Whatcha Got Cookin', Good-Lookin'?

Since I started Weight Watchers about 2.5 months ago, I have gotten a lot more into cooking at home.

I always hated cooking before and figured I was not very good at it. But I wanted to cook more at home to ensure I was eating more fresh, wholesome food as part of a generally healthier lifestyle I am trying to cultivate. So, I started looking up a few easy recipes and once I made myself cook more I discovered that I actually quite enjoy it! And not only that, but I'm not too shabby at it either.

I mean, I'm certainly no expert (yet) but I have discovered that I have a bit of a natural ability for it. A lot of the time, I will just throw things together thinking they MIGHT turn out good, although really not knowing for sure, and a lot of the time my instincts end up being on the money. I have learned that cooking doesn't have to be a chore, expensive or complicated. Now, I'm not going to become a gourmet chef anytime soon and I'd be lying if I said I LOVE to cook all the time, but I definitely don't find it to be as much of an annoyance as I did before. I actually look forward to trying new recipes and it makes me feel really good when I make a meal for my boyfriend or someone else I care about and they really enjoy it. There's no better feeling. Plus, it's kind of amazing to trust your instincts on something and turn out to be right!

Being right is fun.

Just since the start of my focus on a healthier lifestyle I have had the following cooking "firsts": roasted chicken (twice!), roasted veggies, sushi, pasta sauce, quiche (artichoke for Mother's Day - it was yummy, if I do say so myself), chili, chicken cacciatore, macaroni and cheese, guacamole, biscuits (though those didn't turn out, alas), etc. Obviously, I have recipes that I have repeated because I found them successful and/or a good meal to "fall back" on and I tried things that did not turn out so well, but I do try to make new recipes when I have time and money and I'm happy with myself just for trying.

Even though I enjoy cooking a lot more, I still do not like to "fuss", so I always try to make things that are quick (under 45 mins prep time, preferably), not too expensive (occasionally I'll splurge on a more expensive ingredient, and now that I have "built up" my stores with staples I find expense not to be as large of a problem because I have more on hand, but for basic cooking I try to stick with things I already have or can easily  buy), and not too high in calories (you can usually cut out a lot of calories just by using low or non-fat things instead of the normal - don't underestimate reading labels).

One of my favourite cooking successes to date was the recipe I tried out on Monday night. My mom gave me a great Diabetic cookbook recently - I am not diabetic, but the recipes are great for anyone who is watching calories - and it has some great recipes in it. Unfortunately I can't find a link to the cookbook or even an image of what the cover looks like, and I don't have it on hand so I have no idea when or where it was published, but the recipe is SUPER basic and can be modified depending on how much time or mouths to feed you have. I also did not remember to take a photo of the finished product so you will just have to imagine what it looks like by my description (or cook it yourself so you can taste it and get the full effect...I'm a terrible blogger. Sorry).

Anyhoo, here it is:

Orange Sweet Potatoes

- Pre-heat oven to 400

- To be honest, I am not sure the person who wrote this recipe had a good handle on math. For one, the recipe calls for 3 sweet potatoes sliced, which for me was WAY too much. I cut about half of one SP into slices and that was enough for my boyfriend and I for a side dish. They also call for lining the SP slices in ONE layer on the bottom of a 9"x13" pan, and it only took the 1/2 SP that I cut to fully line the bottom of my pan, which was only slightly smaller than their recommendation. I would suggest using your judgment - slice line the pan with as many slices as you want, just don't make too many layers (the bottom ones may not cook properly), and only make as many slices as you feel are necessary to feed your brood (if you have a larger group and therefore want to bake more slices, you may want to try making two separate pans). 

Not very scientific, I know, but that's how I roll - I like to wing-it! 

- SP slices should only be about 1/4 inch thick - be forewarned, SP's are frigin hard to slice unless you have a fancy knife (which I don't), really strong arms and hands (which I don't) or actual cooking skill, wherein you know the proper way to slice SP's (which I don't). Needless to say I found the slicing tiring, so if you are anything like me you will probably give up after only slicing half a SP whether that's enough or not! ;) You could probably make them a bit thicker if it makes them easier to slice, but just be careful because if they are too thick, they may not cook thoroughly

- After slicing the SP's and lining the bottom of the baking pan with them (don't worry about being neat, Anal-Retentive Folks, just lay them out however you want), I mixed together about 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 TBSP of melted margarine, and 1 TSP of cinnamon (if you don't like too much cinnamon, I would use less but I like the flavour so I added a bit more than they asked for - again, winging it, baby!!) and poured the mixture evenly over top of the SP slices. I also brushed the slices with a bit of EVOO before pouring the mixture on, just to add some moisture for baking - I have no idea if this actually did anything to change the cooking quality/taste of the SP's, but couldn't hurt I guess! 

- Stick the pan in the oven for approx. 30 minutes - the slices should be tender and a bit browned when done. This is a great side dish for any meal. 

- And the BEST thing about this recipe?! As they cook, your entire kitchen will start to smell like cinnamon/cinnamon apples, and the finished SP's will actually taste like cinnamon-ey roasted apples!! No joke. I know that is sort of weird, but trust me, that makes them more delicious.

Do you like to cook? Why or why not? What are your cooking strategies or habits?

