused on working the program so I can hopefully see that 100 pound loss mark next week.

Activity is also good this week.  I think today will be a rest day.  I am trying not to do too many things different this week as I don’t want to shake it up too much and chance missing that major milestone I’m gunning for.  I could jump on the treadmill this evening at work if I feel like it and have time.  I am also nursing a headache, which is annoying.  My caffeine is all out of whack so that is what is causing it.

Well, that is about all I got.  Have a great Thursday.

Weekly WI: OH MY GOSH!!!

Hello.  Guys…I have some GREAT news!!!

I had another big loss and I am freaking out as to how close I am to the 100 pound mark.  Oh man.  This is super exciting and a bit stressful at the same time.

I am going to work really hard this week to trust the program, get in my activity, drink my water, and try to not stress the number on the scale.  I also have vacation looming after my WI next week, which also makes me nervous.  Even though I had hoped I’d reach my 100 pound loss before vacation, it makes me a bit nervous of vacation gain.  But…we will cross that bridge when we get there and see what next week holds.  Whew!  Here we go.

I’ve decided this year to track my end of month weight vs. the weight loss.  I want to take some of the mental stress off myself and stay focused on that number of 190, my new goal weight.  Plus, once at goal, I plan to track the end of month weight, which is how another WW Lifetime Member I follow in Instagram does.  Trying to do this differently this time around so I can get to goal and STAY at goal.

I walked the mall after my meeting since I had time to kill before meeting a group of friends at Tucanos for Roxy’s birthday lunch.  It was a really nice time.  While I had thought I would eat with some reckless abandon…my current weight status kept me in check!  

I got goals to meet.

Day Before WI

Welp, I’ve done all I can for a successful week and am really hoping to pull out a loss tomorrow.  Now that I’ve had a taste of the 207s, I’m not ready to give it up.

I am not sure of the lunch plans for today but I do plan to earn a blue dot.  I am attending some supervisor training in Boise and will try and met up with Kenyon during his lunch break.  I earned six blue dots this week.  WhooooHooooo.

I completed my January Apple Watch Activity Challenge and and earned a special 2020 award too.  Double the activity trophies.

I am feeling slightly emotional this week so I am worried of time-of-the-month looming and it is typical to have a gain.  I’ll report back tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Chris Kattan At Liquid Laughs

Good Afternoon.  Happy Sunday.

I’ve got my days all mixed up and with a possible short shift today (staffing/sick issues looming) due to a training tomorrow, it will possibly be a quick work night.  I’ve got Tuesday and Wednesday off so I’m stoked about that.  Actually, moving forward to February, I am not even schedule for overtime.  I’m not sure how I feel about that.  I’ll miss the extra money but not the extra stress.

Anyway…about last night…

I love when big-name comics come to Boise and last night Kelsey and I went to Liquid Laughs to see Chris Kattan.  He was hilarious.

We had a really great time.  We got to the club super early as it fills up fast when there is a big comic.  It felt like forever for the show to begin.  We also really loved one of the opening comics, who was from Detroit.  

We had planned to go to The Stil for an ice cream treat afterwards but the line was out the door.  While it wasn’t super cold, we didn’t feel like waiting outside.  Neither of us had been to Chip, one of two cookie delivery companies we have in town so an impromptu walk several blocks for a treat was a great idea.

I had pre-tracked ice cream and still wanted to keep my points in check.  I didn’t earn a blue dot but all is tracked.  I had an NSV in that I took a few bits off my two cookies (we shared the four pack) and then when I got home, while it was tempting to keep eating since I’d already gone over my points, I put the cookies in ziplock bags and into the freezer so I could resist further temptation.

I’m coming for that loss this week!

Celebrating 13 Years As A WW Member

I’ve been needing to sit down and write out this blog post for a while now.  It has been difficult finding the right amount of time to devote to making sure I get it all out there and semi-organized!

This last week, I celebrated my 13-year anniversary with WW.  This used to be me, back when I weighed over 300 pounds.

This blog as been a journal of my ups and downs over the years since I started my maintenance journey in 2009.  Here are some recap posts from the last few years:

Goal - Five Years Later

Nine Years Since Reaching My Weight Watchers Goal

10 Year WW Lifetime Anniversary

11 Year WW Anniversary 

12 Years Of WW And A Trip Down Memory Lane

I had a FB reminder from eight years ago. 

This would have been in 2012 when I was starting to struggle more with staying in goal range.  When I look back over my weight recored and compare it to photos from that timeframe (or vice versa if the FB photo pops up), I’m surprise how good I actually look around 190 pounds.  This is why I decided to set my new doctor’s goal at 190 pounds.  

Hindsight reminds me that during those years, I was struggling big time and I felt like such a big failure.  When you find yourself back up to 253 pounds, and re-gaining 80 pounds back, 190 ain’t looking so bad.

