Falling off the Wagon

Sunday, January 16, 2011

I pretty much fell off the wagon this week. It all started Monday night with an Auburn National Championship party. Hey, that was worth falling off the wagon for!!!! I still have time to catch up! Tuesday and Wednesday I did okay, then Thursday I worked realllllllly late and didn't feel like cooking. Naturally, I gave in to my desire to dine at Joe Mama's. At least I ordered a small burger instead of a large one. Not good for the waist line, for sure, but like I said.....I still have time to reach my goal.

I have done well today. Stayed within my PointsPlus target, and feeling fine!

Breakfast:
Instant grits, lite wheat toast with fat-free Promise spread, an orange and a cup of milk

Lunch:
Hamburger Helper (I know, yuk!) made with lean ground round
steamed cabbage
corn
English peas

Snack:
17 K crackers with Laughing Cow lite cheese

Supper:
I tried an egg roll that was supposed to be 4 points, but it was so nasty, I just ate the crust and boiled an egg to go with it. Believe it or not I feel pretty full and still have enough points left for a serving of my favorite cereal if I crave something sweet before bedtime.

Happy, Healthy Eating to all!!!!!
Next step..........the dreaded EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(to be continued another day....)

Day 3

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Day three has been a good one. I haven't had any weird cravings. I did skip breakfast, which I have declared to be a cardinal sin. Gassin' up the tank in the mornings is a sure-fired way to keep you burnin' calories furiously all day long. At snack time this morning I had a handful of grapes and 3 cheese on wheat crackers. That was a lousy way to start off, but it was only 3 points. I then feasted on my favorite Weight Watchers Smart Ones meal - Chicken Fettucini for 7 points. A few more grapes for a snack this afternoon, and when I got home from school I ate my all-time favorite K Crackers (2 points) and some YUMMY Laughing Cow Lite cheese (French onion - 1 point).

I had to boil eggs for a science experiment this afternoon, so of course I ate one of those LOADED with PEPPER (and salt) just the way I like 'em! 2 points
For supper I had some weird easy-fix Hamburger Helper stuff that we had bought to cook on the campstove during the dreaded ice storm that never happened. It was the worst 8 points I ever ate. With that I had a little bit of corn, a big salad with fat-free ranch, some Lite Wheat Toast with my awesome Promise fat-free spread.

All in all, I have consumed 26 of my 29 points today. I'll probably drink a glass of milk for my last three points, since I haven't had any dairy today. All my planning ahead has really paid off; as long as I don't have to think about what to eat, I can manage. It's only when I get caught off guard without a plan that I slip up and go off on a binge.

My next grocery list is topped with Skinny Cow Ice cream. I just can't live without some ice cream from time to time, and though it has more points on the new Weight Watchers plan, it is some GOOD stuff and worth every point!

Happy Eating!!!!

Day 1

Monday, January 10, 2011

School has been cancelled today due to icing of roads/bridges, so I suppose our weigh-in will have to take place tomorrow. I already weighed myself, however, and I am right back up to my hefty 180 pounds. At my height, I should weigh no more than 160, so I'm shooting for that. I don't like the way 160 pounds sounds any more than I like the way 180 sounds. I would like to be able to say, "I weigh 130," but honestly, that is just not a very realistic goal for me, as it would probably take ALL of my energy, effort, and money to reach that goal. I would have to make my weight loss a religion, and I am not willing to give it that much attention.

My attitude going into this is a healthy one, I believe. I'm trying to look at my eating habits from a Christian perspective. The Bible says to do all things "decently and in order." I teach my students to do all things "heartily as to the Lord," and "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." One verse that I quote in the classroom often is, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I usually use that one to emphasize the importance of the "whatsoever ye do" part, as in studying for tests, practicing penmanship, being kind on the playground, etc. Now I am convinced I need to apply the eating and drinking to the glory of God to my own life. I don't believe that God has been glorified by my prior eating habits, but I believe wholeheartedly that He can be glorified by my new plan. If my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, I have the responsibility and the desire to make it a dwelling place that would be pleasing to Him. I am unhappy when my house is messy, and I feel sure that the Holy Spirit is unhappy when His house is messy. If I can keep this consideration in the forefront of my thoughts, I should be able to maintain these healthier eating habits.

I am going to log off now, and make a trip to the pantry/refrigerator to choose a breakfast that won't junk up my body. Happy, healthy eating to everyone today!!!!

