July Apple Watch Activity Goal Is Complete

I was able to finish up my July Apple Watch Activity Challenge in the nick of time.

When I came home from Vegas, I only had one day left to reach my 17 day goal of closing my Exercise circle.  I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to give myself plenty of rest so I could kick my head cold quickly.  I was running out of days and was able to get my last day of exercise completed yesterday.

I was still not feeling 100% these last few days.  I really needed these two days off to try and de-stress and rest.  I feel better today, which is good because it is back to work.  I’ve got a long stretch ahead of me and then my Girls Weekend Stay-Cation.

I’ve been completing my Apple Watch Activity Goal each month this year.  I’ll see what the August Challenge is tomorrow.  

Las Vegas COVID-19 Style

A COVID-19 Vegas experience was like none other we have had before.  I am glad we went, however, there is a long way to go before Vegas gets back to any type of “normal.”  It is so heartbreaking to see what COVID has done to this amazing city we love to visit.

 

The biggest noticeable difference…face masks!

 

Boise is just now starting to require/mandate face masks.  So, this was our first real experience of having to wear them all of the time, unless you are outside and can properly socially distance.  This meant wearing our masks in the Boise airport, on the plane, in the Vegas airport, in the taxi cab, while riding the bus, and inside the casino/hotel.  We even wore our masks when we were down on Fremont Street because even though you can socially distance, the outside streets had the heaviest pedestrian traffic compared to all the other streets and sidewalks of the Vegas Strip.

 

It was a delight to see that Vegas was having fun with it and you would spot masks on various statutes around town.  I didn’t snap a photo of Caesar, but even he was wearing a mask.  I was surprised to see my favorite Guinness Guy was not wearing his mask.  Maybe we can place the blame on him for the COVID spread. 

 

The second noticeable difference was how “dead” the streets were.  A typical Vegas trip is never light when it comes to both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.  Since the COVID shutdowns, it was really bare around town.  As I said above, Fremont Street had the most pedestrian traffic, although a lot of them looked local.  The casinos were filled with people and even our pool-view room showed people out and about.

 

Another noticeable difference, and maybe one of the toughest, is that there are no bars open and most restaurants closed at 11pm, or earlier.  It made it really difficult to find food late at night or early in the morning.  Denny’s was open 24/7 so that was a plus on one of our early mornings.  There were NO Starbucks open in our hotel area (until the last day when Kenyon spotted one we didn’t know was hiding).

 

We were able to try out a new restraint on this trip, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar.  We arrived at Happy Hour and were able to try several small bites including deep fried deviled eggs, loaded hush puppies, and the reason we decided to try them, the amazing hot dog and slaw.  This hot dog was wrapped in bacon and served on a King’s Hawaiian bun.  It was served with blue cheese, coleslaw, and some sort of spicy sauce.  It was a really great combo and served with chips on top really elevated it.  We were also given a compliment parmesan waffle fry as it was our first visit.  The beer tasted amazing after navigating the Vegas 100+ degree temps.

 

We also tried out Chicago Brewing in Fremont Street at Four Queens.  The bus ride to Fremont Street took over an hour so we got there too late to dine in.  They allows us to order to-go and the pizza was amazing!  I also enjoyed the beer, which is their local brew.  They let us eat our pizza inside the restaurant, which we appreciated.  It was really annoying to have everything closed down so early.

 

The last major noticeable difference was how slow the bus system was running.  The transit has had to reduce their busses and even cut some routes.  This was the first trip where it would have taken over an hour and a few bus changes to get from the airport to the hotel.  When we rode the bus, which was just once because of all the delays, it was at least 25-40 minutes to wait for a bus to come and then with the stop lights and bus stops, took a good hour to get anywhere.  That was enough for us to say “no thank you” and instead, stay close to Excalibur, which had several other MGM properties near it to get around and gamble/eat.  The trams were also not running.

I don’t know when we will be back to Vegas.  It is really quite sad.  They need money to get back on their feet.  With bars closed, entertainment suspended, restaurant limitations, and long bus routes, it will be a very difficult decision to return soon.  

