Plateau = Motivation

So...here we are. Weigh-in day.

I have to admit...I'm kind of addicted to Wednesday's. I like seeing the progress that I'm making on a weekly basis. It's fun to watch the scale move in the direction that I want it to. Unfortunately, that didn't happen this week. I know...I know. It's a plateau...it's to be expected.

Well...I'm pissed. I guess that's the great thing about being stubborn - I have the ability to turn a potentially negative quality into something positive.

So...how am I going to do that? First of all...I'm going to kick this week's ass.

That includes not eating (or drinking) all of my extra points, really starting to exercise (more than once a week) and truly paying attention to the type of groceries that I'm putting away (and I'm not talking about putting food in the pantry either).

My goal is to get out and ride my bike this week. When you see my bike, you'll know that I'm not trying to be the next Lance Armstrong. lol.

I'll definitely be "that mom" when I hook the bike trailer up to the back of it and pack the babes up and set off on a cruise of our neighborhood. But...if that's what it takes to help me reach my goals...then so be it.

So while I may not have gained weight this week, I did gain a little bit of momentum and motivation in order to really buckle down this week and make my efforts pay off. After all - I'm totally worth it!

I was that girl

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my WW meeting - listening to our leader. She was talking about how she can tell when someone has lost weight. Their shirt is tucked into their pants and their belt shows.

I never really thought about it in those terms. I never tuck my shirt in and I hardly ever wear a belt. I mean really...what's the point? My hips and stomach have always kept my pants where they needed to be.

So it struck me completely out of the blue last week while I was preparing for a lunch meeting. I was meeting a reporter for lunch to discuss upcoming media opportunities. I went to the bathroom before I left the building and had that "Ah-ha!" moment.

I couldn't go out looking like a complete slob. My shirt was way too big and my pants...well, that's a whole other story. Since losing my ass, all of my pants fit weird in the seat and legs.

Anyway...I digress. Back to my story.

I immediately tucked in my button down shirt - exposing my belt. I know...random. I wore a belt that day. It was amazing to see that transormation in the mirror. I looked...pulled together. You could see the definition in my waist. You could even see that my belt was on the very last notch. It actually took me a minute to realize that all of the hard work that I've been putting into my transformation has actually started to come to fruition.

Needless to say...I bought my first pair of size 8 work pants that week. Here's what's even more incredible. My girlfriend owns a resale boutique - Kelly Lane Boutique. All of her clothing is to die for! If you are in the area, you should totally check her out!

Anyway. Back to incredible. So...my skinny jeans that I received at Christmas aren't so skinny anymore. They are really baggy and look horrible. I went to Kelly's on Saturday and tried on the skinny jeans that she had in her shop. For the first time in God knows how long, I tried on a size 6...AND they fit!!! Hallelujah!!!

I stepped outside of the dressing room and asked Kelly if they looked okay. I mean, really. The last time that I was a size 6 was when I was 12 years old.

Needless to say, those Citizens for Humanity skinny jeans looked amazing and they came home with me. So did the size 6 Old Navy skinny jeans. lol.

While this road definitely hasn't been easy, I'm starting to see the pay offs. It's not about clothes or new shoes. It's about transforming my attitude towards eating and most importantly...myself. I keep reminding myself that I am worth it and that I can do this.

So...here's to a stellar week of not only meeting my goals, but finally being able to be a little bit kinder to myself. Because I AM WORTH IT!!

For the first time....

...in a long time, I finally noticed a difference in the way that I look and feel. Thank God! I was beginning to worry that I wasting my money. lol

On Monday, I got up and dressed for work like any typical day. I put on my black pants and my bright green button down shirt. I thought that my pants seemed a little bit looser than normal, so I put a belt on and ran out the door.

I did my thing at the office and by 10:00, I had to pee something fierce. And that's when I noticed it. I was washing my hands and looked up to check myself out. I was a complete disaster! My pants were too big, the butt was completely sagging, and I could have fit another person into my shirt! The fashionista was gone and was replace by some frumpy chick staring back at me!

I immediately tucked my shirt into my pants and it pulled me together more than what I was when I walked into the bathroom. Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could do about my pants hanging on my body.

When I got home, I did the unthinkable...I put on a pair of size 10 pants. I cringed at the thought. I mean, up until now, I haven't noticed a difference. To my pleasant surprise, those pants didn't really fit either! So I panicked! What in the hell was I going to wear to work on Tuesday? I obviously couldn't go in naked...wouldn't want to start a riot!

So Tuesday morning, I carefully slid into a pair of black dress pants that I haven't worn in about forever. They were a size 8 and I kept my eyes closed the whole time. When they buttoned...and zipped...easily, I opened my eyes and looked in the mirror. I couldn't believe it.

