CNN posted a very scary article this morning that said if the current obesity trends in our country continue, one in three adults will have Diabetes by the year 2050. That's 33% of all Americans having a disease that is (for the most part) avoidable through proper eating and exercise. How scary is that? (click here for the full CNN article).
I had a breakthrough success this week that made me remember the BIGGEST thing you need to know to lose weight.....losing weight is 100% mental because you are always given a choice. You can choose to eat healthier, you can choose to workout, you can choose when you go to bed and how much sleep you are going to get, you can choose to take some time for yourself, you can choose to live life to the fullest, and you can choose whether or not you live your life regretting each day or looking forward to it!
Just like any decision in life, choosing the "right" decision for yourself is not easy. Picture yourself sitting behind your desk around 2:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. It's gloomy outside, and that mid-afternoon craving begins. You know there is a candy bowl sitting at the front desk of your office (yes, the candy bowl in my office tortures me daily) for the ENTIRE month of October. So you think (or sometimes don't even think) about that piece of chocolate....
Now you have a choice to make.....If that piece of chocolate will truly make you feel better, and help you because you are not depriving yourself, go for it. However, if you are eating that piece of chocolate out of habit, frustration, or stress, perhaps you can make a better decision than eating it like going for a walk to get a glass of water
Here's the secret though.....
You DON'T need to be perfect every time to be successful. We all indulge once in a while, and that's okay. Not only is it okay, but it's preferable. Perfection does not equal success. Hard work, determination, motivation, and the right decision 95-99% of the times equals success. You always have a decision make, and just keep this in mind whenever that candy bar keeps calling your name.
So, what was my breakthrough? This past weekend was my Alumni reunion from college, which consisted of AWESOME parties with great friends, alcohol, and food that's bad for you. Before this weekend, I had resigned myself to the fact that I will be up this week. I'm ALWAYS up in weight the week after my friends are in town. That's how my body works.....I go crazy while they are here, throw everything away, and gain back more of those pounds that I worked soooo hard to get off. Since it always happens that way, that's what was supposed to happen this year......but, it didn't.
I made a choice. I decided that I would indulge on certain things....for example, I wasn't going to limit myself to how many beers I drank at the party. Instead, I made sure to watch what I was eating throughout the rest of the day to compensate. My friends and I went for a mid-afternoon walk to enjoy the beautiful weather outside. I also split a garbage plate (I have a blog post about this gluttonous dish coming soon) with my friend at 4:30 a.m. Not only did we split it, but we didn't even finish it!!!
What was the result of my choice to be healthier this weekend? I lost 0.4 this week. YES! DOWN 0.4. I couldn't believe the scale when I weighed in. This was the week I knew I was going to be up. No matter how hard I tried, the number on that scale was going to be up.....but my choices said otherwise.
The point is, we always have a choice to make. Choose wisely *most* of the time, and you will be successful plain and simple. Don't become part of that statistic with the obesity rate. You have a choice now, so get on with it.
By the way, as an aside.....I have 6 more pounds to lose to be at 50 pound weight loss on weight watchers! Stay posted to see when I reach that!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Losing weight 101: It's easy.....
I want to let you all in on a little secret that I heard the other day: Losing weight is easy.....didn't you know that? (Just in case this isn't coming across correctly....yes, I'm being sarcastic)
I want to change this saying... losing weight is easy if your ready and willing to put in the time and effort, determination to change your mindset, and most importantly changing your habits. Sounds easy, right?
Losing weight is not easy, but it is possible. I've learned that first hand over the years (yes, I've been a weight watcher member for nearly 4 years, and am well on my way to goal...). What does it take? For me lately, it took months of frustration and working my ass off (literally) to not get results on the scale. Ever since this summer finished, I've been working out hard....really hard.....with my trainer and by myself, and I was not really seeing results on the scale. That all changed this past week....
WHAT CHANGED?
I've been working out these past 6 weeks the hardest I've ever worked out. I can feel myself getting stronger, and I am starting to see results in my clothes. But why was all of this effort not showing up on the scale? Easy: it was the food I was eating. I was eating within my weight watchers points *most* days, although there were 3-4 day stretches where I wasn't tracking. THREE to FOUR days of NOT tracking...out of 7. That means that I only know I was within my points 42-57% of the time....not good enough. I went back to tracking. Nobody, including myself likes it, but it works. Plain and simple.
Also, protein has become my best friend. Simply put, I was eating too many useless points of empty carbs. They are the thing of the past. My snacks have turned into the following (in order from high protein, low carb to higher carb, lower protein):
cottage cheese (my go to)
cheese sticks
protein shakes with milk
yogurt with peanuts (an amazing combination that I highly recommend)
beef jerky
apples
bananas
pumpkin seeds (yes, they have carbs, but a little fills me a lot.....)
I have not cut out carbs completely. I just try to focus on protein first, and then if I have a little carbs later, its okay.....
THE RESULT?
DOWN 4 pounds this week (and I look good)! Since I went back to weight watchers after taking the month of August off (traveling around the world....only gaining 5 pounds), I have lost every week. I know this seems like success, but I wasn't losing enough for how hard I was working out. From August 21 to Sept 30, I lost 1.8 pounds TOTAL.....over a month. Not good enough.
This week, I tracked EVERYDAY (including my alcohol on the weekend), held myself accountable, went to the gym, and got results. I'm proud to say I'm finally back comfortably in the 230s, and well on my way to reaching my 20 pound weight loss goal by Christmas (might even get there by thanksgiving!)
MORAL OF THE STORY?
See above....losing weight is easy if your ready and willing to put in the time and effort, determination to change your mindset, and most importantly changing your habits.
If you think you're doing everything you need to, but not getting the results you want, check yourself. As my amazing WW leader, Angela, often says, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." If you're not getting the results you want, change something and see if it works. I tried it, and it is definitely working for me.
OTHER BIG NEWS
I was able to get 15 of my co-workers to join weight watchers with me!!! What does this mean? I have support around me ALL DAY (and my leader comes to the office, which is much more convenient).
This past week, EVERY SINGLE PERSON LOST (GO KSLN WWs!!!)! 16 people -- all down on the scale. Talk about motivation! I'm excited to see what we all look like at the firm holiday party in January. It's gonna be quite a sight!
Take care for now. I will try to post a little more frequently. Thanks for reading!
I want to change this saying... losing weight is easy if your ready and willing to put in the time and effort, determination to change your mindset, and most importantly changing your habits. Sounds easy, right?
Losing weight is not easy, but it is possible. I've learned that first hand over the years (yes, I've been a weight watcher member for nearly 4 years, and am well on my way to goal...). What does it take? For me lately, it took months of frustration and working my ass off (literally) to not get results on the scale. Ever since this summer finished, I've been working out hard....really hard.....with my trainer and by myself, and I was not really seeing results on the scale. That all changed this past week....
WHAT CHANGED?
