Halloween is coming! BEWARE!

Ok. So already there are little tiny cute chocolate bars spread around the office. The worst will be the day after Halloween when the entire office staff thinks "hmm I'll just take all my Halloween leftovers to the office instead of keeping them at home." I'm lucky I live in a condo so there is no trick or treating which means I don't have to buy the candy and therefore I won't be tempted to eat it. Who am I kidding I used to buy the candy anyway particularly chocolate and binge on it to get rid of it as quickly as I could. Temptation is a mild problem.

But this year, when I'm doing so well, I've decided not to celebrate Halloween. No drinking at Halloween costume parties. No chocolate treat binging. So on Thursday morning when all the candy surfaces around the office I'm going to boycott! I'm not celebrating this year.

I have many reasons. The most important being that I'm not that person anymore. I've changed and I'm not going to sabotage myself. So the candy isn't going to be sitting around my desk. Out of site out of mind. Other reasons. All the holiday parties will be starting soon and I want to look and feel fabulous. I know I will feel better if I've lost as much weight as possible between now and those parties. So having Halloween candy just sets me back even if it can be included in my point total. Why set myself up for a fall. I have my share of healthy treats and I am not deprived of treats these days. I'm eating balanced and in control and that feels way better to me than a mini-coffee crisp or dairy milk bar!

Mostly the Holiday Work Party where everyone gets dressed up in cocktail dresses and evening gowns. I have a great little fun cocktail dress and it is going to look way better on me after I've hit my 10 lb mark and beyond! It is over a month a way so I could lose anywhere between 5-10lbs before then! I can't wait!

A first month recap

Well so far so good. I've lost 7.2 pounds so far and am 2.8 pounds away from the 10lb marker. Things have been going very well. I've been in control of my eating, even during a few difficult challenges. It feels good to be in control.

Note to self: Things to do!
1. Watch the veggies and fruits. You need to eat more of these. Hit the 5 servings per day everyday that is your goal.
2. Drink your water. Again be consistent and drink those glasses of water every day.
3. Work out more. The ankle has been hindering this effort but a little will go a long way. So walking even a little more will be great!

Note to self: The things you did!
1. You've been tracking every day. Keep it up, this will help keep you from the mindless snacking that adds up. Each point counts and if you continue to track you will stay within your points totals even during those surprise dinners or events with friends.
2. Being positive. You know you can do this and you remind yourself everyday.
3. You lost 7.2 pounds! You're steadily getting yourself back on track and you are closer to your 10 lb mark and even closer to your 10% mark.
4. Pack you lunch and snacks at work. You've been really good at making sure you are prepared with snacks at work.
5. Make healthy choices when eating out. The points counting has helped you maximize the points by choosing healthier places to eat out!

So month one was a huge success. November will start to see more challenges as the holiday parties and dinners start to get scheduled.

Weight Loss Headache

Today I'm suffering through what I like to call a weight loss headache. I had breakfast and I had coffee so I'm not sure why I still have a headache. It isn't just a headache it is like I'm hungry headache. Stomach is trembling ever so slightly. Have a taste for something but I don't know what in the back of my mouth. Then that headache mixed in with a little I could get faint if you don't feed me feel.

That is today's fight with the body. So to counter it I ate my fruit and am drinking water. Maybe I'm just having a bit of a sugar low or am just dehydrated. I'm hoping this strategy will get me to lunch but it is only 10:30AM and my body is very stubborn. Why is today any different from any other of my days so far? WHY?

Woo hoo!

Yeah another week another 1.6lbs down. I'm really cooking now! That is a total of 5.8lbs! yeah! To celebrate I spent 40 minutes on the treadmill today! Week 3 is all about getting moving! So that is this week's goal MOVE MORE! 40 min on the treadmill is 3 points! So if I can keep racking up the activity points and preserve my 35 bonus points. I might just be able to get through dinner at the girlfriend's house on Friday.

That is all I have to look forward to this week. I'm not sure if I'm excited or terrified. Going to an Italian girl's house, who loves to cook, loves to pile on the food and loves to pour wine. All recipies for disaster! So I have 6 days to prepare myself for Friday. I can do this. Lots of exercise and preservation and according to this plan I should be able to get through this week without disaster!

Thinking positive! Thinking postivie! ..... slightly terrified.

Let's Give Thanks to what should I call it?

Thank god we didn't have the big huge Turkey binge this weekend. Nothing like a quiet long weekend where you can sleep in, recharge and eat like a normal person. I'm so thankful for eating like a normal person this weekend. I'm also thankful that I had the energy to get back on the treadmill and start adding the exercise back into my life program.

Life program sounds crap, but what can I call it? I refuse to say diet ever again. Cause this is no longer jumping from one diet to the next. What I want is a new way of life, something I will keep with me forever and ever. I won't be size zero nor do I care to be. Just healthy and happy with myself. Balanced.

Life Balance. That is what I'll call it. Cause that is what it is. Juggling work, health, friends, my energy, and anything else life throws my way.

Work was a big challenge for me. Last year I took the plunge and changed jobs. It was something I needed to do. Overtime, crazy people, abusive people and a micro-managing whore of a boss. (and that is being very kind!) I finally rid myself of her and now I work at a normal place where people appreciate what I do, and I don't get attitude and I don't get flack. Most importantly I don't have a boss that is watching my every move, every email, every meal and who I'm eating it with. I have a peaceful job that has no overtime and no bullshit. And that is the way it is going to stay! No more suffering and putting up with shit. It isn't worth it! I'm worth way more than that. Aren't you?