We still had a good time and even won some money.  I was able to par-take in a beer (or two...or more).

 

Oh pre-COVID Vegas, I really miss you!

Weekly WI: Post-Vacation Results

My WW App gave me balloons when I logged my weight this morning. 

After getting into glorious ONEderland eight weeks ago, I gained a little here and there and found myself back in the 200s. Well, today I am officially back in ONEderland once again. This time, I’d like to make it more permanent! 
A post-Vacation cold (no, not COVID) and lack of appetite helped but work stress was terrible this week.  I am also glad that I pre-planned some meals so I was prepared for going back to work after vacation and getting back on track right away.

I have been trying to practice good self care and give myself as much rest as possible, as long as I can turn my mind off! Hoping for a better work week to come.

It was a good end to July. I see my thyroid doctor next week and a year ago I told him when I see him next, I’d be under 200. He said, “I know you will” as he left the room. I was really doubting this was possible these last few weeks. I am really happy with my success these last few months. There have been so many challenges but also so many successes.

Oy!

Well Hello Monday. Since I started my work week Friday, it has definitely been a very long week! I’ve got my shift tonight and one more day to go on Tuesday. I’m still not 100% from the head cold I acquired but I do think I’m on the downhill side.

It has been sick coverage after sick coverage and more sick coverage at work. I’m starting to wonder when the end is in sight and I fear we are about to get really bad. Soon, it may be all-hands-on-deck. 

Oy! 

What a week it has been.

I peeked at the scale when I woke up this morning, and I may be glad I did since woke stress could impact it. I’ll report in on that officially tomorrow.

For now, more caffeine and a few extra pep talks as I tackle this Monday.

Back To The Grind

It has been busy since arriving home from vacation and getting right back into the swing of things.  I feel like I’m going a mile a minute!

I still owe you a Vegas COVID Trip post.  There were a lot of differences this trip than that of the past and I really makes me sad.  I’ll pop in tomorrow with my recap.

I came home with a cold, just what I need!  It turns out wearing masks and washing your hands doesn’t keep you from cold germs.  I guess it is a good thing it protects you from COVID germs?  Or so they say?!?  I am not feeling 100% that is for sure.  I am powering through and trying to rest the best I can when I can.

I am really glad I pre-planned some meal prep before we went out of town.  I made a batch of Italian Soup with Beans and Chicken Sausage and I am still working out what I’ll make for the next couple days.  My appetite has been interrupted by this cold.  I managed to dodge the Crumbl Cookies that a trooper brought in.  Being back on track feels good and I really don’t want to see a huge gain on the scale come Tuesday.

I hope you are all having a great Saturday.

Break Time

I made it.  In fact, I forgot to publish this so It is finally already the end of vacation!

As I am sure it is with each of you, since mid-March, it has been hard on everybody.  My outlet for stress relief is travel and time with my husband.  Due to COVID-19, I have not been able to do either of these.  

Well, of course I see my husband.

We have been on opposite shifts since I promoted to supervisor at the end of December.  While we make it work, some days it is hard.  With Kenyon on graveyard and me on swing shift it feels like we see each other less than we did when he was on day shift as I am on swing shift.  The end of August will be shift change for Kenyon again which means we will sync up again a bit better.

Work stress has been off the charts these last six and a half months.  Some days I feel like I have it all figured out and some days I am literally wishing I could be anywhere but there.  I’d like to say that I have a great rapport with my shift team, as well as my supervisory team, but I think I am just a pawn in their game.  I know I am hated simply because of title I keep and I work really hard to not take any of that personally.  

It can be really lonely at the top.  It has given me new perspective of my supervisors in my past and how I wished I had treated them better.  I wish everybody could gain this type of perspective and realize that while it is easily to feel wronged by those you work with, you play a part in all of it too.  It isn’t all just one sided.  And it makes me sad to see so much hate, discontent, and bullying.  I really wish dispatch centers were not so toxic.  Why can't people just be nice?