I've been working out these past 6 weeks the hardest I've ever worked out. I can feel myself getting stronger, and I am starting to see results in my clothes. But why was all of this effort not showing up on the scale? Easy: it was the food I was eating. I was eating within my weight watchers points *most* days, although there were 3-4 day stretches where I wasn't tracking. THREE to FOUR days of NOT tracking...out of 7. That means that I only know I was within my points 42-57% of the time....not good enough. I went back to tracking. Nobody, including myself likes it, but it works. Plain and simple.
Also, protein has become my best friend. Simply put, I was eating too many useless points of empty carbs. They are the thing of the past. My snacks have turned into the following (in order from high protein, low carb to higher carb, lower protein):
cottage cheese (my go to)
cheese sticks
protein shakes with milk
yogurt with peanuts (an amazing combination that I highly recommend)
beef jerky
apples
bananas
pumpkin seeds (yes, they have carbs, but a little fills me a lot.....)
I have not cut out carbs completely. I just try to focus on protein first, and then if I have a little carbs later, its okay.....
THE RESULT?
DOWN 4 pounds this week (and I look good)! Since I went back to weight watchers after taking the month of August off (traveling around the world....only gaining 5 pounds), I have lost every week. I know this seems like success, but I wasn't losing enough for how hard I was working out. From August 21 to Sept 30, I lost 1.8 pounds TOTAL.....over a month. Not good enough.
This week, I tracked EVERYDAY (including my alcohol on the weekend), held myself accountable, went to the gym, and got results. I'm proud to say I'm finally back comfortably in the 230s, and well on my way to reaching my 20 pound weight loss goal by Christmas (might even get there by thanksgiving!)
MORAL OF THE STORY?
See above....losing weight is easy if your ready and willing to put in the time and effort, determination to change your mindset, and most importantly changing your habits.
If you think you're doing everything you need to, but not getting the results you want, check yourself. As my amazing WW leader, Angela, often says, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." If you're not getting the results you want, change something and see if it works. I tried it, and it is definitely working for me.
OTHER BIG NEWS
I was able to get 15 of my co-workers to join weight watchers with me!!! What does this mean? I have support around me ALL DAY (and my leader comes to the office, which is much more convenient).
This past week, EVERY SINGLE PERSON LOST (GO KSLN WWs!!!)! 16 people -- all down on the scale. Talk about motivation! I'm excited to see what we all look like at the firm holiday party in January. It's gonna be quite a sight!
Take care for now. I will try to post a little more frequently. Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Don't give up....I'm not.....
Hello All!
Well, I told you I would be back, and here I am! I have not forgotten about posting nor have I forgotten about Weight Watchers. As you all can relate, I'm sure, this summer was great for me (weight loss wise) but it was also very stressful as I studied for the bar exam. Hopefully soon (in November) I will be able to change my blog title to a "Lawyer's Guide to Weight Loss"......we will find out soon enough.....
Anyways, I'm back and ready to go full steam ahead. I'm proud to say that I tracked today, and I had a GREAT workout at the office gym! I've been trying to figure out what I could do at the office to get a good workout in for the day while managing the stressful workload that my job requires. Here's what I did today, and I'm SUPER excited to continue it:
Interval training between the stairs and the spinning bike. Yes, I'm talking about using the good old traditional staircase in the building that I work at (it has 20 flights total) for a cardio workout. Let me just say it kicked. my. butt. I did 3 minutes on the spinning bike and 3 minutes on the stairs for a total of 35 minutes. And I did all of this in the afternoon. usually around 2 or 3 I get tired and super cranky at work, so I naturally turn to food. Today, I decided to workout at that time, and the result was a fantastic day! I was able to do what I needed to (work and workout) and I used my time in a way that prevented myself from returning to old bad habits (eating when stressed). I plan on continuing this program on my cardio days, and, of course, I will keep you updated!
It's important to always keep things in perspective. I've been on and off program since May, but all in all I am healthier (mentally and physically) than I have been in a long time. I'm still with my personal trainer, and I'm excited about what the future brings.
NEW GOALS
Plain and simple. I'm going to lose 20 pounds by Christmas. I'm currently trying to get co-workers to do weight watchers at the office (have my meeting leader come to work!) so that I have motivation around me at all times. In my email to the ENTIRE office today, I committed myself to this goal (20 lbs), and I'm ready to commit to it here as well!
WHAT'S TO COME?
1) I have so many inspiring people in my life that keep me motivated to keep going. I hope to spotlight some of these inspirations of upcoming blogs
2) I'm going to begin trying a new recipe every 1 to 2 weeks, and I want to let you know how it turns out. Of course, everything I make will (continue to) be weight watcher friendly, and I'm super excited to see what I can come up with!
3) I'm going to get to goal for weight watchers. I'm not going to give up. It's that simple.
Sorry for the non-posts since May.....the bar exam was the priority. But, I'm back! I will have my weigh-in blog (with all of my progress to date) on Friday after the weigh-in! Stay tuned!
Well, I told you I would be back, and here I am! I have not forgotten about posting nor have I forgotten about Weight Watchers. As you all can relate, I'm sure, this summer was great for me (weight loss wise) but it was also very stressful as I studied for the bar exam. Hopefully soon (in November) I will be able to change my blog title to a "Lawyer's Guide to Weight Loss"......we will find out soon enough.....
Anyways, I'm back and ready to go full steam ahead. I'm proud to say that I tracked today, and I had a GREAT workout at the office gym! I've been trying to figure out what I could do at the office to get a good workout in for the day while managing the stressful workload that my job requires. Here's what I did today, and I'm SUPER excited to continue it:
Interval training between the stairs and the spinning bike. Yes, I'm talking about using the good old traditional staircase in the building that I work at (it has 20 flights total) for a cardio workout. Let me just say it kicked. my. butt. I did 3 minutes on the spinning bike and 3 minutes on the stairs for a total of 35 minutes. And I did all of this in the afternoon. usually around 2 or 3 I get tired and super cranky at work, so I naturally turn to food. Today, I decided to workout at that time, and the result was a fantastic day! I was able to do what I needed to (work and workout) and I used my time in a way that prevented myself from returning to old bad habits (eating when stressed). I plan on continuing this program on my cardio days, and, of course, I will keep you updated!
It's important to always keep things in perspective. I've been on and off program since May, but all in all I am healthier (mentally and physically) than I have been in a long time. I'm still with my personal trainer, and I'm excited about what the future brings.
NEW GOALS
Plain and simple. I'm going to lose 20 pounds by Christmas. I'm currently trying to get co-workers to do weight watchers at the office (have my meeting leader come to work!) so that I have motivation around me at all times. In my email to the ENTIRE office today, I committed myself to this goal (20 lbs), and I'm ready to commit to it here as well!
WHAT'S TO COME?
1) I have so many inspiring people in my life that keep me motivated to keep going. I hope to spotlight some of these inspirations of upcoming blogs
2) I'm going to begin trying a new recipe every 1 to 2 weeks, and I want to let you know how it turns out. Of course, everything I make will (continue to) be weight watcher friendly, and I'm super excited to see what I can come up with!
3) I'm going to get to goal for weight watchers. I'm not going to give up. It's that simple.
Sorry for the non-posts since May.....the bar exam was the priority. But, I'm back! I will have my weigh-in blog (with all of my progress to date) on Friday after the weigh-in! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
It's a new day....
