Talk Kindly To Yourself

There comes a time along your weight loss journey when you start to not hate how you look in a picture.  As you lose (or gain) weight, a photo can tell you a lot.  Of course, there are good angles and bad angles much like a mirror.  There are even times that you don’t recognize yourself in a photo.  

Photos can be so important to a weight loss journey.  If you are afraid to step in front of the camera, don’t be.  You might be pleasantly surprised by what you see.

A FB Memory came up a few days ago.

I remember this day.  I had met a friend at the movies and the Minions display was right inside the door.  After taking the photo, I looked at it and though, hmmm…I don’t look so bad after all.  I have forgotten now if it was taken five years ago or six years ago.  But what I do remember is that I was over my WW goal weight of 175 pounds and struggling mentally.  

There was a time when I continued to climb back up the scale that I was so mean to myself when I would see a photo.  The pride I once had in my appearance at my lowest WW weight was deep inside me.  I needed to turn things around and feel some sort of success inside so I could start to feel that success on the outside.  Eventually, I started to even see that success on the outside again.  I stopped allowing myself to talk negatively about a photo or to myself in the mirror.

I am thankful to be on the WW journey.  It is during the struggles that I learn the most about myself.  Never ever think about giving up.  Always talk nice to yourself.  And please, take good care of your body. 

May Apple Watch Activity Challenge Complete

Good Morning!

I was a lazy day over on in my neck of the world.  I didn’t have much going on so I spent most of the day on the couch.  We ran some errands in the evening and had dinner at Cracker Barrel.  I put my workout clothes back on and deep cleaned the house from top to bottom for an hour.  With my exercise on Tuesday and my house cleaning yesterday, I met my Apple Watch Activity Goal for May.  WhoooHoooo.

I was a little chilly this morning (our house is often cold downstairs) and reached in the closet and pulled out an old workout jacket I bought years ago.  I’ve not work it in a while because it didn’t look good, often didn’t even zip.  I wanted to try it on and see what it looked like.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a bit of an hour glass figure.  Very nice!

Today’s activity agenda will involve a good stretch and more relaxing. I am about to run a couple errands and got my toe nails painted so I can wear sandals.  Our weather is HOT.  

The Governor just had a press conference that Idaho is coming into Phase 3 re-opening.  WhoooHooo.  That makes me so excited!

Okay, I better get going.  We are celebrating Hailey’s 16th Birthday this evening.

Weekly WI: Back Down The Scale

I had no idea what to expect for my Weekly WI.  I suppose there is some good things about having no expectations…then you can’t really be upset.  Thankfully, I didn’t need to put my scale in time out as it showed me a loss.

As I was stepping on the scale I was saying a small prayer to just not have a gain larger than 1.6 pounds, which would have pushed me out of the 100-pounds-lost-club.  I really love this club and I don’t want to back slide!  Thankfully I lost the same amount I gained last week.  A major win for me.

I am ending my month lower than last might and that is also a big win!

I had done some reflecting on Monday so I could get myself mentally prepared for a possible gain.  Here is my weight for roughly this month from 2015-2020.  I feel pretty darn good about this success track.

I went out to my parent’s house to get my Mom on the WW Virtual Workshop so she can pop in each week from her house and join us.  They announced today there will be limited days/times/locations for weigh-in only and to be patient as they have to clean between each person.  Wowza!  You are not required to come weigh in so I’ll see how I feel as time goes on.  Monday is the best change for me based on what is available in my area.

Mom and Dad had to pick up Emma for the evening so we all met up in the park in Nampa for lunch.  Mom and Dad picked up Thai for us and I picked up Wendy’s for Emma.  It was delicious.  Very fresh, filling, and even included brown rice!

I have to remember this for future lunch plans since the lunch special is just $7.95.  I also visited with Grandpa before I our picnic lunch.  It was really good to see him.

I got in a quick upper body weight workout and I will meet Phoenix for a walk this evening.  Double Dose of activity and some visit with friends too.  Have a great Tuesday.

WW Wins

I redeemed some WW Wins.

Since I earned all my charms on an old WW program, I am hopeful once we resume in-person WW Studio Workshops that I will get a charm for losing 100 pounds (again).  Once I reach goal, I should be getting a yearly charm again too.