As I update this, I’ve actually still been dealing with work issues since I landed in Vegas. They are waiting for me when we get home.

I know I have many areas I can continue to improve in and I will keep working on myself and developing my supervisory skills.

We have had a great time and are headed home with some winnings. Plus, we have played on the House Money all week. We also redeemed comps and slot free play so it was a really great vacation.

See you soon.

Weekly WI: Excess Weight Is Gone Again

Good Morning.

My gain from last week is gone.  THANK GOODNESS!

I worked really hard this week at staying on track, honest tracking, exercise, and not giving into to temptations or mindless eating.

I navigated through a few options for meals out at work, quick runs to the grocery store for snacks, and the candy drawer in my office.  Some days were tough but I powered through.  With a mini vacation this week, along with indulges, staying on track this last week was my primary focus.

I am up too early after going to be too late but oh well.  I tried to get my mind to settle back off after I got up to use the bathroom and take my thyroid pill.  I was excited to do my weigh-in and drink coffee.  I prepped some overnight oats that I didn’t eat before I went to bed so I’ll have that to tide me over until we get picked up for the airport and make a stop by Cracker Barrel.

I hope you’ll have a great Monday!

Apple Cinnamon Oats To Spice Up Your Tastebuds

My Mom was encouraging me to buy the Apple Cinnamon Oat Premier Protein, which they enjoy drinking alone.  I don’t love milk and so I don’t keep it on hand.  I was thinking these might be good for the occasional over night oat and/or on some cereal.  I love cereal but I don’t keep it in the house because I lack control!

After picking up a pack last week at Costco, I finally got around to making some overnight oats.  Since I was hoarding my fat free yogurt for my chicken salad recipe, I mixed together 40g dry regular oatmeal and half a shake drink, as well as, two Stevia.

OMG!  It was amazing!  I loved it.  It almost had that cereal consistency since it was still a little milky and had an excellent sweet flavor.  I chopped up an apple and tried it first with just that.  Since I had the points to spare, I added in a dollop of peanut butter.  Of course it made it even more amazing.

This was the perfect snack to tide me over after my extra long work shift Friday night.  I had not planned to be at work 11.5 hours so I was really glad I had prepped the oats ahead of time.  It was a lifesaver as I was starving.

Enjoy.

100 Day Tracking Streak

I officially reached the 100 Day Tracking Streak.

WhoooHoooo!

And I’m earning those blue dots all over the place this week.  Despite being tired, I got in my 30 minutes on the treadmill after I woke up.  I had to remind myself it didn’t need to be crazy intense so an easy walk on the treadmill is exactly what I needed.

It has been a stressful and busy week at work.  Last night was a crazy Friday shift!  I’m almost scared to see what our Saturday night has in store for us.  I am currently on day 5 of 6 and I am ready for my days off more than I have been in a long time.  I ended up on a 11.5 hour shift last night.  Ugh.  Let’s hope these two days are seamless.  Fingers Crossed!

I didn’t stop by Winco on my way home from work as I was too tired from my long shift.  I threw together an easy cold pasta and chicken salad for my meals the last two days at work.  I am actually under my daily points since it is really low.  I am really hoping I see a loss no the scale on Monday.  I have tried my best so I need to not give in to stress these next few days.

I will stop at Winco on my last work night so I that I am prepared for getting back on track once we get home from our mini-vacation.

Happy Saturday.  

The Last Year - Perspective

My mental state has improved this week and I have been on track earning blue dots each day thus far.  While I am still trying to get my meal plan figured out before we head out of town on Monday, I am proud of myself for staying focused.  I know eating out and alcohol is in my near future and keeping myself on track now is super important.  

When the urge to eat out strikes, I remind myself that I’ll be doing plenty of eating out next week.  The Hubs and I even talked ourselves out of ordering pizza the other night.  I was really overboard on Monday and was miserable afterwards.  It feels so good to be back on track and in control.  I hope my hard work will reflect on the scale come Monday (a day early weight-in due to travel).