This journey I’ve been on has been a whole life change.  I am a better person because of the struggles.  I have leaned more than I could have ever imagined about myself.  Mostly, I’ve learned how strong I really am and how if I set my mind to it, I can do hard things.

The 13th-Year has started off really great.  While it is easy to compare myself to others and get bummed out that I’ve been losing very slowly (i.e. losing and gaining the same 10-15 pounds for a while now), I really do feel like 2020 is my year.  This is the year I will re-claim my WW (new) Goal.  This is the year I will work harder, stay better focused, and make good things happen.  I can do this and I will do this!

Super Easy Meal Idea (From Instagram)

I find the best ideas of Instagram.  If you have an Instagram account, there are many WW hashtags out there to keep you motivated and give you some great tips, tricks, and recipe ideas.

And, if you do have Instagram, follow me at Lindsay Is A Lifetime Member

So…back to the awesome IG ideas…

I recently saw an idea to use a dip, any dip of your choice, as a sauce for whole wheat pasta, which is 0 SPV on the Purple Plan.  This is genius because the only points you have to count is the serving of dip.

I decided to try this out on my recent shopping trip to Trader Joe’s.  I’d seen several IG posts about the new Buffalo Chicken Dip, which is 2 SPV for the 30 gram serving size. 

I hear it is very spicy and I’m not really a spice kind of gal.  I was hoping serving the dip over pasta might make it less spicy, plus, I planned a salad with blue cheese dressing on the side.

I weighed out 30 grams and melted it in the microwave for about 15 seconds, just to get the chill off.

Then, I mixed in my cooked pasta.

Voila!  It was delicious.

Weekly WI

Good Morning.

I’ve got an early morning training for work today but wanted to give a quick update on my Weekly WI yesterday.  Plus, I’m still having my morning coffee and making breakfast.

Side Note: Did you hear about the new Netflix Show AJ and the Queen?  I am loving it!  It stars RuPaul Charles and a cute little 10-year-old girl that both navigate difficult times in their lives as they travel in an RV to different cities for RuPaul’s drag shows as his character Ruby.  It is really great.  It even had me tearing up last night with it’s tender and difficult moments as that little 10-year-old has had a rough start to life with her mother.  If you can get past the very slow first episode, it is great.

Okay, back on track…

WI was a smashing success!  I was feeling good when I woke up but am always nervous of those unexpected surprises that can often pop up.  But, this was not one of those days.  I love 2.2 pounds and I am at a new low finally dropping into the 207s.  Yippie!!!

It sure has been a bumpy month and looking back at my weight record since the new myWW plans rolled out, I am down 4.8 pounds thanks to the Purple Plan.  It is going really well.

I have social plans on Saturday and breakfast/brunch date with Kenyon tomorrow.  So it should be another good week for working myWW program.

Have a great Wednesday.

Ending The Week Strong

I can’t believe I’ve made it to another end of a WW week.  I have had an excellent week and I am preparing for a loss.  Here is why:

 

I earned blue dots seven days in a row. 

 

And, I also even had some rollover days where I added points back to my WSPA balance.  This always makes me a little nervous because you just never know how the scale will react when you eat too little or too much.

 

I got back into activity, also seven days in a row. 

 

I’m working hard on my January Apple Watch Activity Challenge as well as the specialty awards I can earn this month.  I have been exercising 15-30 minutes a day and returned to some weight training Aaptiv workouts as well.  This also makes me a little nervous since you never know how the body will react to the sudden increase in activity.  I know that I need to really get back to more intense activity.

I’ll report back after my WI tomorrow.  I am really hopeful my one pound gain from last week is gone and also a little more.  I don’t quite have a meal plan in place for the week but with Tuesday and Wednesday off work, I’ll get myself squared away for another successful week.

Saturday Check-In

I have lost all track of time.  Clearly, as it has been three days since I have checked in.  I feel like I am running a mile-a-minute and still have a to-do list a mile long.

I had my only day off this week on Thursday (well, I had Sunday off too).  It was jam packed with errands but an enjoyable day off with The Hubs.  We decided to eat in after having breakfast out at Cracker Barrel.  That sure saved a bundle on points.  Despite a busy week, I’ve been keeping up with my activity and my tracking/food as been on point!  I have blue dots each day this week and even had some rollover weekly points adding back in.  My meal prep combined with some freezer options of leftovers I put away before vacation is really helping.  

I’m planning for a loss this week and am going to keep working hard at it.  I’m re-motivated again to get that 100 pounds lost milestone and eventually drop under 200.  With another vacation just three weeks away, I don’t see that happening for a while yet.  But, I really want 2020 to be THE year I make it happen.

Have a great Saturday.

Trying To Get Back Into Activity

It has been rough getting back to my regular exercise routine, partly due to vacation and partly due to a busy/choppy work schedule this week.

 

I’ve been focusing on getting in at least 15 minutes so I can earn my Apple Watch Activity Award for the month of January.