*On a sidenote, I am leaving for my totally epic Road Trip of Awesomeness on Saturday and will not be back until the 23rd, so it will be quiet over here at GNM. Rest assured I am not dead or injured, just having gobs of amazing, exciting fun in Montreal and Ottawa (and busting out my sweet dance moves and kleenex at my friend's wedding). As Ahnold would say, "I'll be back"*

An Update on "My Journey"

I have officially been a member of Weight Watchers now for approx. 6 weeks and I thought it would be great to give a quick update of my triumphs, frustrations and impressions to date:

*Bad news: My average weight loss is 1lb a week - though actually it's less than that bc the first week I lost 2.6lbs. This is disappointing as I would like to be losing a min. of 1.5lbs a week. I realize any weight loss is good, but I had one week (this one actually) where I didn't lose at all, and one where I gained a lb. (although it's important to note that I've lost 6lbs overall, which is the most I've ever been able to lose on dieting!).

*Good news: I have learned SO much about my eating habits, it's been enormously eye-opening.

- I have realized I'm a snacker, I tend to get hungry every couple of hours, I tend to eat when I'm bored, I tend to eat even when I'm full in order to clean my plate  (seriously, I hate leaving food on my plate for some reason! What is that about?! I'm sure there is some deep psychological stuff going on there, but don't even wanna go there)

- I have learned to tailor my diet TO my habits rather than the other way around (e.g. packing each item in my lunch with a specific purpose since I get hungry every few hrs; learning some simple recipes so that I'm more motivated to cook at home, etc).

- I have learned that, even if you are not losing a ton of weight, making changes in your diet WILL change your body and what it is used to. I ate a box of Reese's pieces the other night at a movie and felt "icky" after. I also felt icky for much of Saturday morning after having pizza for supper the night before (well, no proof that the two are correlated, but that's my suspicion). It used to be that I could eat a small popcorn AND candy, and go for a greasy dinner afterward, and not feel sick but here I was feeling sick after ONE box of candy! That was a real "WOW" moment for me, and it made me not want to eat sweet snacks like that very often.

- I have learned to plan ahead - there are ways to indulge yourself while still staying within your points target (this is one of my fav things about the WW plan - flexibility). For example, I like eating out so if I know I'm going to be eating out that night, I will make sure I eat in such a way that I use as few points as possible (not STARVE myself, just eat mostly low point/zero point items) in the rest of the day, that way when I go to the restaurant I have like 20 points at my disposal and can pretty much order whatever I want. I also have been more disciplined with my grocery shopping - if I don't have junk in the house I won't eat it, simple as that!

- I have learned that I thrive on routine - I find the easiest time to stick to dieting is during the week when I'm at work because I have a regular schedule, I only have a small supply of food to last me the day (I find the expense of buying food keeps me from indulging in treats, and makes me stick to ONLY my lunch bag), and I'm usually busy (especially right now) and so my mind wanders less. When I'm prone to snacking is when I don't have the structure of the regular schedule, hence the next point...

*Bad news: I have realized that I tend to really slack off on the weekends - I tend to not record my food (out of a combination of laziness, forgetfulness, irregular schedule which means I'm not always near a computer, and just being sick of doing it all week and wanting a break), and I also tend to eat more often and eat more fattening foods. Because I am often "out-and-about" on weekends and not recording what I'm taking in, it's much easier to just grab whatever food is within reach and ignore the calories. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of the "good behaviour" I practiced during the week is virtually flushed down the drain.

- Also, most of my social engagements tend to be relegated to the weekend, so I often find myself eating out or doing some kind of group social activity and lets face it, these often involve fattening food. I find it extremely hard to go out to a restaurant or to a friend's house where there is fattening food within easy reach and on the plates of people directly in front of you, and order something healthy or not eat at all. It is disappointing (obviously) to see others enjoying delicious food that you can't have, plus there is a kind of "subliminal" peer pressure that exists that urges to you order what your friends or ordering (as silly as that sounds). I really, really need to get better at paying more attention to what I eat and how much on the weekends.

*Good news: I have fallen in love with hiking! My boyfriend and I have actually been taking 2-3 hour hikes every weekend almost since we started dating 5 months ago, and I really look forward to these now. It has been a great way to get out and get some fresh air, explore the many awesome trails that exist right on our doorstep (there are literally hundreds!), pick up some geocaches, and of course contribute to my weight loss. A 3 hour hike gives you around 14 activity points in Weight Watchers, which is amazing! Even if I haven't been losing weight at the rate I would prefer, I know I have at least toned up and I definitely have more energy and stamina. I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition now that the weather is warming up.

So, that is where I stand in my journey!

Journey is a good name for my weight loss experience because that's probably the biggest thing I've learned - weight loss is a PROCESS. It is actually a lifelong/long-term commitment, not something that can happen overnight or that you can quit once you have reached your goals. And it's not just about the number on the scale - it's about making a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I truly believe you cannot move forward until you come to terms with this. Sometimes I get frustrated that the process is so slow - I just want to get to my first 10lb goal already! But you can't do that. You can't focus on how long it's taking and what is NOT happening - you MUST focus on the GOOD things.

As hard as it is sometimes, you HAVE to keep focusing on the positive because that is the only way you will stick with it. A defeatist attitude  will only serve to set you back on the journey and it's not fair to you. That is why I haven't stuck with diets before - when I fell off the wagon I never got back on. I let the feeling of hopelessness take over and would give up.