They actually fit and looked good.

A lot of people seem to think that this whole transformation is easy for me. It's not. I love food. I eat when I'm bored. I eat when I'm not hungry. I eat just to eat. However, I feel like I've made some sort of transformation over these past 13 weeks. I feel like I finally have a healthy relationship with food.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am totally vain and can admit it. I want to look and feel incredible for the first time in my life. Plus, I might also want to wear a bikini this summer. I haven't worn one since I was 7 and I'm pretty sure that I want to do it just once.

So as of today, I have lost 19.6 pounds. I've been trying to put that into perspective and this is what I found:

Can you believe that I have lost that giant glob of shit on the bottom of the shelf? Holy Toledo!

So with that in mind...I'm outtie! xoxo

What's my anchor?

Everybody has something that they anchor themselves to in order to get them through. It's funny, because that was the topic of yesterday's meeting. My leader held up a ceramic figurine of a scrappy puppy drinking out of a water bowl. Tad bit odd, but it reminded her of her Grandmother - one of the strongest women she knew.

While I find that to be completely heart felt and super sweet, I have to admit that my anchor is a little bit more selfishly trendy. lol.

I have a thing for shoes. Shocking right? I decided when I started this journey that for every 10 pounds that I lost, I would do something fabulous for myself. In my mind, that means that for every 10 pounds that I lose, I get a new pair of shoes!

I didn't buy a pair when I lost my first 10. I had a moment of clarity and decided that I should probably wait. Well...that didn't last too long. A few weeks ago I reach the 15 pound mark and bought myself a pair of hot pink cork wedges. I have to admit...they are pretty bad ass. And they make my looks look amazing. ;)

So this week I lost another two pounds! Yay me, right?! I'm officially down 18 pounds and am only two pounds away from reaching another milestone. Although I decided that I'm going to hold off on my next shoe purchase until I hit the 25 pound mark. That is a pretty significant milestone in WW and by that point, I'm going to need a new pair of Sperry's to get me through the summer.

So with 12 more pounds to go, I can totally see the end in sight. Here's to achieving those milestones and getting a few new pairs of killer heels in the process!

Meal Planning and Recipes

Recently, I've been asked to share my recipes and some of my meal planning tips. I don't necessarily know if I plan any differently than anybody else.

I'm a creature of habit and I eat the same thing every day for breakfast - a delicious yogurt worth two points. Sometimes I'll get crazy and eat a banana too, but most days I just stick with my yogurt. However, there are other days where I know that I'm not going to make it on just two points. I may have a packet of oatmeal or a Thomas' English Muffin - both are worth three points.

For lunch, I normally eat between seven and eight points. I'm a big fan of having a six or seven point "main" lunch meal, eating a piece of fruit and then having a piece of WW String Cheese (one point).

By the time I'm ready for dinner, I typically have between 16-17 points to eat. I can double up on whatever we're having or eat sensibly and have dessert later. Kind of depends on my day.

Lately, I've been having a little bit of trouble getting in all of my 26 allotted points. Crazy huh? I can tell that my stomach is shrinking and I just can't eat all of that food in one day. I don't load up on "free" food all day either, so it's kind of a balance that I need to work through. I started adding a teaspoon of oil to my food just so that I can burn points and get in my essential dailies.

Okay...so now that I've bored you with my planning...let's talk recipes!

There are a few things that we eat every week that can be portioned out and placed in your freezer for lunch meals later on in the week.

Okay...so I know that this first item isn't a reciped, but it's totally worth noting. Have you ever eaten Voila! Garlic Chicken?!! If you haven't, then you definitely should! It's amazing! It's only five points per cup and most of the time, I can eat two for dinner! Plus, it's a full serving of veggies!

Another great recipe that we make every week is the Electric Skillet Meal. The kiddos love it and it's only seven points per cup. I typically freeze three or four one-cup meals so that I can take them to work through out the week. Okay...here's that recipe:

1 lb. hamburger
1 med. onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. tomato juice
1 (10 oz.) can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 tsp. or tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. chili powder1
(8 oz.) box elbow spaghetti
1/3 c. diced Cheddar cheese (Velveeta cheese works well)

Cook hamburger, onion, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until meat is lightly browned. Do not burn onion. Stir in tomato juice, tomato soup, sugar and chili powder. Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently.

Cook spaghetti as directed and drain. Add to meat mixture in electric skillet.

Just before serving, cover meat and spaghetti mixture with Velveeta cheese and heat until cheese starts to melt. Can be served from skillet with crackers and relishes for a complete meal.

