New Cocktail Alert - Peppermint Cranberry Moscow Mule

Phoenix found a new peppermint vodka and an amazing recipe we were also excited to try.  I’ll admit, I don’t think I’d ever thought of trying Peppermint Twist Vodka in anything other than some hot chocolate.

The original recipe was from Parade magazine Celebrate Candy Cane Day With A Peppermint Cranberry Moscow Mule.  

I wanted to make this drink at our Thanksgiving dinner which meant I need to swing by the liquor store.  I picked up some Diet Cranberry, with only one gram of sugar in a bottle and I also already had some sugar-free ginger beer mixer on hand.  

A low-point festive cocktail was adopted.

1.5 oz Smirnoff Peppermint Twist

2 oz cranberry juice

6 oz ginger beer

Until I get a cocktail shaker, I mixed the peppermint twist and cranberry in the glass first and then poured over the ginger beer until the glass was full.  It was amazing!  You first get the taste of peppermint and then you get the sweetness of the ginger beer on the back in.  Of course, my sugar-free ginger beer wasn’t quite as delicious at regular ginger beer, but this way, I don’t have to count point for anything but the vodka.

My drink is just 3 points.  

After trying out a drink at home a few nights ago, I was craving more.  I didn’t need to spend the points nor did I need to get really drunk at home…although temping!  I decided to have a mocktail with the rest of the cranberry and ginger beer.  It still hit the spot!

I also found this Ruby Red Grapefruit also made my Ocean Spray and just 1 gram of sugar in 8 ounces.  I love the cranberry varieties and this grapefruit is just as delicious.  I got some diet ginger ale to try another cocktail recipe with spiced rum.

This the season! 

November Apple Watch Activity Challenge Complete

 I earned my November Apple Watch Activity Challenge Award yesterday completing 21 workouts this month.  WhoooHooo!

It has been a good week of shaking up met activity and as I move towards the end of the year, I will keep it up.  I am always anxious to know what the next month’s challenge will be.  I know the hard ones push me but I also hope for an easy one.

On Thanksgiving, I earned a special award for walking a 5K.  

These types of challenges and awards really motivate me.  On a day where I would think I don’t want to exercise, I can summon the motivation.

With that being said, I am taking a rest day today.  Television, coffee, and the electric blanket sound mighty nice before I head to work.

Happy Sunday.

Overnight In Town With Phoenix

On Tuesday, Phoenix and I had an overnight stay at The Riverside Hotel in Boise.  We planned an evening of girl talk, fancy cocktails, and swimming in the 95 degree heated pool.  It was a wonderful night!

I planned ahead for some low sugar/point cocktails (recipe coming) and really enjoyed the indulgence without all the extra points.  I made sure to stock up our mini fridge in the hotel room.

When I arrived at the hotel, I asked for a room close to the pool so we wouldn’t have to freeze to death walking back to our room.  I opened the curtains to find the pool was right outside our first floor patio room.  It was perfect!

We first went to Clairvoyant Brewery where we also met up with Brenda for a couple of beers.  This way we could go back to the hotel, continue the fun, and not have to drink/drive.  

We went to the hotel bar to listen to live music from Ashely Rose, have some small plate appetizers, and enjoy another cocktail.

About 8pm, we said goodbye to Brenda, changed into our swim suits, and enjoyed the heated pool and hot tub for two hours, where we were all by ourselves.  It was great!

The hotel included breakfast the following morning where we woke up to SNOW!  It melted a fast as it dropped and we both wished the pool was open again (it is only open from 4pm - 10pm).

We had a blast and will do this again for an easy getaway without having to leave town.

Happy Thanksgiving 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would premier this year.  I really wanted to earn my special Turkey Award that my Apple Watch Activity app was offering.  Of course, it was a Turkey Trot 5K.  That is quite the commitment for the treadmill.

The parade helped.  I walked at 3.0 mph during the show then took the speed down to 2.5 during commercials for some recovery and also to shake things up.  I had the sun coming through the window on my back so it felt like I was outside in the sunshine minus the cool temps.  I knew it would take me an hour but I did it!