I keep telling myself that the important thing is that I have recognized the need for a change, and I am making efforts to make that change happen. I definitely feel more positive about this "try" than I ever have about previous ones. So, those of you that are struggling with weight loss and shifting to a healthier lifestyle, please remember these points - and know that you are not alone. Give yourself a break.

Weight loss to date: 6lbs
Next goal: Lose 5% of body weight (9.2lbs) by April 30th
Next long-term goal: Lose 15lbs by May 21st (Victoria Day weekend)

Life is Good. That is All.

Life is good right now. I don't mean to brag, and I also don't mean to sound like a hippy-dippy tree-hugger or something. I just feel good about my life right now.

Here are some of the reasons why:

* I've been a member of Weight Watchers for approx. 2.5 weeks now and I've lost a total of 4lbs. Now 4 lbs isn't a huge amount of weight, but it's great for only 2 weeks. Plus, the thing that I love the most about this program is how accountable it has made me. It has completely changed my mindset in terms of what I eat and when. Once I started recording my food, it's like someone propped my eyes open with toothpicks because I realized up until that point I was eating WAY more and of WAY worse stuff than I realized! It boggled my mind how much of a mindless eater I am, and how few nutrients I was actually getting on a daily basis. I have also realized that the IDEA of a healthy lifestyle is scarier than actually living a healthy lifestyle - I was so worried before I started that I'd be starving all the time, would never be able to eat out or treat myself, and that I would generally be miserable and want to naw my own arm off after 4 days. However it's the complete opposite! I CAN have that cookie or that piece of pizza; I CAN go out with friends. It's all about moderation and portions and planning. Anyway, I won't go on and on (because I could, trust me) but suffice to say I'm finding this new healthy eating plan really great for me and I'm already feeling better about how my body feels and looks. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to meet my 1st goal (5% of my weight, or approx. 9lbs) by the end of this month!

* I'm really enjoying my new job - I'm not sure if I have explained my recent career change on this blog, but basically I've been temping since September while I try to find a permanent position and it's been a tough slog. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice to say I worked an admin assistant position that I really didn't like (but unfortunately was my only/best choice at the time), that is I worked there until about mid-February when I was let go because they filled my position permanently. However, it worked out for the best because my temp agency (which is amazing by the way!!) found me another position at the University in a different department and doing work which is actually related to my degree and activities that I really enjoy. I'm still temping for now, but the job will be reposted in the next few months and I'll have the opportunity to apply. For now, I'm just trying my darndest to work really hard and prove myself because this is a really great opportunity I don't want to miss! So, I've been here now approx. 3 weeks and I can already see myself working here long-term. I'm currently assisting with planning a major Conference taking place the end of April so I'm quite busy with that (and slightly stressed!) but I'm learning SO much. I'm really excited to see where this opportunity takes me in the next few months...stay tuned!

* I have been spending more and more time with my lovely boy. I don't like to get too personal on here, but what I will say is that we have a lot of fun together and he is very sweet. We love to go on little adventures, like road trips and taking in events around town. He's great for my weight loss too because he really enjoys hiking as well so we've been going on hikes every weekend for at least 2 hours! Now that it's warming up here, we are able to stay out longer and go on more trails since they are not all snowed in. He has also turned me onto Geocaching, which I'm sort of becoming addicted to. If you have never heard of it or tried it, check out the website - it's a lot of fun and a great way to get outside for some fresh air and to explore the city/town/province/state where you live. We have found so many little hidden gems around Nova Scotia and Halifax that I had no idea existed (and I've lived here my whole life! Hello!). It's a HUGE pastime - I had no idea how many people were into it and that they are so serious about it. If you like to travel and explore and be outdoors, give it a try! If you do, add me as a friend (my username is shortfuuse).

* I've been generally trying to focus more on myself and my personal life lately - I gave up some extracurriculars in order to have more time, both to spend with myself and with others. I have been trying to spend more "me" time, either just relaxing, or doing activities I enjoy like painting and drawing (I've been trying to tap into my creative side more as it's been neglected a lot in recent years and I really miss it). I've also been making an effort to spend more time with my sister and keeping in touch with friends. This has been quite successful and I know it's made me feel more positive and fulfilled. This is still a work-in-progress, but my efforts so far have really made a difference.

So, that's what I've been up to. Like I said, life is good! I think it's important for all of us to re-evaluate our lives once in a while ; to ask ourselves what's working and what's not and try our best to weed out the things that aren't working and replace them with other things that would benefit more from our time and efforts. We are all guilty of spreading ourselves to thin at times, and over the wrong things. Having a million hobbies and obligations doesn't necessarily mean you're a more accomplished and happier person. Sometimes having less external "projects" on your plate is better because it allows you to focus on more important things (like relationships).

Thanks for sticking with me, y'all! I told you I'd be back didn't I? I never make a promise I can't keep! **

What is new in your life??


*Seriously, if you are trying to lose weight and can't find anything to work for you (and you haven't tried it already), TRY Weight Watchers! Know what the best part is? If you sign up for the Online option, you get a whole online profile that's similar to Facebook and a Blog! I'm blogging about my experience here (not sure if the link will work for non-members but give it a try and let me know). LOVE IT!!

