Week 9

Tonight was Weigh In Night.
I was UP 2 lbs!
I'm  disappointed but not overly surprised.
I had a bit of a melt down last week end where I totally overrate .
This past week I have been goodish but I was on a course in a hotel on Tuesday and Wednesday.
We ate all our meals out!
I had a few glasses of wine with dinner.
I had dessert and I had a bread roll.
So maybe I wasn't so good after all!

My leader's attitude tonight was just Deal with it!
That's life!
Get on with it!
So this week I'm going to get on with it!
I hope to make good choices this week.
I have another Communion Celebration this week end.
I'm hoping to make better choices this time.
My main problem last week was not what I ate but the amount I ate!
So onwards and DOWNwards!

Why? Why? Why?

Yesterday I made a pig of myself!
I have been on a slippery slope since Weigh in on Thursday.
On Thursday I was too busy to have a proper meal after work and I think I got too hungry.
Then when I started eating I couldn't stop.
Friday was better but I still had cake and chocolate  that I wouldn't normally have had.
Yesterday I had my nephew's Communion and I totally over ate.
I made a right pig of myself.
I don't know why I did this but I ate lots of bread with real butter!,  drank loads of wine and went back at least twice if not three times for the desserts.
I felt rotten after - bloated - bordering on sick.

Why did I do this to myself?
This is the first time in the last 8 weeks that I've totally fallen off the bandwagon !
I can't figure out why?????
I hope to get back on track again.
I got up early this morning and went for a run .
I'm still not totally back on track but hopefully I'm getting there.
My willpower seems to have left me!

What's an Ideal Weight?

What's an Ideal Weight?
As I near my goal of 9 st 4 lbs / 130 lbs I'm wondering what my Ideal Weight should be.
I'm 5 3". I'm female and I'm 43.
So I decided to google it and I found an Ideal Weight Calculator.
Based on different popular formulas my weight should be anything from 115 lbs to 126 lbs.
Based on the Healthy BMI Recommendation my recommended Ideal Weight is between 104 lbs to 141 lbs.

Thankfully I'm now within the Healthy BMI Recommendation.
But should I reset my goal?
Right now I'm thinking should I aim for 126 lbs / 9 st ?
The Jury is out on that one!

One part of me is saying Go for it! A nice even number - an easy one to remember!
Another part of me is asking when was I ever that weight in my life before?
NEVER!!!!
Is that reason enough NOT to aim for it?

As well as that I'm now getting a lot of compliments and criticisms!
Naturally I love the compliments.
It amazes me how it takes people awhile to notice weight loss.
I suppose we get abit paranoid about it and think that every pound lost should be noticed.
But It's a great motivation to keep going.

But then I'm also getting the criticisms!
The criticisms coming from my nearest and dearest!
Comments like " Your're looking gaunt"
"You wouldn't want to lose anymore weight".... etc don't help.

So I'm at abit of a junction.
I intend to lose another 2 lbs to get to my original goal.
Then I'll wait and see.
If I can motivate myself to go another 4 lbs I will.
If not that's ok too.
The important thing for me is Maintenance !
Remember I've been here a few times before!

Week 8

Tonight was Weigh In night.
I was down 1.5 lbs.
I'm very happy again with that.
I'm down 17.5 lbs in 8 weeks.
I have only 2 lbs left to reach my goal.

It's now my hard work begins.
I still have a lot of food issues to resolve.
I'm often too busy to eat.
I snack rather than eat proper meals.
Time seems to be a huge problem for me.
I rarely eat what I cook for my family.
What I'm doing at the moment is not sustainable.
I need to eat what everybody else is eating.

Tonight there was a different leader at the meeting.
It's great to see someone else's perspective on weight watchers.
She gave out great practical tips and easy low propoints recipes.
Again she left us with the Weight Watcher Mantra-
 "If you Fail to Plan -You plan to Fail"

I think that's the key to success.
You must plan out your meals and healthy snacks.
It's important to have a variety of healthy snacks/ foods at hand in your kitchen.

The Benefits of Exercise

Exercise and its benefits - This is a topic I've thought and read  a lot about lately.
I run, walk and am trying to play golf!
I know I'm becoming fitter and more toned.
I'm getting in my fresh air.
But For me personally the best thing about exercise is  the feel good factor after exercise !
How I feel mentally!
Exercise is great for my Mental Health.
Working full time and living in a busy household it's important to have an outlet away from everyday stresses and pressures.
My outlet is exercise .
Time out for ME.

