Out Of Control Snacking And What I Am Feeling

My snacking was out of control last night. I am trying to stay up later to turn around my sleep in preparation for working graveyard shift (8pm to 6am) this week. I spent a lot of time watching TV yesterday and I think some boredom and anxiety started to set in.

I need to rewind to earlier that morning.

I woke up about 8am and decided to make an egg sandwich. I cooked one egg and one egg white, topped with two slices of bacon, and a little bit of gouda cheese. I put that on one slice of whole wheat Dakota Great Harvest Bread with some spicy mustard. I had some strawberries with that.

I mowed the lawn and did some outside yard work earning 5APs. I made a snack of 4 oz non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with 16 grams peanut butter and a little honey mixed in. I cut up an apple and ate it as a dip. This was delicious!

Lunchtime rolled around and I was really feeling the craving for pizza. I know I need to clean up my eating (WW weeks starts Tuesdays) and knowing I need to eat clean made pizza all that more appealing. It is silly to have pizza when I need to lose to be in goal range for July. Kenyon was easy to persuade and we went to Idaho Pizza Company for pizza and salad bar buffet. This was at 1:30pm. I had two full full slices of pizza and then a few bites and toppings of two more. I also had my usual veggie salad bar with beans and ranch on the side. I finished off with four of the half-size cinnamon twists. I will take this time to say the cinnamon twists aren't that good. I need to remember that next time!

We didn't really have a dinner plan. I am also trying to eat out less/spend less money. We visit the aquarium, ran a few errands, and got home around 4:30pm. While I was watching TV I snacked on some shelled peanuts, had a cheese stick, and after still feeling snacky popped some air popped popcorn with some oil.

A few hours later, probably when I was really getting hungry, I made a milkshake at home with some strawberries and no-sugar-added ice cream.

About 9pm or so we decided we were ready for dinner, although I am not sure I was really hungry. We boiled some Kirkland all beef hot dogs and I cooked a few tater tots for me. I had two hot dogs and the tots but I really didn't feel good later in the evening. I had some bad indigestion and seemed to not be able to get enough water. I felt so thirsty and drank a lot of water.

I didn't eat anything else and went to bed at 1:20am.

I didn't track anything yesterday.

I am feeling slightly deflated in that I might not get to goal range the first week in July. It might have to be some other week in July but I will get it. I am still going to give it my all. I need to clean up the diet. I am fully aware when I am snacking and I don't need to be and yet I still do it anyway. It is one difficulty of the graveyard shift and being awake and watching TV on days off. Thankfully I only work graveyard this week and then again for a few weeks later in July.

Every year of maintenance is different. I spent last year maintaining pretty easily in my goal range. The year before was sort of like this year in that I spent a good part of it close to the top of my range or over my goal range. It does sort of bum me out a little but I know I have succeeded in keeping this weight off for the last four years. I fully intended to continue that into year five and beyond.

I will go out for a walk today. Clear my head and re-focus. I am also going to attend a WW meeting tonight with a group I enjoyed and fit in with well. I changed meetings after the leader had to take a full time job and I didn't really like the leader who replaced her. Also, my leader Donna should be back next week and I will also be back to my normal Tuesday morning meeting next week.

My goal this week is healthy eating and activity. I need to eat clean and continue to get in some activity as I get switched around to a new sleep and work routine.

The Roosevelt Inn

Kenyon and I drove north to Coeur d’ Alene for a quick stay at a local Bed & Breakfast, The Roosevelt Inn.

Since I dispatch for police, we decided to drive up SH55/US95 and see the sights of Idaho.  We then took the interstate back through Washington and Oregon.

We stopped in Lewiston for a bite to eat and also in Moscow to visit my friend Heidi and finally meet her little one EmmaLynn.  I saw the University of Idaho campus, rival to my Boise State University campus, and saw the police agency where Heidi now works as a dispatcher.  I didn’t snap many photos of our drive up.  I wish I had gotten some photos of the beautiful vibrant yellow mustard fields.  As you drive along US95 past Grangeville there are sporadic patches of yellow among green fields.  It is a neat sight to see.

Here is a few photos of the U of I main building. 

It was quite impressive to see Greek row and actually witness with my own eyes how many fraternities and sororities the U of I campus has.