I'm also a big fan of picking recipes from the Weight Watchers website and trying those out. I've made a Baked Carbonara, Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli and Chicken and Dumplings. By far, the Chicken and Dumplings recipe was the best! Just in case you want to try it, here's that recipe too:

6PointsPlus Value
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Serves: 6

1 1/4 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil

4 medium uncooked leek(s), white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
4 medium uncooked shallot(s), thinly sliced
2 medium uncooked carrot(s), sliced into thin rounds
2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, sliced
1 leaf/leaves bay leaf
1 tsp thyme, fresh
2 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp uncooked cornmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 1/2 tsp parsley, minced
1/4 cup(s) low-fat milk
1/2 cup(s) apple juice
1/2 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed

Instructions

Season chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Mix flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle chicken with 1 tablespoon of seasoned flour. In a large skillet, heat oil and lightly brown chicken. Remove from pan.

In the same skillet, sauté leeks and shallots until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, celery, bay leaf and thyme and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon of seasoned flour and it cook until it begins to color, about 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and apple juice. Return chicken to pot. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile to make dumplings, sift 2 tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt together into a bowl. Stir in parsley. With a fork, stir in milk until dough just comes together. Drop dumpling mixture with a teaspoon into chicken mixture. Simmer, covered, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add peas, and cook until dumplings are done, another 2 to 4 minutes. Serve in six 1-cup portions.


So...there you have it. A few minor insights into my week. Peace and love!

Who needs a new pair of shoes? This girl!

During my average weekly visits to the fat farm, nothing too exciting or adventurous happens. My average weekly weight loss is roughly 1.4 pounds, which pisses me off considering how OCD I am about the whole process and how I track everything that I eat.

So...I'm not really sure what happened this week, but I lost 3.4 pounds! That's right...3.4 pounds. I reached another milestone and got another 5 pound sticker for my book. I missed reaching my 10% goal by .8 pounds. Oh well. There's always next week.

It's funny...people keep telling me that I have to be noticing all of this weight that I'm losing. To be honest, I don't see it. What sucks is that I don't really notice it in my clothes either. Yeah...my pants are fitting a little bit better, but have I noticed a signifcant difference? Not really. Although...when I was shopping yesterday for Ellie's birthday presents, I did notice that the butt of my pants was seriously sagging.

I mean...why do I always have to lose my ass? Why can't I loose it...let's say...in my chest? Is that asking for too much? I've been begging for a breast reduction since I was 15. I thought that losing weight would be a great non-surgical alternative. Apparently...they have a mind of their own and think otherwise.

Anyway.

So I decided today that because I reached my half way point (down 15.2 pounds), I am going to do something that makes me feel special. And that my friends involves a new pair of shoes. I'm so giddy that I can hardly stand it! Check out the pic below. Who wants to place bets that I'll break my ankle within the first three weeks? lol.





So that's my story for today. Nothing crazy or exciting. Just a girl closer to her goal of looking amazing!

Checking in at AA...I mean WW

Once again, I made an appearance at my WW meeting today. Every time I go, I feel like I'm checking into an AA meeting. "Hi. My name is Lori. I'm fat."

Well...today was no different. Stupidly...I weighed myself on my home scale. Honestly, this is plain torture. I don't know why I feel compelled to keep doing it. Maybe it's because I'm so OCD when it comes to this whole weight-loss challenge.

Anyway. I won't bore you with the ridiculous details of that morning drama. Instead, I'll just say that I lost 1.8 pounds this week. I'm now down a total of 11.8 pounds! While this is amazing...I still can't tell a difference. Well...that's not entirely true. I have noticed that I completely lost my ass. Seriously...it's gone. lol. Not that it was large to begin with, but my pants are now kind of just "hanging" in the back. And...I don't have to stuff my calf fat into my hooker boots when I zip them up anymore. WINNING!!!!!!!

So...today's topic was all about "nixing negativity". Kind of fit since I was all sorts of BENT due to the fact that my scale continues to give me false hope. Anyway. My leader challenged all of us to stop and write down one thing that we like about ourselves. She said that most of us might have trouble doing that while we are on the "weight loss journey". Um...really? Think that she has ever met me?!!!

Let me just say that I completely missed the modesty talk when I was a kid. I can completely compliment myself and talk about how awesome I am all day long! It's a complex...I think it's called "cocky". Not really sure where I picked that up at, but I've always been rather fond of myself. I mean really...I'm funny, I'm adorable, I'm smart (really...I have two degrees), I'm a great shopper, I'm funny....and the list goes on-and-on. lol. Hmmm....think that I might be overcompensating?

So, needless to say, I took her challenge and ran with it. Wow...that's about the only running that I plan on doing. Well...other than running my mouth - which is another very fine characteristic if I do say so myself. lol

Alright. Well, now that I have "exercised" my thoughts (and fingers), I'm outta here! That cupcake sitting on my desk isn't going to eat itself.