A Shift In Travel Plans

As I sit here and drink my morning coffee out of one of my favorite Starbucks, I am having so much trouble taming the travel bug inside me.  I love the I can reminisce about our past travel destinations with something as simple as a coffee cup.  

Travel feeds my soul.

I have a couple side hustles coming up that will help get me out of town for a few days.  Mostly, I have been all over the place with indecisiveness as we wait for the cruise industry to start back up and what we want to do with our existing cruise bookings.  I thought I was okay with pushing our October cruise out and waiting until March 2022 as we hope to go on our NCL cruise to Australia and New Zealand.  I have recently gone down the rabbit hole of following a group of cruisers on Instagram in the UK who recently completed a four-day cruise on MSC in/out of Southhampton, London.  Now the cruise desire is light up like a roadside flair and I just really want to get back on a cruise ship!

As luck would have it, we had not yet cancelled our October NCL cruise down the coast of the Pacific North West when we received the “official” word the cruise company had to cancel it.  The plan right now  is to use as much of the fleet as possible to cruise to destinations that do not use a US port (Rome, Italy, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic) and to also start back up in Hawaii and Alaska.  This is why we were canceled.  Our ship needed to be used on an different itinerary.  We were gifted a 10% coupon towards our next booking, which I thought would be a 14-day Europe cruise in 2023.  The coupon was only good on sailings through 2022.  

We spent some time looking at options in October and spotted an Alaksa Cruise with a good price tag and perfect flight options to get us to the port on the same day of embarkation and a flight home the same day as disembarkation.  And….the flights were just $58 each way or 2,500 Southwest rewards points.  That is a KILLER deal.  It didn’t take long to make the decision we would be calling our cruise guy and booking an Alaska cruise in October of 2021.  

The icing on the cake is that Mom and Dad will be joining us.  I am over the moon my parents are going to travel with us.  I think this makes me 100x more exciting for October to get here (but not too fast because I am ready for warm temps).

This is a modified cruising itinerary from our previous Alaska cruise with less port stops and it does not cruise the inside passage.  I hope it will still be enjoyable for my parents as they have been wanting to return to Alaska for many years.  I also hope it doesn’t get cancelled!  We will have three ports of call: Juneau, Icy Straight Point, and Ketchikan.  We will be on the NCL Bliss, which has a brewery and a Starbucks as well as some entertainment that my parents will enjoy.  I am really living on cloud nine right now.  My parents are the best so we are going to have a great time.

We currently still hold our other cruise booking for March 2022 and we are staying hopeful that Australia and New Zealand will start accept travels again without a 14-day quarantine.  All we can do is sit and wait and hope for the best.

Positive Pep Talks: I Can Do Hard Things

The last year and a half have challenged me so much.  The opportunity to promote to supervisor at work feel into my lap and I am not sure if I was 100% ready.  For those that don’t know me, I never saw myself as a supervisor.  I have a lot of qualities that make a good supervisor but the one part that has always been lacking is the ability to connect with people in a leadership role using “soft gloves.”  I struggle with coddling and my brutal honesty easily hurts feelings.  

It has been a really big learning curve that I am committed to navigating.  I have to remind myself time and time again that I won’t be good at something overnight and that it will take time to learn and grow.

Having a growth mindset is so important in my WW journey and it also helps me each day in my professional life.  The Weekly Technique not only applies to weight loss, it also applies to other areas of my life.

Practicing positive self talk has been really helpful this last year and a half.  I often have to pep myself up with the mantra, “I can do hard things.”  Which is true.  I CAN do hard things.  A positive mindset breeds positivity and having a can-do attitude sets the right tone vs. a can’t-do attitude.  

What positive mantras do you use when you need to give yourself a little positive pep talk? 

Oh boy it has been a week.

I am in the negative after blowing through my Weekly Smart Points Allowance.  It was not the original plan for the week but here we are and at least it is all tracked.  Tuesday I went to my parents house for sourdough pancake dinner.  Wednesday we stayed in and ordered Dominos thin crust pizza and stuffed cheesy bread (my favorite).  Thursday was a planned dinner out with a prior coworker that also involved pizza. 

I tracked it, I enjoyed it, and I’m trying to keep my sweet tooth at bay.  When you have all the foods with all the extra sodium, it really ramps up the tastebuds to wanting more.  I have to continue to remind myself if I can tough it out for a day or two, I’ll be feeling back to normal soon and those cravings will pass.  I had a bit of a set back with my decision to have a small piece of ice cream cake at work last night.  That sweet tooth is really ramped up!