We will be celebrating at my parent’s house with all my favorite foods and even better…PURPLE PLAN FOODS.  Oh yummmmmm.  

I also made some new recipes to try, Cranberry Smash.

And the Pound Dropper Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Let’s do this!

Whatever you decide to do today, or whomever you decide to spend your time with, have a fantastic day!

Weekly WI: Back On Track

 Good Morning.  Happy Tuesday. 

I actually did my weigh-in a day early on Monday due to the possibility of having a hamburger and french fries.  I was down 3.0 pounds.  WhoooHooo!  I didn’t want my unplanned, last minute change of food plan to sway the rest of my day.  I also knew there as a possibility I would not earn by blue dot.  Despite it all, I combated Monday like a chap, re-arranged my day to make that blue dot easy to achieve, and stayed on track the rest of the evening at work.  

Today, I am down 3.4 pounds.

I am also the same weight I was last month, which makes me feel really good.

I enjoyed some of the new features of the WW app and also visited some features I’ve not been to in a while.  I really like the summary it gives after you do you weight check-in.

I am really motivated to get under 200 pounds by the end of 2020.  I don't want to put too much stress on it.  This week has some splurges planned that I want to balance within the rest of the week.  I will aim to earn 5 blue dots.  I will also work on meal planning when I return to my work week on Friday.  I am also going to keep up with my activity and try to get some good sleep.

Eight Years Ago

 This is me eight years ago on vacation in sunny Florida. 

I look at these photos and can’t believe how thin I was. This was shortly after I lost 130 pounds and reached goal. Sometimes I wish I’d spent more time appreciating my body and valuing all that hard work. 

I know I lived in the moment and I know I did ALL the new things. Oh but if I could go back and have a pep talk with that version of myself. I’d tell her to hang in there as things will get rough, you will re-gain, but as you lose again, you’ll find a new appreciation for yourself and your body. 

Thank you WW (formally Weight Watcher) for all the support and for helping me change my life in a big way.

Mid-Week Check-In

Since re-commiting to earning blue does on Tuesday, this week is going really well.  It was tough yesterday but I was able to make it all work out.  I have the day off again today, which is when we typically eat out.  I am volleying between the “scared to eat” and the “I want to go crazy” mentality.  I need to just keep working the program and not be afraid to use my points.  I really don’t want another gain this week so I know that if I just stay focused on my blue dots, that will really help.

I’ve been using some of the new tools they rolled out in the mew myWW+ program.  Now that you can earn 5 WINS for tracking sleep, I have been adding it to the tracker.  I don’t sleep well, and I don’t really need an app to tell me that.  But, I am tracking it.  

I also used the meal planner a little bit.  I wish it was more of a free form meal planner.  I haven’t quite figured it all out yet.  

I wasn’t feeling the exercise bug yesterday and we were both tired from poor sleep.  After changing into my comfy clothes while pot roast was cooking in the Instant Pot, I figured I would get my 15 minutes on the treadmill so I could keep working towards my goal.  Every little bit adds up.

This week is shaping up nicely.  I have my meal ideas planned out for the week and will do some prepping as the week progresses.  I am determined to make this a week without a gain!

Weekly Weigh-In: Post Stay-Cation Gain

 Good Morning.

My stay-cation weight gain was a doozy!

I was thinking the worst case scenario the last few day anticipating a 10-pound gain.  Then I was thinking maybe a 5-pound gain and hoping for a 3-pound gain.  Gaining 4.2 pounds on top of a 1 pound gain last week has been tough to swallow.  I feel like all my progress the last few weeks was gone in one swoop.  It was realistically gone over several days of off-track eating.  Facing that scale can be difficult sometimes.

I received some good news yesterday in that my in-person Studio Workshops will be able to resume.  That is wonderful!  I ended up getting called into work for sick coverage so I won’t be able to attend this week. I decided to just get on my home scale and am a little thankful that I won’t have to show such a large gain on the “official scale.”  This give me this week and next week to work on getting back down as I won’t be able to attend next week in-person either.

