Mamavation Monday

What a week!

Last week started out wonderfully. I was doing a good job managing my food intake and minimizing Weekly Points usage each day, knowing that I was saving them for Saturday. I was able to fit in a workout each morning - some shorter, some longer, but active none the less. I even fit in a walk at lunch one beautiful afternoon. I did a reasonable job avoiding the temptations of the treats and candy and such too readily available at the office. The scale was responding wonderfully. Finally, I had overcome the plateau I was stuck upon.

Saturday came, and as expected, I used many of the Weekly Points that I had saved. No surprise, when you eat what is about twice the Daily Points on one day, the scale reacted on Sunday. I knew that it was only temporary and that when I returned to regular eating, that I would be fine.

But, somehow, my brain was disconnected and despite a good start and good intentions, I just didn't maintain focus and went overboard on Sunday. Breakfast was a simple bowl of cereal and a banana. Lunch started out good, a taco salad with a bit of cheese and a bit of sour cream, but otherwise essentially a bowl of Zero Points vegetables. Then, it happened, I started to pick at the chips and one led to two led to three and so on. I wound up eating just over a serving (I was planning to avoid - 6 Points!). Then, well, it was a birthday, so there was ice cream and cake. I had a piece of cake and a small scoop of ice cream (11 Points!) - the worst part was that the flavor of the cake was not that good to me and I ate it anyway. If I had stopped there, it wouldn't have been too bad, but we had another social gathering that evening. Again, I had tortilla chips, stuck with one serving at least, some nacho cheese dip, some fruit, some meatballs and a brownie. At this point, I had seriously eaten into my Weekly Points and it was day one of my week!

I just need to let Sunday go and focus on the days ahead and I know that I can be successful. I can't let one bad day be my demise. Despite my Sunday, I saw a small recovery towards my prior week weight on Monday. Thankfully, I am back on track. Monday, I consumed a little beyond my Daily Points, but didn't get in much of a workout. The scale continues to recover towards where I was on Saturday morning.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday, where the question this week is: What food did you think was good, but discovered that it’s not? I'd have to go with the obvious - salads when you are out to eat. I was simply floored the first time that I looked at the calories on some salads. Of course, now I read through the description and leave things off and have the dressing on the side, to make sure that it is a healthy meal.

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a trial subscription to Weight Watchers. All opinions expressed are my own. This post is sponsored by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway.

Mamavation Monday

I had planned to write this post on Monday, but by the time the day settled down, I had no motivation to write. So, here I am, once again sharing my Mamavation Monday thoughts on Tuesday.

Last week was a great week for me. The scale didn't reflect it, but that is okay, because I know that it was a great week anyways.

Last Monday, I couldn't pull myself out of bed early enough to get much done, but starting on Tuesday, I finally got back into the routine of working out again in the mornings. It felt so good! It really made me wonder how a few days of not being able to work out could completely derail me, when I know that I feel so much better when I am working out. I stuck with walking last week, doing an assortment of Leslie Sansone Walk At Home DVDs. I actually think that I did a 5-mile, 4-miles, 3-mile and 2-mile workout over the course of the week. Two of the walks also included the use of the bands and one hand weights.

I would like to start to add back in some of my other workouts as well, but for now the walking feels great and really, I'm just anxious for the sunrise to creep forward so that I can have predawn light at an hour that works for me to walk outside. Once that happens, I am going to start to work back up to running. I love being able to run in the morning, it really makes me feel energized.

Eating was better for the most part, up until Saturday night. I resumed tracking mid-week, so I had 'extra' Weekly Points and seemed to forget that as I enjoyed a night out with friends on Saturday night. I shared an appetizer of boneless hot wings with my husband and then, I should have skipped it, had a bowl of soup. For my meal, I had a Greek Chicken Salad. Incredibly tasty, but even with the dressing on the side, it seemed to pack a wallop with all of that Feta Cheese.

This week is off to a good start. Lunch out on Sunday was a bit of a challenge - I asked for the nutritional data before I ordered and the best meal option on the menu was 11 Points. I was only able to eat about 1/2, which was good. I did however, enjoy some bread - but the whole loaf was only 150 calories, so I don't feel too bad about that (4 Points), except the butter I put on the bread was another 3 Points. So, lunch worked out to be about 15 Points. Dinner was just a yogurt, as we had lunch in early afternoon, so I think it balanced out in the end.

I'm hopeful that with a continued week of morning work outs and continued better eating, that the scale will respond favorably this week.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday, where the question of the week is "What steps have you made so far this year to improve your quality of life?". My answer would be that I have put a renewed focus on trying to eat right and stay active.

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a trial subscription to Weight Watchers. All opinions expressed are my own. This post is sponsored by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway.