**I have to say I've missed this little ol' blog of mine. I have been keeping up with others' posts and reading their blogs has made me nostalgic for mine. I miss having it as an outlet for my opinions and thoughts, and I miss connecting with other writers through my comments and discussions on places such as 20-Something-Bloggers. 
I guess I felt weird about coming back all of a sudden after being gone so long, but then I realized it's my blog and I can do what I want with it. Besides, that's one of the great things about blogging - you can do it as much or as little as you want! Since I've missed it and I've cleared out some of the mental clutter I discussed here, I decided it's a good time to get back into it. I'm just going to post when I feel like it and not put too much pressure on myself. This is kind of the way I'm living my whole life right now - I'm feeling very easygoing and positive - I've made a dent in some positive changes I've been meaning to tackle, and I'm feeling good about that and that good feeling is permeating throughout my life. I still have plans for this space that I may or may not tackle in the near future, but for now I'm just concerned with what makes me feel good, and no matter the format or agenda, it feels good to blog! So, that's what I'm gonna do!

Motivation Mondays #5: Two steps forward, one step back

Needless to say I'm not as excited to write this week's weight-loss update as I was last week. I didn't lose anymore weight this week, and frankly didn't do well at all in the eating/exercising department.

I was on the road for two days for work, and anyone who travels for work knows how freakin hard it is to eat right in those types of situations. Usually, there are not many meal options (usually fast food) and you're sitting for long periods of time.

In addition to the travelling, I also had a job interview on Tuesday afternoon, which was very nervewracking and had me in a tense ball of nerves for pretty much all of Monday and Tuesday. I think I did pretty well, but it was intimidating and there are a few questions I'm not sure I answered well. Who ever really knows with these things, though, ya know? You just do your best and hope to god your best was better than everyone else's (though chances are it wasn't). I also had last minute prep for my best friend's bridal shower, and for a hike on Saturday morning/afternoon. Busy was the word of the week, so dieting and exercising was not first and foremost on my mind. When I wasn't working on all the above activities, I was flagged out on the couch or crawling into bed zombie-like.

It was one of my co-workers' last days on Friday, so we all went out for a greasy Chinese food lunch plus had ice cream cake after (I couldn't resist it and ate a piece that was way too large). The group hike does give me some points, especially since the park ended up being full of tall ladder-like stairways that we climbed (one rather large one I went down then back UP, plus I went down two other good sized ones, not to mention a couple of rather steep hills in between). We hiked for about 1.5-2 hours so it was a good workout. However, the fish-and-chip lunch afterwards probably replaced all of the calories I had previously burned off. And I felt like I was going to have a heart attack after reaching the top of the larger stairway, and my legs have been extremely sore the whole weekend. Not good - clearly need to work on cardio!!

After we got back from the hike around 3pm, I came back to my moms and did prep for the shower for the rest of the day, so I was totally exhausted by the time I got home at around 9pm (I had gotten up at 6:30am to meet everyone for 9am). Then Sunday was the actual shower, which meant running around setting up and decorating all morning, running around taking photos, cleaning and setting food up during the event, and running around and cleaning afterwards. To say it was a busy weekend is a slight understatement.

This may sound like a lot of exercise, but it really wasn't enough to burn calories (esp since I had a couple of pieces of custard-filled cake in there plus some pasta casserole). I really didn't expect to get on the scale and see any difference today because I KNEW I didn't lose anything because I didn't feel it.

Though honestly I haven't really felt the weight loss yet at all, and looking at the photos from the hike on Saturday morning, I am still not happy with my shape. I still feel like I look like a blimp in photos, to be honest. So, I'm back to being frustrated. I'm not going to give up, but I just wish I would notice more of a difference, you know?

Fitting exercise into my schedule (enough to actually burn calories anyway) continues to be hard. I talked to a friend who is signing up for a twice-weekly class, and I'm thinking I need to do something similar. If I have a class to go to that I've paid money for, I think that will be more motivating than just leaving the "fitting in" of exercise to me in my "spare time" (obviously that has worked out swimmingly so far *rolls eyes*). I'll look and see what I can find. I'd like to do something fun and energetic like Zumba or kick-boxing or something, but as usual I'm worried about cost. I've been totally broke all week. I can't even get groceries until I get paid on Friday and have to settle for leftovers until then. How sad is that? (being in a wedding party is an expensive endeavour, I'm realizing).

I've pretty much stopped following Weight Watchers altogether, so maybe I should start recording my food again. Urgh, it's just such a nuisance though, and I hate to sound like a baby but I have so many other things on my mind this week I can't be bothered. Plus, I KNOW I can stick to eating right without the points system, it's just a matter of MAKING myself do it. Frankly, I let myself go a little bit this week because I was happy about reaching the 5lb mark; I got complacent and that's how you end up putting weight back on.

Anyway, this week I'm away again for work so I imagine more fast food will be in the picture, but I'm going to at least try to make an effort to order healthier food, i.e. sandwiches/salads instead of fried or sugary stuff, smaller portions, drink lots of water. I doubt I'll get much exercise in again. This weekend is a 3-day one, however, so it will be a good chance to get out for a long hike again or take a class or something. I actually took today off work because I wasn't feeling so hot when I got up, but after I rested I got a TON of stuff done around the apartment that I've put off for WEEKS, and that feels really good. So, I can't be too hard on myself.

Alas, this is the life of a woman struggling with weight loss - two steps forward, one step back. Hopefully this week will involve the former.

