Weekly WI: A Scale Hike

Good Morning and Happy Hump Day!

Kenyon came down with a cold over the weekend has passed it on to me.  I spent a good portion of last week eating high point foods along with his cravings from not feeling well.  No surprise, it showed up on the scale.

Now that I don’t feel 100% I am going to stay mindful that eating junk because you don’t feel well only makes you feel worse.  I am in the last little push for the Colonel’s PT Challenge but also want to give myself some rest so I can kick this crud.  I have the weekend off so hopefully can rest and/or get caught up!

Welcome March! 

It is shaping out to be a very busy month.  I have two overtime days most weeks and will also possibly have some commitments at our Elks Lodge.  

We are under the 60 day mark for our next cruise vacation.  I booked our Bermuda cruise in 2023 so it has been a long time coming and will be here before we know it.  All the trip logistics are set and it is just time to wait.  With the extra workload and busy weeks, I’m sure it will fly by.

Weekly WI: Welcome To The 40s Club

I had my annual physical yesterday.  That means I left with a long list of other doctor’s appointments to make.  Welcome to your 40s.  It’s not for the faint at heart!

I am about to wrap up my weekend.  I am not really ready for the work week. Next weekend we have some fun on the agenda to I just need to get through four full shifts and two overtime shifts.  

I was up slightly on the scale at home this week but ended the month with a loss.  I am down 4 pounds in two months, which is where I set my goal for the year…to lose 2 pounds a month.  

Sometimes I wish it was faster but I know I am still enjoying the foods I love, and counting to build a consistent tracking and exercise routine.

The Colonel’s PT Challenge is about to wrap up with just a few days left.  I am doing well on my goals but need to make sure I keep focused.

I have been using my EGYM extra membership 2-3 times a week and after six sessions it switched up my exercise routine which was a nice surprise today.  I am hoping the muscle building will help me feel better in my clothes and help me burn more calories at rest.

Weekly WI: Halfway Through February

Good Morning!  Yikes, it’s been a while.

I had a small uptick in the scale last week and my hope was that it was just temporary, I tend to be up the second week of the month, and than it comes back down.  If that is the trend, it was true this week as I am down 1.4 pounds.

Last week’s technique was about self compassions vs. self criticism.  All week one of our WW members posted on our community FB page some really great positive self-talk reminders.

It was Valentine’s Day and while we don’t really celebrate, I ordered some treats from my local favorite cake pop vendor.  I braved a crazy winter storm to collect the goodies which I gave one set to Kenyon, one to my parents, and one to my brother.  They were delicious.

I needed to shake up my meals and was getting board of soup and chili.  I subscribed to Drizzle Me Skinny’s WW content and loved her Stovetop Chicken dish.  It was a hit and I’ll make it again for sure.

This week has some social mixed into the calendar so I’ll make sure I am balancing it all, and staying committed to tracking and activity.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday has always had a special significance, not because I’m an actual football fan.  I was a Chicago Bears fan…well I guess I am a new a Chicago Bears fan.  This wasn’t their year.  The reason I think fondly of the day is because 17 years ago, I bought my wedding dress on Super Bowl Sunday.  I know the day is a rotating date, but I always remember this moment.  We had a Super Bowl party at work today.

 

It has been a busy week with commitments at the Nampa Lodge and when I say busy, I mean it was busy!  We served 109 people on Friday night dinner for prime rib.  Holy Cow!  I was sweating and although I didn’t log any actual activity, I sure did get my steps in that night.

I am over the halfway mark of the Colonel’s PT Challenge.  I’ve logged 16.38 hours and walked 14.2 miles.

 

My activity consisted of indoor walks, visits to the gym for High Fitness and my new EGYM membership, and the floor elliptical during work hours.  I spent one morning shoveling snow before work when we got 4-5 inches. 

Weekly WI: EGYM

Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday.  I am working an overtime shift today, which has been a very busy morning.  I can see the sun is shining so maybe I can get out for a walk after and move my body.

 

I had a consolation at the gym yesterday for the new EGYM concept.  You meet with a trainer and set up each of the 11 weight machines to your comfort level and the amount of weight based on your strength test.  When you scan your id bracelet, the machine atomically adjusts to your specification.  There is a $10 extra monthly fee on top of my membership, but I am hopeful they will expand the machines. 

What I didn’t except during the consultation was all your metrics calculated.  My bio-age for strength is that of a 72-year-old.  I’m not sure if that is a positive attribute or a negative one.   I just turned 45.  I guess time will tell as I build strength, tone, and muscle.

 

My Weekly WI was a loss at the scale.  Whew.  I was hopeful last week was just temporary and worked hard at accomplishing my goals and staying on track.

 

I am feeling a little blah when it comes to exercise lately and just not wanting to workout.  I took a couple days of rest and had day where I didn’t quite meet my activity goals.  Those days happen.  I am doing my best to jump back in and plan to use my new EGYM membership three times a week.

Weekly WI: It Has Been A Minute

It has been a hot minute since I have sat down to write a blog post.  It was a very busy weekend which rolled right into the work week…a day early.

I had an unexpected gain last week, which is funny because our WW technique was all about the scale and what you will stay to yourself before, during, and after your weigh.  After my Monday night meeting, I woke up to do my weekly weigh-in and my official employee weigh-in.  What I didn’t expect, was a gain.