Mamavation Monday

What a week it was last week. With so many meals that were catered or eaten out, it was a really tough week for me. I was in meetings for long stretches of time and had to be work earlier than normal. As such, this we a less than model week for me. I ate at the top of my Points for the week (consuming them all - meaning no buffer if I did underestimate a serving) and didn't make time for activity.

I was so glad to return to 'normal' at the end of the week. I was able to finally eat within my daily Points without using more than one or two of the weekly Points.

The net result of the week was that I was Flat. Flat was better than I expected with the way the week started, so for that I am glad.

I am really loving the Weight Watchers Apps for my phone. I was at the store on Sunday and as I was perusing the selection of frozen meals, I was able to scan the bar code and see the Points for each meal. Now, not all items are in the database, but there are a lot of items in there. It made it easier for me to make selections that fit what I am looking for for lunch. One thing that I learned (and was surprised to learn) is that the Points reflected on the package for the Weight Watchers frozen meals is not the current Points value. Some you knew, because it was the old logo, but some even said Points Plus and did not match the calculation. I found this to be frustrating, wondering how many people are taking them at face value and not realizing that they are eating more Points than they think. I knew that I had some meals in my freezer, many of which were more Points than I expected. Some of which, I would not have selected if I had known the actual Points. I also like that you can track directly from the scanner app - immediately those items are reflected on my tracker.

In addition to the scanner, the convenience of having the tracking on my phone is awesome! It allows me to stay current and to make better choices when I find myself looking to nibble. Knowing exactly where I am is better than 'guessing' where I am. It is a very easy to use app and saving favorites has helped a lot in quickly completing my tracker.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

You can see my near daily tracking here.

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a trial subscription to Weight Watchers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mamavation Monday

I wanted to start with "I need some new motivation" but as I started to write it, I realized it wasn't about more or new motivation, it really is about time.

In retrospect, I question why I chose the week I did to try to get back into P90X. There is so much going on right now, that I feel like I don't have (am not making?) the time to fit in my workouts consistently. Some mornings I try, others I don't. Some mornings I fit in about half a workout, others none. I also am realizing that another thing I liked about running is that I could fit in a decent run in just over half an hour. With P90X (and most other DVD workouts), I need a full hour. It makes me feel so much more pressed for time when I have to fit in a full hour.

I am going to complete the 90-day workout that is P90X - I just think that I will focus on something that fits for the next couple of weeks. It is more important to me to remain active than to do a specific workout. I have Walk At Home DVDs that will help me stay active and I can do anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on my schedule. With the bands, I can even include a little bit of strength training with my walk. Once the time is right (yes, it will be right), I will return to the P90X program and do the 90 day schedule, but for now being active is my goal. (I'd like to check out the workouts from the new P90X 2, anyone tried them yet?)

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

Running to the next tree...

I would like to be a runner, I don't think that I am there yet. My journey so far has reenforced many things for me and taught me some things about myself. I have learned about how to motivate myself, how to set small iterative goals to get to a larger goal (how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time.), and that one goal (running) can support another goal (losing weight/becoming fit)/.

When I first started running, I was lucky to be able to do 1/4 of a lap at the track. I would find myself winded and, for lack of a better term, would quit. I would do this successively over the course of my 3 - 4 mile walk, with run. With time, I started to run 1/2 a lap, and then 3/4 of a lap.

As I increased my distance, I started to recognize that it wasn't my body that was stopping me from going further, it was my mind. It wasn't until I ran a full lap, and kept going, that I realized that I really could go much further, if only I pushed myself. Sure, I was winded and wanted to stop after that first full lap, but I also was so proud of myself for running a full lap, that I wanted to see how far I could push myself.

I started to notice that when I set a goal - whether at the track or around the neighborhood, I tended to stop when I reached it, even if I still could have gone further. So, I changed up my approach and started reaching new levels.

I started stating my goals as "at least finish this lap and then see if I can get around the bend." As I approached the bend, I would adjust my goal to "at least around the bend and then see if I can get to the next bend." When I am running in the neighborhood, I use houses, corners, and trees to guide my goals.

Using this approach, I have been able to run as far as 1 mile without breaking to walk and running near mile intervals multiple times over the course of a 3-4 mile journey. And, when on mornings like today, it has been a while since I ran, I use this approach to keep me going. I didn't run a full mile straight, but I kept pushing myself to run further.

Of course, when I take a break and walk, I also set goals - "I can walk to the next tree, but then I need to run". It helps me keep me on track. Eventually, I would like to get to the point where I can run a full 5k and join all of my friends that do the local 5k. I am still a ways from there, but if I continue running to the next tree, I will eventually get there.

Running to the next tree, works for me!

Mamavation Monday

I had an okay week. Unfortunately, I didn't make any progress on the scale. I know why though. I haven't tracked what I have eaten in well over a week. I have still tried to make good decisions, but like yesterday, I filled over 1/2 my plate with salad at a lunch meeting, but then, when I wanted two slices of pizza, I stacked them to make them fit. Good intentions, but not necessarily a good outcome.

