Thank Goodness For Monday

Usually one isn't excited for Monday, but I am glad it is Monday so we can get this week going! The carpet it going in today, the painters are coming tomorrow. We can start moving stuff into the family room at the end of the week. Happy Dance! And then there is this big football game on Sunday night to look forward to.

The tile is in (the grout is done too but I don't have a picture)

Saturday my daughter and I went to a beach we hadn't been to before, but a beach I've wanted to check out as a fun place to go one evening. It was fairly windy, but not a ton of waves, but we stayed for about an hour

After the beach we went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch - neither of us finished our food and we got some cheesecake to go for us and for the rest of the family.

The rest of Saturday was very low key. Both of us took a nap - The cold, salty, fresh air must of worn us out!

Sunday morning I ran 5 miles. I didn't want to get up at 6:30 in order to meet up with some other people (If I run 5+ miles I like to get up an hour early because I need time for my stomach to settle the food I eat). It was the first time I had run 5 miles outside, and on my own, in a very long time. It was not easy, but I did it without walking. I ran at about a 13:00 mile pace which is 2 minutes off my PR, but I am not caring about PRs right now. I am not even worrying about pace - I am just concentrating on getting it done and not walking.

My son has been sick with a cough since Thursday. Sunday my husband brought him to the doctor and as we suspected he was diagnosed with pneumonia :( So he is home still today. Hopefully the anti-biotics will have kicked in enough so he can go back to school tomorrow.

May the week go fairly fast because last week was so slow, slow, slow!

January 28, 2017 Weigh-In

Starting Weight: 230.4
This Week's Weight: 227.2
Total Change From Last Week: -3.2
Total Change: -3.2
Height: 5'6"
Highest Non-Pregnancy Weight: 232.2

Made it back to my meeting - I had no clue what the scale would say this morning. I have been weighing myself ever day, but my eating has been less than stellar this week so I've been waiting for it to show up on the scale. TOM is about to show up and weirdly enough on the day it does, my weight is down on the scale - has been like this for years, very bizarre.

This week I am going to focus on tracking EVERYTHING. Last week I started out well, but after the weekend quickly dropped off. This week in the meeting we kept talking about the "blue dots" and I want them!

Here is to a good week!

3 miles at 5 am

I did it - I got up at 4:30 am to run at 5 am with my running group. I only did that 8 times last year, the last time being September 13. It was easier to get up because it was 38 degrees - balmy!

I looked and in 2015 I ran 38 times in the am (not always with my running group - there is a period of time when it is light enough that I feel okay running on my own)

I didn't sleep well last night, but that is always the case because a 5 am run - I worry about oversleeping. I'd rather turn the alarm off before it goes off so I don't wake up my husband. But I really should make it a habit of sleeping in the basement on those nights because he doesn't go to bed before 11 and is reading, or watching tv, or looking at his phone.

But it did feel good, even if I was the slowest one of this pack.

And I bought myself new running sneakers (Saucony Guide) and new running socks this week - I tried the sneakers this morning, but not the socks yet.

I hope I stay healthy! My son has a terrible cough and is home sick today :(

Trying to get back on plan on Hump Day

It hasn't been a great few days and I am annoyed at myself.

Saturday I spent a lot of time going over the Weight Watchers material and figuring out the SmartPoints of all my favorite foods. I was pretty shocked by some of them!

Saturday night dinner was kind of everyone-for-themselves. I cooked 3 oz of spaghetti as well as zucchini noodles and measured out 4 TB of cheese.

Sunday I went running with friends, but not before eating way too many points for my pre-run meal (I wasn't sure how many miles we were going to run so I did fuel pre-run. We only ran 3 miles, so I really didn't need the 1 Whole Wheat Waffle with strawberry jam, which was about 6 points). And then I had my usual post-run drink (chocolate milk - 7 points!) - Again, after 3 miles I didn't need it. So before I even sat down for breakfast, I was already down 13 points (out of 32 for the day!)

