Weekly WI: July Comes To An End

 Good Morning.

The days fly by so fast I can’t keep track of it anymore.  I worked a seven stretch at work last week and I’m on my usual four day stretch starting today.  One day off a week is just not enough.  I actually requested to keep my three days off next week in anticipation of maybe a quick overnight out of town trip but plans changed so I will look forward to three much needed days off in a row with NO PLANS!  Overtime at work has ramped up and will stay that way until the end of the year.  It has been rough.

As we get ready to welcome a new month, can you believe it is almost August, I ended the month of July lower than June.  WhoooHoooo.

I considered July my turning point and really re-focused this last month.  The month consisted of a loss, a gain, a loss, and a maintain.  I’m really happy with my results but I am also looking ahead to August and September and want that scale to continue to go down regularly vs. the up and down trend.  

I completed my July Apple Watch Activity Challenge a few days ago.  

I'm anxiously waiting to see what August will be.  I plan to continue to ramp up my activity and while I have been strength training once a week, my goal for August is to add in a second day.  It make me feel stronger and I know I’m burning more calories when my body is at rest.

Last Week's Social Calendar

Hello!!  Once again, I did not mean to leave you all hanging for almost a whole week.  I actually planned a post last week and thought it was “too soon.”  Rookie mistake because this week as gone by in a flash.  It isn’t done yet…I still have three full work shifts and one WW workshop but with each day I’m getting closer to my day off this week.

I had fun on my days off last week as it was one of my last three-day weekends for a while.  On Wednesday, I met my friend Wanda and her family for wine tasting.  We visited three locations starting at Split Rail Winery.  I didn’t sap any photos of our flight, which was old school style where they come out with each bottle, explain, and pour your sample.  It wasn’t my favorite location/wine.

I really enjoyed Cinder.  They had two options, a rose flight, which I selected, and a summer flight.  After my taste of three rose varieties they offered me another taste or two of another of my choice.  It was a really great stop and I just love their winery.  I also left with a bottle of rose to bring home.

Our third stop was a at a new tasting room in town called Rolling Hills.  We had a choice of four wines on the menu and with three of us tasting we each selected a different wine.  We were pleasantly surprised when the tastes came in small easy to pour containers.  It was perfect for our shared flight.  I had all white wines, which enjoyed.

Kenyon and I say our farewell as Wanda and her family had other engagements as did we.  We grabbed bite to eat at Olive Garden (bread to soak up all that wine) and took in a move at the drive-in theater.

A local insurance company, along with other sponsors, hosted a Hometown Hero Night at the drive-in theater.  The movie was Guardians of the Galaxy and before the movie started there was a drawing for prices.  We also received $30 in concessions.  It was a late night and a very fun event.

Weekly WI: Find Ways To Embrace The Roller Coaster Ride

Good Morning!  

I love this time of day where the sun has just come up and there is a whole day ahead planned with lots of fun.  I’m meeting my gal pal Wanda for some wine tasting today.  Her daughter and son-in-law are visiting from California and I’ve not had an opportunity to meet them yet.  This evening (assuming we make it that long as I am up way too early) we have a First Responders Event at the drive-in movie.  But first, I’ve got to get my activity in!  I’ll be headed out for a long walk after I make some breakfast.  Let’s get this Wednesday started shall we.

My Weekly Weigh-In was a good one.  I lost the weight I gained last week plus a little more for a total loss of 2.0 pounds.  

This last month looks like a roller coaster ride and sometimes the journey can feel like one.  

The ups and down can be difficult to power through but when your commitment pays off at the scale, it is worth it.  I had a great week of meal planning and staying within my points range to earn a blue dot and I even managed to work in an unplanned pizza party as a going away for one of our supervisory team members who is leaving the department.  I feel really energized to make this week just as successful and other than today, I have no social obligations on the calendar.  I just need to get a meal plan in place.  Our overtime at work has spiked and I’ll be working a lot of overtime along with six and seven day work weeks.  We got this!

I am really want to focus on getting the scale down along with activity and strength training.  I still have several weeks until our annual Girls Weekend but with having to cancel the October vacation plans, I won’t be vacationing until January 2023.  That gives me ample time to stay fully committed my weigh loss and health goals.

And Just Like That...Travel Gets Cancelled

Life has taken me for a roller coaster since last December when my husband decided to quit his job. 

There have been a lot of up and down emotions over the last seven months and while I kept trying to convince myself this glorious life I had built wasn’t crumbling around me, that is not the case.  With our abundance of overtime at my job, me working a secondary part-time job, and my husband choosing to use his savings for a “few months,” I relied on my extra income to still make travel a priority. 

That is no longer the case, and a very difficult decision was made to cancel our two October cruises.  Although difficult, it was the right decision for our money situation at the moment. 

 

I won’t be canceling my January 2023 cruise as it is a group cruise planned with other couples.  I also won’t cancel my annual Girls Weekend in September plus by piggyback trip to visit Dawny in Spokane and see Hairspray The Musical.  I’ve got to do my best to squirrel away money so I can afford to go on these trips.