Back in the Saddle Again

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Okay, so I haven't blogged since August, 2010. Shame on me! Life got a little busy, and I lost my precious Daddy and lost my motivation to eat right. Well, I am now fully motivated to get myself back on track with some healthier eating habits! Some ladies at school are joining me for our first weigh-in tomorrow morning. My goal is to go from 180 to 160 by June 1st.

I remember last time I did Weight Watchers. The first two weeks were AWFUL!!!! I thought I would die! I had some serious high-fat food withdrawals! Then, it got easier, I actually started feeling more energetic than I had in years, and I found a new zeal for healthy eating.

Today I am reflecting on my eating habits for the past year. I eat a bunch of junk and on the go. I hardly ever eat fruits and veggies, and when I do, I load them up with butter or sugar. I don't feel well. I feel tired and run down. I'm not in a state of denial about it, though. I know my body is running sluggishly because I am not fueling it properly.

I forked out the bucks yesterday to join Weight Watchers online. I like their new plan. I can have as many fruits and veggies as I want for ZERO POINTS!!!! (As long as I pay attention to my hunger signals, and refrain from eating when I am full.) I got the free Weight Watchers app for my iPod, so I can track my points on the go every day. I am getting super pumped!

My basic plan:
1. Drink 6 to 8 (8 ounce) glasses of water a day
2. Take my Benefiber supplement daily for my colon health.
3. Take a multivitamin every day.
4. Get 2 servings of dairy every day. Milk for breakfast, and maybe cheese or yogurt sometime later in the day.
5. Eat no more than 2 servings of protein each day.
6. Eat six small meals a day. A healthy breakfast. Fruits and veggies for mid-morning snack. A healthy lunch with a serving of protein. Fruits and veggies for mid-afternoon snack. A healthy supper with a serving of protein. Fruits and veggies for a 9:00 pm snack. (Eating frequently keeps your metabolism high and enables you to burn the calories better.)
7. Increase my activity level, even if it means just parking at the far end of the parking lot every chance I get to start with.
8. Prepare my meals by grilling, baking/roasting, or pan-searing all my meats, and steaming or roasting my veggies. I've stocked the cabinet with some new seasonings.
9. Reduce my sodium intake.


I have already been to the grocery store, and here are some things I stocked up on:
Fat-free milk
Fat-free Promise spread (tastes like butter, but no fat and only 5 calories)
Oranges
Clementines
Grapes
Apples
Carrots
Celery
Broccoli
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Fat-free Ranch dressing for dipping the above veggies
Yoplait Lite vanilla yogurt
High-fiber cereal to crunch up in my yogurt
Frozen berries to crunch up in my yogurt
Splenda for my coffee
Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine frozen dinners to take for school lunch
Bottled water
Reduced calorie snacks to satisfy my cravings:
K Crackers
Laughing Cow Lite cheese wedges (YUM)
Lettuce for salads
Reduced fat cheese
Weight Watchers cream cheese to eat on my new Bagel thins (YUM)


I get 29 PointsPlus each day, and 49 extra points each week. I started tracking yesterday, just to see how many points I eat on an average day. I ate my 29 points and only had 7 points left from my 49 extra weekly points. I am pretty doggone sure when I drop the calories, I'm gonna drop the pounds.

Here is my menu for tomorrow:

Breakfast: Cereal with fat-free milk (4 points)
or a toasted bagel thin with lite cream cheese (5 points)
Snack: Yogurt with frozen berries on top (4 points)
and and orange or clementine if I'm still hungry (0 points)
Lunch: A roasted chicken sandwich on lite whole wheat,, toasted on my panini press with a little
olive oil (3 points)
15 Sun Chips (3 points)
Snack: Veggies and 2 Tbsp. fat-free ranch dip (I put in a few bacon bits to help the flavor
without adding a bunch of calories.) (1 point - 2 points with bacon bits)
Supper: Grilled Chicken (6 points for 6 ounces)- Zucchini/Tomato Bake (5 points) - Garlic
Baked Green Beans (1 point)- Lite Wheat Toast with Promise spread (1 point)
Snack: Frozen grapes (crunchy and delicious) (0 points)

That makes my 29 points for the day! Sounds like alot of food to enjoy!!!!! Yay!!!!

Happy health to you all!!!!!