Sunday was kind of a lazy day. Eating wasn't horrible. I tracked everything!

Monday started out well. At lunchtime I went to heat up my leftovers for lunch and the microwave was broken, so instead of hunting down another one (and then having to carry my lunch all the way across the building) I just went home and heated it up there. But then I continued to eat like crap the rest of the afternoon.

Tuesday the kids ended up having a 2 hour delay for school, so I unexpectedly was home. And the workers were still there. And it ended up just being a free-for-all. Bad, bad, bad!

But I am still weighing myself every day, which is good (even though the numbers don't always look good)

And it is only Wednesday. I have 3 more days to turn it around before my weigh-in. Granted TOM is coming soon,  but I can't let that completely derail me.

And I need to have a relatively good week because before we know if the Super Bowl will be here. As soon as the AFC Championship was over and we knew we were in the Super Bowl, my husband was already asking what we were having (we always make munchies for the Super Bowl regardless of who is playing). I refused to plan food 2 weeks in advance, especially coming off a very good weekend. But there will be cake involved!

Back to Weight Watchers

I finally, finally made it back

Today's Weight: 230.4
Starting Weight: 232.2 (1/1/2017)
Change from Last Week:
Total Change: -1.8

While my eating hasn't been stellar at all this week, I knew I had to get back there this week. Zero excuses. So I did! I went back to my original meeting at 7:00 am. I lurked in the back - though did talk some. I didn't go up to the Leader and tell her I was back (It has been almost 2 years since I was in this location). I just took it all in.

So glad I did! Now I need to go through all my normal foods and see what "SmartPoints" they are - I did check my normal Lean Cuisine pizza and it is now 12 points (instead of 10). When I was losing me weight I was still having it but actually cutting out a portion so it was 8 points. I've been telling myself for years, and years, and years, I need to come up with a different lunch. But the pizza has been so easy - no having to stir it 1/2 way through, I can eat it with my hands while I work (I know, not ideal, when the topic this week was Mindful eating), but most of all I don't have to make it and measure it. But I know I should be having real meals for lunch. Not even ones that are lower points because I do want to stay full through the afternoon, but I need more protein and less bread with my meals. Baby steps!

Another week, another Friday

Thank goodness it is Friday again. Try to recharge my batteries and start anew.

This week has continued to be poor in the eating department. I've seen the scale go up and up. Wednesday was me vs. a package of Oreos - I definitely did not win. I don't mind the kids having junk food in the house over the weekend, but I really need to get into the habit of getting rid of it before the school/work week begins.

Work has been stressful. And I feel like I've been battling boredom or depression or maybe a little bit of both the evenings this week. I've just wanted to curl up in bed and read really trashy books and will the day to be over so we could be that much closer to....To what? This is always my thing - When I have something to look forward to I literally can not think about anything else. Very often I feel like I would have done so well with Ritalin in college because my brain does wander so much.

So what am I looking forward to?
The AFC Championship - Yes I want to win, yes I want to go to another Super Bowl, but will my world come crashing down if we don't win? No. We've been beyond blessed. This year I really want it for Tom. 2 years ago it was for us, Patriots Nation. This year it is for him - not that he will retire, but he can get #5 and he can stick to Roger Godell. If it can't be us, I want it to be Atlanta (or even the Packers - anyone except Pittsburgh!)

Our family room being done - I can't wait to display all the things I collected from my parents house. To have all the books we picked. To have all my photo albums out. And to be able to sit in the room and enjoy it. Of course work has been slow this week - but the flooring people are coming Wednesday so I told the contractors they had to be done by EOD Tuesday.

Getting some small organizational projects done around the house - with the stomach bug 2 weeks ago and still not feeling great last weekend, my To Do list from New Year's is still around and to know that I have the time to actually get it done (though easier said than done when I am enjoying relaxing!)

And relaxing means I haven't run in almost 2 weeks. I plan on getting out for 5 miles on Sunday on my own.

