EAT -- Effort

I was dreading my weigh-in this morning.  I didn't have a terrible week, eating-wise.  In fact, I attempted to drink more water this week.  But that was the only thing I had to make an effort to do. All the healthy eating and bike riding (33 miles) this week sort of came naturally.  I did it without a lot of thought, planning or effort.  I recognized this lack of effort and became convinced that it would result in a gain.  Nope!  Lost 2.2 pounds!  This is a turning point for me. In the past, even back in February when I started this, I was making so much effort that if I lost 2.2 pounds, I wanted a medal.  And a parade. Things have certainly changed!  This turning point comes with a pitfall.  I am afraid that this perceived lack of effort will turn into an actual lack of effort and that I will slowly revert back to my former way of eating.  I need to keep an eye on that.  Also in the past, I have been reluctant to "go on a diet" because it consumes me to the point where it is all I can think of and talk about.  Obviously this has not been the case this time.  I am so grateful for that. Today is Saturday, the day I allow myself to eat my extra 49 points with controlled abandon.  Last week I ate a whole 7" pizza at South Perry Pizza, it was so delicious!  I wonder where my controlled abandon will take me today?

Tales From The Closet

So I have now lost 33 pounds in 5 months. This has resulted in a lot of my clothes becoming too big for me. Yesterday the pants I wore to work had to be pulled up to right under my bra!  I joked that I was wearing old man pants, but I was self conscious all day.  Something had to be done.  So last night I went clothes shopping with my friend Cari. I tried on some pants, but I didn't like the way they fit.  Shirts were even worse.  They are too big on the top and too tight at the bottom. I am not losing weight proportionately, and this is a problem.  I did find one shirt that I liked well enough to buy, In another 5 or so pounds it should fit better.  Assuming I lose that 5 pounds from around my hips and not my boobs.  In the end, I ordered the  same kind of pants I always order online, just one size smaller. We will see how that goes.
So then last night after I got home from shopping I went into my closet and tried on nearly every pair of pants that was in there. I ended up throwing away over 20 pairs of pants that were too worn out to donate.  Some were too big, others were just worn out.  I feel better about going into my closet now, not so confused.  Hopefully I will lose weight in such a way that clothes will start to look better on me.  The journey continues...

EAT--Kool-Aid

So, I have been eating differently for over four months now. By that I mean I have been eating less red meat and more chicken, more veggies and fruit, and smaller portions in general.  This has changed my tastes.  Here is an example:  Last Saturday morning I had to work right after my WW weigh-in. Now, I don't eat before my weigh-ins and usually just eat a banana at the meeting and then the rest of my breakfast when I get home. Well I was going right to work, so I decided to stop at Jack in the Box and get one of their Hearty Bowls.  It has hash browns, sausage, eggs and cheese and is a greasy gooey 25 points.  I had justified all those points by telling myself that I had just lost 2.6 pounds so I can eat something that I love.  Here is the thing--I didn't love it.  I barely even liked it!  What a waste of 25 points!  So yesterday I had to work again, and I decided to make oatmeal on Friday night and bring a bowl of that along with some blueberries. Much better!  The point I am taking a long time to make is this: I have started to make better choices naturally. The better choices are the ones I like better now!  Some of this makes me sad, because I love the bad choice food in my heart. Like bacon, I love bacon in my heart so much!  But the last time I ate it I was unimpressed.  I don't want to quit loving bacon, but I would rather eat something else less greasy, like turkey bacon.  It's still bacon, right?  I can still love it!
Anyway, all this stuff was rattling around in my head so I have to admit it now.  I have drunk the healthy kool-aid.  And I like it.  Move over, bacon, my heart needs the space.

BIKE-- Why I Love It

So, I know I have only been biking since the beginning of May, but I have done it A LOT in these past two months. This healthy behavior of exercise is something I have done in fits and starts over the years, it has usually hurt, and I never saw much improvement. Motivation was nearly non-existent. That has changed. Here is why I enjoy biking so much.

1-- It is social. This is a big one. I have gone riding by myself, but mostly my rides have been with friends. Almost immediately I formed a gang, christened us the Land Sharks, and there has been no stopping us since. The conversations we have on our rides have deepened our friendships, which is a wonderful thing.

2-- We have great trails. In the Spokane area there are miles and miles of paved trails through the most beautiful scenery! The Fish Lake trailhead is 5 minutes from my house, so it is very convenient, which is a bonus!

3-- Wildlife! So far I have seen, in no particular order, the following: Squirrel, chipmunk, marmot, deer, rabbit, turtle, bald eagle, sheep, alpaca, horse and snake. That is practically the entire animal kingdom! Most of them do not want to pose for pictures, so far only the turtle has been cooperative.