I am armed with low point Purple Plan foods and committed to finishing out this week strong.  Now that I have completed the May Apple Watch Activity Challenge, I am working on keeping up my daily activity even if I don’t always hit the 30 minute mark.  Consistency is key.  

Weekly WI: Continuous Losses & May Apple Watch Activity Goal Complete

After a spike in weight at the end of April, I saw continuous losses during the month of May.  I worked really hard on my goals and it is paying off.  

I’m still counting down to our Girls Weekend trip to Tahoe in July and looking forward to seeing the scale continue to go down.  I am going to keep chipping away at it each day/week.

I know one of the biggest things that has contributed to this downward trend has been daily activity.  The Apple Watch Activity Challenge for May helped me to stay focused on daily movement in order to fill my three circles, one of which is 30 minutes of activity.  I spent this last month with better accountability to daily exercise as well as pushing myself to get in some longer workouts, get back into some strength training routines, and also increase the intensity some days.  I was able to complete the challenge a few days early which allowed me a much needed rest day yesterday.

Looking for my weight charts from this last year also gives me the perspective I need to stay in a positive mindset. While my weight loss has been slow, the overall trend is still coming down.

Even when I see spikes here and there.  When I refocus ASAP, I can keep that blip from becoming an out-of-control gain.  That makes me feel really empowered.

As I inch closer to my new doctor’s goal weight of 190, and also closer to seeing weight numbers similar to 2014, I have to work each and everyday to make sure I have my mindset looking ahead and not being stuck in “where I used to be.”  

I may never seen 175 again, and that is okay.  Who knows, at the rate of my slow weight loss, I might see 175 in a few more years.

One day at a time, one day at a time, and one day you WILL see the results you are seeking.  Remember, you are in control of the outcome you desire.

New Cocktail Recipes

I have gone down the rabbit hole of binge watching Below Deck, the show where young adults with no responsibility work on a sailing yacht for several months.  It is so much drama but also so fun to see what goes on behind the scenes of causing vessels and the people who vacation on them.  

Every time the crew has a day off, they usually go into town to a restaurant/bar and they always order an espresso martini.  I am a social drinker so when I see people drinking on TV, I really wish I could join in.  I kept thinking I’ll wait until we are at a bar to order an espresso martini but then decided to give in and make one at home.

The internet directed me to several recipes and I picked one with Kahula.  

It was good.  I think next time instead of equal parts vodka, Kahula, and espresso it needs two or three times the espresso.  It was very “liquor” tasting and less espresso tasting.  

I also think I might want to try it with a canned Starbucks espresso drink that has the light cream and sugar already added.  Not as low calorie/points but still tasty.

I also heard a yacht charter guest order a crown and ginger, I assume Crown Royal and Ginger Ale.  It planted another seed and since I was at the liquor store buying Kahula, I also picked up some Crown Royal.  It was a really good combo.  I found this recipe on the Crown Royal website and can’t wait to try it next. 

Drink Responsibility. 

Family Time & A Trip Down Memory Lane

Hello and Happy Saturday!

It was an enjoyable two days off with lots of family time.  Aunt Barb is here from New Mexico and cousin Sarah here from (previously Colorado) South Carolina.  We have been having a great time.  

Wednesday was a special VIP tour of the Melba Museum.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the museum when I was in Melba last Saturday.  

I have so much family history wrapped up in this tiny town where I also spent many years of my life.  I have so much love for Melba, Idaho.

Lunch was at Cooks Two Hole Bar, which meant a delicious cheeseburger twice in a matter of a few days.  It was just as good the second time.  After a visit with my cousin Lori and seeing the old shop where my grandpa/uncle worked rounded out a day of many trips down memory lane.

Thursday I hosted an extended family get-together at my house where we celebrated three birthday parties.  Hailey turns 17 this month and Barb celebrates her birthday the day after.  Sarah turns 19 in June.  We had a great time with food, booze, and family drama!  Oh and lots of dessert options.  Hey, what can you expect when you get so many people together in one room? 

It is back to work for me with some fun on the agenda for my days off next week.

Wake Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed

Early Wednesday morning, I finished working 12 days out of 16.  I am exhausted.