It has been cold out. That hasn't stopped me from working out. Unfortunately, it has been dark out. This has had a bigger impact. I am starting my run much later now than I used to. This means that I have less available time in which to run. It also means that I have gotten lazy on the mornings where I can't run and I am lucky to fit in one or two 10 minute DVDs. I am hopeful that Daylight Savings ending will be a good thing for me.

I also haven't been to the track in a while. All that darkness and no one around makes me too nervous. Again, perhaps when we "fall back" this weekend, I will be able to get there. I tried to go to the indoor track last week and the doors were locked. I called the Y, but I haven't heard back. So, I still don't know when I would be able to run there.

I need to come up with a new game plan for Sunday too. Used to be I could get up leisurely and go for a run before church. Now, my husband plays basketball, so I can't head out for a run - unless I get up real early. Once I'm ready for the day, I just don't see myself changing back for a run. Maybe I can do an evening thing or, once my basement is back together, I could do a DVD on Sunday mornings. Losing a day a week of exercise certainly has some impact.

Here's looking forward to a better week!

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

Mamavation Monday

I am back on track and it feels good!

After two weeks of paying little attention and 10 days of vacation, I am back on track. Granted, I gained some weight over that time frame. In fact, it was just over 3# that I gained, but considering that I was down 3/4# since yesterday suggests to me that most of it was not "real" weight. My goal is to be back down to where I was by next Monday. Seems pretty achievable to me.

I got back on track yesterday with my eating. I started writing down what I was eating again too. It is amazing how much of an impact tracking alone can have on your overall success. I find myself occasionally reaching for that extra helping, snack, etc. and then stopping, thinking do I really want to mark down that I ate that and attempt to quantify it? I am still following the make healthy choices, monitor total calorie approach to eating. It seems to be working for me and the way that my family eats. I am still using my scale to help me gauge portions when I am home and then trying to fill my plate with vegetables and lean protein when I am out. The biggest difference from last week to this week is the lack of soda...I drank more soda last week than I have in the last year (perhaps longer). I can't stand diet soda, so it was all regular, full-calorie drinks. This change alone should make a serious dent in that gain.

Last week, I definitely did a lot of walking, but despite my hopes otherwise, I didn't actually work out. I wore a pedometer one day to see what I did - on that day, I walked over 20000 steps. So, I was active - just not exercise active.

Yesterday morning I just went for a walk. I was a little worried about going from being active in walking around to being active in exercise too abruptly, so I decided not to run. I could definitely feel the workout in my legs at the end of the day. But, this morning, I decided it was time to run again. My friend that I meet at the track had asked about going up today, which gave me the perfect setting for easing back into running...only I didn't ease. I ran 2 1/8 miles of the 3 3/8 miles at the track (I still had the 1.25 of walking up to and back from the track - so walking was still king of the total workout). That, I believe is the furthest that I ran and I did it two laps (just over 5 minutes) at a time. I alternated with a single lap of walking between. It felt GREAT!!!

I am trying to get back in the groove of keeping a daily journal again too of what I did, how I felt, etc. Something that I can go back to for inspiration when needed. I have one day down, not quite a habit yet, but I have hope that I can do it.

#s to Go: 25.4#

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Did you know that September is National Childhood Awareness Month? I didn't realize that until Hormel sent me the information for completing my September post. But, shortly after receiving the information from them, I started noticing a lot of information both about Childhood Obesity and MyPlate.

This past weekend, there was even a full page spread on "The Mini Page" within the papers comic section about School Lunch. It shared about the history of School Lunch - surprisingly to me, it was back in the late 1700s and early 1800s that people started to be concerned about childhood nutrition. Of course, at that time, the concern was more around malnourishment than it was around obesity. Through some studies and tracking of heights, weights and learning, they learned that kids who ate a good meal in the middle of the day grew stronger and performed better in school.

They also shared about the Department of Agriculture's new MyPlate model, which replaces the food pyramid. The MyPlate model not only provides information on the type of foods that should be eaten, but also provides perspective on the ratio of food types. One example is that they recommend drinking water in place of sugary drinks and to limit the cookies, cakes, pastries and doughnut. They also recommend filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables.

I know that for me, one of the things that I always had trouble with was gauging portion size. You can read in this post about I use a digital scale to help me measure the portion that I am consuming. It was really eye-opening when I first started to use it to see what a standard serving was - like a bowl of cereal - I quickly realized that I was eating more than one portion. I still sometimes eat two portions, but now I do it with the awareness of it being two portions. I feel like I have gotten pretty good at being able to look at my plate and have good perspective on what size the portion is. It really is amazing though how, even now that I feel like I know what a portion looks like, with time away from using the digital scale, what I perceive as a normal portion tends to get larger.