Motivation Mondays #4: The first 5lb mark!

I've reached what I would call the first official milestone of my weight loss - the first 5 lbs! It's a small milestone in the grand scheme of things (especially since I want to lose about 40lbs overall - 5 times what I've lost thus far) but it's an important one all the same. I'm starting my 4th week, which means I've been losing 1 lb a week fairly consistently - well, actually I only lost 0.5 of a lb the first week, so technically that means I've lost more than 4 lbs in only 2 weeks! I feel this is a healthy rate, but also fast enough that I'm staying motivated. I'm hoping since the ball is now rolling, weight will start to come off faster in coming weeks.

I didn't exercise as regularly as I would like last week but I didn't do TOO too bad. I went for about a 45-60 minute walk in the park with my friend on Tuesday after work and did an hour of yoga on Friday, plus a few small walks here and there. But I also went out for supper Tuesday night (pasta), Friday night (fried fish and sweet potato fries, eek), and Sunday (stuffed fish and veggies, but a large amount of pita bread plus some dessert, double eek). However, in between this eating out, I did quite well - I didn't eat a lot and didn't eat any junk food. It's a good thing because I probably would have gained otherwise! Damn you, Mother's Day and friend's birthday!!

Still struggling with fitting exercise into my schedule regularly (ugh). My plan to get off the bus at an earlier stop and walk the rest of the way to the office has been foiled by our stupid city workers who have had the walkway on the highway overpass (which I HAVE to walk over, no other way to go on foot) closed for the past week! So, I've had to take my usual route and that means no extra walking for me. Thanks alot, HRM. However, I do still have the option to get off at a later stop and walk from there, which is a different route, but the same difference in the end.

And this week is going to be even more tricky - I am going to the gym today at lunch (or else!) because it's too rainy/cold for a walk, but tomorrow I'm not going to be in because I have a job interview @ 1pm, then am driving to Yarmouth (about 4 hours) with a colleague for a work thing all day Wednesday, then another of these sessions back in Dartmouth all day Thursday. So, pretty much no exercise for me Wed or Thurs and a lot of sitting. However, I plan on taking my gym stuff to Yarmouth and heading to the hotel gym Tuesday night, so that will at least be something. I must try to get for a walk Friday after work to get another bit of exercise in, plus it's my co-worker's last day and we're going out for chinese food, plus having cake (triple eek!!). I guess I will try and make myelf order something small for lunch and forgoe cake, but we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

Good news about Saturday is that I'm going for a hike in Truro (about 1 hr from Halifax) with a group, so that will be great exercise! Not sure how long the hike will be but probably a couple of hours (stay away rain!!). So, this will certainly up the cardio quotient for the week! Fitting regular, sustained exercise into my schedule, however, continues to be my biggest challenge.

Another note - I've actually stopped recording my food every day. I found doing it for 2 weeks got me into the groove and I didn't really feel it was necessary anymore. I probably should be doing it, but I don't find writing it down makes me better at sticking with it at this point. I know what I'm NOT supposed to eat, it's just a matter of NOT eating it. For anyone starting out using the WW method though, I would recommend that you write your food down for at least the first couple of weeks as I did find it helpful to SEE what I was eating in a tangible way and to get me into the habit of eating right. Everyone's experience is different, I'm just sharing mine, but I just decided this wasn't something I really needed to do. Honestly, I found it to be more of a nuisance than anything after doing it for a couple of weeks. I still have the list of foods, so I can look up points values if I want to eat someting and I'm not sure if I should.

I'm sort of "gung-ho" about doing really well this week because I went for a fitting for my MOH dress on Saturday and the top is still a bit too tight. So frustrating. I really need to lose 5 lbs for it to feel comfortable (there is no more material to let out on the sides) so that's my next short-term goal - lose 5lbs by the wedding June 5th. I really hate to sound vain but it's not just about looking nice, it's about comfort. I don't want to feel sucked in all day and have to sit funny. I don't want to worry about my dress at all if I can help it; I want to umm, you know, ENJOY the wedding?! If I can do this, I will be really proud of myself because that means I'll be at the 10lb mark!

So, life keeps trucking along! Considering I have a job interview tomorrow, and my friend's bridal shower Sunday (plus planning the bachelorette for the end of the month, all with an extreme lack of funds) perhaps I will drop a couple of lbs thanks to stress! Nothing like your stomach eating itself to drop pounds hah.

Wish me luck for reaching the NEXT 5lb mark! How are your weight loss goals going? Have you reached a milestone this week?

Starting weight: 173lbs
Current weight: 167.4lbs
Weight lost to date: 5.6lbs

Motivation Mondays #3: Finally some progress

Well, starting Week 3 of the lifestyle change, and it feels like Week 10. I think I mentioned something like that last week, about this process seeming to take a while. It's like there's some kind of dieting time continuum that one enters and time multiplies or something equally psychedelic (is that how you spell psychedelic? Considering I'm pretty sure it's not a real word, I'm going to assume I can spell it however I want).

Anyway, the good news is I lost 2 lbs last week! I'm not really sure how that happened because the two days I was out of town for work (Wed and Thurs) I totally ate crap like fries and a chicken caesar wrap, potato chips, candy and a bagel with cream cheese. And I hardly excercised at all and I'm mad at myself for it. I walked briefly on the treadmill at the hotel gym on Wed night, but I was pretty tired so could only manage 10 minutes. I did do a few little 10-15 min walks here and there towards the end of the week - to a coffee shop for a date and home Fri night, then to my tailor's house Saturday morning for my dress fitting (see previous post), home, then from parking to the movie theatre Sat night (on a side note, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a wicked movie! Would definitely recommend you see it if you don't mind subtitles. They are planning to release a Hollywood version in 2012).

