Chugging along!

I'm 0.2 pounds away from 5 pounds lost! Yipee! I'm shocked, really. I would have been thrilled with maintaining after the 4th of July I had! Yikes...I totally went overboard and even made myself sick from buffalo wings. :P

It moved again!

I lost another 1.2 pounds this past week!

I still feel like my moods are better. Again, I'm not sure if that's coinciding with work stresses, but I even have a better outlook at work. Things that I'd normally have a meltdown about aren't as upsetting to me.

I've noticed that my gut is shrinking and my jeans are getting loser in the thigh areas!

My digestion has been great. I kind of assumed that my eczema would improve if I began to eat better. No such luck just yet. :( I'm still itchy. The summer heat is not helping.

My energy level is slightly lower this week, but, without getting into details, there's a perfectly good reason for that. :)

I'm surprised at how much I used to NOT do before WW. The mere fact that I'm planning meals ahead of time and preparing healthy snacks for the following day has increased my daily activity level quite a bit.

I'm really surprised that I don't feel deprived. Don't get me wrong, I'm not eating like I used to, but, to be honest, I really don't miss it that much. I ate chili for dinner last week, spaghetti with meat sauce over the weekend, and chicken katsu (all homemade) last night. I'm just controlling my portion size and cutting back on my white rice consumption--I'm struggling to let go of it completely!

I sometimes find myself wondering if I'll be able to keep this up. The progress I'm making is kind of scary, if that makes any sense to anyone. I'm excited about the changes I'm seeing, but I'm also worried I won't be able to maintain it.

When I start to feel overwhelmed, I try to step back and remind myself to take all of this one day at a time.

The Palm Tree Moved!

I had my weigh-in today and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I lost 2.6 pounds this past week!!! :D I would write more, but I need to have a snack. I'm getting hungry....

WW 1:1

I thought it might be fun to share what I've eaten with you all. Here's what I ate during Week 1 Day 1, along with their points:

Breakfast
Plain Instant Oatmeal, 1 packet (2)
Coffee (0--I think this is what did me in on the first day. I've since decided to lay off the coffee)
Equal sweetener (0)
Non-dairy creamer, 1 Tbsp. (1)

Lunch
Lean Cuisine (6--can't remember which flavor)
Leftover Chicken Salad, ~2 Tbsp. (1--I was desperately hungry!)

At-Work Snack
Mixed Vegetables (0)
Edamame, 5.5 oz. with shells (2)

Dinner
Homemade Chili, 1/2 c. (4)
Cheddar Cheese, 1/4 c. (3)

After-Dinner Snack
After going to see "The Hangover", we went to Zippy's since Brian hadn't had dinner yet. In the land of Portuguese Bean Soup and Plate Lunch, I ordered:
Fruit Salad, couple of pieces each of cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries (2)
Tossed Salad, greens + mushrooms (0)
Ginger-Sesame Dressing, 1 Tbsp. (1)

Points Target = 19
Points Total = 21
Points Balance = -2 (I went 2 points over my limit for the day)

Update!

Okay, so I haven't been as religious with the updates as I had hoped to. But, I promise to get better.

Things are going better than expected so far. Day 1 was SUPER HARD as you can tell from my last post. :P I think my body was going into shock and I wasn't very well prepared with snacks.

I've noticed a few changes to my energy level, mood and overall well-being, all positive. :)

I assumed that since I'd be eating less food/healthier food, I'd have less energy. Strangely enough, I've felt pretty darn good this week. I'm not nearly as tired/sluggish as I usually am. It's difficult to explain....

My mood has also been better. I feel more positive than I've felt in a really long time. This change in mood has coincided with a slow week at work and my boss being out, but I think the fact that I'm doing something positive for myself must have something to do with it.

My digestion has greatly improved! It's not uncommon for me to have indigestion and an upset bowel (TMI!). I also haven't had a migraine in about a week (also unusual).

Being on the program hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. I won't lie and say I'm never hungry, but at least now when I think I'm hungry, I actually take the time to think about it and make some educated food choices. Am I really hungry or do I just need to drink a little water? Should I have some carrots or a cupcake? The awareness has been great. I'm mostly still eating what I'd normally eat, but I'm keeping my portion sizes in check and am trying to incorporate filling snacks into my days.

Tomorrow is my first weigh-in! I'm excited. Even if it turns out I haven't lost any weight this first week, I know I'm doing the right thing by sticking with it. Hopefully the weight loss ticker will have moved a bit come this time tomorrow!

O.M.G.

I am so hungry.

WeightWatchers: Week #1

I went to my first official WW meeting today after work. It was somewhat overwhelming! I'm sitting here at home and don't have a clue as to what to eat. I got a lot of literature so maybe it's a matter of getting caught up on some of the reading.

I weighed-in today and...ugh.

WW points range: 18-44
My WW points allowed per day: 19!!!

(These points are based on your current weight, sex, age, height and how active you normally are during the work day.)

Anyway, I don't know how I'll be able to keep my daily eating to 19 points. I'm pretty sure I must be eating at least twice that right now. :P

My personal goal was to lose 15 pounds, but I think aiming to lose 10 pounds during this 10-week program will be a huge accomplishment. I'm going to change my weight loss ticker right after I post this. I think seeing my weight in actual numbers on the ticker might be a bit more meaningful to me than how many pounds I've lost. I initially wanted to keep my real weight a secret, but, ah, what the heck. You can tell I'm packing a few extra pounds just by looking at me so who am I kidding. ;)

Note: Okay, I just changed the ticker to pounds. I can't even remember the last time I weighed 134 pounds. Probably in high school or early college. Yeah, probably 10 years ago.)

I really wish that one of my co-workers decided to join so we could motivate and support each other during the week. No such luck, but I do know other people in my "class". I may need to call on them during the week!

On a side note, can you believe that I'd have to weigh 120 pounds in order to be at the highest end of a "normal" weight range according to the BMI?

Well, DAY 1 of this journey starts tomorrow....

Happy Birthday, Steven!

Today, my baby brother turned 24 years old. Where is the time going? The years are just flying by....

Love you, Steven! :D


circa 1989...oh gosh, 20 years ago?!


March 2007

Camera Porn

Hehehehehe....

It is done.

Oh boy. Late last night, I spent more on a camera lens than on my monthly mortgage!

I've been eying this lens for quite some time. Perhaps since last fall? I can't recall exactly when the coveting began, but this is a HUGE purchase for me. I'm glad Brian let me indulge. I'm excited for the lens to get here so I can get ample practice in before my SIL's wedding in September.

Next on the upgrade list is a camera body. I wanted the Canon 40D, but it looks like the camera body has been discontinued. However, it's still available with body/lens kits. Eh, once the shock of this latest lens purchase wears off (our last major camera purchase was 18 months ago), Canon will probably be introducing yet another camera body.