When I spotted this WW keychain, I wanted to snag it so I had something to hold my new charms on.  Typically you get your keyring with your 5 pound charm.  But, I’ve already earned my 5 pound charm.  So, if I do get a new 100 pound charm, it won’t come with a key chain.

Thanks WW for the free prizes.

My Iced Coffee Is Fancy

Dawny got me the color changing Starbucks cups.  WHOOOHOOOO!!!

Thank you Dawny for snagging me some cups and sending me three.  The blue one that turns purple isn’t as drastic of a difference for photographs.  Here are the other two colors.

There is a five pack possibly available for sale but good luck finding them.  These things sell out fast.  I was so thankful that Dawny found a pack just by chance and snagged it up and then mailed some to me.  I am loving my new fun color changing cups.

I have also changed up my iced coffee.

I found that Starbucks now sells an unsweetened dark roast iced coffee in the grocery store.  I think I prefer my brewed bold coffee over ice mixed with half a caramel Premier Protein shake as my creamer.  It is a very yummy iced coffee that feels like a treat.

Enjoy.

Nine Types Of Rest

I am not feeling it today.

Sigh

I am exhausted.

I am also having some hip pain.  I debated a walk but wasn’t sure if it would make me feel better or worse.  When I was sending text messages with Phoenix, she suggested yoga or a nice good stretch.  Thanks to you WW FitOn video workouts, I was able to find a really good 15-minute stretch that not only got me some exercise minutes but also some relief.  Not much, but some.

I am also working extra hours today due to sick call out/coverage.  Oh joy.  Thankfully, I get to come in late for tomorrow’s shift.  Yeeehaaaw.

My exhausted state and taking some extra care for myself made me think of this image I spotted last week.

 

I thought about this after we had sick call outs and coverage needed on Tuesday night too.  I had plans on Tuesday night and I was so sad to hear we needed work coverage just before I was to meet up with my friends.  Thankfully, I called in to talk to the other supervisor and I didn’t have to cancel my plans.

Taking time for yourself, saying no, having a rest day, etc., are all ways we can take care of ourselves when we are feeling run down. 

I am having a really “off” week this week.

It's Time To Shake Things Up

I was really unmotivated yesterday and all out of sorts.  I am glad to wake up today feeling better.  I started my day with a workout, which always sets the done for a good day.

It is so hard to get motivated to exercise and after taking yesterday off, I really needed to move my body.  I searched the WW app FitOn workouts for a medium intensity workout and keep it short and sweet.  I selected a HITT workout and then an upper body workout.  Both were really good and since they were short, it wasn’t a huge chore.

I’m in the last push for the month and completing my May Apple Watch Activity Challenge.  It feels good to know that I don’t have to log long workouts…I just have to log something!  I am trying to push myself this week in hopes of getting some positive results at the scale.

I am also trying to change up my eating.  I realized yesterday I as in a bad mood because I was hungry and irritated.  I have been too focused on being perfect and eating too low of points/meals.  It can be risky to change things up after a gain last week, but I am in desperate need of different foods and more calories/points.

I did some meal planning already for the week so I do have many low point meals.  I am going to change up my breakfasts with an egg sandwich.  I debated getting some sourdough bread from Trader Joe’s (2 points per slice) and then found this Lavash bread.  It is 3 pints for half of the large square.  I figured it would make some yummy pizzas this week and I used it for fajitas tortilla last night.

Today, the breakfast sandwich turned out really delicious.

I’m looking forward to shaking up my meal plan this week.

Pizza & Ice Cream

I found myself in a major internal debate last night.

The Hubs suggested pizza.  Sometimes we are good at talking each other out of splurges and sometimes we are good at talking each other into them too.  I was really on the fence last night on to eat pizza or not to eat pizza.  After all, I’ve got a pretty lofty goal ahead of me this week.

I was also still craving ice cream.  Pizza delivery suggests turned into ice cream delivery as well since Crumbl Cookies now delivers ice cream.  That was the plan until I saw how much it would cost with the delivery free.  DOH!  Another internal debate began on pizza delivery and no ice cream or pick up the pizza and ice cream.