I can't help but think about what this winter may still have in store for us We notoriously don't get a lot of snow in January, but the past years when we have gotten a ton, ton, ton of snow, it hasn't been until February.

And then there is the fact that today is Inauguration Day. I loved the Obamas. I really hoped that something would happen at the last minute to stop the scariness. But that hasn't happened. And now we must deal. I hate feeling the way I do. I want to feel joy in this country again.

Need to get back at it

Eating has been pretty off the last few days.

I was pretty lazy over the weekend and just didn't feel like doing anything which resulted in me grazing through the kitchen.

And my daughter made Tollhouse Cookies which I just can't keep my hands off!

And Monday the kids and my husband had a holiday and I came home around 3:30 before a conference call and I proceeded to make popcorn to eat while on my call (I've been seriously craving popcorn for a while).

The scale is definitely up, but the good thing is I am getting on the scale every morning and logging it in my RunKeeper app (which reminds me if I don't) so at least I am doing baby steps!

Weigh-in #1: Non-Weight Watchers

I wasn't going to post a weight here because I didn't go to Weight Watchers (though when I am going to WW, what I do post here is my home weight). My head cold was worse last night, so I crawled into bed around 6 (though watched TV until 10:30). I didn't set an alarm, but told myself if I woke up at 5:30 and felt good, then I would go. I was awoken at 6:30 by my daughter's alarm (she got a new alarm clock for Christmas and she forgets to turn it off on the weekends so this is the 2nd Saturday it has gone off!)

Weight: 227.2
Highest Non-Pregnant Weight: 232.2

I am really going to try to eat healthy this weekend/week. This past week hasn't been realistic because of the illnesses, but if I can keep my weight away from the 230s and heading towards the 2-teens, I will be thrilled.

I do like football, but there is NO reason to eat munchies during the game. The Patriots are playing at 8:00 pm - I'll be watching in bed because I am supposed to go running in the morning. And none of the other games are "my team" - I will reserve munchies for the Super Bowl, regardless of who is in it, because to my the Super Bowl is a great celebration that winter is half over!!!!!

Friday already!

I was so excited, and nervous, last Friday, knowing that I would start Weight Watchers again the next day. And that just wasn't meant to be. The whole week was just a blur, but thankfully we are here back at Friday. I feel the same as I did last Friday in that I am working at home and trying not to eat myself out of house-and-home.

I am just starting to get my appetite back and that resulted in some snacking yesterday afternoon. When I got home mid-afternoon the house cleaners were there, so me and my daughter had to hide out in the basement for a bit while they finished up. I had had my snack at work with my lunch, so the only thing to eat/drink was some ginger ale that was left in our basement fridge. And once I could go back up stairs, I scrounged up some trail mix from my husband's stocking.

Now that my stomach is better, I know have a pretty bad head cold :( I hold it just stays at that and doesn't become a sore throat and/or cough. I've been trying to rest this week to get healthy.

While we got 6+" of snow last Saturday, we've had weather in the 50s and 60s the last few days - you can't really tell through the window below, but all the snow is gone! It will be chilly for the weekend, but in the 40s next week. I will take it!

The highlight of the week has been having our contractors here. The bookshelves are done, and they will start working on the entertainment center. Tomorrow the flooring people are coming out to measure so they can order the carpet. In an ideal world the room would be done by the Super Bowl, but we aren't holding our breath.

Happy, healthy (!) weekend!

I can not wait for this wall to be done!

Taking Care of Myself

I will admit I have been neglecting the doctor the last 2-3 years. I had a physical with my new local PCP a week after my dad died (so almost 2 years ago) but really the only reason I went then was to get a new prescription. At that point I had regained 20-25 of the 50 lbs. She put in an order for blood work but I didn't get it taken - kept saying I would go back when I had lost some of the weight. Also, my GYN is far away and I kept saying I would find a local one, but that didn't happen until now.