Another tool that can help you gauge portions (and perhaps more child friendly) are equivalency charts. There are two available on WebMD - one for your wallet and one for home - you could even post it on your refrigerator door! As an example, 3 oz of cooked chicken is about the size of a deck of cards.

Providing your children with the tools to make good food choices and eat the right portions can give them a foundation for a healthy, lifestyle as they grow older.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. The links to the charts on WebMD on ones that I found on my own through a web search.

True Lemon (and more!) - Helping Me Drink My Water

One of the things that I have been trying to focus on in my weight loss journey is my water consumption. I love water, so it seems like it should be easy, but sometimes you just need a little flavor.

(Sort of unrelated ramble) I am convinced that if someone could invent flavor strips that gave me the flavor of many of my favorite foods that I could lead a more "fuller" life without the added calories. When I go on little eating adventures and exceed my calorie targets for the day, it is generally because I am looking for a flavor. I try this or that and it just doesn't satisfy my craving and I move onto another flavor. Now, I know that the reality is that likely these flavor strips wouldn't satisfy my craving - they might provide the taste, but my stomach would still be empty. I read somewhere, not sure where though, that in part, consumption of diet sodas leads to a higher overall calorie intake and that one premise is that the sweet taste leads your body to expect calories and when they don't "arrive" in your stomach that you wind up needing to eat to deliver on that promise of calories. (now back to what I was saying)

I enjoy the crisp taste of water with lemon, but for some reason, at our house we struggle with lemons. We either don't buy enough or buy too many and they go bad. I have shared before about True Lemon and how much we really like this product. We typically have True Lemon in the house and I frequently have a packet in my bag.

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a sample box of all of their products. I was completely unaware how many other products that they offer. They have a True Lime and a True Orange product that is very similar to their True Lemon, in that it is just flavor. And, one that I haven't tried, True Grapefruit. But, they also offer some sweetened products - True Lemonade and True Raspberry Lemonade. They use Stevia as the sweetener to provide the sweetness in the lemonade products.

One of the things that I like about the True Citrus products is that their flavor is subtle. Whether I add True Lemon, True Lime or True Orange to my water, I don't get knocked down with flavor but rather get a refreshing glass of water with just a hint or essence of the fruit flavor. The first time I had the True Orange, it took me a few sips to decide what I thought - normally when I am having an Orange drink in my glass it is orange juice and that packs a lot more flavor punch. The lime and lemon, well I have added wedges of those fruits to my glass before. Even the True Lemonade and True Raspberry Lemonade products aren't overpowering. They offer a nice flavor, with a touch of sweet.

What I do know for sure, is that the product line from True Citrus allows me to enjoy my water more. Having flavor options, beyond plain water, makes it easier for me to increase my water intake and to avoid other flavored beverages with meals like pizza, where plain water never seems to work for me.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.

No compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed are mine and those of my family. True Citrus provided me with a sampler pack that included samples of many of their products, so that I might share about my experience.

Mamavation Monday

Not sure what has been going on lately. I was on a serious plateau and it was starting to feel like no matter what I was doing, I was going no where. There is nothing more frustrating than giving it your all and getting nothing in return. I sat down last weekend and decided that I needed to take a more scientific approach to this all (I am a scientist by education, so it makes sense).

I found a website that information on calories burnt at rest and different activities. I concluded that with 8 hours of sleep and 16 hours of sitting on a couch, I would burn about 1700 calories. I knew that I was burning about 400 calories on my daily walks (based on the app I am using). I knew that in order to lose a pound that you need a 3500 calorie deficit between what you burn and what you consume. Figuring on a goal of about 1# a week, to keep things healthy I set a daily intake target for myself of 1200 - 1500 calories. I figured that my deficit would be between 200 and 900 calories per day (1700 calories - 1500 calories and 2100 calories - 1200 calories), but likely would be nearer the middle.

I started measuring and looking up calories for everything. I quickly recognized (no surprise really) that eating the right type of foods makes it easier. I don't just focus on the calories, I try to make sure I am reaching daily targets for fiber and protein and not having too much total fat. Of course, filling the plate with vegetables goes a long way towards feeling full and keeping calories in check.

Know what? It worked. I actually was able to lose 4# in just over a week. I think part of that was just the initial change (water weight is what everyone calls it), but I was able to stick to my eating target and I feel good about that. I have eaten in and eaten out and it is working for me.

I also started keeping a daily log (or at least near daily) of my progress, my workout and my struggles and successes.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

What are your current technology tactics in your healthy living journey?

I use a scale to help me measure my food. I use an app on my phone to track distance, time and calories of my workouts.


This post is sponsored by Omron Fitness and I’m writing this to be entered into an Omron Fitness pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation .

Mamavation Monday

I didn't get anywhere last week, despite my best efforts. I think the culprit was a busy weekend with less than stellar food choices. Couple that with the fact that I am trying to avoid letting a cold get the better of me by drinking tea (with honey), fruit juice, gatorade and more.

I am glad to say that I walked everyday last week. Saturday, rain in the morning and rain again in the evening had me resort to an indoor walk - used Leslie Sansone Walk At Home DVD. I walked at least 3 miles everyday. With the humidity, my normal walking partner did not join me other than Monday, so that was the only day that I did the 3 mile walk/1 mile run interval that I have started, with a plan of doing that three times a week. I was successful on the weekdays, in coming home from my walk and doing some strength training - chest/back, abs, arms/shoulders, abs, legs. When I did the walk dvd, there was strength training built into the second mile.

The weekend aside, last week was a pretty good eating week. The biggest thing was not having the candy at work. The supply dwindled early in the week and by the end of the week, I wasn't in the habit of walking by it, so that is a good thing.

This week started out good on the exercise front. I just hope that I am successful in fighting this cold. I figure that staying active is a good thing. I am trying to get to bed earlier in the evening to allow my body ample time to rest, but still time to exercise. Since tomorrow is the ab day, I should be able to start about 15 minutes later than I do normally, and still wrap up at a good time (earlier than normal actually) - allowing a little morning shut eye. I keep taking my vitamin C, zinc and gatorade - we will see if I conquer or not.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. This week's carnival is sponsored by Organ Wise Guys and Fiber Choice. The question is: What nutrition lessons have you learned from your kids? I have learned that enjoying your food one bite at a time allows you to really savor food. Have you ever watched a child eat M&Ms, they take them one piece at a time - I find that if I do that, rather than putting a handful in my mouth, that I enjoy them and consume less. I've also learned that they want to eat what you eat, so if you eat well, so will they. That certainly provides motivation on eating better.

No compensation was received for this post. By participating in the carnival, I am entering to win a prize pack from the sponsors.

Mamavation Monday

Well, I've been up and I've been down. I've been enjoying my food and I've been working out. At the end of several weeks, I am right where I started. I think that I have come to a new focus today (except I ate out lunch because I failed to pack).

I have been continuing to meet a friend at the track a few mornings a week. I have decided that my body is not responding to walking. I was walking 3 - 4 miles / day and having no impact, even when I was eating right. So, I started mixing in running. I am not a runner, never have been. I am currently running about 2/3 of a lap every other lap around the track. So, on my 4 mile walk today (1 mile back and forth to the track and 3 miles around the track), I netted about 1 mile of running. Not too bad. Doing it interval style is working for me. I'd like to get to the point where I run every other lap. On the other two days a week, I am simply walking and then doing Ab Ripper. I figure that if I mix it up, walking can be effective. I am also trying to fit in some strength training.

As far as eating, I have returned to starting my day with a protein shake. I started to wonder if I was fueling my body correctly after a work out. I certainly have more energy as a result. We will see if long term it fuels me and allows me to better lose weight.

I am back and I want to have a success story this time.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

Mamavation Monday

It was a good week. I essentially ate my way through Boston last week, but by staying active and making time for a nearly 4 mile walk each day, I was able to minimize the impact of this culinary adventure. That being said, I was up slightly for the week, but increased consumption of food and wine on my part, will cause that.

First, let me start by saying that Boston is a great city to be active in. I took a walk each morning along the Charles River. Not only did they have nice walking/biking/blading paths, complete with center lines, but there were a number of pedestrian bridges to cross over roadways. In addition, there were kayaks and crew teams on the water every morning. I was actually amazed the first morning when I went out at 5 am, to see so many people. Normally, when I walk in my neighborhood, I see no one. There was a great route that I could take that was just about four miles round trip. I had decent weather, although the last day it did start to rain around mile marker 3.

Second, let me say that there is some good food in Boston. On Monday night, we ate in the Italian district at a place called Dolce Vita Ristorante - I had the scallops, which were so tender and flavorful. Of course, I accompanied it with some pasta, bread and wine! Then, we made stop at Mike's for cannoli. I think it might have been my first cannoli, but it was yummy! I didn't actually eat it all that first night - finishing it the following night. The next day we enjoyed the Cheesecake Factory - we wound up sharing a lot of different appetizers and of course, cheesecake. I didn't eat a "regular" dinner, having consumed more than my fair share of appetizers. The next day, we snacked our way through the day. I tried a Lobster Roll (not as good as it sounded), some Tuna Tartar, some New England Clam Chowder (I was in New England after all!) at Finz in Salem. Then, we tried the pizza and wings at Prince Pizza. Dinner that night was sushi at Douzo. I really felt full after my adventures. I also tried Pinot Noir on this trip, I think I could add it to my list of wines I enjoy.