My mantra this week is that this gain is only temporary…as long as I get back on track this week!  

I am also going to spend some time reflecting on my weight record and stay mindful that my pants still fit.  I can get past this hurdle.  I don’t want my gloomy mood to overshadow all the hard work I put in this year.

Stay-Cation Has Come To An End

Stay-cation has come to an end and I am ready to get back on track.  I tried to balance food indulgences this week so I didn’t have a huge gain.  We had several meals out but also talked ourselves into making meals at home too.  This has not been a week of blue dots.  I pre-tracked Sunday and Monday and I plan to get a blue dot from here until next Tuesday.

Being out of my usual routine is difficult.  I am so used to eating a higher-point foods and more often on days off vs. workdays.  When I am at work, my meals are prepared, often low point, and tracked.  I also rely on leftovers to keep me on track during my work week.  Also, my work week falls right before my weekly weigh-in so there is less of a chance of over indulging before I have to face the scale.

When I took this week off, originally we were going to Hawaii as part of a promotional travel from our timeshare purchase April 2019.  With travel restrictions at Kenyon’s work, we had to cancel our trip so we could get our deposit refunded.  We were not able to visit my in-laws in October which left this week in November for a possible trip to New Mexico.  That didn’t work out either.  We have back-up dates to the back-up date now set for December.  2020 has been a real pain in the ass!

Once this week started to get closer, I knew I needed time off from work.  It has been a rough year.  I needed a break from adulthood, being in charge, and being in the spotlight four days a week.  It is about to get really busy with four trainees all in training at the same time along with my first year as a supervisor going into evaluation season.  I feel so behind already and we haven’t even reached true “crunch time.”

I won’t say this week has been 100% relaxing because I can never rally unplug from work now that I am a supervisor.  But, as the week progressed, I was able to at least de-stress a bit.  I enjoyed lots of yummy food and a few adult beverages.  I am ready to get back on track and keep working towards slaying my goals.

Every time I get close to reaching Onederland, this mental block sets me back again.  I so badly want to see that 1 in front of the scale number and keep working towards reaching goal once again.  

Four Week Later, In-Person Workshops Shut Down

 Our Governor rolled Idaho back to “Stage 2 with Modifications” yesterday and shortly there after, I received the text message from my local WW Studio that our beloved in-person Workshops are closing again…just four weeks after they re-opened.

Dang it!

The biggest hurdle in rolling back to Phase 2 is the restrictions of 10 or less in small gatherings.  Our Studio was able to hold 18 for a Workshop and we’ve had 12 pretty consistently the last few weeks.  So, I knew this would be impacted.  I will support WW anyway I can and I know it is all for everybody’s safety.

The news is still hard to process.

I attended a Friday Virtual Workshop where a member shared the struggles since the COVID shutdown in March.  I couldn’t help be sympathize with her as lately, I’ve been feeling a little depressed about it all again.  I think it is the pending holidays and the cancellation of seeing my extended family that has me bummed out.  I don’t think I fully realized it until I was watching the Station 19/Grey’s Anatomy crossover event on Thursday.  In the Station 19 premiere, there is a scene where the fire truck is returning to the station and several community members are out by the street cheering them, showing support on signs, and waving.  It made me tear up a little bit.

It also makes me think: 

“How did we get here?” 

“When will it end?”  

Television is a bit depressing these days as well.  While I was really looking forward to the start-up of the next season of shows, I am sad that the pandemic is also making front page of every show I watch.  Sure, I know life can’t just magically look normal on TV but sometimes, can’t we just pretend?  I have found that I gravitate to the Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies a lot just so I can feel good, happy, and normal again.  Or at least think maybe some form of normal is coming at some point.

Some days it is tough.  Some days it is hard to keep moving forward.  I just wish I knew there was an actual end date and something to cling to for hope.  Most days, there isn’t.

We are in for a very long Winter and I just hope that come Spring, things look a little brighter.