4-- I am starting to see the physical benefits. I take the stairs at work much more easily than I used to, and my clothes are fitting differently. Yes, this can also be attributed to my losing 30 pounds, but I believe my legs are stronger than before, and that sure helps. I have had the urge to do additional exercise to tone my upper body and core. I haven't done it yet, but having the urge is a good change.

So for me, the key is to do what you love, and I love to ride my bike!  When the seasons change and winter comes, I may have to join a gym.  Who knows, I may end up loving that too!

A Little Bit of Everything

Hello, handful of readers! I have been a busy girl in the last couple of weeks. Here is what I have been up to:

EAT-- Well, Leo's high school graduation was a week ago. It was great, I am a proud mom!

So my ex, Leo's dad Dana came up for several days, and it seems like all we did was go out to eat! I went to more restaurants in four days than I do in four months! And although I tried to make good choices, I did not always.

For the record, I only ate two of the six abelskivers I got with my breakfast. In the end, there were just too many points eaten, and that showed up at my weigh-in yesterday in the form of 1.6 pounds. I am glad that not every week is like last week, and I am not stressing about gaining. Life comes as it comes, and this weight loss journey is for life, so I am living it and moving on.

KNIT-- In between all this eating, I have been knitting a bit as well. I made this hat for myself for this coming winter.

Loved the pattern, and it was a fun and fast knit. I love knitting hats, they are a knitter's form of instant gratification! I am also working on two baby dresses and a pair of slippers. The dresses are for this little girl:



My great-grandniece Tianna! She is a couple of weeks old now and I can't wait to meet her when I go to California in August. She is so going to rock these cute little dresses I am knitting! Okay, moving on.

BIKE-- The Land Sharks have been having fun!

Look, they even named a beer after us! I have been trying to ride my bike as often as possible, but we have had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks. I made up for it by going on a 13 mile ride yesterday. I joined my friends on the Centennial Trail by the Spokane Valley Mall, and rode all the way out to the Liberty Lake farmer's market! The trail goes along the river, and it was a beautiful and at times challenging ride.

We are so lucky in Spokane to have bike trails through such great natural beauty, it makes me happy! There is talk of riding the Route of the Hiawatha, and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. I can't wait!

So in summary, my life is great! I love my friends and I love summer! Everyone go out there and have some fun!

Closet Shopping

I started Weight Watchers in February. Now it is June and so far I have lost 26 pounds. Also, now that it is June, Leo's high school graduation is in a week! So this morning I went into my closet to try and put together an outfit to wear to it. I found a pair of black pants that are a size smaller that fit okay enough to wear, and the top I wore to my company's holiday party in December now fits and looks better and will be fine to wear.
So while I was in there trying on stuff I looked around and found some tops that I wore I don't know how long ago, and they fit! I now have 2 or 3 more choices in work clothes! Then I looked up and saw two tee shirts, both never worn. The first one was a Plant and Page 1995 tour shirt, size XL. It was the largest size they had and I really wanted it so I bought it even though it was too small for me. It has been sitting in my closet for 17 years. It is still too small, but I held it up and said to it, next summer I will wear you. There is another shirt I got from my best friend in Maine. It is black with planets and comets and stars on it. I love this shirt. It is a size large. I have had it at least 20 or more years. I held it up and admired it and envisioned myself wearing it while riding my bike. And for the first time, I looked at those shirts and instead of seeing my past, I saw my future. I cannot tell you how that felt.

See you next summer!

EAT-- Adding Up Dinner

So I got home from work tonight and I was starving, I mean STARVING. The kind that when you say "I'M STARRRRR-VINNNNNG" you say it in the "Hulk Angry" voice, deep and slow. I needed something good and something fast. My friend Cari turned me on to this thing where you grill a half head of romaine lettuce and then top it with all kinds of goodies, but I did not even want to wait to grill the lettuce! So I chopped the head of Romaine into a salad bowl and added this (WW Points included):

2 Tbsp. Bacon Bits = 1 point
2 Tsp. Sun Dried Tomatoes = 1 point
Green Onions
Red Bell Pepper
2 Tbsp. Light Alouette Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread = 1 point
2 Tsbp. Newman's Light Balsamic Dressing = 1 point
6 Ounces Grilled Chicken Breast = 5 points
Total Points -- 9
IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!! I AM SOOOOO FULL!!

I would have taken a picture but by the time I remembered the salad was gone!

And it took no time at all! The trick is keeping all the stuff on hand so that you can make a good choice even when you are STARRR-VINNNG!

You can go here to see grilled romaine!