Now that I am back, I need to buckle down. Continue with my daily walk. Resume portion control and tracking - I did it informally in Boston, but the reality is that after a few glasses of wine, I had more than consumed my weekly PointsPlus values.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The sponsor this week is EatSmart Products. They ask: How have you recently stepped up to support someone in your life? I would have to say that as some of my friends have dealt with life issues and challenges, I have been there for them when they needed me, but also respected them and gave them space.

No compensation was received for this post. By participating in the blogging carnival, I am entering to win a Kitchen Scale from EatSmart Products.

Mamavation Monday

Well, it was a good week, or at least not a bad week. With last weekend having the baby shower and then a night out, I had spent most of the prior week's Weekly PointsPlus Values and this week's Weekly PointsPlus Values in a matter of two days. It took me much of the week to "recover" from the splurge. The good news is that I did fully recover, although it was tough some days with so few weekly PointsPlus values to go around.

I did an excellent job getting up every morning last week to walk. I would walk three miles and then come home and did strength training on two days and abs on another day. Thursday and Friday, I walked alone and well, I got a late start, so I just didn't have the time to do the abs and the strength training ai had planned.

All in all it was a good week. This coming week is frought with challenges and it will take everything I've got to just maintain. I hope I can find the energy to workout and the will-power to not completely overdue it on eating.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider and have received access to tools to help me on my weight loss journey. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.'

Mamavation Monday

Today (yesterday now, actually), I resume (I was going to say restart, but I'm not starting over, I'm simply picking up where I left off) with vigor my dedication to becoming healthier and more fit by watching what I eat and exercising.

Recently, life had gotten in the way of me remembering to spend time and focus on myself. I had become lazy about measuring and tracking food, I had become more liberal in dining out, I had become more willing to skip my morning workout than just do the portion I could fit into the time I had available - but no more!

I am important (at the very least, to me I am). I am allowed to have time for myself, to focus on my needs.

I now have a walking partner - we walk together, but not really with each other. She listens to an iPod, I get lost in my own thoughts. We are meeting three days a week at 5 am to do a twice through circuit of our neighborhood - yesterday, we skipped a few cul-de-sacs, but we still walked 3.6 miles in just under an hour. Not bad for day one. I'd like to add back in the cul-de-sacs and get about 4 miles in - preferably in under an hour as well. Sure, I could just as easily walk on my own, but when I am meeting someone, there is no "just one more snooze" option. I don't want to mess up someone else' schedule because I'm feeling a little lazy. On the alternating days, I will do my DVDs to focus on my major muscle groups.

I'm still walking at lunch, when possible. Of course, with as warm as it is, I can't always maintain a good pace - after all, I have to work with others all afternoon and don't want to be offensive. The important thing is that I am moving.

I resumed tracking my food intake yesterday as well. I know what I am supposed to eat, I just had lost focus and wasn't always making the right food choices. Now, I am refocusing on the right choice. I will face two of my biggest challenges this week - catered work lunches and dining out for work. I will have to remain strong in my resolve to eat healthy. I will choose the best option for me.

I'm ready for the new week and the challenges that lie ahead. How about you?

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. This week, it is sponsored by Omron Healthcare. The question this week is: What gaps in your nutrition knowledge do you want to fill? That is a tough question. I guess I would like to better understand what nutrients support what health improvements. Everyone knows that Oatmeal is good for your heart, but what are other super foods that are an important part of your regular diet.

This post is sponsored by Omron Healthcare and I’m writing this to be entered into a Omron Go Smart Pedometer giveaway hosted by Mamavation.

Mamavation Monday

Finally, a week where there was a noticeable difference on the scale. It felt like a fairly flat week for most of the week, which is so frustrating, but at the end, I pulled it out.

That is one thing that I really struggle with. When I am eating right and exercising and I am staying flat or gaining/losing .2#, I start to eat out of frustration. I start to get it in my head that it doesn't matter if I'm eating right and exercising or not, I get the same outcome. This causes me to become a little lax in tracking portion size and nibble on things without counting them - it was only one bite right? It makes it easier to hit snooze - getting up early to exercise isn't helping me right? Unfortunately, when I do this, I wind up staying flat or slightly up or down. It is in some ways a self-fulfilling prophecy that helps me in my head justify it the next time - see I only did part of a workout or I ate this or that and I didn't gain (or didn't gain much) so there is nothing wrong with it. Except it keeps me from my goal.

I resisted the urge this weekend to eat out of frustration and I lost weight. Okay, it was only a pound, but a pound is a pound. I even did that with some shortened workouts. That is one thing that I am definitely good at doing - part of a workout, which is a good thing. It used to be that if I couldn't do the full workout, I would just skip it. Now, I do as much as I can or find an alternate DVD that will fit in my available time. This activity is definitely a key to my success. I just need to keep up the motivation.