So today I say my new GYN. I really liked her. I haven't had a female in over 10 years. I made an appointment for a mammogram in 3 weeks, and I have an appointment with my PCP at the end of March. And I was thrilled that my blood pressure was very good. What I wasn't thrilled with (totally my fault) was when the nurse was inputting my weight, a warning flashed that the # was more than 10% from the last time (May 2015) so she had to input it a couple of times. Embarrassing.

When I made the appointment with my PCP she put in an order for blood work (since my old one expired). While the lab was in the same building as my doctor's appointment, I chose not to have it taken today because I didn't feel that it would be completely accurate because I haven't really been eating the last few days. I do worry about what my sugars and cholesterol look like. But I know I CAN turn it around.

Now to just get myself to the dentist :) But even with dental insurance, that is big $$. $$ we just don't have now.

Oh yeah, and I should get my eyes checked. I think it is reading glass time.

And my PCP will order a colonoscopy (like they have been for 5-6 years and I keep blowing it off) - Maybe that one will wait until the Fall.

All Down Hill After I Posted

The weekend took a major turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon. Just as things were winding down and I was looking forward to relaxing in front of the TV, my daughter got the stomach bug. She was down for 6 hours and just as I was done with that, I didn't feel great and got ill myself :(

Yesterday I lay in bed all day while my husband worked from home and my daughter was home too, even though she felt fine. The contractors were at the house working on the family room, so I really, really didn't want to leave my room, not that I felt like it. My head hurt too bad to watch any sort of device, so all I could do was lie there in agony and moan :)

Just as I was ready to get up because the contractors were gone and I was starving, my husband came to bed saying he didn't feel good. I high-tailed it out of there! Thank goodness we now have pull-out couches in the basement (where I spent the night when I was sick) and our office (where I spent last night so I could still hear the kids (and my husband)) in case they needed me.

Thank goodness our illnesses weren't as bad as the kids, so I was back at work today, my daughter was back at school. My husband is home, but apparently feeling better. I had to cancel the house cleaners today but thankfully they can come back on Thursday.

I guess 45 kids were out from my son's school yesterday! People are saying you really should keep your kids home for 3 days after being sick. The policy is 24 hours, which I did with my daughter. Us working moms - no way I could keep my kid home that long - plus they would go insane. But I also understand the Norovirus is very contagious.  I am going to go home and clean even more. And pray this is the end of it!

5 Mile Treadmill Workout Done!

I was supposed to run 5 miles outside with a friend, but with the snow not having stopped until after midnight last night, the roads weren't going to be very clear. Plus it was 7 degrees with a feel of 4, so no way I was going to.

I didn't set an alarm but work up around 7:45. I ate a whole wheat waffle with raspberry jam and waited an hour. For runs of 5+ miles I need to eat something first. And anything over 7 miles, I eat during the run as well.

After kicking the kids out of the basement, I put on the movie "Fever Pitch" which is a great movie for Boston sports fans.

I finished the 5 miles in 1:04:34. I was happy to be less than 1:05. I tried to speed it up a little at the end but I was definitely getting tired, physically and mentally. Once the running was over, movie was still going on, so I walked extremely slowly (3.2 mph) for another 1.5 miles until the movie was over.

 

I kept thinking about how in May 2015 I ran a 5 miler in 55 minutes (that was the race I was supposed to run a 1/2 but I dropped down). I don't think I can get back there by this May but my goal will be 1:00. After I finished the run I signed up for the race again. This is the same race that I had to bag out of last year because I had been out in the sun in 100 degrees the day prior, and even though I drank water like crazy and ate well, I woke up at 4:30 am and almost fell down on the way to the bathroom because I was so dizzy. While I want to spend a lot of time with my family this year, I also need to take the time for myself that was so lacking last year (because I spent so much time away from them helping my mom clean out the house).

 

 

Weight Watchers That Wasn't and Snow!