Sometimes situations like this is just how the pieces fall.  It was a bit disheartening at times and my schedule has been all over the place making necessary adjustments, both work-wise and personal-wise.  On Monday, I woke up in the worst mood.  I swear it felt like I was at work the entire night in my dreams.  I woke up to some emails that really set me off and the bad mood just continued to spiral.

I decided I either needed to go for a walk or have a rest day.  I chose the walk.  While on my walk, as I was visiting with Dawny through the Marco Polo app, I noticed the beautiful bushes filled with white pomp om flowers.  I figured what the heck, it is community property and I picked one to take home.  While my mood had not totally lifted, I felt a little better.  I looked at my flower before I left the house and decided to take it with me to work.  I needed some positivity and the feel good of this pom pom was sure to help.

The pom pom, along with a nice chat with one of the other supervisors and my manager made me feel better.  I pointed out my flower to all the stopped by my office the remainder of the night.

When I went to take a photo for my blog, I took a look at what my daily positivity calendar said.

 

Well, if that isn’t appropriate. 

It was a hard few weeks but I survived. 

Weekly WI: Sometimes It Is Okay To Eat Your Stress

I realized that I never checked in with my weigh-in last week.  It wasn’t on purpose because it was great weigh-in results.

I finally make it out of the 196s and as my WW Buddy Kathy says, I finally got my “woosh,” the moment with your body finally lets go and shows the results of your continued commitment to your healthy lifestyle.

I was nervous about this week after a lot of work stress and eating that stress/frustration one day last week.  I am really proud I am still in the 194s and know that I stayed true to my WW program despite all the extra challenges.

I also stayed focused on on activity and tracking.  

Having my husband on a similar schedule as me also helped with my sleep this week.

This is going to be a challenging week with family in town as meal planning will not be in my control.  I am also feeling a little residual need to go crazy to comfort myself after the last two weeks of work.  I really don’t want to see the scale go back up and I plan to remind myself each day that self compassions doesn’t have to include food and alcohol.

Some Days You Just Need To Rest, Even If It Is A Forced Rest Day

On Friday, at about 3pm, my Apple Watch battery went into lower power mode and eventually powered itself off.  I am guessing I didn’t get it on the charger correctly the night before or maybe it just needed a break.

The bummer is I was on a pretty good activity streak and the loss of Apple Watch power meant the loss of my streak and the loss of a whole day of filling my Apple Watch circles, which would have counted towards my monthly challenge.  I mean does it even happy if the Apple Watch doesn’t record it?

 

I was proud of the streak I had been on but also knew I needed a rest day.  I guess you could say this forced me into the rest day by not feeling like I had to be perfect and continue to fill those circles, including 30 minutes of activity, every single day this month.  To complete my challenge, I need to close those circles 22 days which means a rest day should be on the agenda.

 

Sunday ended up being that rest day.  I got called in to work part of the shift, which I originally had off on vacation.  I was exhausted from not sleeping well the night before freighting I would get called in and have to cancel my plans.  By the time 8pm rolled around to start my six-hour overtime shift, I had no desire to reach for my goals for the day.

 

I woke up yesterday feeling refreshed and enjoyed a walk outdoor in the sunshine.  We are having fabulous weather this week.  I was able to close all three circles today, which brings me one day closer to completing my monthly activity challenge.

Trying Out Some New Restaurants

I have been so busy, I can’t even keep track of the days!  This month is just flying by.  My six-day work week turned into a seven-day work week with some sick coverage needed on Wednesday.  Kenyon and I were getting ready to call in a reservation at Schnitzel Garden, a German restaurant we have not yet been to when the call came for coverage.  Booooo!  On one hand, I was saving WW points and earning extra money.  On the other than hand…it’s German food.  Don’t worry, we made up for lost time (and WW points).

We started out day yesterday at the Tower Grill at the Nampa Airport.  Phoenix gave us a gift card for Christmas and suggested waiting until we had nice weather and could sit out on the patio.  It is a really small location where you can see the planes come and go from the small airport.  There was also several larger planes and a jet, all parked.  We didn’t see any take off, which would have been awesome.

My basic breakfast was very underwhelming.  I am excited to go back and try a burger or the Ruben sandwich.  I could have stayed there all day watching the planes take off and land.

Schnitzel Garden did not disappoint.  It was delicious.