Hello all. I know I have not been great with my updates this past month. The last stretch for law school got the best of me, and unfortunately it took time away from keeping up with the blog. I will update you with my weight when I weigh-in on Friday, but I can tell you that I haven't lost anything over the past month, but I also haven't gained either....
It's a new day...
I officially finished law school last Friday. This occasion is truly momentous for me, and culminates 3 years of hard work and some fun thrown in there too. Before I enter the real world (as a soon to be attorney), I have this final summer to do three things:
1) STUDY for the bar exam;
2) Setup a better WORKOUT ROUTINE;
3) LIVE a HEALTHY lifestyle.
That's it. Nothing more, and importantly, nothing less. I've drifted from my routine. I've drifted from my goals, and it's time to start new.
It was a beautiful day today, and I was able to take advantage of it by getting outside and running. I am proud to say that I ran slightly more than a 5K (I ran a total of 3.3 miles) in 41 minutes!!! This is a great point for me to be at since I have my 5K run coming up on June 12. My goal is to run that in under 35 minutes.
I have a lot of blog posts that I have been wanting to put up, and I will be getting to them soon.
It's time to start anew. Thank you all for your support, and get ready because the second half of this year is going to be even more exciting than the first!!!!
It's a new day...
I officially finished law school last Friday. This occasion is truly momentous for me, and culminates 3 years of hard work and some fun thrown in there too. Before I enter the real world (as a soon to be attorney), I have this final summer to do three things:
1) STUDY for the bar exam;
2) Setup a better WORKOUT ROUTINE;
3) LIVE a HEALTHY lifestyle.
That's it. Nothing more, and importantly, nothing less. I've drifted from my routine. I've drifted from my goals, and it's time to start new.
It was a beautiful day today, and I was able to take advantage of it by getting outside and running. I am proud to say that I ran slightly more than a 5K (I ran a total of 3.3 miles) in 41 minutes!!! This is a great point for me to be at since I have my 5K run coming up on June 12. My goal is to run that in under 35 minutes.
I have a lot of blog posts that I have been wanting to put up, and I will be getting to them soon.
It's time to start anew. Thank you all for your support, and get ready because the second half of this year is going to be even more exciting than the first!!!!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sticking with it....
This past week, I didn't lose, but I didn't gain. It's hard to express how I feel about this. I'm glad I didn't gain, but I know that I can do better since I should be losing (at least something) every week. When I look back and think about why I didn't lose this week, I know what it is.....I didn't follow program. Why is it that we know what works, but it is so hard for us to follow that? The reality is, there can be no excuses! I need to move forward and continue this journey I started. I am still determined to reach my goal, and I WILL get there!
BIG NEWS!
I will be running my FIRST EVER 5K this year! My weight-watchers leader will be walking along with several of my weight-watcher friends in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure on June 12, 2010. I was unable to participate in this walk last year because I was out of town, but I am looking forward to it this year! The big news is that I am training to RUN it....that's right. I want to run 3.1 miles non-stop. It's going to take a lot of work, but I think it is an attainable goal...
Yesterday on the treadmill, I was able to run a mile non-stop in 9 minutes, 45 seconds. For those of you that remember my April 1 challenge, this time is EVEN BETTER than when I ran my first mile in under 10 minutes. After running that first mile yesterday, I continued to run 2 more miles (for a total of 3 miles) in under 36 minutes. This is close to a 12 minute mile average, which I was astonished I could do. Regardless, I'm not really focusing on running the 5K in a specific time, but really am looking to run it non-stop. I've never run more than a mile non-stop, so this will be a huge victory for me! I'm also excited to be training for a goal! I never thought I would enjoy running, but it has really been keeping me motivated!
GOALS FOR THE WEEK:
1) Track - I actually tracked this weekend (saturday and sunday). The fact that I am already ahead on this is an indication to me that I'm going to be successful with this goal this week.
2) Activity (At least 5 days) - I am super excited to report that I went to the gym yesterday and today, so 5 days is a very attainable goal for this week. I actually am planning on going 6 days, but I am leaving a buffer just in case my schedule gets too crazy (or I feel like I need a break). Furthermore, I need to run at least 1.2 miles non-stop to keep on track for the 5K.
I know these weekly goals seem to be the same each week, but in the end the only way I am going to get to my ultimate goal is to make sure I eat right (that's why tracking is important) and exercise (activity). Nothing more is necessary....
BIG NEWS!
I will be running my FIRST EVER 5K this year! My weight-watchers leader will be walking along with several of my weight-watcher friends in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure on June 12, 2010. I was unable to participate in this walk last year because I was out of town, but I am looking forward to it this year! The big news is that I am training to RUN it....that's right. I want to run 3.1 miles non-stop. It's going to take a lot of work, but I think it is an attainable goal...
Yesterday on the treadmill, I was able to run a mile non-stop in 9 minutes, 45 seconds. For those of you that remember my April 1 challenge, this time is EVEN BETTER than when I ran my first mile in under 10 minutes. After running that first mile yesterday, I continued to run 2 more miles (for a total of 3 miles) in under 36 minutes. This is close to a 12 minute mile average, which I was astonished I could do. Regardless, I'm not really focusing on running the 5K in a specific time, but really am looking to run it non-stop. I've never run more than a mile non-stop, so this will be a huge victory for me! I'm also excited to be training for a goal! I never thought I would enjoy running, but it has really been keeping me motivated!
GOALS FOR THE WEEK:
1) Track - I actually tracked this weekend (saturday and sunday). The fact that I am already ahead on this is an indication to me that I'm going to be successful with this goal this week.
2) Activity (At least 5 days) - I am super excited to report that I went to the gym yesterday and today, so 5 days is a very attainable goal for this week. I actually am planning on going 6 days, but I am leaving a buffer just in case my schedule gets too crazy (or I feel like I need a break). Furthermore, I need to run at least 1.2 miles non-stop to keep on track for the 5K.
I know these weekly goals seem to be the same each week, but in the end the only way I am going to get to my ultimate goal is to make sure I eat right (that's why tracking is important) and exercise (activity). Nothing more is necessary....
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Off the wagon.....
First off, I want to apologize to those of you who have been so supportive of me these past few months for not updating this blog. Stress and mixed priorities took over recently, and as a result, I haven't been blogging (or following program, as you will read below). I am determined to get back into it, and I will be posting some new blogs this week, including a new recipe post!
Progress to date
At this past week's weigh-in I saw my first gain since January 8, 2010. :-(
As you can see from my progress chart below, I have had consistent losses each week for over 10 weeks straight (with one week where I stayed the same). Seeing a plus on the scale was truly disheartening for me. I know it is only +2 pounds, but that plus sign really sucks (to be blunt)! I have already gotten back on track (for the most part) to ensure that this doesn't happen again. However, this gain reminded me that the only way I will be able to obtain my goal is to truly make this a lifestyle change over the long-haul. Here are my weight losses since the beginning of 2010:
Progress to date
At this past week's weigh-in I saw my first gain since January 8, 2010. :-(
As you can see from my progress chart below, I have had consistent losses each week for over 10 weeks straight (with one week where I stayed the same). Seeing a plus on the scale was truly disheartening for me. I know it is only +2 pounds, but that plus sign really sucks (to be blunt)! I have already gotten back on track (for the most part) to ensure that this doesn't happen again. However, this gain reminded me that the only way I will be able to obtain my goal is to truly make this a lifestyle change over the long-haul. Here are my weight losses since the beginning of 2010:
As you can see, I am still down 14 pounds, which is fantastic, but I still have a bunch to go until I reach my goal.