I'm very proud of Sunday - I went for a 40 minute (brisk) walk and did some housework, as well as walked to and from the grocery store later (trucking home a dang heavy bag of food, I might add! It's only about a block away, but still!). Not only that but I made a new batch of veggie soup (really easy - basically chicken broth and a bag of frozen veggies, slow cook for 2-3 hrs - and pretty much no calories, so I take it for lunch every day - sounds really boring but it tastes good and is easy), AND gave a Weight Watchers recipe a try - Mama Mia Veggie Pie. It makes 6 servings and each one is only 3 points, so it's a great dinner option (especially for someone like me who lives alone and doesn't have a big appetite - dinner's covered the whole week!).

Yes, it's true - not only did I cook TWO things AT ONCE, but they turned out edible! For those of you that don't know me, I should say that I hate cooking and I'm not very good at it, so this is a big deal for me. I also tried tofu for the first time, and must say it's not bad.

I have not had a piece of bread since I started this diet challenge! Alas, I have had a couple of bagels, but a couple won't hurt me. Just have to make sure it's a once per week thing (and I used to have one every morning for breakfast, so this is progress!).

There are a couple of hurtles I can already see coming this week - out for dinner tomorrow night at an Italian restaurant (read: pasta, pasta, pasta...and bread) but I think my mom and I are going to get a healthy appetizer (salad or something) and split an entree to keep the calorie count down. Also, Friday night I'm going to dinner and out dancing with my two best buds for one of their bdays, so I have visions of sweet potato fries and alcoholic drinks dancing in my head. Honestly I'm not going to fret too much over Friday night - I'll let myself indulge and have a good time. It's been so long since we've gone out dancing and it's a fun occasion. At least I know it's coming and can try my best to be good the rest of the week!

I'm finding more and more that food isn't my issue though, it's actually excercise and fitting that in! I always thought it was the complete opposite, but I'm having real trouble fitting activity in, at least enough to equal the recommended amount for weight loss (30 mins per day). My friend and I are going for a walk in a local park tomorrow after work, so that should be an hour or so, plus I need to try and either do the gym or a walk at lunch on Wed and Thurs. I'm supposed to get a call about a job interview, however, so it depends on when that is. Need to kick myself in the butt in this regard.

One thing that I think will help this is two of my friends started a Facebook group called The League and the three of us invited our prospective friends to join. We are aiming to plan group events each month throughout the spring/summer (and hopefully beyond!) to get outside, meet new people, and see some of the fun and interesting things our province/region has to offer! Our first planned outing is a hike at Duncan's Cove, and I for one can't wait! I'm also planning on joining the Chebucto Hiking Club, which only costs like $10 for a whole year's membership, and they plan 2-3 hikes a month of differing difficulty and location. I'm hoping this will be another great way to get outside, meet new people, and get some exercise! I'm really excited for these new developments, and I'm slowly learning not to be so hard on myself if I slip here and there. It's all a part of the journey.

I'm obviously really excited that I lost 2 lbs too! Haven't really noticed results in how I look yet, but I definitely feel better - have more energy and don't feel bloated/fat so much so that's great! Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments, by the way! It feels great to have people out there cheering you on, or sharing their own frustrations. Please keep sharing your experiences and tips - any feedback is welcome.

Until next week!

Starting weight: 173lbs
Current weight: 170.8lbs
Weight lost to date: Approx. 2.5 lbs

Motivation Mondays #2: One week down, one million to go

So, week 1 of the weight loss project is officially done. At first, it went really well and I felt really good about it, but by the end of the week, instead of 5 or 6 days it had felt like 50.

I actually did quite well Monday to Thursday - I only went over my daily points slightly here and there and ate very healthily at work. I brought veggie soup (zero points!) each day for lunch, and fruit/veggies, low-fat items for snacks. I had good dinners too - mostly rice and chicken, and sushi one night (which actually is not bad - only 4 pts for 12 small pieces!) and didn't have any sweets or bread.

Then on Friday, we had a staff meeting over lunch and they ordered Quizno's subs and sweets. This is a much healthier lunch than, say, Swiss Chalet or pizza, especially since the subs were quite small (about a quarter of a sub). However, I ended up having 5 of them plus several cookie pieces and squares (probably about 6 altogether). Ugh I was so mad at myself! Sweets are the worst for me - that's the hardest thing to resist when it's put right in front of me. I brought my usual soup and such that day too, and could have heated it up and eaten that instead. I realize you have to allow yourself a treat once in a while, but I went overboard. Plus, I really wanted to diet 100% for the first two weeks to get a good momentum going for weight loss right out of the gate.

Then that night I got together with friends and ate pizza. We DID go for for an hour long walk in the park with my friend's dog, so I got a good workout there, but the next day (Saturday) is what really did me in. I stayed overnight at my friend's, so unfortunately did not have many breakfast choices - I ended up having waffles with syrup and butter (and yogurt) and then we went to a morning movie and I ended up getting popcorn! Movie theatre popcorn with butter and seasoning! Gah! That's like one of the worst things you can eat. I really enjoyed it but I didn't set myself a good precedence for the day and so didn't do very well with eating that afternoon/evening either. Went to another movie late that night with mom and had a frozen yogurt, which I suppose isn't so bad, but still not good. AND I didn't do any exercising.