One Year On The Purple Plan With The myWW Program

 I had all intensions to pop in yesterday and then the day just flew by.  This whole week has flown by and here we are at Thursday.  I am not ready for my stay-cation to be going by so rapidly.

Facebook Memories showed me that yesterday as officially one year since the new myWW program rolled out.  It has been one year on the Purple Plan and the best year ever.

I love Purple.  It has given me the ability to eat whole grains again without guilt.  It keeps me fuller longer.  It tickles my tastebuds.  I honestly love brown rice, whole wheat pasta, potatoes, and popcorn.  I use these foods in my meal plan daily and I look forward to when I get to eat them.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love a good fruit and veggie too but since joining Team Purple, I have not eaten salad as often.  I used to make a big salad for all the volume and add in the protein to hold me over.  Since I made the jump to Purple, the whole grains fill me up and keep me full that I don’t need all that volume I once craved.  Now, a decent size portion is just fine.  

I’ve lost 10 pounds this last year on the Purple Plan.  Until the last few weeks, my loss were slow and up/down frequently.  I was feeling like my progress was much slower than years past.  When I looked back at my weight record for November 11, 2019, I saw that I was down 10 pounds.  That makes me confident the Purple Plan was the right plan for me and it will be the right plan moving forward.

The best part of myWW is that if you want to switch plans, you can.  WW makes it so easy to take control of your life.  Thank you WW.

Weekly WI: A Gain

 I’ve been on the fence if I was going to weigh-in this week or not.  I feel a bit “bloaty” and just generally off.  I also fear I’m due for a gain.  One more reason is that I don’t think I’ll be able to attend the in-person Workshop this week which leaves me to either finding another Studio for a drop-in weigh-in, weighting in at home, or skipping the scale.  I decided this morning to dress as if I was going to my WW Studio and get on the home scale.

Had it been down, I might have gone to the drop-in location to at least get on the “official” scale.  But, as expected, I had a one pound gain.  I feels like a bit of a relief to just have my weigh-in done for the week.

I am having a stay-cation from work this week.  The Hubs and I decided to try and balance our eating out with also eating in.  We want to do some home organizing/decluttering and we also need to make room in our freezer so we figured we could meal plan on the fly.  I have a few social outings planned as well.  Having a stay-cation after a week with a one pound gain could turn into another gain.  But, I am hoping I can balance it all and try to get this weird mood I’ve been in lately to lift.  

I hope you are all having a good day.  I am sending you wishes of positive thoughts and warm vibes.  It is cold in my neck of the woods.

The Day I Couldn't Get Stop Eating

Good Morning and Happy Friday.  I only have a two-day work week as I’ll be taking next week of work.  Yippie!  I am having a staycation vs. going out of town and it will be nice to relax and destress a bit.

Yesterday was a food day.  I felt like I could not get satisfied all day and then spent the second half campaigning with myself as to why I didn’t need to go completely off the rails and why I should keep on tracking.

Breakfast yesterday included a new muffin recipe that was shared on Connect.  It is the One Point Blueberry Muffins from The Pound Dropper.  Instead of blueberry, we made lemon poppyseed, which is Kenyon’s favorite.  I also used a different pancake mix that Kodiak, as Kenyon has to watch his blood sugars.  This variety is higher in points but I also like the taste better.

The muffins were delicious and spot-on for a muffin texture.  I’m going to experiment with apple cinnamon muffins next week.

I had one muffin along with an omelet that I use Tostinos Queso Blanco and fat free mozzarella.  I also had an apple and some coffee with sugar-free creamer.

I met my coworkers for a team building/morale booster at the Amazing Escape escape room.  It was so much fun.  Sadly, we did not escape in time and have a plan or the next visit.  It was a Titanic themed room where we were in separate cabins and eventually led to the hallway.  It was a really neat experience.

Afterwards, we went to The Cheesecake Factory.  I’d been thinking of possibly suggesting this restaurant and had been planning on using most of my daily points plus my weekly points.  