Friday was a great day - I ate well during the day, despite working at home. I went to BJs and stocked up on the normal things, plus lots of chicken, ground turkey, and ground beef that I can freeze. I went to the grocery store and got lots of healthy stuff (and some not so healthy, but that was for the kids). I had a small dinner. I laid out my new Weight Watcher's outfit.....And then my son got the stomach bug :(

My husband really deals with all-things-stomach-bug because I have a huge vomit phobia, but I was up most of the night feeling like my stomach hurt and being worried that the rest of us would catch it. So I turned off my 6:15 alarm and woke up around 9:00.

I had a huge head ache, partially because I probably hadn't eaten enough. My weight was a little insane (down 4.2 lbs from the day before).

Saturday was a snow day. I had a few errands to run in the morning, but then was housebound for the rest of the day. I puttered around. Ate so-so, but not great (my weight is up 2.2 lbs this morning!).

Today is another day. Cold, cold, cold (7 degrees, feels like -4). I was supposed to run 5 miles today so I am going to TRY to do it on the treadmill - that will be a mental battle!

We probably got about 6 inches. Yesterday was beautiful when it was snowing. Now once it is over, you just want it to be Spring!

The Day That Wasn't and Wishing Friday Away

Finally it is Friday - How am I going to deal next week when we have a full 5 day work week?! I feel like it has been so long.

I work from home on Fridays and this is the first one in a while where it has been just me (well, also our contractors came today - yeah!!)

I am working on getting my water in. This is my 20 oz water bottle - I have 3 of them that I rotate through the refrigerator. My goal is to drink 5 of them a day.

Yesterday (Thursday) was a so-so day. I brought my lunch (leftover pasta/ham/asparagus) from the night before - but probably too many calories.

My daughter asked for ice cream when she got home and wanting the ice cream out of the house, I had some with her. But writing this I was just reminded that we still have some, so I took it out of the freezer, ran water over it, and left it to melt. I need to just have NO temptations in the house.

Which is where the "Wishing Friday Away" comes from. Being home on Fridays is hard food wise, especially when I have WW the next day. But in the distant past, it was a good thing knowing I had WW the next day to keep me from eating like crazy (this was back when I used to food shop on Friday mornings).

Yesterday I didn't do any exercise when I got home. My steps were pretty dismal. I got my hair done (gotta love all the hair dye that got left on my head - I can't wait to shower in the morning!). I got it cut shorter - I had short hair for so long and was waiting until I lost weight to cut it short again. But I am sick of waiting. We always have pizza after getting our hair done since our pizza place is right next door. My husband had made a salad (trying to save $, plus we had produce that needed to get eaten up!). I had 2 regular slices and 1 small.

So now it is Friday and I am trying to be good - trying to eat only my normal foods. People keep saying "but you are starting Weight Watchers again tomorrow, eat away!" but I am right where I was 12/1/2012 when I last joined, so I don't want the number to be higher!

So I am trying not to think about the leftover pizza in the fridge, the leftover pasta, the pasta I could make. Nope, just trying to concentrate on my normal foods. Just because I am home doesn't mean I shouldn't eat what I would normally eat at work.

Getting the steps in is hard at home though. I have a ton of work to do (which I am really procrastinating about right now!). I may try to walk on the treadmill tonight since I didn't even get in 6,000 steps yesterday :(

One of my Friday tasks is to write out my grocery list, which means think about what we are having for dinner next week. We've had all our normal stand-byes lately, so time to pull out the recipe binder!

And NONE of the foods being offered at school next week the kids like, which means 10 lunches next week :(

I'll check in tomorrow to say how Day 1 of Weight Watchers goes!

Work Day Success/ Afternoon Fail

Ever since September 2015 when I started spending afternoons at home, to get the kids off the bus, I've gained a lot of my weight between the time I get home and when they get home. Unfortunately yesterday was no different.

I got home around 2:00, they got home at 3:30, and my "snacks" of choice were Garlic Croutons (they are like chips - so yummy!) and milk chocolate chocolate bits. The Croutons were finished, the rest of the chocolate bits went in the trash.