Sunday, I bounced back a little - had cereal and fruit for breakfast and a stirfry for supper, but I also had 8 crackers with peanut butter and two WW treats (one chocolate brownie and one lemon cake - total of 3 points) but I did do a boot camp workout dvd for 45 mins. Man, that was a workout - I was tired out by the end and some of my muscles hurt today. I was proud that I fit that into my day.

Considering the week I had (minus Friday and Saturday), I assumed I had probably lost at least ONE pound. Heck I would have been happy with only one pound, at least it would be something. But I got on the scale last night and realized I had lost only 0.6 OF A POUND! My first reaction, literally, was WTF?! I mean I didn't do amazing this week but I sure ate better and exercised more than I usually do and I lost HALF A POUND?! Really?!

*sigh*

I know, I know, I shouldn't let it get me down - at least I didn't GAIN weight, it's only the first week, blah blah blah...but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. I didn't lose sleep over it or anything - I'm not naive; I know that it's going to take a bit of time before I see major weight loss, but still there was a part of me that thought I had lost a couple of lbs and was hoping for that. I need to learn not to expect this obviously because my disappointment causes me to get down on myself and eat bad foods - like I did this morning with a bagel and cream cheese. I should have known this would be a problem for me - I tend to put high expectations on myself (not intentionally!). But all that aside, I still can't believe I didn't at least lost one pound. I might as well have lost nothing. And I have to put at least SOME high expectations on myself or I won't achieve anything! If I just say, "oh, it's ok, you don't have to work that hard or put that much thought into your diet" than I won't eat right or exercise at all!

I know I'm being a real downer, but I can't help but be disappointed. Ultimately, it's "whatever"; tomorrow's another day, this is another week and I'm the last person to let a setback get in my way. I'm going to get back on the horse and try again, try even harder. But for now, I'm mad at myself and disappointed and I'm going to allow myself (and ask that you please allow me, without judgment) to sit in this moment of self-pity for a while. In a wierd way, it might actually be motivating.

I think a problem for me is going to be social eating - eating out with friends or having lunch with a group. It's obviously hard for me to participate in these kinds of things in moderation. I don't believe I should just NOT participate in this kind of eating, but I need to work harder to prevent overindulgence - to have one or two subs instead of 5 and no sweets. To eat a salad first to fill me up and prevent me from eating too much pizza. Or to work in a longer, more instense workout that day to balance my overeating. I really like hanging out with friends to eat, or whatever, and want to focus on enjoying the company and not what I'm eating, but at the same time I have to make sure I don't reach for food and put it in my mouth mindlessly. That will have to be a long term goal of mine.

As for a short-term goal (i.e. just this week), I think I'm going to try and exercise more. I think the dieting is enough to maintain where I'm at (i.e. not put any EXTRA pounds on) and/or take off a bit, but I need to exercise a bit more to have more noticeable poundage come off. I did probably 4 workouts last week, but a couple of them were really only 20 mins or so and that's not really enough to make a difference. I won't go nuts or anything, but I'm going to try my best to work out for 40 + mins 4 times this week. I need to stop making excuses and kick myself in the butt harder! Hopefully the scale will tell a different story this time next week.

Starting weight: 173lbs
Current weight: 172.4 lbs
Weight lost: .6 lbs

Motivation Mondays #1: The Beginning of a New Me

I've had a bit of an epiphany in the past week or so. I have been wanting to lose weight for a while now; in the 7 years since I graduated from high school I've gradually put on about 40-50 lbs of extra fat and I would guess about 15-20lbs of that in the past two years or so. I know it's due to life changes and therefore stress causing me to eat more, and eat more crap. Plus, once I got into University I just became more busy and more sedentary.

I currently stand at 173 lbs according to the new scale I bought yesterday. Which means my BMI is in the 30's (for the record for my age and height it should be between 20-25). Yikes.

Since I have a small frame, I look smaller than I do; I know you're thinking "lucky you", but this is not necessarily a good thing because it means I didn't realize how big and unhealthy I truly was until it got way out of hand. I haven't been happy with my body for years now but the real wake-up call has finally come to me.

For one, Wednesday afternoon in Boston I literally went out and walked ALL DAY. I've done this before so this is nothing new, but the difference this time is I felt like I had been run over by a truck by the time I got back to the hotel in the evening. My ankles and legs/hips hurt and were so stiff I had trouble walking the rest of my time there. Sure, it's only natural to feel tired and worn out after walking all day but someone who is only 25 years old and in good health should NOT be having joint pain and should not be THAT tired. It was not only my legs, but my back and neck that felt the tension. To make a long story short, this trip made me realize how out of shape I really am. I mean I knew I was, but didn't realize the extent. I've totally been in denial.