I also did some reflecting on my weight journey to help me gain some perspective and find that spark to continue to push through.  I always feel that a gain is temporary as long as you get back on track.  It is more so what you do the following week that allows it to be temporary or permanent weight gain.  I really want this 1.4 pound gain from last week to stay temporary!  And the ball is entirely in my court.

Looking over the last year through my WW weight graph:

When I reflect on the last month, these ups and down are killing me…mentally if nothing else!  I shared this photo with my local WW group on Connect saying “I am ready to get off this roller coaster!”  The last few month have felt like so many ups and downs, that when I look at just the last four weeks, it feels deflating and that I’m not making much progress.  It is really hard to continue to be positive, work the plan and stay the course.

When I reflect on the last three months, I have the blaring reminder that I was once again in ONEderland only to remember that I am no longer still in ONEderland.  I think this is where my biggest mental hurdle is tripping me up.  I feel disappointment in myself for getting back into the 200s.  I wish I had worked harder and tried more.  I wish I had not indulged as much while on my McCall Girls Weekend.  I find that if I really sit with my thought, it is easy to go from mad to sad to telling myself all sort of negative self talk.

But the truth is, I enjoyed my mini getaway and I needed it more than anything for my mental health.  As you all know, this COVID crap is so hard to deal with day after day.  I needed that break.  Unfortuntaly, a mental break for me also comes with mindless eating and drinking.  Thus, I am no longer in ONEderland.  I cannot keep punishing myself for this uptick.  I just have to stay focused and keep working towards my health and fitness goals.

When I reflect over the last year, this is where I am the most proud of myself.  Last year, I gained 10 pounds over the Summer months.  Oy!  This was after getting a handle of my 10 pound Fall/Winter gains.  Despite having a 1.4 pound gain last week, I weigh 17 pounds less than I did a year ago.  That, is definitely success and the reason why it is important to take a step back and look at a bigger picture.

I will get back under 200 pounds and I will reach my new WW doctor note goal weigh of 190.  There is no timeline on weight loss and maintenance.  The biggest takeaway over this last year is how good I feel.  I feel so much better in my clothes.  I am much more confident.  I am happy and I am healthy.  That alone is enough to continue this journey.

Three 10-Minute FitOn Workouts For Rounded Fitness

I found three 10-minute workouts on the FitOn WW app, which allowed me to get in my 30 minutes as part of my Apple Watch July Activity Challenge but also shake things up a bit.  I really liked how quick this workout went by having three different ones.

I started with the Full Body Tone.  I was surprised how easy this palates workout was and still worked my muscles.  It is just 10 moves and you do one round.  So, even if you hated one of the moves, you only had to push through it once.

The second workout was Amazing Arms.  This was two rounds of 10 moves and boy where they tough.  I had to start alternating the moves to keep going.  The trainer, Caroline, really likes to burnout those muscles on this one.

I rounded out my workout with abs and core.  I hate doing abs and core but I know with my back problems, it is important.  This was again just 10 moves and one round.  It was over before I knew it!

After a bit of a stretch, I completed my 30 minutes.  It was a nice break from the treadmill, which is my go-to easy workout.  I was also pleasantly surprised that while some of the moves looked tough, I tried them out and my body actually can do it!  That sure made me feel empowered.

I’ll have to either repeat this again or look for more quick workouts that I can pair together and not have such a tough workout that I can’t move the next day.  While I do love the burn, it is so hard when you are so sore the following day.

If you want your body to change, you have to push past your comfort zone!

Weekly WI: A Gain

I was pretty upset when I stepped on the scale yesterday to see an undeserved gain.  It was really hard to wrap my mind around it.

Last week, I didn’t have any coffee shop stops, no social situations, and no alcohol.  WTF?  I had two high point days that I didn’t earn a blue dot, but I tracked it.  Friday was a unplanned meet up with a friend for cookies and ice cream but I still felt like it was controlled.  I was really bummed when I gained so much.  It was really hard to push through mentally.