Why did I fall off the wagon?
The simple answer is I forgot about my priorities and let myself slip back into old habits. These past few weeks I stopped tracking my food, I didn't commit myself to my morning workouts (although I still made it to the gym for the most part for a minimum 4 days per week), and I stopped blogging. The result was the gain. Looking back on all of this, I realize now that I need to re-prioritize so that I have a healthier balance to push me forward towards my goal. It is a small setback, but it WILL NOT STOP ME FROM REACHING MY GOAL. I did it before, so I can do it again. It is time to get back on the wagon and achieve what I set out to do!
VICTORIES.....
1) I am so EXCITED to let you all know that I did reach my April 1 running goal. Although I was unable to get my run in exactly on April 1 (I was out of town for the Easter Holiday), I achieved it the first day I got home and went back to the gym (April 6, 2010). I am pleased to report that I ran 1 mile in 9 minutes, 53 seconds!!!!!!!! I have NEVER been a runner, and I never imagined that I would be able to actually run a mile, non-stop, in under 10 minutes. However, I was determined to do it, and I succeeded. Looking back on that now, I realize that even though I have had some setbacks this past month, I CAN do this, and I WILL!
2) Today it was BEAUTIFUL in Buffalo, so I decided to go for a bike ride (I love my new bike that I bought myself last year). Suffice it to say, I am exhausted right now as I write this because I biked 27.63 miles in 1 hour, 53 minutes!!!! It was so much fun to get outside, and it was also a GREAT workout! I was very impressed with my ability to go as far as I did. I am so happy that it is getting warmer out, as I know being able to ride my bike will help me out with my weight loss success!
Goals for the week:
In order for me to get back on track, I am going to continue to set my weekly goals here on my blog:
1) TRACK at least 4 days (since I didn't really track this weekend, that means I have to track everyday mon-thurs of this week)
2) MORNING WORKOUTS. Enough said. It works for me when I force myself to do it, so I need to get back into it! 5:30 a.m., I missed you......
3) BLOG. You guys keep me accountable and motivated. Thank you so much for all of your support, and keep it coming!
4) Try out a new recipe. My brother and sister-in-law gave me a suggestion to fix my chicken wing dilemma....I'm going to try this new recipe, and I will be sure to tell you how it worked!
Thanks again for all of your support. I'm back now (no more reprieves), so stay tuned!!!!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
One step forward, one step backward.....
Sorry that I haven't posted anything sooner! I left to go out of town immediately after Friday's weigh-in, and as a result I didn't have time to put together a post for last week's results.....thanks to those of you that have been asking for updates!
One Step Forward
I'm proud (and excited) to report that I DID IT! For those of you that read last week's post, you know how frustrated I was with my minuscule losses and I vowed to have a 2 pound minimum loss. I am proud to report that I lost EXACTLY 2 pounds....Below is my weight loss progress since I started this blog in January.
Aside from losing the weight, I was also successful in tracking! I tracked EVERY DAY! It was really kind of crazy! I can't even remember the last time that I tracked the entire week. The result was that I never went over my allotted points (including the 35 extra points I spread throughout my week). I was much more conscious about what I was consuming when I went out with friends on the weekend, and I made sure that I prepared for my events! I was so impressed with my tracking that I took a picture of my weekly summary (thanks to the awesome online tracking system that weight watchers provides), and have provided it to you below:
As you can see, I tracked EVERYTHING! I also was impressed with myself that i earned 25 activity points even though apparently I only went to the gym four days last week (I could've sworn that I went 5 days......maybe I didn't track on Monday). Regardless, it was an AMAZING week, and I met every goal I set myself up for. The result was exactly what I was hoping for, and this showed me: (a) I can lose at a higher rate than I was before; (b) it takes A LOT of hard work to be this disciplined with myself; and (c) it's really important to track to keep myself on point with my eating.
One Step Backward
It is Spring Break at law school this week, so to get away for a little bit I went to visit Montreal for the weekend with a couple of my friends. Going to a different country means I don't need to follow program, right? Well, needless to say, I indulged in some treats more so than I normally would, and the scale is not happy with me as a result. Part of me is mad at myself for "undoing" all of the hard work I put in last week. Another part of me had a really great time for 3 days and is saying it was worth it.....is it really worth it though? I need to remind myself how frustrated I was when I wrote my last post because of how much I was struggling with everything. As much fun as I had, I'm slightly annoyed that the number on the scale this week may be an increase rather than a decrease....
Yesterday was an okay day, but I didn't really get back on track food wise. I did make it to the gym though, and pushed myself even though it was kind of hard to do so.....
Either way, yesterday is gone, and all I can worry about is today and the choices I make moving forward! Another weight loss blogger (one who has inspired me immensely) talked about this in a recent post, and I truly believe he is right. He said:
The choices you made yesterday have no impact or influence on the choices you will make today. Yesterday is gone and today all you’re left with are the results of the choices you made in the past.
That doesn’t mean you have to live with them.
Yesterday and the weekend is over, and thus so is my little detour from my goal. I'm going to work hard to correct my food choices I made this weekend, and hopefully I won't be up more than a pound or so by the end of the week. If I were to stay the same, that would be fantastic! Either way, I will definitely see a loss next week!
GOALS for the week:
1) Continue with my activity. I still need to do a better job at including weight-training in my workouts. Last week I did it one day. This week I am going to shoot for 2 days. I know it is important to have a balance between weight-training and cardio, and I need to start incorporating both....On a good note, my running has improved IMMENSELY! Last week Thursday I ran 4 miles in 39 minutes!!!! That is a 9 minute 45 second mile!! I know that I am going to meet my goal for April 1 to run a mile straight in 10 minutes or less!
2) Tracking. Enough said.
3) Go back to no beer. Last week I had a 2 pound loss....I drank some wine and liquor at various times throughout the week, but no beer. The past couple of weeks when I wasn't losing anything, I was drinking beer. I don't think this is a coincidence. Therefore, alcohol consumption for me will be limited to wine or liquor.
That's it for now! Thanks for all the comments and keep them coming!
One Step Forward
I'm proud (and excited) to report that I DID IT! For those of you that read last week's post, you know how frustrated I was with my minuscule losses and I vowed to have a 2 pound minimum loss. I am proud to report that I lost EXACTLY 2 pounds....Below is my weight loss progress since I started this blog in January.