We finally reached Coeur d’ Alene and checked into the B&B about 8:30pm.  The owners Johnand Tina Hough, who are the aunt and uncle to the Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne and Derek Hough, were wonderful.  Tina gave us a tour of the Inn that evening so we were all settled.  The Roosevelt Inn is the oldest remaining school house and also where John attended grade school.  It was converted in 1994 and went from a four room school house to a five story inn with 15 rooms and suites.  The outside is just stunning!  Our trip was quick but it would have been nice to spend some time just relaxing in the shade.

Each day at 5pm there is a manager’s reception where each guest gets a complimentary glass of wine.  We missed our first opportunity since we were still working our way north.  Don’t worry though; I made up for it the second night when Kenyon, who doesn’t drink, got his glass of wine for me.  Ahhhhh…that is true love!

We were the only guests staying on the whole third floor.  We stayed in The Burns Room.  There is a sign next to some of the named rooms that talk about John’s memories with the teacher the room was named after.  It provides a very personal touch to what could have been just a generic B&B. 

Since I had free reign of the whole third floor, I took photos of the other rooms.  They have rooms where you walk through the chimney to get to the bathroom.  There is suite on the third floor that has an upstairs with a view of the lake and a beautiful sitting area.

I am terrible at taking photos of my food.  I had my camera with me each morning and only remembered to snap one photo!  Each morning started with a small first course of fruit and then a second course with a carb option.  If you didn’t want the second course offering Tina would make eggs anyway you like them.  How can you turn down her homemade food?  Our first day was apples warmed in a homemade caramel sauce.  The same sauce was on her homemade bread pudding we were served on the second evening of our stay.  The second course on the first morning was an orange infused Belgian waffle with a choice of bacon or sausage.  It also came with your choice of juice.

There was coffee, tea, and water available at any time of the day and also some fresh baked goodies.  The second morning we started with fresh berries in a cream sauce with whip cream.  I love fresh berries.

The second course on our second day was apple cider pancakes with grated apple in the batter and topped with syrup made with reduced apple cider.  It was again served with a choice of bacon or sausage.  We were actually only one of two guests staying at the inn our second night so she offered seconds on the pancakes.  Kenyon enjoyed them!  Tina’s presentation was just wonderful.  I really am sorry I didn’t snap some photos!

There are a few common areas where you can sit and read a book, play a board game, or even visit with other guests and with John and Tina.  When we checked in on Sunday evening the Hough’s were playing cards in the dining room with their other family members who are visiting from Indonesia.

If you make it to Coeur d’ Alene and are looking for a unique place to say, The Roosevelt Inn B&B is a really neat experience.  I am still not sure the price tag is ever worth at stay at a B&B.  There is a lot of work that goes into running a B&B and I know time is precious.  I just have always felt it is a little steep on the price.  The reason for our visit was because we had a 2 for 1 deal my supervisor at work had passed on to us.  I have seen a few GroupOn deals as well so keep an eye out if you are interested.

The End Of eTools Tracking

I ended up not really liking eTools for my tracking.  I think I am just too set in my ways with paper tracking.

The first few days went pretty good.  I found it really easy to enter the food I eat every day with NI to enter the PPVs.  The struggle started when I ate out and had to spend extra time looking up the points.  This shouldn’t be any different than paper tracking.  I get so used to just estimating the PPVs that it wouldn’t hurt me to look up stuff more often.  By Saturday my eTools tracking had stopped.  In fact, all tracking had stopped.

We headed out for a quick weekend away and I didn’t track at all.  I wasn’t eating as mindful as I had originally set a goal to do.  It wasn’t a surprise when I got home, stepped on the scale, and saw I was up to 185 pounds.

That first day home was awful.  I was so bloated and uncomfortable.  My pants didn’t really fit well and I felt like I could see a bulging stomach (dramatic….I know).  The last thing I wanted was anything with carbohydrates!  I started a bit of a carb detox and tried to keep it light.  I wasalso craving veggies big time.  That helped and I felt better the next day.

I have also gotten back into exercise.  I am cooking at home and eating leftovers at work.  I think I am turning a corner from when I was feeling so disconnected.  I still have a long way to go though.

When I was at my class at the Y on Thursday I thought to myself “I can do this!”  I want to get my next key charm for 10 months at goal.  I am only two months away.  I MUST stay focused!  I need to clean up my eating more and keep up with my activity.  I can do this.  I want to do this.  I want to get my WI for July done with another Bravo star to add to my book.  I WILL stay focused!