I went for the beer sampler, which was $9 for four tastings.  Next time, I’ll get a half liter because I love drinking out of mugs.  The liter is tempting, and fun, but that is a lot of beer.  The Pilsner was light and delicious and I loved the German potato salad.

Since it was our first visit, we went for schnitzel smothered in a red pepper sauce.  It was just so-so.  We also tried the bread appetizer, which was really good.  I forgot to get a photo of dessert, which was traditional German cheesecake called Kasekuchen.  It was amazing!  We will be back, even it is just for beer and cheesecake.

There is more high point foods and alcohol on the way Saturday so I need to make sure I balance accordingly.

Perfect Week

I stayed committed to my activity goals this week and pushed through for a perfect week of activity.

WhoooHooo!

I closed all three rings on my Apple Watch for 7 days in a row.  I actually have 10 days of activity.  I love this streak I have started but I to worry if I can keep it up.  My body is a little tired today. I pushed hard on the treadmill last night with an incline so this morning, I focused on an upper body weight workout.  This will give my lower body some rest and help me focus on getting back into strength training again.

I have no idea what to expect for the scale check-in tomorrow.  It has been a good week where I did some balancing.  I just happened to blow through all my weekly points (and then some).  So, we shall see.  It is a nice mid-month weigh-in and I still have plenty of weeks to try and get ahead of the game.

My work week has not ended yet as I am on through Tuesday.  I have a walk/coffee date with my friend Danielle lined up for Tuesday before I go into work which is something to look forward to.

This Week Is Flying By...

Good Afternoon.

 

It has been so busy lately and it feels like this month is just flying by!  We celebrated Mother’s Day a day early and the family came over for a low key gathering.  It was really good to spend time with my immediate family, although we were missing my sister Jenny.  Grandpa even came and I really love when I see him.

 

Wednesday I met up with Phoenix and Stacey for some Cinco de Mayo festivities in downtown Caldwell.  It was PACKED!  Both the food and the alcohol lines were long.  I came prepared by bringing my own light margarita in my WW thermos.  It worked out nicely.  They also had burros walking around with beer for sale in their pack.  I was able to get a photo with the burro wearing the tiny hat, just like mine!

 

We were able to swing by Jalapenos for some Mexican food before we ended the night, quite inebriated from all the fun.

 

I was back to work starting Thursday and I am on through Tuesday.  It is shaping up to be a long week!  I’ve been keeping up with my daily activity and thinking I might try for a month of perfect activity goals.  I don’t know yet.  Some days I look forward to a rest day and then when I remember I have to log 22 days of closing all three rings on my Apple Watch this month.  So, that keeps me plugging away.

 

I have blown though almost all my points this week (thank you Cinco de Mayo) but oddly enough, I am feeling very “thin.”  I love when my body just feels smaller.  It definitely makes me hopeful for a loss this week.  I would really love to break out of the 196s.

Redemption

I always tell myself that weight gain is temporary, as long as you get right back on track. It was a very busy week with lots of juggling in my tracker and managing several meals out. Seeing the three pounds from last week drop off, plus a smidgen more, makes me feel so good.

I have Cinco de Mayo plans tomorrow and I am back to work Thursday through Sunday. It should be business as usual and nothing preventing me from having a great week. Now that I’m back to where I was a few weeks ago, it’s time to break out of the 196 zone that I appear to be stuck in. I am also counting down to Girls Weekend. I have 10 weeks to hunker down and focus. 

Phoenix has a few weeks left until summer vacation so I will amp up some of my social outings in June. I love this time of year and I am ready to enjoy the outdoors, sunshine, and have adult beverages too.

The Climb

 Facebook shared a memory of my group of girlfriends and our hike to Jump Creek five years ago.

That is me in the pink shirt, weighing 244ish pounds.

In 2013, I started to lose my dedication and focus with my WW program.  I was rapidly re-gaining weight, and I was becoming more and more depressed.  I tried all the tricks to be okay with it.  I tried to talk nicely to myself.  I bought bigger clothes so I didn’t feel like a stuffed sausage all the time.  I avoided the scale thinking I could avoid all the negative feelings that went along with the dark place I was in.  This behavior kept up until July of 2016 where I reached 253 pounds, the highest weight I had been since I reached my goal weight in 2009.

The Climb, by Miley Cyrus:

“There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down, but

No, I'm not breaking”

This part really rings true for me: 

"I may not know it

But these are the moments, that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going”

You just have to keep going.