Aside from losing the weight, I was also successful in tracking! I tracked EVERY DAY! It was really kind of crazy! I can't even remember the last time that I tracked the entire week. The result was that I never went over my allotted points (including the 35 extra points I spread throughout my week). I was much more conscious about what I was consuming when I went out with friends on the weekend, and I made sure that I prepared for my events! I was so impressed with my tracking that I took a picture of my weekly summary (thanks to the awesome online tracking system that weight watchers provides), and have provided it to you below:
As you can see, I tracked EVERYTHING! I also was impressed with myself that i earned 25 activity points even though apparently I only went to the gym four days last week (I could've sworn that I went 5 days......maybe I didn't track on Monday). Regardless, it was an AMAZING week, and I met every goal I set myself up for. The result was exactly what I was hoping for, and this showed me: (a) I can lose at a higher rate than I was before; (b) it takes A LOT of hard work to be this disciplined with myself; and (c) it's really important to track to keep myself on point with my eating.
One Step Backward
It is Spring Break at law school this week, so to get away for a little bit I went to visit Montreal for the weekend with a couple of my friends. Going to a different country means I don't need to follow program, right? Well, needless to say, I indulged in some treats more so than I normally would, and the scale is not happy with me as a result. Part of me is mad at myself for "undoing" all of the hard work I put in last week. Another part of me had a really great time for 3 days and is saying it was worth it.....is it really worth it though? I need to remind myself how frustrated I was when I wrote my last post because of how much I was struggling with everything. As much fun as I had, I'm slightly annoyed that the number on the scale this week may be an increase rather than a decrease....
Yesterday was an okay day, but I didn't really get back on track food wise. I did make it to the gym though, and pushed myself even though it was kind of hard to do so.....
Either way, yesterday is gone, and all I can worry about is today and the choices I make moving forward! Another weight loss blogger (one who has inspired me immensely) talked about this in a recent post, and I truly believe he is right. He said:
The choices you made yesterday have no impact or influence on the choices you will make today. Yesterday is gone and today all you’re left with are the results of the choices you made in the past.
That doesn’t mean you have to live with them.
- It doesn’t matter that you’re 5, 25, or even 125 pounds overweight.
- It doesn’t matter what you ate yesterday.
- It doesn’t matter that you didn’t go to the gym yesterday.
- It doesn’t matter that you’ve been gaining weight for the past 25 years.
- It doesn’t matter that you’ve failed countless diets in the past.
Yesterday and the weekend is over, and thus so is my little detour from my goal. I'm going to work hard to correct my food choices I made this weekend, and hopefully I won't be up more than a pound or so by the end of the week. If I were to stay the same, that would be fantastic! Either way, I will definitely see a loss next week!
GOALS for the week:
1) Continue with my activity. I still need to do a better job at including weight-training in my workouts. Last week I did it one day. This week I am going to shoot for 2 days. I know it is important to have a balance between weight-training and cardio, and I need to start incorporating both....On a good note, my running has improved IMMENSELY! Last week Thursday I ran 4 miles in 39 minutes!!!! That is a 9 minute 45 second mile!! I know that I am going to meet my goal for April 1 to run a mile straight in 10 minutes or less!
2) Tracking. Enough said.
3) Go back to no beer. Last week I had a 2 pound loss....I drank some wine and liquor at various times throughout the week, but no beer. The past couple of weeks when I wasn't losing anything, I was drinking beer. I don't think this is a coincidence. Therefore, alcohol consumption for me will be limited to wine or liquor.
That's it for now! Thanks for all the comments and keep them coming!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Let's Refocus......
I lost 0.2 pounds this week. ZERO point TWO?!?! How annoying!!! It's SUCH a tease! Of course, my friends at my meeting said "at least it's a loss," but is it really?! Sure it is, but in all reality for how hard I am working, it should be more. That means something needs to change because this is the second week in a row where I had only a nominal loss. Below is my weight loss chart since the beginning of the year....
I know "it's not always about the numbers" and I should "look at all of the success I've had so far".....I do that, but right now I say that's all BS! I know I can do better, and it's time to get my a$$ in gear again!
So.....Let's REFOCUS....
Those of you that know me, know that when I see a problem, I setup a plan that will most likely get to the solution of the problem. Thus, here's my plan to make sure I have at least a two pound (i.e. "reasonable") weight loss next week....
1) TRACKING - This is my biggest catch-22 in the world, plain and simple....I know it works, and that I need to do it, yet for some reason I don't. Frankly, I've been neglecting it lately, and this is unacceptable! Also, I NEED TO INCLUDE THE WEEKENDS! When I look back at the weeks where I lost the most, I tracked. To put it simply, "it is what it is." When I track, I lost consistently. No more of this "at least 5 days business." I'm tracking this week EVERY DAY even if it kills me! That means every beer, glass of wine, cookie, carrot, celery, lettuce, whatever.....if I eat it, then I write it!
2) Activity - this is a tough one for me because I have been super successful with getting into a great routine since I "fell off the wagon" at the end of 2009. I have been waking up at 5:30 a.m. most weekdays to get my workouts in at the beginning of my day so to ensure that: a) I actually workout; and b) I can enjoy my day without the gym taunting me all day. For the most part I have been doing exclusively cardio. This has been enjoyable, but I am missing my lifting sessions. I told myself that I would continue doing the cardio until I hit a plateau....it seems like this is happening. Thus, I am going to begin incorporating 30 minutes of weight-lifting (in addition to 30 minutes of cardio on my lifting days) 3 days per week. The other days I am going to continue with my 45 - 60 minutes of cardio in preparation for My Big Goal!
3) Alcohol - Okay, fine. I'll lay it out for you.....one of the greatest, most delicious tastes in to world to me is that first sip of beer at happy hour on a Friday after a long hard week of work and school (maybe a couple of sips even). As a rule, I don't drink from Sunday through Thursday other than an occasional glass of wine every now and then. It's just a rule I have for myself to keep me in check for my weight. The problem is on Friday and Saturday I make up too much for the other five days of the week.....enough said. Therefore, I have decided that I am changing my habits (at least for this week) in two ways: 1) I am tracking (see number 1 above); and 2) NO BEER! Wine or liquor (with club soda) only....I drink less when I drink these anyways, and besides you get the biggest "bang" for your alcohol points when you drink these over beer anyways!
That's my plan for now.... Three goals that are attainable, challenging to a certain extent, and will "shake it up" a bit for my week. I'll see how it goes for the week, and adjust accordingly next week. In fact, after writing this, I'm excited to see what it does on the scale!
Quick Shout Out!
I went over to my friends' house last night for some dinner and entertaining, and I was THOROUGHLY grateful and impressed at how much they went out of their way to accommodate my healthy lifestyle. My friend Mark made chicken enchiladas that were DELICIOUS and were made VERY healthy (only 7 points per enchilada....I had two of them after my grueling last-chance workout at the gym). For dessert, my friend Kat made chocolate chip oatmeal cookies JUST FOR ME where she substituted some of the normal ingredients for whole wheat flour, egg beaters, etc. to lighten up the recipe. The cookies were AMAZING, and you would never know that there were any substitutions (I had two of those as well....I couldn't resist even though I knew I had to weigh-in this morning). I was just so grateful that my friends were willing to change their "not so" healthy lifestyles to accommodate mine. And they both loved eating healthy too! Thanks, guys! ;-)
That's it for now. I have a few different blogs coming up soon, so keep a lookout for those. Thanks for all of the support, and keep the comments coming!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Updates and Goals for the week...