For two, I was in a clothing store last week and tried on a pair of pants I really wanted (and were not cut slim, I might add) and found that the Size 14 did not fit. It was so tight around my butt and hips I could barely get them up. When faced with putting on a Size 16, I was completely disgusted. I've never had to wear that size in my entire life. Now, I realize that different stores' clothes are sized differently and that everyone has different body types; I'm not trying to say that anyone who wears a Size 16 is disgusting - ABSOLUTELY NOT. You can be just as healthy at a Size 16 as at a Size 8 - it depends on your build. But this was a store that that sells clothes made for curvy women, first of all, and second of all I'm only 5 feet tall and have a small frame so a Size 16 for me is not normal.

Furthermore, I am starting to carry a large amount of my extra fat on my tummy, and not only does this make me feel unattractive, it's also extremely dangerous to my health considering heart disease runs in my family, and carrying fat around the middle is a huge risk factor for heart problems.

Needless to say I left that store in a bad mood and with no new pants under my arm. I was angry with myself and fed up with feeling fat and tired. I decided I really needed to make a change, and make it now before I develop chronic health problems, like diabetes, that I'm stuck with for life. Also, my best friend's wedding is in June and I don't want to look at the wedding photos for years to come and just be thinking about how fat I look (how sad would that be?!).

These experiences and thoughts were stewing in my mind when I read a blog post by one of my favourite bloggers, Selective Potential, about her experience losing 35+ lbs and doing it all on her own with Weight Watchers. I am NOT someone who believes in fad diets - I believe the only way to truly lose weight in a healthy way is by eating right (and in smaller portions) and exercising. I'm also not someone who likes rules or being told what to do, and I have to have freedom and flexibility in my life or I go insane. I'm also notoriously impatient and bad at sticking with things; it's not strange for me to give something a week then give it up when I don't see results like INSTANTLY. So, you can imagine how well my personality lends itself to diet and exercising.

However, one thing about me is that once something becomes routine for me, I can stick with it really well. Reading Tieka's story, and talking to my mom (who has done WW a few times before) made me realize that doing WW on my own could be just the thing that works for me. Yes, you have "rules" and have to record whatever you eat, but you also have flexibility; you can essentially eat what you want, you just need to watch portion control, and balance out the "bad" things with the good. You don't have to live like a rabbit and eat lettuce all day. Plus, all of the points values for foods are already laid out for you, so there's no guessing. You just look up the food item and record the number. Also, you have some extra points each week that you can dip into, so if you want to go out to a pub with friends and have a plate of fries you can, as long as you do it in moderation. You can still live your life and enjoy eating.

Aside from this, WW will provide me some accountability more than anything - having to write down what I eat each day will keep me "honest" and will allow me to see what exactly I'm putting in my body (which is something that's easy to ignore). Plus, my mom is going to do it with me so I will be accountable to her as well. We've agreed to talk each day about what we ate and any issues we have experienced. If I have a deathly craving, I know I can call her and she'll talk me out of it. It will be really motivating to have a "buddy" to keep me on track and share my success with.

So, starting today I will be recording everything I eat and the points values, and completing 30-40 minutes of activity daily. I would like to ultimately get down to about 125lbs, as that is considered a healthy weight for my height and age, but I know if I focus on losing 50 lbs in a certain timeframe that I will just be intimidated and disconcerted and have no chance of sticking with it. Instead, I'm only focusing on the first two weeks and the first 10lbs. I'm giving myself two weeks to be really good, to stick 100% to my diet and exercise plan. I figure if I can make it through the first two weeks, I will be more likely to stick with it in the long term because it will become routine. Plus, I figure losing 5 lbs in that amount of time is realistic and doing this will be both a boost to my ego and make a huge change in how I feel and look. 10lbs will make an even bigger difference, and because it is a perfectly attainable starting goal, won't overwhelm me and cause me to give up before seeing any results. I hope to lose 10lbs in the next month to 6 weeks and I'm not allowing myself to buy ANY new clothes until I reach that goal. I figure you can never have too much incentive!

I should mention for the record that this will be more about how I feel and how my clothes fit than the number on the scale. Scales and numbers can be deceiving and depend on many factors. I'm really just hoping to see a noticeable difference in how I look and feel in the next 4-6 weeks. I know I'm not as confident a person as I could be because I'm really not happy with how I look and feel. As shallow as it sounds, this affects how I interact with others and how I present myself. I'm not naive and think that losing 10, 20 or even 40lbs will cure all of my self-consciousness and make my entire life better, but I'm just hoping that I will gain at least gain some confidence and will feel more comfortable putting myself out there.

Wow, sorry to blab on. I usually am long-winded (no wonder no one reads this silly blog!) but I'm more so today because I'm really excited about this! I really feel like I'm going to stick with it this time. I realize it's only day 1 and I'm prepared for my motivation to go down the tubes in coming days, but I feel deep-down I really really want it this time, and that's going to make all the difference. I plan on writing a post each Monday with my results, thoughts, worries, accomplishments and issues from the previous week as this will be another great motivator for me and a way to share my experience as I'm sure there are many others like me out there who are struggling with weight as well. Not to say that my way is the right way - I really believe you have to find the right plan for you, tailored to your lifestyle and personality - but it's one way. I'm not exactly proud of the fact that I've let myself get to this size and have taken my health so for granted, but at least I'm taking charge now, and again it all goes back to accountability and writing my experiences on this blog will be another "check-and-balance".

In fact, I'd really appreciate any comments you have about your own experiences along these lines. Have you had similar weight issues? What did you do or are you doing to combat this? Please feel free to share - we are all in this together!

Wish me luck! New me - here I come!