I’m guessing you have figured out the way this scenario played out.  I picked up some ice cream at Albertson’s and then I picked up Little Cesar’s pizza.  OMG they have the best cheesy bread!  I was really proud of myself in that while I did splurge, I picked up the no-sugar-added slow churn vanilla and fresh strawberries for my ice cream selection.  Thankfully that was on sale and caught my eye first.  Oh boy did it hit the spot!  

Now, the second bowl of ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate chips turned into mindless eating.  You win some.  You lose some.  Good news is, the craving is now satisfied.  That is a huge plus.

I’m realizing this morning that I don’t have to be so hard on myself and I don’t have to always feel like I need to be perfect.  Our past Girls Weekend memories have been show up on Facebook giving me all the great feels and all the smiles.  I just love my gal pals.  But, what I also love is that over the last four years, I’ve lost 51 pounds.  

And it shows when I look back at these photos.  This was our Walla Walla trip four years ago.  That is me on the right.  I was at my heaviest re-gain weight.

I have so much to be proud of.  I need to not lose sight of that but also stay focused on the goals set ahead and the places I still need to get and want to be in terms of my weight.  It is still okay to have pizza and ice cream once in a while.  

Weekly WI: A Gain

Hello.  Happy Wednesday.  My time clock is all thrown off.  I want to wish you Good Morning but now I realize it is Good Afternoon.  Whatever time of a day it is for you…Good Whatever.

I had a small gain yesterday when I did my weekly weigh-in at home.

It was a bummer for sure.  This most likely will mean I won’t see 199 at the end of May.  There has not been an announcement that our in-person WW Studio locations are set to open which allows me more time to reach that goal.  That doesn’t mean that I need to dilly dally though.  I am going to try really, really, really, hard to see a big loss this week.  

How do I do that?  I have no idea!  I will try my hardest though.  I have to get my meal plan in place and get those meals prepped so I am ready for success.  

I had a really great time at my first post-COVID-shutdown outing.  Oh boy did it feel good to be out with friends.

I also ended up spending half my weekly grocery budgets in ONE outing.  Oy!  No wonder I saved so much money that last month.  The pesto chicken sandwich I ordered was underwhelming. I enjoyed the French fires and the fry sauce, being mindful not to eat a lot.  I was craving ice cream like crazy afterwards.  I was able to hold strong and drive home, make some fried rice, and go to bed!  Thankfully no major point bomb was consumed despite the many times I thought about stopping somewhere.  I also found a partly freezer burned Chilly Cow ice cream bar in the back of the freezer.  Those are some yummy ice cream bars.

I have slept a lot of hours today, which felt amazing.  I was really tired yesterday.  We needed graveyard coverage at work last night so I am expecting a call to go in tonight.  So, I tired to sleep some extra hours.  I could probably sleep even more!  I need to get in a workout today but I’ve not decided what I feel like doing.  Some sort of movement is important today as I was hoping to get ahead of the game yesterday but didn’t do any extra activity.  But, I am good for my monthly totals.  Let’s keep the train rolling!

Have a great day.

The Day Before Weigh-In

Good Afternoon.  Happy Monday.

I spent an hour of my day driving around town to various Starbucks looking for the new color changing reusable cups.  It is such a bummer how fast they sell out.  Also, some locations are selling them already and some say May 21st.  So, you better believe I’ll be in line at 5:30am at a local Starbucks on Thursday so I can try and get these cups.  They sold out really fast last year too and I missed out.  

I have been putting some rollover points back in my WSPA bank thanks to low point meals yesterday and today.

It is my last ditch effort to try and have a loss this week.  I didn’t peek at the scale today and so I’ll face the music, what may be, tomorrow.

I will be engaging in some social outings on Tuesday evening with Phoenix.  I am stocked!  It is finally time to get out to breweries and restaurants again.  Yeeeeehaaaaw.  The scale may sway my decision on how crazy I go tomorrow evening.  I guess we will wait and see.

Mom & Me

At our Mother’s Day get together, I had the opportunity to put together some photo comparisons of Mom and me.  My Mom is the greatest! And, while Dad didn’t want any photos, I need to brag on him too.  He reached his WW Goal weight (online member) and has lost over 50 pounds.  It is wonderful they have the support of each other.  Having support is so important to weight loss and weigh maintenance.