Unfortunately my busy schedule has kept me from updating this as much as I would like to. I am going to do my best to make sure that I consistently keep blogging as it keeps my motivation going, and I have really enjoyed reading everybody's comments....
Weight Loss
The good news is that in my absence of blogging, I have lost for the past two weigh-ins! Last week I lost 2 pounds, and this week I lost 0.4 pounds. This past weigh-in was not nearly as large as I would like it to be, but I was happy that it was at least down and going in the right direction. Below is my weight loss since January 1st.
As you can see, I have consistently lost weight since January 8, and I can think of three main reasons for this: 1) tracking, 2) activity, and 3) accountability. I have been tracking much more lately, and it is really helpful as it keeps me consistent and accountable. Also, I have ramped up my activity, and as a result I am not only losing the pounds, but my clothes are fitting better! Also, knowing that all of you are looking for my updates has really helped to hold myself accountable! Thanks for the encouragement!
New Activities
Spinning
I have joined a spinning class on Wednesday mornings at 6:00 a.m. and it has been AMAZING!! It is one of the hardest workouts that I have ever done, and it has really ramped up my cardio mid week to keep me pushing through to my Friday weigh-in.
Boot Camp
Yesterday I tried my first boot camp fitness class. As I sit here and write this, I can tell you that my ENTIRE body is still sore from the workout, and it feels awesome! IT WAS PHENOMENAL!! It is a full body, high intensity, hour-long workout that really pushes you to work everything. I highly recommend it, and I am looking forward to going to the class again next week (although I think I may have class that will interfere with it, which is annoying).
Goal Reminder: April 1st is still my goal to run a 10 minute mile. I have been training very hard to get to this point each workout, and I have almost exclusively moved my cardio workouts to the treadmill, which is much harder, but gives me a great workout.
New Thoughts...
Although I lost this past week, I had to really think about why my loss was so small. I worked my BUTT off at the gym the whole week just to compensate for my major overindulgence I took part in last weekend....friends were in town, and my goals went out the window. Without going into the amount of food and alcohol I consumed, I can tell you that I realized that it is very counterproductive for me to work so hard during the week just to ruin it in one night on the weekend. This is something that I will continue to struggle with, I know, but it is something that I MUST conquer if I am going to be successful and get to my goal weight.
GOALS FOR THE WEEK
1) Workout at least 5 days (minimum 20 minutes)
2) Track at least 4 days (I havn't tracked this weekend yet, so I am putting 4 days this week so I track mon-thursday).
BTW, please keep your comments coming! I really enjoy hearing your thoughts, and it's motivating to know that people are actually reading this!!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Habits: the good, the bad, and the ugly....
Many of you can probably relate to how hard it is to break bad habits (and create new ones). I read a study somewhere sometime (no, I'm not going to cite to it) that said you need to do something consistently for 21 days in order to form a new habit. That doesn't sound like a long time, but think about it this way: It takes the equivalent of three weeks worth of PERFECT and CONSISTENT days to form a new habit. I don't know about you, but that task seems daunting.
This isn't to say that a person can't form form a new habit over a longer period of time. Personally it takes me a long time to form a new habit and even longer to break an old one. However, if there is one thing I've learned so far over this journey, it is that really need to find ways to get rid of old unhealthy habits and create new healthier ones.
My Healthy Habits
I have been successful in changing my habits in several ways: I workout 4-5 days a week usually at 5:30 in the morning, which, if you ask me, needs to be habitual if you intend to keep that kind of schedule going; I eat a healthy breakfast every morning; I tend to eat mostly healthy meals throughout my week; I'm able to push myself to attain a goal; etc...
However, this past weekend, I found myself falling back into old habits that I need to break if I truly am going to be successful (and keep this weight off). I know that myself alone is to blame, but I also would like to blame the Superbowl (even though I know my argument here is weak).....
I was the host of a Superbowl party, and it was a fat-man's paradise!!! The food that we had included (thanks to all of my awesome friends): pizza, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket (I made a healthy version of these), spinach artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, chili, chips, salsa, guacamole, cheese, crackers, pepperoni, sausage meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese, fruit salsa with graham crackers, cookies, and homemade hostess cupcakes (the chocolate kind with frosting in the middle). Of course, we can forget the tremendous amounts of beer, malt beverages, and wine that was there for consumption as well.
Needless to say being surrounded by so much food and drink, I binged more than I have in over a month. I couldn't stop myself...I mean, it would be RUDE as a host for me to not try everything, right?! WRONG! I regret the decisions I made this weekend, and I realized after the fact that this is one habit I need to change. It took me four days to get back to (and slightly below) my weigh-in weight from last week...
One thing realized: I need to find a way to be in social situations involving food and NOT overindulge. This isn't to say that I can't enjoy the food, but I need to make a new habit where I limit what I eat and have boundaries when placed in these situations. I know they will come up again, and I need to be ready next time!
This isn't to say that a person can't form form a new habit over a longer period of time. Personally it takes me a long time to form a new habit and even longer to break an old one. However, if there is one thing I've learned so far over this journey, it is that really need to find ways to get rid of old unhealthy habits and create new healthier ones.
My Healthy Habits
I have been successful in changing my habits in several ways: I workout 4-5 days a week usually at 5:30 in the morning, which, if you ask me, needs to be habitual if you intend to keep that kind of schedule going; I eat a healthy breakfast every morning; I tend to eat mostly healthy meals throughout my week; I'm able to push myself to attain a goal; etc...
However, this past weekend, I found myself falling back into old habits that I need to break if I truly am going to be successful (and keep this weight off). I know that myself alone is to blame, but I also would like to blame the Superbowl (even though I know my argument here is weak).....
I was the host of a Superbowl party, and it was a fat-man's paradise!!! The food that we had included (thanks to all of my awesome friends): pizza, chicken wings, pigs in a blanket (I made a healthy version of these), spinach artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, chili, chips, salsa, guacamole, cheese, crackers, pepperoni, sausage meatballs stuffed with mozzarella cheese, fruit salsa with graham crackers, cookies, and homemade hostess cupcakes (the chocolate kind with frosting in the middle). Of course, we can forget the tremendous amounts of beer, malt beverages, and wine that was there for consumption as well.
Needless to say being surrounded by so much food and drink, I binged more than I have in over a month. I couldn't stop myself...I mean, it would be RUDE as a host for me to not try everything, right?! WRONG! I regret the decisions I made this weekend, and I realized after the fact that this is one habit I need to change. It took me four days to get back to (and slightly below) my weigh-in weight from last week...
One thing realized: I need to find a way to be in social situations involving food and NOT overindulge. This isn't to say that I can't enjoy the food, but I need to make a new habit where I limit what I eat and have boundaries when placed in these situations. I know they will come up again, and I need to be ready next time!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Another Successful Week!