Health. Another challange this year with the ankle. I've had 6 months of physio and a cortisone shot. So I've had to really bring down my exercise. Last year I was a machine. Going to the gym 5 times a week, I even had a trainer. I loved it and I can't wait to get that back into my life.

Relationships. Bad friends gone, I put myself first now. I'm still there for my friends but I have to think about my needs first. That is a hard thing for me. I'm always giving and giving. People are always taking advantage and I can't let that happen anymore. Relationships and friendships are two way streets. No more one way journeys for me.

Spirit. My energy and spirit is still on a high. The 4.2lbs was a great boost to my energy. It is making all this planning and tracking worthwhile. I'm hoping the nutritional aspect of this program is going to help me until I can get back into my fitness routine.

In the meantime I will be happy, positive, full of energy and loving myself! Thanks for my health, thanks for taking me to WW, thanks for the support! Oh and THANKS for the 4.2lbs!

It Works By golly it Works!

Week one was a huge success. I counted points all week and this kept me from snacking which I discovered was a big weakness for me. I thought I was eating healthy but then I started counting points. Now I know better!

So week one I'm down 4.2lbs. Water or not i'm happy it's gone! So the second week begins.

This week I want to focus on Quality. Foods for little points but that pack a punch. I've already prepared a huge batch of all veggie soup. 0 points so I can eat as much as I want. Luckily for me I don't have any Thanksgiving day commitments. Just a relaxing long weekend. This week I also want to focus on getting back into exercise. It has been two weeks now since the cortisone shot in my ankle and I'm starting to feel stronger. So I plan to start walking again. Nothing too serious until I get the green signal from the specialist which I'm seeing on the 19th. There is still a lot of swelling and bruising so I'm not sure what he is going to say but for now. Light exercise and counting points is going to have to do it!

Yeah me! I'm on my way!

Our First Fight

It didn't take long. Yesterday evening I started to feel my body revolting against my brain. That itchy hungry feeling. Today at 11:50AM it is doing it again. Lunch is coming but I'm trying to put it off just a little bit longer. The water helped for a while, but it is like my body can't wait until it is officially lunch. Like it is purposefully throwing a tantrum and I'm supposed to cave to it's response. I planned a healthy day today and I'm sticking to it.

These are the terms of our new relationship. I eat and live a healthy life, my body deals with it and starts using up the 93lbs of extra storage it has been diligently stocking. That is the deal, sure there will be comprimises along the way, but not today. This is my honeymoon and I'm going to enjoy every second of it. I'm also going to enjoy the added bonus of the extra weight off on the scale at the end of the week. Cause the first time is always the best!

The itchy hungry feeling is actually very eye opening. I'm realizing that my "healthy snacks" added up over time. I thought a cracker with some cheese was a good thing, of course I couldn't just eat one usually you would eat 3 or 4. That is a lot of points. This little tingle feeling is often helped with a cracker or a granola bar or a cookie. Those cost points. I'm not wasting points today! At home I have a great chocolate SmartOne cake and I'm eating that with my after dinner tea tonight. That is four points and it is going to be the best 4 points of my day!

There is more than enough temptation in the office. The box of cookies that arrives with the groceries every Monday. The granola bars. The pretzles or whatever other food and snacks is lying around here. My brain doesn't have the energy to count the points of each indulgence, so why bother. Skip the snack, go back to your desk, drink your water and look forward to a lovely evening with your chocolate cake!

Mmmmm!

The Honeymoon Phase - Accepting the Til Death Do You Part

OK So Far So Good. I'm in what I like to call the honeymoon phase of my program. You've just signed up and you are still in love with the idea of it, that it is changing your life and that it is new and exciting. That is me right now. I'm learning about points. Taking the time to look up every point for every single thing I'm putting into my mouth. Looking at a cracker that I would've covered with laughing cow cheese and plucked into my mouth without a moment's hesitation, but now I'm hesitating. Cause that cracker on it's own is like 1.5 points then add the laughing cow wedge at 3-4 points and pow that is 6 points out of your 29 points for the day. HELL NO!

What I always wonder is how do you stay in the honeymoon phase forever? How do you continue to love without getting bored, frustrated or angry? How do you keep it fresh? How do you stay in love til death do you part?

Everyone knows one of those people, that can smile through it forever and we don't understand them. We see them on Oprah, or on the cover of People Magazine. They manage to start a program, fall in love with it, and take it with them forever. HOW? Don't they have that week, where they !*#% up so royally that it makes them doubt themselves to the core. That it makes them feel weak. That makes it sooooo hard to start counting again? Don't they have that week where they follow it, count every point, exercise like mad and go no where. Lose nothing or even worse gain something? That week where everyone tells you it must be muscle? Then you do it again for a second week, you follow everything to the last letter and pow NOTHING? Don't they have that and get frustrated and pissed off?

The question I ask today and I hope to g-d that I figure out the answer soon, is how do you commit Til Death do you Part? Because I want to be in the honeymoon phase forever. I want this one to be Mr. Right. The right program, that just fits perfectly, adapts perfectly, grows with me until I'm old and gray. I want all the special key chains that WW has to offer my many success stages. I want to reach all my goals and then maintain my weight...FOREVER AND EVER. If I can marry myself, commit to myself then I can commit to anything. EVEN A MAN. GULP.