 

I need to up my workouts to 30 minutes, and get back into some weight lifting, so I can earn this special award too.

 

I’ve got another special award that I’m about to earn.  Just one more day of closing my Movement circle and I’ll have completed 1,250 days of meeting my daily Movement goal.  Yippie!

 

I’m also planning to return to gym classes.  It has been a rough schedule this week between work hours, appointments, and some co-worker switches.  I have tomorrow off and then after next week, I should be back to somewhat of a normal schedule.  I can’t believe how fast January is going.

Weekly WI: A Gain, But That Is Okay

After having to miss my WW workshop last week, I popped in today to see all my favorite Tuesday WW members and coaches.  It feels good to be back at that location among all the wonderful support. I had expected to show a gain post-vacation even though my home scale was down 0.4 pounds upon our return from Arizona.  I was just hoping that I didn’t dip back over 210, which I didn’t.  YEAH!!

Hearing one of the gals at our workshop not happy with her weight loss is always a reminder that I don’t want to be that person that complains all the time.  Despite a gain, things have been going really well.  The Purple Plan is still serving me well and I am still rocking the new myWW program.  I don’t have anything on the agenda this week so I am shooting for a loss!

I’m working on some meal prep now as I head back to work for a swing shift tonight and also part of a swing shift tomorrow.  I also have an early morning hair appointment so sleep is going to be a challenge.  I’m going to squeeze in a workout wherever I can too.  My activity for today was snow shoveling.  We got about an inch of snow last night but it is melting off anything in the sun and that has been shoveled.  All the more reason to start up the Apple Watch Workout App and get out there and burn some calories.

Have a great Wednesday.

Arizona Vacation - The Last Few Days

The last few days in Arizona were also really low key.  

We hit up another air museum, this time the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. It was a lot smaller than Pima Air & Space Museum but the planes were in excellent condition.  

My air-enthusiast husband really enjoyed our visits to the air museums.

I really wanted to check out the Downtown Scottsdale Old Town area, which had a trolley for easy access.  It was a tough sale for my introverted husband but I figured a visit to two air museums earned me something.

It was quite alarming to board the trolley and see your driver looks like Walter White from Breaking Bad during his Heisenberg phase.  I really wanted to get a photo of the guy but that felt rude.  I wonder if he hears that often?

We made a loop on the trolley and then went in search of food.  We stopped into a restaurant near the mall area that had bison steak, which caught Kenyon’s attention.  Afterwards, I suggested we walk along Old Town to the Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row.  

Sadly, they didn’t have two of the drinks I was interested in.  The music was fun and atmosphere was great.  It was trivia night.  I enjoyed my cocktail and then we walked back to the car and called it quits for the night.

Our last day in Arizona involved a lazy morning and a late start.  I was able to enjoy a walk around our resort complex a few times during the week.  We popped into a casino, lost our money, and killed time until we met Kenyon’s high school classmate and his family.  We met at a delicious Mexican restaurant with green chile/New Mexico flare.  Marc, April, and their children were lovely.  We look forward to another visit soon.  Sadly, we were not able to meet up with any other family or friends.  Maybe our schedules will coincide next time.

We really enjoyed Scottsdale and we will for sure be back.

Arizona Vacation - The First Few Days

The first few days in Arizona were the warmest days.  The sun has been shining the entire trip, which has been glorious.  While I thought we would dodge the snow in Idaho…it turns out it is waiting for our return.  So, I had better soak up the last of the sunshine and warm(er) temps while I can.

One day we visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Taliesin West House.  

I’ve never been to a Frank Lloyd Wright House before and this makes me want to seek out and visit all of them.  We have already thought about a trip to Pennsylvania to see the iconic Falling Waters House.  This is was a guided tour of the house where you were able to learn more about Mr. Wright, Mrs. Wright (his third wife) and the time he spent with his students/appetences half the year in Arizona.

Taliesin West is still used as an architectural school and is now an accredited school.  Our guide said there were three students currently living on the campus.

We toured Mr. Wright’s office, his living quarters, Mrs. Wright’s living quarters, the main living room, and the theater.  Since the building is a working campus, we were able to peak into a few other areas but not able to enter.  It was fascinating. 

The next day we made the drive to Tuscan to visit the Pima Air & Space Museum.  

This place was huge with many hangers you could walk through as well as a huge outside area with planes as far as the eye could see.  It wasn’t crowded as it was close to the end of the day.  The sunshine made for an enjoyable day outside looking at the many displays.

I’ve been to many airplane museums since marrying Kenyon and this one was really neat.  We enjoyed the afternoon.

I spotted a couple outlet malls along our drive south to Tuscan so I talked Kenyon into stopping into the Tuscan Premium Outlet Mall on our way north.  I am so glad I did because I found this amazing small crossbody red purse that has sparkly signature C’s on them.  Oh boy what a great find!  I can’t wait to bust this out on our Girls Weekend in Vegas in March.

Have a great Friday.