Stress Balloon Ready To Pop

I am sweating this week as I prepare to stop on the scale Tuesday (and I may peak at it on Monday).  I feel into the trap of “this is so hard and exhausting” thus going way over my points on both Tuesday and Thursday.  But it was more than that.  I just felt exhausted this week.  It is like I need a break from counting point, preparing my meals, eating veggies, and doing all the right things only to feel like the scale isn’t showing my hard work.

That isn’t fully true.  Of course the scale is showing my hard work and although I maintained last week, I am down 10 pounds from last year and I am (was…we will see on Tuesday) for the month.  I am working hard on gaining perspective incase the scale is really bad this week.  I hope I am making this all out to be worse that it really is.

I have been working hard on my November Apple Watch Activity Challenge and doing so, I have been exercising a lot.  Since it doesn’t really feel like that is the positive stress outlet I am searching for, I’ve been turning to alcohol and more social situations. 

 

While not the best coping strategy, sometimes it just feels like life is too short to micro-manage my food/drink intake.  However, I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t micro-manage just a bit.

I’ll be spending a few days in Vegas this week before the mad rush of evaluation season at work begins.  I really, really, really am so excited for some time off and stress release and most importantly time with my husband.  Oh, and I’m super stoked about all the yummy food and alcohol.  I mean, let’s be real here.  It’s VEGAS!

Until Tuesday, I’ve got to keep myself from going into Vacation Mode.  I have my third WW Workshop on Monday and I’m starting to feel my new groove.  It is also less busy now that I am not working as a Guide on Friday and a Coach on Monday.  I really hope to settle into this new routine.

Weekly WI: Maintain

I weighed the same weight this week as I did last week.

A maintain is always good.  Of course, I had wanted a loss and continue to work the new Personal Points Program making sure I get in some of those non-starchy vegetables.  Since I love potatoes and I love Thanksgiving, I think I’ll give it one more week and then change my ZeroPoint food options to include brown rice and whole wheat pasta again.  At least for a few weeks.  We will be in Vegas next week so that will throw me off a bit and probably result in some weight gain.  I might even skip the scale that first week of December.

This week is the last week for a weigh-in of November and as of right now, I am down four pounds since October.  I am also down about 10 pounds from this time last year.  I’m going to keep working my program and getting in my activity as I also near the end of month goal for my Apple Activity Watch Challenge.  

Last night was the annual pie pick-up put on by my realtor team.  Each year we get a pie before Thanksgiving as a thank you for our continued business and referrals.  I love my realtor and her team so I really enjoy getting to see them.  This was an outdoor event so not as fun as pre-COVID when we could gather at a restaurant/bar and really spend time catching up.  When you are with Christina and Company, you are clients for life and therefore you get #pie4life.

I met Rebecca for pizza, salad, and drinks at the local Albertson’s, which also had a food court and a bar/restaurant.  I enjoyed two slices of pizza, a whole bag of pre-packaged Caesar salad (veggie points baby!) and a spiced chai mule.  The drink was really delicious.

I was still feeing festive and probably relieving stress in the wrong with with alcohol…but I took myself to Matador to try a couple more margaritas from their menu.  This week I tried the Bartender’s and the Chile Mango.  I preferred the Bartender’s Margarita as it was less sweet and you could really taste the margarita.  Both were really good.

I was not hungry and I don’t particularly like their food, just their margaritas (and chips and black bean dip).  I sat at the bar, it was a packed house, and told the bartender I didn’t need chips or a menu that I was just having some drinks.  This worked well in eliminating the mindless chip eating and cutting down on points.  Believe me, the margaritas are enough points all by themselves!  

Tis The Season but I do need to be careful of all my social outings as that is one reason I struggle with my weight.  It is a constant mental battle between, “live life and have fun” and “you now have an employee weigh-in once a month.”  Somewhere, I will live life in-between as that is a huge part of this journey.  When we get to our goal weight, it is easy to think you have to keep going and you have to keep losing.  Eventually, you have to just live!

This Week In Social Events

Good Morning and Happy Saturday.

My weigh-in last week was small and my vacation weight has finally dropped off.  That sure is a good feeling.  I also had a really successful week with tracking, activity, and sleep.  With my sleep feeling all over the place sometimes, I am shocked I was in the healthy sleep zone of 7-9 hours a night.  This has already been so much different.

I had some social events on the calendar and after working so many hours between the two jobs the last several weeks, it was so nice to relax and enjoy come adult beverages and company with my friends.

My WW Buddy Wanda, her husband, and I met at Matador in The Village.  I’ve been dying to go back and have some of their margaritas especially since we enjoyed that delicious smoky margarita on the Alaska Cruise.  I was not quite sure what I would order to eat since their food is always so spicy.  Since I knew I’d be spending 23 points in margaritas, I went for a taco salad with was very delicious.  I tried the smoky margarita (so delicious) and the cucumber jalapeño (so spicy).  I actually didn’t finish the cucumber jalapeño margarita and saved myself some points in the process.  2 margaritas is 23 points and 1 1/2 margarita is 17 points.  Win:Win.

I still want to try the mango Chile and maybe the Jalisco mule too.  So I will be back again soon.

On Thursday, Phoenix, Stacey, Kenyon, and I met up for a Boise Beer Buddies meet-up event at Good Apple Taphouse.  There was a brewery from Mountain Home featured with four of their beers on tap which meant I had to try a flight!  The fifth beer is one I chose from Coeur d’Alene.  

All were just okay and none were spectacular.  I didn’t end up finishing my flight which meant points savings once again.  There was a food truck on site with the most delicious pizza ever!  Kenyon and I shared a pizza and it took all the willpower I had not to eat a whole second pizza just by myself.  OMG!  Delicious.  It was a high point day and I used almost all my weekly points.

It is back to work for the week and my second WW Workshop on Monday.  I will also be conducting my first orientation afterwards and the WW Franchise manager will be in town shadowing at my workshop. I am nervous and feeing a little unprepared!  I am planning to look things over the next few days.