 

My monthly loss for January is 1.2 pounds.  While my goal is to lose 2 pounds a month, I am slightly behind.  Down is good!  I hope to make extra progress somewhere down the road and continue to work on consistency with my tracking, activity, and meal planning.

 

This was a very busy week.  My days off were filled with WW workshops, Elks lodge meetings, gym visits, volunteering as a representative for the Elks, and an unexpected call for work coverage.  Needless to say, my days off went by in a flash.  This week is much the same…busy, busy, busy.

 

I’ve been tracking this week and managing higher point foods.  I planned pizza on Thursday, but I had not planned a meet-up with a friend on Wednesday.  I planned a girls get together this evening, but I had not planned Meltz Xtreme Grilled Cheese having a pop-up night at their old restaurant location. 

Balancing high point foods with low point foods has been key this week and I even have some weekly points left.  Now, my day isn’t done so I probably won’t have any left later.  I’m staying focused on consistency with my tracking.

2025 Colonel’s PT Challenge

 The 2025 Colonel’s PT Challenge is in full force, and I’ve been working hard towards my goal of 30 hours of activity in 10 weeks. 

 

I have completed 32.5 % of my goal and walked 9.58 miles. 

 

My activity consists of walking on the treadmill, walking on the indoor track at the gym, using the floor elliptical at work and home, and attending fitness classes.  I’ve been going to two classes I’ve not been to in a while, Core Focus is a 30-minute workout that gives you a nice all over body workout in a good amount of time.  I really despise 60-minutes gym classes.  The other class is High Fitness which is your old-style aerobics.  I really love aerobics.  This class is 45-minutes which is also an acceptable amount of time.

 

It feels good to be more consistent with activity.  This week’s tracking has been going well and eating meals at home sure does help.  I am anxious to get on the scale Tuesday but am thinking I should be down.  It would be so nice to end the month lower than I started!  I also must complete my official employee weigh-in for January.  It will be up because I have not checked in since before our December cruise.  But that is okay because I know I am making progress and it will soon show on the official scale too.

Weekly WI: We Have Turned A Corner

Good Morning!  Happy Thursday.

Several staffing woes at work have made this week really tough.  But, we are hanging in there!

I had a much needed break in the scale at my Weekly WI.

I was 100% on point last week working on consistency, my Word Of The Year.  I earned a couple of Apple Watch Activity Awards over the last few weeks.

This week is more of last..consistency with my activity, meal planning, and tracking.  

I also celebrated the anniversary of when I joined Weight Watchers, which was in 2007.  I can’t even believe it has been 18 years with WW.  What a ride it has been.  FB Memories send me this reminder.

I’m not in goal range anymore…far from it!  But each day is the BEST day to show up and make a commitment to yourself and your health.  A reminder when I look at my starting photo.

London Before Our Return Home

Don’t forget to read about all our UK and Norway adventures:

Southampton and P&O Britannia

Port of Call: Stavanger

Port of Call: Flam

Cancelled Port & Our Scenic Cruising Day

Port of Call: Haugesund

 

And just like that…all good things must come to an end.

 

We spent our final day of vacation in London where we met up with some of our favorite travel friends we met last year on our Ireland Cruise.  Nothing cements a friendship more than three cancelled ports and four total sea days stuck indoors on a ship.  I am forever grateful for the travel friends I met on that cruise and was elated to be able to see Denise and her husband Paul so soon.  Oh, how I wish we had less miles between us!

 

Denise and Paul as they are absolutely lovely, and I am so thankful they rode the train to meet us in London.   Since they are “locals” but have not done many “local” things in London,

I got to play tour guide and we rode the hop on hop off (HOHO) bus. 

 

If you are in a new city and don’t know what to do, check if they have a HOHO option as you just cannot beat it.  It allows you to ride through the whole city if you stay on for the entire loop and/or get off and see what looks of interest until you are ready to hop back on the next bus. 

 

Part of our adventures included pints at several pubs around London and getting lost looking for the Notting Hill Gate. 

We had the BEST time and wished so much we’d had more time together.

Weekly WI: The Scale Is Going The Wrong Way

The scale check-in for November has not been going in the right direction.

I am taking control this week and feeling energized after two days.

I made a plan yesterday prior to going out for pizza with my Wine Club friend and stuck to it!  That made me feel so good today.

I’m back to a consistent activity routing logging at least 30 minutes of exercise since Monday and went to two gym classes.

I swing into Trader Joes and added some yummy freezer meal ideas to my meal plan this week.

So far, things are going well and I am committed to be consistent the remainder of the week.

Norway Adventures: Port of Call - Haugesund

Our final Port of Call was Haugesund. 

 

Boy did this port look totally different than those small towns within the fjords.  After a couple of early mornings, we had a low-key day with a later wake up time and used the hop on hop off bus to tour this quaint town.

 

As it turned out, we could have used more time for this port and will know that if we ever visit again.

 

We spent time touring an old mining town and the Viking Village which took up our whole day.

 

After riding the bus to the cruise port, we set out on foot up a big hill to grab some Coke Zero with the last of our local Norwegian currency.  At that point, it was time re-board the ship for sail away and our final sea day.

 

Other Norway posts:

Southampton and P&O Britannia

Stavanger

Flam

OurScenic Cruising Day