Here is Mom and I with a three year difference at Mother’s Day.

Mom looks absolutely amazing!  I am just in awe of all she has accomplished and how much better she feels.  She lost over 125 pounds and is keeping it off.  

I realized from a FB Memory that we missed celebrating her Lifetime Anniversary.  That is another bummer of the meetings being closed down.  There have been so many celebrations delayed.  I do hope we can open soon but I just don’t know.

Life without my weekly in-person WW Studio Workshops is getting easier.  I find that I am ready to weigh each week without fear or uncertainty.  The online meetings have been wonderful for staying connected as well as meeting so many wonderful people from around the US.  

I do hope WW will keep this type of online platform in the future but I also hope the meeting locations get up and running again soon.  I am sad to think about limiting the numbers inside the meeting due to social distancing guidelines.  If I’m going to see all my WW friends, I want to see all of them at the same time.  I know that is selfish…but I just love them all so much.

I saw that WW is offering 57% off joining fees.  

That is super exciting.  If you have been thinking of re-starting your membership towards better health…DO IT!  You won’t regret it.  Sure, it is hard and it takes work.  But, the outcome and all that you gain from a journey to better health is amazing.  

Please, join us.

Saturday Musings

Good Morning!

But first…coffee…

It is just Saturday which means I have three workdays left this week.  I am enjoying my days off way more than my workdays this week.  Ha!  Hoping for a slow and steady work week.

My days off, food, tracking, etc. was rough.  I earned blue dots two of the three days.  It makes me feel a bit out of sorts and worried a bit for my Tuesday weigh-in.  It seems that when I get close to a milestone, I have difficulty getting past a mental block.  There wasn’t any reason to eat extra stuff this week but it just happened.  I think it is time to research some new recipes again.

Idaho has finally began the Phase 2 of reopening, which means restaurants are now open for dining in which means breweries are open again.  WhoooHoooo.  I am stoked!  Phoenix and I are planning to hit up a couple places on Tuesday.  Folks, I’m ready.  It is time to get back to some social fun for sure.

Of course, within reason and remembering to balance.  I didn’t work this hard to mess it all up!  I will need to balance while still enjoying the social time that drinks with friends provides me.  With travel still on the back burner until August, I need this social time with my friends.

After I have my coffee and some breakfast, I need to get in some exercise.  It’s only mid-month and I’m feeling some of that dread too.  I have never been super motivated to exercise each day.  Oh.  The things we do for our health eh?

Supervisory Training Today: In The Zone

Good Morning.  Happy Thursday.

I am up really early today doing an online webinar titled A Crash Course For First Time Supervisors.

I am constantly trying to improve myself in the area of supervisory skills.  It was a difficult decision to wake up early to jump online since I stayed up waaaaaay too late last night.  But, this is a topic that will benefit me and so I needed to be accountable.

The training is starting.  See you later.

Food, Friends, & Fitness

Good Afternoon…soon to be evening.  It has been a busy day off but some fun is on the agenda soon.

I finally got a haircut!  It feels sooooo good to be de-bulked.

Look at how much hair came off my head.  Wowza.

My hairdresser, who is also my WW Coach, is seeing a few clients a day in her home.  It was really nice to catch up with her for an hour, even though I had to wear a mask.  Hey, if it means I get to cut my hair, I’ll do it!

I came home and got in a much needed workout that had me sweating.  I am able to stream the WW video workouts to our smart TV.  Well hello there instant home workout.  This kickboxing video was a good one.

I had to shower again so I could make my hair pretty (see above photo) as we are going to visit with Phoenix and her kids tonight.  We will pick up a Taco Bell party pack for dinner and I’m bringing a new beer for us to try.  We are counting down the weeks until Phoenix is on summer break so we can hit up some breweries and restaurants.  Yeeeeehaaaw.

Have a good evening.

Weekly WI: Downward Trend

It is Weight-In Tuesday today…

 

…and I met my goal set last week to lose one pound.  WhoooHoooo!