My day started with an on-track breakfast and a 45 minute walk with Phoenix.  I tried to keep my pity party in check.  Instead, it lead me to pizza and beer and a BIG stomach ache!  Oh man I was miserable lat night.  Well, that sure does get you back in check quite quickly!  No more going overboard this week.  Ugh.

I still have to figure out my meal plan for the week.  I am working today, off on Wednesday, then back to work Thursday - Sunday.  I have a few ideas and will use Wednesday to make some meals.  I am also going to try and get myself prepared for our return from Vegas so I am prepared to make the work week and what is left of the WW week a good one.

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday!  I have my days mixed up so I keep thinking it is Sunday.  Unless something changes staffing-wise, I am off Sunday and Monday and boy am I ready!

 

I have not been feeling the exercise motivation.  It was a busy Thursday followed by a Friday also with no exercise.  I got on the treadmill today as soon as I woke up.  It felt good to move.

 

I’ve been struggling with hip pain and so sleep hasn’t been the greatest and thus, energy has also been low.  We looked at the possibility of a new mattress but didn’t commit to anything yet.

 

I had an impromptu get together after work last night with my friend Rebecca and her two very cute and very sweet daughters.  We ended up at Crumbl Cookies for some cookies and ice cream.  I ate my ice cream since it would melt and saved the lemon poppyseed cookie for Kenyon.  I still had a few bites as I have been wanting to try that flavor.

 

If you have never had Crumbl Cookies, they are very big, very sweet, and really delicious.  Since I don’t have much sugar on a daily basis, when I do have sugar, it is really, really sweet.  Each time I had a little sliver of cookie, I reminded how sweet it is.  It made me think of this comic that I saved recently.

 

There is some truth to this when it comes to both my weight loss and maintenance journey.

 

I have been spicing up my leftover lemon cheesecake.  It is so good I am enjoying every slice (sometimes two).  

After an indulgent Thursday and Friday, I am trying to stay the course as best as I can.

 

Have a great Saturday.

Recipe: WW Pound Dropper Lemon Cheesecake

For several weeks now, I’ve been wanting to try the WW Pound Dropper Lemon Cheesecake recipe.  The only thing that has deterred me is the cheesecake needs to chill overnight.  Every time it sounds good, I don’t want to wait for it to chill.

Yesterday while picking up some grocery items, I got everything else I needed for the lemon cheesecake and decided to finally make it…and wait for it to chill.

The result?  It was delicious!

I couldn’t find lemon sugar-free fat-free pudding at Fred Meyer and I didn’t want to go all over town in search of it.  I went with vanilla, as per her instructions.  I also went for a real lemon/lemon juice and some sugar-free lemon jello power to amp up the flavor since I didn’t have the lemon pudding.  I think that was a fantastic idea.

I also tried Swerve since it was cheaper than Monkfruit.  

Had I been planning ahead better, I could have gotten the larger bag of Monkfruit at Costco for the better cost.  But, the Swerve worked just fine.  I want to try to the Oreo next.  With eight servings, although two servings is just 1 point on the Purple Plan, I am not sure if it will freeze well and how it will hold up in the fridge for multiple days.  I can see myself taking this to a family party though.  It was really tasty.

Weekly WI: Maintain

Good Morning.  Happy Tuesday.

It is an early one for me as I stayed up too late after getting off working watching The Hot Chick.  It a was a blast from the past (1992) and I didn’t even realize there were so many actors and actresses in there that I didn’t know back then.  When I was telling Kenyon that the movie had come on HBO before I left for work which prompted me to record it, he said, “a movie from your Freshman year of high school?”  I guess I didn’t think about it then but I wasn’t quite in high school yet.  That would have been 1994-1995.  I better report that back to him.  Kenyon graduated high school in 1992.  Where did the time go?

I doubt you came here to hear me ramble.  After all, the this is my spot in the Internet that I can ramble freely.  But, I bet you came today for weigh-in results.