In the meantime, our Dual Income No Kids (DINKS) days are over.  We still have no kids, but we no longer have dual incomes.  It really is a huge bummer because as I said before, I built a life I really, really, really loved.

If you need me, I’ll be pretending I’m on vacation but drinking at home because it saves money.

Weekly WI: A Blip Upward

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday.

How has a whole week flow by and I’ve not checked in?  I have absolutely no idea where the time goes.  The week ahead will be oh so busy and I’m trying to get a meal plan in place so that is one less thing I need to worry about.  I am just not sure when I’ll actually plan sleep!

My weekly weigh-in reflected the social situations, alcohol, and negative weekly points budget.  I gained 1.6 pounds.

I almost didn’t get on the WW scale at my Tuesday workshop.  I had to remind myself the reason for getting on the “official” scale each week is so that my WW manager has a full picture of my month vs. just a snapshot of one week.  It was hard to see the scale go back up and thankfully still under 200.  I was also thankful I put my employee weigh-in on record last week when I had a loss from the month before.  There is still a lot of July left and I plan to stay 100% focused.

I am helping out as a substitute at extra WW workshops Friday and Saturday and I will also be subbing as a coach on Tuesday.  Saturday I will also step into the role of coach at a center where I used to attend.  I don’t know if I’ll see any of the members who used to attend Tuesdays with me but I’m looking forward to meeting so many new members.

We are also having a going away party at work for one of our supervisors leaving the agency.  It will be nice to see all who attend but we will be sad to see him go.  He has a few more workdays after the party as well.  It will be a good send off. 

Welp, that is where I’m currently at.  I hope you are all doing well and avoiding that heat as much as possible.  We are over 100s in Idaho!

Weekly WI: Downward Trend Continues

Good Afternoon!  Happy Thursday.  

I am hosting a Fiesta Party tonight so I’m in full party prep mode.  I need to make sure I get out for a walk before my day really gets rocking!

My Weekly Weigh-In was right on track for where I want to be.

I would really like to lose one pound a week until Girls Weekend in September and this week was a success.  I’ve been working really hard and staying focused along the way.  This week has some social challenges.  I was thinking my Fiesta Party was my only pre-planned high point day this week and that was my focus.  I remembered that I an also attending a coworker’s wedding this Saturday and organized a taco bar at work on Sunday for my staff, the troopers, and Fish and Game officers.  So, a little bit more than I original planned for.

Tuesday and Wednesday were on point with a blue dot although I did go into my weekly points, which I was hoping I’d have rollover points to add to my weekly budget instead.  It was a hungry couple of days but we made it through.  

My commitment to tracking, portion control, and balancing is what will make my week shake out pretty well.  I think at this end of this week if I see a maintain at the scale, it will be a win in my book.  I don’t want to see the scale climb back up even though there is a lot going on this week.

Have a fabulous Thursday.

4th Of July Check-In

We are wrapping up this week and it has been another good one.  I had a high point day on Tuesday and have been on track each day since.

I really like having whole wheat pasta again and find I feel fuller longer when I eat whole grains.  I am also working my way through a WW online training and the nutritional section reminded me that our body needs all those good nutrients from whole grains.  This could be my sweet spot I’ve been looking for.

I have also been working on that activity too and really pushing myself on intensity, distance, or time.  I did another double dose of activity yesterday with both an upper body weight FitOn workout as well as a walk/talk with my favorite gal Dawny.  I did a nice good stretch too with my PT moves so I can keep those muscles lubricated.

It has been a busy weekend at work but manageable.  Mostly it has been a lot of traffic stops.  Tonight is the BIG day…Happy 4th!  Tonight has the potential for more DUIs and sometimes disturbances or traffic complaints with the big firework shows and traffic snags afterwards.  Let’s do this!  Please be safe.

I spent a little time this morning looking for my WW Wins and seeing what I could redeem some points for freebie items.  I decided on a flip wallet, which ways there is credit card slots for four cards (not showing I the photo) which I think will be nice when I switch over to my travel purses.

Speaking of travel purse, I spent some overtime money on a new mini Coach purse that will be perfect for a night out or on our next cruise.  

I usually carry just my phone, cruise card, and some gambling money when I am on a cruise ship so this cute purse will be just the right size.  Oh boy do I love purple AND Coach signature Cs.  Hey, might as well spend my money on some fun stuff.

Have a great 4th of July holiday and please, please, please…be safe!

Hello July

It’s a new month.  

I just wrapped up my Friday Virtual WW Workshop.  Coach Cindie said today is the halfway point of 2022 and asked us about the first half of our year.  Since I’ve been struggling with the scale going up since March, I choose to see July a the turning point for 2022.  I finally feel like I have a handle on my gain and nothing standing in my way.  It is nice to make July count.

That starts with focusing more on earning those blue dots as many times as possible in July.  There has always been a direct correlation between earning blue dots and weight loss/weight maintenance.

I also plan to focus on activity.  I want to get in a couple days of strength training and long walks.  I finished up my Apple Watch Activity Challenge in June and the July goal has been set.

The turning point…I got this!