One of my key struggles this week was homemade bread. I found a recipe and made it. It was awesome - especially warm and fresh. I made it in my bread maker, which makes such a tall loaf that each slice was about 2 oz and worth 4 PointsPlus Values! Next time, I think I will use a traditional bread pan so that I can get 2 slices for 4 PointsPlus Values. Mentally, eating two smaller pieces is more filling than one tall piece - plus it will fit in my toaster better!

I missed my Weight Watchers meeting last night, there was crazy snow here yesterday and oh by the way, it was President's Day, which equals few plows to start with. In fact, my normally 30 minute commute (11 miles) took me 90 minutes to complete and I passed 1! plow the entire drive home. So, it was hard to convince myself that a drive across town was worth it.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. This week's Mamavation Monday is sponsored by SEARS FitStudio, who asks: What motivates you to get going and what keeps you going? Success. Every time I put on my clothes that are a size smaller (even though it hasn't changed in a long time), it gives me confidence and keeps me motivated to keep eating right and exercising. It inspires me that I could lose what I want and be in good condition.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' This Mamavation Monday post is sponsored by SEARS FitStudio and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation and sponsored by Sears.

Mamavation Monday

Well, considering that yesterday was the Super Bowl and considering that I saved up many of my weekly Points Plus values to splurge for the party, I am happy to say that I still showed a small weight loss this week! Yeah! often times, when I save up my Points Plus values for a special event at the end of the week, I see a slight uptick that takes a day or two to correct.

You know, it may sound funny, but my trip to the water park this weekend made me realize that I really should (and sort of do) have a more positive body image than I used to. For one thing, it takes a lot of comfort to walk around all day in a bathing suit. I remember when I used to be very self-conscious about that. Not that I'm there to watch other bodies, but let's be honest, there are a lot of people that where skimpier suits than they ought to and even those that can wear a bikini, well their figures aren't perfect. So, I'm sure it's a combination of having lost some weight (mostly last year, but who's counting) and the realization that I'm not much different than a lot of other women.

Speaking of the water park, it is a great workout! Trudging back and forth in knee deep and waist deep water is an excellent lower body workout. Climbing up and down the stairs to get to the slides is also good for the legs. Holding onto your child's raft in the wave pool, so that they don't flip out of it when the waves are happening is a full body workout, both the lower body when jumping with the waves and the upper body with fighting the force of the wave to keep the raft from flipping.

I'm slowly but surely rebuilding my recipes in the Weight Watchers eTools to reflect the new Points Plus Values. I still think that the Recipe Builder is one of my favorite tools. It is what allows me to continue to eat what I am feeding my family. I've had to adjust what I consider to be a serving, but I get true variety in my meals. No plain chicken breast with some sides for me!

I'm hoping that without a party on the plan this week, that it will prove to be a better and more successful week. I missed yesterday's P90X workout, but hope to get right back on track this morning - the only question is do I due Monday's workout today or skip it this week.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The sponsor of Mamavation Monday this week is Chef's Requested, who asks : Question: What are you doing to keep your heart healthy? For me, maintaining an active lifestyle, full of not just exercise, but active play and making healthy food choices are what I am doing to help keep my heart healthy.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' I’m writing this post as an entry to a blogging carnival sponsored by Chefs Request and could win some free Chef's Requested Steaks.

Mamavation Monday

It was a good week, it was wrought with its own challenges, but I persevered and albeit a small loss, I lost weight this week.

Keeping track of my food certainly helped, but a work event on Friday at a Cooking School, was just enough to put me over my PointsPlus values for the week. It wasn't so much that what we were making was that bad for me, but it was a lot of different foods and it combined with some wine and cheese at the cooking school and my regular eating during the week prior to the event did not work well for me. As the instructor said at the end of the class, when they teach these classes, the intent is not that you would go home and actually prepare all of those items as one meal, but rather that you would take 2 or 3 of the dishes and pair them with some easier/lighter fare like a salad for a meal. Our menu was brunch and we made our own sausage patties, baked french toast with a blueberry maple syrup, Florentine egg cups, sweet potato hash, and a fruit tart. With it we also had a Raspberry Bellini. I've never actually eaten creamed spinach before, but the one that we used for the egg cups was made with sharp cheddar and it was awesome! Does creamed spinach always involve cheese? I think I might have to make just the creamed spinach as a side dish at dinner one night. I also enjoyed the sweet potato hash and think it would make a nice side for dinner as well. I guess that I should have expected more eating at a cooking class and prepared earlier in the week, by not using as many of my weekly PointsPlus values on the other days. But, if it weren't for mistakes, I wouldn't learn so much.