I do believe that Weight Loss and Exercise go hand in hand.
Our main aim is to work towards a Healthier Lifestyle.
It's important to tone up.

BUT sometimes I think that Weight Watchers ( the clients / members I'm referring to) put too much emphasis on exercise for losing weight and are disappointed if they have no weight lost even though they have done alot of exercise.
I find to lose weight you have to EAT LESS.
I'm using the App "RunKeeper " to track my runs and it amazes me how hard it is to burn off calories!
A 10 k run for me burns off about 650 calories!

One Step Nearer

Last Friday I felt one step nearer one of my Goals.
I want to run in a 10 k race during the Summer.
I have been following an App "Couch to 10 k" and on Friday evening I ran 10 k without stopping!
I was delighted.
For me sometimes it's a matter of mind over matter.
My mind often lets me down with thoughts of "I can't!".
Now that I know I can do it- I hope to run it again today.

During the week I was asked to take part in a relay for the Cork Marathon.
Again my first reaction was to say "I can't ".
But I didn't !
And now I'm hugely motivated to go running again .
I have two weeks to get ready.

Week 7

I had my Weigh In tonight.
I'm down 2.5 lbs.
Again I'm delighted!
I'm down 16lbs in 7 weeks!
I'm now within 3.5 lbs of my Goal Weight.
It's a good feeling.
I now have all the privileges of being a Gold Card Member again.
I'm now free to attend Weight Watcher Meetings .
I intend to get to my Goal again and to continue to attend the Weight Watcher Meetings regularly.

I had a good week.
I didn't track this week.
Not on paper officially anyway but I always track in my head.
I am trying to eat mainly from the Filling and Healthy Foods.

I've lost the weight easily enough this time.
What am I doing differently this time?
I've cut back hugely on bread, potatoes and pasta/rice.
I eat lots of fruit , veg and salads.
I don't eat a lot of red meat.
I usually choose chicken , fish or salad.
I eat little and often!
I've cut back in drinking wine- I now only drink 1 to 2 glasses of wine a week.

My Motivation

It's important to keep motivated on this journey.
But sometimes it's easier said than done.
At the moment I'm feeling good and I believe my frame of mind has a lot to do with my motivation.

I'm losing weight weekly which is a great motivator.
I have now lost nearly 1 st in weight and I really feel it in my clothes.
I think I look well! (another good motivator).

I find writing this blog a great help to me.
At the moment it's like my private diary.
I haven't told my family or friends about it.
I feel I can be more honest and open about my weight when I feel anonymous !
How sad is that!
This is my outlet.
I have found in the past that in general family and friends don't want to talk about healthy foods, propoints and exercise !
They don't want to know you're on a diet.
And that's ok too.

I love hearing / reading other people's stories or blogs.
I read the Weight Watcher magazine and I follow loads of blogs.
I find these inspirational.

I find the Weight Watcher Meetings a great help.
I usually come away with some bit of advice or a tip be it from the leader or a fellow member.
The chats I enjoy!

I'm getting a great sense of achievement from exercise this time.
I suppose I'm doing things I thought I'd never be capable of.

The goals I've set myself are now within reach.
I can see the finish line !

Just to finish on a quote
"Motivation is what gets you started- habit is what keeps you going."
How true!

Week 6

I had my weigh in last night.
I was down 3 lbs.
I'm delighted with that.
I missed last week's weigh in so that weight loss was for 2 weeks.

Last night I went to a different meeting with a different leader .
It was nice to see how other meetings operate.
It was in a country area and was more intimate.
Nearly everyone stayed for the meeting.
There were about 15 at the meeting.
It was like having a big chat with the neighbours.
All we were short of was the cup of tea and the biscuits ( sorry I mean the rice cakes!!!).
This type of meeting wouldn't suit everyone.
Sometimes it's good to be at a meeting where you can sit back and be anonymous if you so wish.
The jury is out for me!
But it's great to have options for meetings.
I have 3 I can choose from - all within 20 minutes drive from home - all on a Thursday night.

Last night the Leader asked an interesting question.
Being that the meeting is on of a Thursday night, when does the weekend start for you?
When does your Weight Watcher Week start?
It amazed me that many said they wait until Monday to be strict on themselves again.