My hard work is really beginning to pay off! I reached every one of my goals this week....
I tracked 5 days this week, and I worked out 5 days as well! Below is my WW chart for the week.....I'm very proud of this, and as you can see I've really ramped up my workouts!
Here is a graph of my progress....as you can see I have a ways to go to get to my goal of 180, but I'm at least moving in the right direction.....
I tracked 5 days this week, and I worked out 5 days as well! Below is my WW chart for the week.....I'm very proud of this, and as you can see I've really ramped up my workouts!
I also lost 2.2 pounds this week! That means in the past 4 weeks I have lost a total of 9.6 pounds!!! I'm still taking off some weight that I have gained over the past 7 months, but I'm on my way to getting to goal!
Here is a copy of my weight chart since the beginning of the year.....
Here is a graph of my progress....as you can see I have a ways to go to get to my goal of 180, but I'm at least moving in the right direction.....
GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
1) Track again for at least 5 days
2) Workout for at least 5 days
3) Do my 40 minute cardio workout that I was able to concquer last night at least once to get myself closer to my April 1 challenge!
P.S. I will begin posting pictures of my progress soon!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
New Activity Challenge!
Each week, I am committed to posting my successes and failures for the week, as well as weekly goals I would like to achieve (see this weeks post tomorrow after my weigh-in). I have to admit that these "mini" goals that I set for myself each week have really driven my success in these past few weeks. Tonight was my "last chance workout" (those of you that watch Biggest Loser know what I'm talking about)....it's the last workout I have to put it all on the floor and work my butt off before I weigh-in in the morning. It's not really a time to make-up for my slip-ups for the week, but it is a chance for me to really get a good solid workout and make sure my body sweats away everything it can before I weigh-in. Tonight I had my best one yet with my interval cardio workout.....
I have been using the treadmill more and more recently because deep down I think know I want to be a runner. The treadmill, as some of you may know, is one of my life's nemeses because it KILLS me every time (at least that's what I thought). However, since using the treadmill these past three weeks as my main cardio routine (aside from my new spinning class, which I will be blogging about soon), I have really improved with my workouts.
Tonight, I did an interval routine where I ran at 5.5 - 5.7 mph for 2 minutes and then walked at 3.3-3.4 mph for two minutes for a total of 40 minutes! To some, this may seem like a lot, and to some it may not seem like much at all. I can tell you that for me, it was the hardest I've pushed myself in a while and it was a major achievement! I was really proud of this since three weeks ago I was barely walking at 3.2 mph and running at 5.0 mph for two minutes each for a mere 20 minutes.
The Challenge!
Needless to say, tonight on the treadmill I came up with a personal challenge for myself....I'm giving myself two months (until April 1st) to be run a mile in 10 minutes or less.....
Back in December I pushed myself to run a mile in barely under 12 minutes, and I was amazed that I could do it. After I did it, my legs were crying, but it still felt amazing. However, it's time to beat this! Therefore, April 1 will by the day I turn the treadmill up to 6.0 mph and just do it! Of course, in the meantime I will be training to reach this goal, but it's time to do it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Friend or Foe: Chicken Wings
This past weekend I had temptations galore with one of my most favorite foods ever......
CHICKEN WINGS. As I describe my experience below, you will see how I came up with my new type of food blog: Friend or Foe. In these blogs (more to come in the future), I will be judging certain foods that I like to eat (or that I am tempted by) and will decide whether or not they can be a friend of mine, or whether I should stay away.....
Some of you may know that I live in Buffalo, the HOME of the original Buffalo Wing. Restaurants all over the city pride themselves on having the best wings around. The two "go-to" restaurants in the area are: (1) The Anchor Bar, which is where the original buffalo wings was invented (and yes, the original wing sauce is made with Frank's Red Hot, my favorite hot sauce); and (2) Duffs (why they don't have an American website, I don't know).
This past weekend I had some friends in town that will only go to Duffs for dinner about 99% of the time they come to Buffalo. I sometimes feel like they come to Buffalo more so to go to Duffs over anything else (yes, they're wings are that good....) Of course, they invited me to join them, but immediately I began to feel guilty. I hadn't even EATEN a wing yet, but I could already see where my weekend was heading: 12 wings later combined with a few pints of beer meant that tracking for the weekend was going out the window. I really had to think to myself: is it worth it? If I was already not feeling good days before I put a chicken wing in my mouth, why the hell would I go eat the thing that made my stomach turn by just thinking about it?
I thought I would look up the awesome nutrition that chicken wings would provide me to help with my decision....
Not surprisingly, Duffs and the Anchor Bar do not provide nutritional information on their chicken wings. I found the next closest thing that I could: 12 chicken wings from Buffalo Wild Wings (a chain restaurant whose sauce selection is decent, but the wings aren't nearly as good). The nutritional info is as follows:
Serving: 12 wings
Calories: 600 (calories from fat: 360)
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g; Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 3500 mg (1.5 days worth of sodium)
Fiber: 0 (NONE, ZERO, ZILCH)
Protein: 56 g (a chicken wing's "redeeming" quality?)
Total WW Points: 37.5 points (this is not only more points I get in one day, but it also is over the extra 35 weekly point allowance)......
I know you may be thinking I'm crazy because of the epic battle going through my mind. It really was a struggle for me! I truly do love chicken wings, but I know that they are NOT going to get me to my goal. I needed to make a decision: do I go eat the wings or not? I decided against it! I really do want to get to my goal this year. Instead, I made the decision that I would eat dinner at home, and would meet my friends at Duffs afterwards for a drink. I had a cup of my own homemade chili and a pita pizza (total points for dinner: 7).
SUCCESS! Eating beforehand got rid of ANY temptations I had when I got to the restaurant, and I was able to enjoy a pint of Duffs homemade Ale (only 4 points). My total points for dinner and the beer = 11. That is 26.5 less points than I would have eaten (not including any beer I drank that night) if I had gotten the chicken wings.....
I'm proud of my decision this weekend! I know it is going to be hard and unrealistic to "give up" chicken wings forever. However, at this point in time, I am in the zone and am ready to get to my goal so it was a (somewhat) easy decision to make. I am blogging about this now so the next time I think about going to get chicken wings I can come back to this blog and remind myself that they really are not my friend.....
Chicken Wings: Friend or Foe?
Answer: FOE!
CHICKEN WINGS. As I describe my experience below, you will see how I came up with my new type of food blog: Friend or Foe. In these blogs (more to come in the future), I will be judging certain foods that I like to eat (or that I am tempted by) and will decide whether or not they can be a friend of mine, or whether I should stay away.....
Some of you may know that I live in Buffalo, the HOME of the original Buffalo Wing. Restaurants all over the city pride themselves on having the best wings around. The two "go-to" restaurants in the area are: (1) The Anchor Bar, which is where the original buffalo wings was invented (and yes, the original wing sauce is made with Frank's Red Hot, my favorite hot sauce); and (2) Duffs (why they don't have an American website, I don't know).