I exercised each morning - except for Friday, when I totally failed to set my alarm clock. Seriously? I've been setting an alarm clock for so many years, I would have thought it was a habit by now and am not sure how I missed that. Since I went to cooking school that day, I probably could have really benefited from exercise that day too!

I'm looking forward to another great week. I plan to continue with my P90X workout plan and plan to continue to use the eTools to track my eating and calculate my PointsPlus values. I feel that without the disruption of an event like cooking school, that I should be able to step it up.

Weight loss to go: 22.2#.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday. The sponsor of Mamavation Monday this week is Earh Footwear, who asks : What does “wellness” mean to you? To me, wellness is a total package - it means eating right and remaining active. It doesn't mean dieting, just eating the right stuff and the right amount of that stuff. It doesn't mean following a workout regimen, but remaining active through your week whether it is working out or playing hard.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.' I’m writing this post as an entry to a blogging carnival sponsored by Earth Footwear and could win a pair of shoes from Earth Footwear

Mamavation Monday

Admittedly, I was a little more challenged this week than I was the week before. I wasn't doing my formal exercise workout and was instead relying on activities that I had planned with the family. Those activities were excellent workouts and I received activity points every day. Unfortunately, many of those events seemed to wind accompanied by eating events. I did not do such a good job of tracking my PointsPlus values and the actual food consumed. In addition, we had company in and wound up eating out an additional meal than originally planned.

When I first learned about fruit being Zero PointsPlus value, I thought that a fruit smoothie would be a great treat with a very low value - just frozen fruit and a bit of milk or yogurt. Well, it still is a great treat, but I learned today that when you use fruit in a recipe, that you count the full PointsPlus value for it - it is only Zero PointsPlus value when you are eating it whole. When I made my smoothies last week, I simply entered the ingredients in the tracker and got 0 for all of the fruit and a few points for the yogurt, but then when I entered it through Recipe Builder today, I learned that the smoothie that I expected to be only a few points for the milk or yogurt is actually closer to 4 or 5 PointsPlus value per serving. Those were some PointsPlus values that I didn't account for last week, which I'm certain also didn't help me. Guess I will stick to eating my fruit instead of drinking it!

In the end, I wound up not losing and actually had a slight gain (but expect that to disappear quickly!).

But, as I mentioned the other day, I did a little shopping at VS and I was able to go down a size - okay, not a major change but evidence of progress.

Now, looking forward...

This week, I started the Mamavation P90X Challenge. Nothing out of the ordinary for me, but since I am sharing my experience through comments at Mamavation, I want to push myself harder. I took my measurements this morning and will use them as a benchmark to measure my progress through the coming weeks. Because I am in Phase 3, I am not restarting at Phase 1 with those that are just starting today, but will instead take recovery weeks with the others but otherwise continue to follow the alternating weeks of workouts approach of Phase 3.

I am back and focused on tracking my food and the associate PointsPlus values (tracking was even the topic at tonight's meeting). Would you like to learn more? There is a Weight Watchers virtual event on Wednesday that you can participate in (see my post here).

I am confident that I will have success in the new year. I am already starting the year ahead of where I was this time last year, which is a positive from my perspective.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.'

Mamavation Monday

Can you believe that Christmas is already over? I am really enjoying my time at home with the kids. I guess that is why, once again my Mamavation Monday post is being done on Tuesday.

We have a very active week planned for this week. I'm not focusing on the P90X this week - it's supposed to be a recovery week, but I figure I will more than make up for it with our fun days.

We went roller skating yesterday. We were there for two hours - of course, with two inexperienced kids, I certainly didn't get a full two hours of active skating - so, I decided to count 60 minutes of activity. It was worth 12 PointsPlus value! Wow - that is some good exercise and a lot of fun. My daughter can't wait to go again. We are thinking of trying to go to some open skates on the weekend.

Later this week we are planning some sledding (walking up and down the hill is a good workout, especially in the snow!), some bouncing, and some bowling. All of which are worth Activity Points.

From an eating perspective, perhaps it hasn't been the best food I have been eating, but by watching portions, I actually managed to lose weight the week of Christmas. Granted, it was only 0.2#, but a loss is a loss and over Christmas makes it feel that much better.

I plan to stay active this week with the kids, monitor my portions and gear up for return to routine next week. I'm joining in on the P90X Challenge on Mamavation. I am going to start in Phase 3 and will just cycle through that over the next 90 days.

I took a peek at the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App for the IPad yesterday (it's a free app). It looks really neat. I hope to find time to play with it and share my experience with you.

This post shared at Mamavation Monday.

No compensation was received for this post. I am a Weight Watchers Insider for the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and have received complimentary online access to Weight Watchers, an IPad with the Weight Watchers Kitchen Companion App downloaded, a Flip Camera and other tools to help me on my weight loss journey, using Weight Watchers. 'People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week.'