I believe that now that I'm on this Weight Loss Journey I can't afford to eat whatever I like for 3 days.
That's the me I'm trying to change!
I always need to be aware of what I'm eating / drinking and how much of it I'm having.
Yes I relax a little at the weekend.
I don't always track at the weekend.
But I am trying to train myself to always choose from the Filling and Healthy Foods.
Of course I have my treats or my glass of wine.
But I put a limit on  these !

I am now within 6 lbs of my goal again.
I lost 13.5 lbs in 6 weeks!
Next week hopefully I will lose 1 lb and I will be a Free Gold Card member again.
I hadn't realised this.
I only have to get within 5 lbs of my goal.
I am hoping to get back to my goal weight and I will continue to go to the Weight Watcher Meetings.

A New Activity

This week I'm delighted to announce that I've taken up a new hobby / pastime- GOLF.
Last Summer my two youngest kids took up Junior Golf and really enjoyed it.
The local club did a big drive to attract lady members and myself and a few of my colleagues took up Beginners Golf.
A member would take the beginners out every week and we would shoot a few balls( and a lot of fresh air shots!!!)
Before Easter we started formal Golf Lessons.
This week I went out twice and played 9 holes of golf each time.
This is a first for me and I feel a great sense of achievement !
I really enjoyed it.
I'm along way off becoming a PRO!
But now that I'm being more positive I have actually improved.
It's great to have a ME time.
I'm getting in my fresh air and I'm getting in some exercise!
So all in all it seems to tick all the boxes.

My other relatively new pastime is running.
I'm still following my App Couch to 10k and I'm on the second last week.
I'm running now for 25 minutes, walking for 1 and running again for 25.
I still don't find it easy but I feel really good afterwards.
I'm running about 8K.
It is one of my goals to do a 10 K during the Summer.
I feel I'm right on target.
In 2 weeks time there is a 10k race on in Dingle.
I would love to try it even if I have to walk at times.
If I'm in Kerry I will seriously consider it.

Anyway I don't think I would be running or golfing only for joining Weight Watchers.
It has made me focus more on Exercise.
It has made me focus more on ME.
I am worth it!
Now that I'm losing weight I have become more confident.
It has made me more conscious of using my limited time well.
All in all I am happy being me!

The Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is upon us!
For me that means spending a lot of time in a mobile home in Kerry.
This usually means lots of fresh air, walks and runs.
It also means eating healthier - lots of fruit bowls and salads.
But it also means drinking a lot of wine!
I'm quite partial to a white wine.
I love wine with food.
When I'm working during the week I limit my wine intake to the weekend.
Since I'm back at Weight Watchers I limit my weekly wine consumption to a glass or two.
But in Kerry it's quite normal for me to have a glass with my lunch and another with my dinner.
It's also the norm here to sit on the decking with family and friends sipping wine !
It's more common than drinking tea!!

This I need to address.
As my Weight Watcher Leader (who is a tea totaller! ) says " you can eat or drink your weekly pro points allowance but its difficult to do both".
If I want to continue losing weight I'll have to monitor my wine intake.
I'm hoping to limit my wine drinking to eating out at night only!
Keeping it at 1 or 2 glasses in the week.
That's the plan.
Hopefully I won't find it too difficult.

Week 5

My Week 5 Weigh in didn't happen.
I was going away for the Bank Holiday Weekend ( on the Thursday evening!!! ) and couldn't fit in my usual meeting .
I had planned to go to a meeting en route but I couldn't find the building advertised on the WW site.

Our family have a mobile home in Kerry that we go to for the Summer months.
So I must do a bit more research into it as I plan to attend this meeting again in the near future..
Anyway the bottom line is I didn't have my Week 5 Weigh In!

I did Weigh In on my own scales at home and I was down 1 lb.
I won't record that officially but I would be happy with that.
At this stage  I would be happy with 1 to 2 lbs a week.

This weekend again I'm not tracking ( on paper!! ).
I am tracking in my head and eating from the Filling and Healthy Foods.
I'm hoping that will do!
I do feel this is what I need to learn.
It's all or nothing with me!
In the past I have been great on my diet and then when I have reached my goal I tend to go back to my old ways.
I was either on a diet or not!

This time I'm hoping to train myself early on about always choosing from the Filling and Healthy foods.
I need to change my attitude to the diet !!
This is my DIET for the rest of my days!
I need to embrace it and enjoy it!
Easier said than done but that's my Challenge!