I ordered the lettuce wrapped Asian Chicken Tacos, my favorite, and had some bread.  I had some regret on the bread once I put it into my tracker.  I should have pre-tracked!  I knew I wanted some cheesecake and would be taking some home to Kenyon.  I ordered the boring plain no-sugar-added cheesecake since Kenyon doesn’t do really well with sugar.  I ate the strawberries along with my four bites and based on what the WW app said, I went for 5 points for my portion plus some whip cream.  It was a bit underwhelming as I was really craving a chocolate flavored cheesecake.

I think this is what started to be my downfall for the evening.  I was feeling underwhelmed from lunch and while I consumed a lot of points, there was only three small pieces of chicken total on my lettuce wraps.  I spent the rest of the late afternoon craving all sorts of high point/high calorie foods and the debate of ordering pizza in started to creep up.

I had some popcorn still was wanting to eat my arm off.  I made some turkey noodle soup, which was not hitting the spot.  We decided to go out to dinner and so we didn’t go completely crazy, we picked Outback Steakhouse.  With Kenyon wanted to control his food intake, that helped me want to as well.

I was surprised to see the steak was less points than the chicken in the WW app.  Of course, I would have had the BBQ sauce on the side.  I wasn’t quite in a chicken mood so I went for the steak, mashed potatoes, and a Caesar salad with dressing on the side.  The bread was underwhelming so while I tracked half a loaf, I didn’t eat half a loaf.

I thought I might have some alcohol last night and the weird mood I was in meant all signs pointed to yes.  Instead, after our dinner, I was craving a decaf americano with egg nog from Dutch Bros so we stopped and got me a nightcap coffee instead.  It hit the spot!

Of course, I was still craving…something…and still feeing hungry.  A few hours later, I made some oatmeal with a cut up apple, peanut butter, and honey.

Finally it was bedtime and I thought I best to go to bed before I consumed even more points!  Oy.  

Thank goodness for a new day.

Weekly Weigh-In: The Power Of Positivity

I was a bit nervous going into my weekly weigh-in yesterday.  I really had no idea what to expect.  I was so excited to see a loss for the third week in a row.

WhooooHoooo!  I am going to keep this momentum going and have started to track, plan, pre-plan, and manage the food outings in the week ahead.

I took a look at my weight graph, as I tend to do from time to time.  Although I have had great losses, I am still not back under 200 on the “official” WW scale.  I’ll get there.  I am just not there quite yet.  Looking back over the last six months sure is interesting.

I have been up and down many times.  Had I let this pattern discourage me, who knows where I’d be six month later.  However, looking back and knowing that ups happen and if we work hard the downs will come, I am lower than when I did my weigh-in six month ago.

And, this includes the addition of clothes and shoes as I have been back to my in-person Studio Workshops again.

It is important to reflect back and look for those positives.  This is what will keep you going in the forward direction.  Slip-ups will happen.  That is just a part of life and a part of being human.  It is how you pick yourself up and continue on that matters.

November Has Arrived

 Good Morning!  Welcome November.

I am ready for a fresh and month and a re-focus on earning my blue dots.  I am also going to focus more on my tracking and eating all my daily points each day.  This was my focus a few weeks ago and I finally started to see the downward trend again.  Of course I have no idea what to except come Tuesday, but I am back on track after an over-indulgent Friday.  It always feels good to be on track.  

I didn’t indulge in any Halloween candy.  It will still be in the dispatch center tonight but I am going to continue to stay out of it.  One piece never is just one piece. 

My November Apple Watch Activity Goal is much more manageable.  THANK GOODNESS.  I am so happy to get back to some variety in my daily workouts and if I’m not feeling it, all I have to do is push through just 15 minutes.  This type of goal doesn’t challenge me as much as others, but I really need a bit of a break.  It was striating to feeling like exercise was my second job.  

I am planning to take time off in early November.  I don’t think we will go out of town as we had planned.  I am still going to have a stay-cation and also stay focused on my November goals.

Let’s Do This!