The reason I mini-binge when I am home as I am so stressed about all the work I need to do and being pressed for time before the kids get home. I don't want them to be in After Care every day but I've got to get this afternoon munching under control - it has been a huge reason for my weight gain over the last 16 months.

I wanted to get to 10K steps yesterday so around 5:30 I got on the treadmill to walk - I needed almost 4,000 steps! Walking on the treadmill is SO boring! I ran in a few spurts to try to make it go faster, but since my mindset was for walking, I didn't last long with running. I ended up walking 30 minutes and walked 1.83 miles (I tried walking 15:00 miles but it was just too fast).

First Lunch at Work a Success

Usually when me and my work-BFF have lunch I don't know in advance, and even when I have brought my lunch, I end up buying it (and as of late, that also meant buying a 12 oz regular Coke because I hate buying water....and I do love regular cans of Coke). My regular lunch is a Lean Cuisine Pizza and a bag of carrots. The line at the microwaves in the cafeteria are long and if I heat it up upstairs it is awkward to bring it downstairs.

A part of my Healthier Me 2017, I decided I would leave all my $ (hidden) in my car, so I wouldn't be tempted to buy lunch (nor do any on-line shopping except for Amazon (which can be deadly itself)). My friend loved my idea. She too wants to curb the $ and the calories.

Yesterday she and I planned to have lunch today. I grabbed some leftovers which could more easily be transported from the microwave upstairs to downstairs (and wouldn't take as long to heat up as the pizza). I also grabbed my carrots and my water bottle.

So what about the times lunch isn't planned? I will just have to deal with bringing the heated pizza downstairs. But I do want to make an effort to actually make my lunch.

Currently this is the food I bring to work - very grab-n-go friendly, but a little too much processed food (and actually too many WW Points as well).

Breakfast
Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Cheerios (put into snack baggies on Sundays)

Morning Snack
1 plastic containers of peaches (I drain off the liquid before eating
2 WW cheese sticks

Lunch
Lean Cuisine Supreme Pizza
1/2 cup carrots (put into snack baggies on Sundays)

Afternoon Snack
1 plastic containers of peaches (I drain off the liquid before eating
Vitatop

I want to start actually making my lunch - like egg salad, tuna salad. But when I am on Weight Watchers (which I will be on Saturday!), then that is just more weighing and measuring. I've been eating the Lean Cuisine pizzas for years, and years, and years! They are just so easy!

2017 and a Healthier Me is all about baby steps. Can't do it all at once!

New Year off to a start

Note, I didn't say a good start. But in reality, today was the 1st day of the year to be "good"

After spending a lazy Sunday after my 5K, I was on my feet almost all day on Monday.

It was an organizing day like crazy so I felt good when we went to bed. One of the objectives of the organizing day was to find my Garmin (not my running watch, but my FitBit type device) - I never found mine or my son's, but my daughter gave me hers so I am wearing it today. I probably had 15,000 steps on Monday and went to bed at 10:00, my body physically tired. But my mind was not, so I didn't fall asleep for a while.

Because I didn't fall asleep for a while, I didn't get up at 5:30 when my husband's alarm went off. I was going to get up and run/walk on the treadmill (it is too icy right now to go outside).

I weighed myself this morning (232.4 :( ) but at least I did it! I NEED to weigh myself every day. I did it even though I've had a lot of ice cream the last couple of days.  But it is my starting point.

And I made it through lunch today without buying my lunch! My friend wants to have lunch tomorrow - I am okay with that as long as I bring my lunch that I made.

Here is to a great year!!

1st Race of 2017 Complete

Happy New Year!

I was a little wary about leaving the house this morning because it poured rain and then froze overnight, but by 9:30, when I left, the salters had been out. My 10 year old daughter surprised me by saying she wanted to do the race. I stuck with her for a couple of miles, but then she wanted to walk at a molasses pace, so I kept going without her. I kept a slow and steady pace - I just wanted to finish and get my bling.

This was the 5th time I had done this race - 2012, 2014-2017

I am definitely looking forward to adding to this wall this year!