There were several days this week that I kept telling myself, “you just have to lose one pound.  Keep going.”  Some weeks are tough y’all and it wasn’t anything in particular.

My WW program was strong last week and I am working to get this week ready to go as well.  I don’t know yet what I will make for meals.  I’ve also had a really great month for my credit card spending.  I’m not looking to spend a ton of money at the grocery store.  I have plenty I can throw together from our freezer at home.  I will meal prep on my days off this week so I can get focused again on losing another pound.

My activity is also going strong.  I was tired and took a break today.  I could still get on the treadmill at work if staffing allows.  But, I am also okay with a rest day.  I was planning to try out a WW workout video and ended up just not feeling the energy or motivation.  I’ll get back into it starting tomorrow.

I missed my virtual meeting today in lieu of sleeping in.  I stated up a bit too late (The Hubs is on night shift again) and had to work tonight in exchange for having yesterday off.  I slept until noon and enjoyed some lazy time on the couch with coffee and TV.  I started watching 90 Day Fiancé Before The 90 Days, which aired in April and has been saved on the DVR.  It has me hooked but I am fast forwarding through some couples I just don’t care to watch.  I mean by now, we know which couples might work and which might not. 

That is all I have for Tuesday.  Enjoy your evening.

WW App Now Has Video Workouts Included In Your Membership

Did you all notice the WW app now includes video workouts?

I am thinking I may not need my gym membership anymore. Between my Aaptiv audio workout membership (also some included with the myWW program), the Headspace meditation, and the Virtual WW Workshop Meetings, WW is quickly becoming a one-stop-shop.

I’ve really enjoyed taking my workouts to the patio as I enjoy the afternoon shade and warm temperatures.  I bring out my iPad, set it up on the chair arm, and put in my Apple Air Pods.  I have done two of the new audio workouts and had to modify just a bit since I don’t want to get down on the hard concrete.  But, it is working out really well.

I’m keeping up with my goal to stay ahead of the 25 minutes daily so I can continue to work in some rest days.  I really needed on one on Thursday.  I like that this activity goal pushes me but I don’t want to risk the scale going down by workout out too much.  I know that sounds weird but it is a tough balance.  I do love how strong activity makes me feel and adding in strength training also makes me feel good in my clothes.  Activity, while tough to get motivated, always pays off.

Happy Saturday

Good Afternoon.

I ended up missing out on checking in yesterday.  It was a busy work night and I was go-go-go before that.  So, here we are on Saturday.

My week has been rock solid!  I am really, really, really hoping to see a loss this week.  I’ve been working hard and I really want that pay off.  We ended up not eating out this week which has made earning blue dots pretty easy.

Meals at home have included Big Mac Salad and Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls.

Both were delicious and have made great leftovers.  Last night at work, the suggestion to get take out from Texas Roadhouse wounded ah-mazing.  I had enough points that if I shifted around what I planned to eat, I was able to still have Roadhouse and my pre-planned Built Bar.  I also earned my blue dot.  WhoooHooo!

The curbside pick up took forever so I was starved by the time I got back to work with our orders.  It tastes 100% amazing.

I’ve been keeping up with my activity this week and staying focused on my Apple Watch Activity Goal.  I took the day off activity on Thursday.  I was exhausted both mind and body and needed the break. 

I’ll post more on what I’ve been up to with activity tomorrow.

Upping My Egg Game

I’ve been taking my eggs to the next level with Tostitos Queso Blanco Dip.  Ohhhhhh yummmmm…

Did you know that Tostinos (and other varieties on the market) has queso dip for 1 point?  That is right.  A serving of 2 Tbs is just 1 point.  That is some great bang for your buck.  I picked some up when I was doing my shopping for Cinco de Mayo and added some into my scrambled eggs.  The next day, I decided to put a dollop into my Southwest Egg Beater egg cups.  While they didn’t cook up nicely, they taste amazing.

I also added some turkey sausage crumbles to my cups.  I measured out 10g crumbles and added them to the bottom of the cups.  I put a dollop of queso into each cup and then poured the egg beaters on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  

2 egg cups is 2 points.  

Next time, I think I’ll add the queso after they are baked.  I think I will top it and then put it back in the oven for a minute or two to warm it up.

Enjoy.