No fanfare today but a maintain is never a negative thing!  This week I had meals out and some beer again.  I feel like I managed it all well, balanced it, and didn’t partake in the mindless free-for-all that tends to follow my inebriated thought process.  That is a huge win for me.  I don’t have any social plan on the book and with Vegas just two weeks away, I feel like I need to hunker down and keep my alcohol reeled in.

We will see where this week takes me.  I have some leftovers meals to have at home and I am sure we will end up with a meal or two out as well.  I also need to get ahead of meal planning for this next work week so I am armed and ready.

Work was so busy this last weekend that I am hopeful nobody calls in sick and we don’t have to scramble for coverage.  I am exhausted.  I am looking forward to three days of rest.

New WW Recipe: Italian Soup With Beans And Chicken Sausage

Hello and Happy Sunday.

 

We have had a BUSY 4^th of July holiday weekend at work.  I am officially halfway through day 3 of 4 and boy am I ready for the weekend.

 

I have been trying to branch out on my meal plan and this week I tried out a new WW recipe.  As always, I modify my recipes.  Part of that is to lower the points and part is due to what I have on hand and/or what I like as far as types of products.  I also like to reduce the servings because I only like leftovers for a few days.

 

Today’s recipe was Italian Soup with Beans and Chicken Sausage.  It was delicious.

 

For ease, I used the Instant Pot.  It came together really easy and I still have three days of leftovers.

Happy 4th Of July

Happy 4^th Of July!!

 

I am feeling festive today as I am working until 2am.  So far, so good but phone calls have been quite steady.  We had some intense calls in the later evening hours on Friday so we will see what the rest of tonight has in store.

 

July has started off well.  Despite some high point eating on Wednesday and Thursday, the week has also gone well.  I always love a fresh new month.

I am working on my July Apple Watch Activity Challenge, which is to close my exercise circle 17 times this month. 

 

So far, I have three completed.

After going for a walk on both Wednesday and Thursday, as well as, lifting some weights yesterday, I decided to take a rest day today.  I am feeling sore so it was much needed.

 

I hope you all have a safe and fun 4^th of July.

How Is It Already Thursday Evening?

Good Evening.  I guess my days off have gotten away from me because here we are on Thursday evening and thus, on the eve of me heading back was  to work tomorrow.  I’m not ready!

On Wednesday, I had a hair appointment for a trim and then a walking date with my hair dresser, who is also my WW Leader, Cindie.  I thought I had to go into work later that day too so we nixed our plan to have beer afterwards.  We enjoyed a 30+ minute walk in Katherine Albertsons’ Park, where we saw all sort of wildlife including baby turtles and ducks.

It was nice walk and talk and also beautiful scenery.

Since I was off the hook for OT, Kenyon and I ran some errands which took us to Twin Peaks, just in time for happy hour.  I guess I got my beer after all!

I was Lazy Pants McGee and laid around on the couch for the rest of the evening.  

Today, I was about to head to meet Phoenix and Kiki for a walk and chat followed by coffee at Starbucks when we ran into a travel snag for our Tennessee trip in August.  It was few hours of trying to figure it all out but I think we have a plan.  We will finalize your details this evening at home.

After that debacle, I headed to meet Phoenix and Kiki.  We met near the Karcher Mall, which is currently under construction.  So, this wasn’t the best bet for walking.  But, we were able to do a 15 minute loop and then enjoy our coffee outdoors in the shade.

I finished up my activity goal today with house cleaning before running errands with Kenyon.  Tonight, we ended up at Tucanos.  It was just as good as it ever was pre-COVID.  They even have the salad bar up and running, they hand you a pair or gloves and ask you to get a new pair on each visit to the Salad Bar Festival.  Kenyon was in the mood for ice cream and clearly, I am persuadable!  We finished off our evening at Stella’s and shared a double scoop of ice cream.  It hit the spot!

After two days of unplanned eating out, I’m feeling a bit off the rails!  Good thing the work week starts tomorrow and I can get back on track.