This past weekend I had some friends in town that will only go to Duffs for dinner about 99% of the time they come to Buffalo. I sometimes feel like they come to Buffalo more so to go to Duffs over anything else (yes, they're wings are that good....) Of course, they invited me to join them, but immediately I began to feel guilty. I hadn't even EATEN a wing yet, but I could already see where my weekend was heading: 12 wings later combined with a few pints of beer meant that tracking for the weekend was going out the window. I really had to think to myself: is it worth it? If I was already not feeling good days before I put a chicken wing in my mouth, why the hell would I go eat the thing that made my stomach turn by just thinking about it?
I thought I would look up the awesome nutrition that chicken wings would provide me to help with my decision....
Not surprisingly, Duffs and the Anchor Bar do not provide nutritional information on their chicken wings. I found the next closest thing that I could: 12 chicken wings from Buffalo Wild Wings (a chain restaurant whose sauce selection is decent, but the wings aren't nearly as good). The nutritional info is as follows:
Serving: 12 wings
Calories: 600 (calories from fat: 360)
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g; Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 3500 mg (1.5 days worth of sodium)
Fiber: 0 (NONE, ZERO, ZILCH)
Protein: 56 g (a chicken wing's "redeeming" quality?)
Total WW Points: 37.5 points (this is not only more points I get in one day, but it also is over the extra 35 weekly point allowance)......
I know you may be thinking I'm crazy because of the epic battle going through my mind. It really was a struggle for me! I truly do love chicken wings, but I know that they are NOT going to get me to my goal. I needed to make a decision: do I go eat the wings or not? I decided against it! I really do want to get to my goal this year. Instead, I made the decision that I would eat dinner at home, and would meet my friends at Duffs afterwards for a drink. I had a cup of my own homemade chili and a pita pizza (total points for dinner: 7).
SUCCESS! Eating beforehand got rid of ANY temptations I had when I got to the restaurant, and I was able to enjoy a pint of Duffs homemade Ale (only 4 points). My total points for dinner and the beer = 11. That is 26.5 less points than I would have eaten (not including any beer I drank that night) if I had gotten the chicken wings.....
I'm proud of my decision this weekend! I know it is going to be hard and unrealistic to "give up" chicken wings forever. However, at this point in time, I am in the zone and am ready to get to my goal so it was a (somewhat) easy decision to make. I am blogging about this now so the next time I think about going to get chicken wings I can come back to this blog and remind myself that they really are not my friend.....
Chicken Wings: Friend or Foe?
Answer: FOE!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Successful Week
I had a really successful week this week!
I lost a total of 2 pounds! I tracked 4 days, and I worked out 5 days this week.
On Wednesday I tried my first spinning class. Although my butt hurt for the next two days, it was totally worth it! The workout was amazing, and I really liked the class atmosphere for working out! It reminded me a little bit of my old stomping grounds when I used to participate in Punk Rope, but obviously it was a little different type of a workout.....I'm definitely going to go back to the class again next week!
People at work are being very supportive of my efforts, and it seems like my healthy ways are starting to rub off on some people around me. People are also learning not to try and tempt me with baked goods or other types of foods that i just don't want to eat right now. Looking forward to another successful week ahead!
Weekly Goals:
1) Track at least 5 days (I usually track about 4 days, so I am trying to add one more day this week...this way it will FORCE me to track at least one day on my weekends, which I normally never do....)
2) Workout at least 5 days (min. 20 minutes)
I lost a total of 2 pounds! I tracked 4 days, and I worked out 5 days this week.
On Wednesday I tried my first spinning class. Although my butt hurt for the next two days, it was totally worth it! The workout was amazing, and I really liked the class atmosphere for working out! It reminded me a little bit of my old stomping grounds when I used to participate in Punk Rope, but obviously it was a little different type of a workout.....I'm definitely going to go back to the class again next week!
People at work are being very supportive of my efforts, and it seems like my healthy ways are starting to rub off on some people around me. People are also learning not to try and tempt me with baked goods or other types of foods that i just don't want to eat right now. Looking forward to another successful week ahead!
Weekly Goals:
1) Track at least 5 days (I usually track about 4 days, so I am trying to add one more day this week...this way it will FORCE me to track at least one day on my weekends, which I normally never do....)
2) Workout at least 5 days (min. 20 minutes)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Breakfast (or snack) of Champions
One of the most exciting things I do is try to come up with new recipes that get me the biggest "bang for my buck" (i.e. they are filling, satisfying, and I don't feel deprived). I was talking to a co-worker yesterday who is also trying to watch what she eats for health reasons, and we discussed how it seems like most people are: (1) more concerned about quantity; versus (2) all about the quality (sacrifice feeling satisfied for something that tastes good). Overall, I'm usually more about number 1, but I try often to combine both items so that I eat what I want, but also make sure it tastes good too. My co-worker even said, "I'm all about quality...even if that means I'm going to be hungry in five minutes." I definitely don't work that way. I don't care how good it is, if I am not satisfied, quality goes out the window and I'm about 10 points over where I wanted to be for that meal/snack.
I recently have been experimenting in the mornings with a concept I like to call: "Create your own Smoothie." Smoothies are VERY filling and very satisfying, and easy enough to make that I can combine the ingredients together, turn the blender on, and enjoy the smoothie as I make my lunch and get ready to leave in the morning. My latest smoothie (although very easy) has been AWESOME!
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen strawberries (0 points)
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt (1 point)
3 oz. orange juice (1 point)
1 packet splenda (0 points)
Total Points: 2
Combine all in blender, and blend until smooth...
That's it....very simple, and surprisingly delicious and filling. Sometimes I use a frozen mixed berry blend to shake things up a bit, but this adds another point to the smoothie. Try it sometime, and you'll be surprised at how good this is, and how much it keeps you on track throughout the day!
I recently have been experimenting in the mornings with a concept I like to call: "Create your own Smoothie." Smoothies are VERY filling and very satisfying, and easy enough to make that I can combine the ingredients together, turn the blender on, and enjoy the smoothie as I make my lunch and get ready to leave in the morning. My latest smoothie (although very easy) has been AWESOME!
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen strawberries (0 points)
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt (1 point)
3 oz. orange juice (1 point)
1 packet splenda (0 points)
Total Points: 2
Combine all in blender, and blend until smooth...
That's it....very simple, and surprisingly delicious and filling. Sometimes I use a frozen mixed berry blend to shake things up a bit, but this adds another point to the smoothie. Try it sometime, and you'll be surprised at how good this is, and how much it keeps you on track throughout the day!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My First Blog
This blog is here to document my weight-loss progress as I work to reach my goal. I am a 26-year-old, third-year (last semester!) law student in Buffalo, New York. I have been a weight watchers member since 2006, and my weight-loss has fluctuated between 28 and 48 pounds in the past 6 months. On January 11, 2010, I began a new gym regimen where I get up at 5:30 a.m. to workout before I start my day. I have been mostly successful with this thus far, and I look forward to continuing it. My goal is to blog about my successes and failures throughout my journey. I will also pass along cool food finds and things that inspire me as I go. To anybody reading this, comments and support is always appreciated!
Goals for the week:
1) track at least 5 days
2) gym at least 5 days (min. 20 minutes)
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