My first week wasn’t as good….
…as the other girls but well what can you do. I don’t have the loss to report like the other girls, I gained 2 lbs my first week, BUT I did happen to start my period (I feel weird typing that but well we’re all adults here) the day we had to weigh in so I’m blaming that gain on bloat cause I was pretty proud of myself for our first week!! I didn’t drastically change my diet but I did have a small change AND me & Alice started walking together. This week I’m definitely stepping it up a notch on both diet & exercise. I think Alice was about to kill me last night after I made her walk farther than normal and picked up the pace a little. I’m pretty sure that when I told her we need to start jogging at the end of next week I saw a murderous gleam in her eye. Well, what can I say .. I want this bad and I want to push myself when it comes to exercise (of course not too extreme that it’s bad for me).
28 small changes that will make a big difference
28 small changes that will make a big difference by Melissa Sperl
Small changes can make a big difference in your weight-loss efforts. Here are some baby steps that will get you far.
Hey, slow down! Weight loss is no sprint, it’s a marathon. So abruptly and drastically changing your routine is only going to leave you breathless and worn out. A more realistic approach to weight loss is to take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Little by little, it’ll make a big difference.
Do sweat the small stuff.
“Making small changes one at a time is a great strategy,” agrees phychologist Howard Rankin, PhD, a author of “The TOPS Way to Weight Loss” (Hay House, 2005). “It’s not overwhelming, and it results in a slower, steadier weight loss.” Think of it this way, maybe cutting the cream out of your coffee seems like a small feat to you. But once you’ve got that down you can add another small feat, then another.
So, we asked people just like you—on the WeightWatchers.com Message Boards and in meetings rooms—what small steps they’ve taken in order to make their way toward their weight goals. Here’s what they had to say:
1. Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)
2. Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with somebody. Or ask for a “to-go” container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.
3. Cut back on butter and mayo.
4. Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.
5. Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.
6. Replace ground beef with meatless products or ground turkey.
7. Try at least one new food every week. If you’re bored with what you’re eating, you’re more likely to give up.
8. Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.
9. Measure your portions until you’re sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control, an essential key to weight-loss success.
10. Try not to drink high-calorie beverages.
11. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You’ll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.
12. Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods.
13. If you don’t really love it, don’t eat it.
14. Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you’re having.
15. Always eat something for breakfast.
16. Read food labels. Check serving sizes.
17. Add vegetables to everything.
18. Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.
19. Give food to guests to take home.
20. Write down everything you eat and drink, without fail.
21. Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.
… About Small Exercise Changes
1. Take the stairs every single time they’re an option. No more elevators or escalators.
2. Make exercise a priority, not an inconvenience.
3. Park far from your destination so you’re forced to walk. This works at the supermarket, the mall, wherever. (This also helps you waste less time looking for a parking space!)
4. View tiring chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity.
5. Take the grocery cart back to the store when you’re done loading your bags into your car.
6. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early.
7. Work out with a buddy.
Beginning Week 2
Can you believe that we’ve made it through the first week already?! The past couple of days were a struggle to me, but overall I’m pleased with how this past week went.
I did go to Red Lobster with my family on Saturday afternoon. They were absolutely packed and we had to wait over an hour outside in the cold. By the time we finally got seated, we were all starving. When I sat down, my determination to eat something healthy was completely blinded by my hunger. {and the cheese biscuits} I only had 2 cheese biscuits though and didn’t ask for a refill on the bread basket. Usually, I would have. I ordered a shrimp dinner. Shrimp is a good choice if its grilled. Mine, however, wasn’t. I had shrimp scampi, fried shrimp, and shrimp linguine alfredo. That’s my usual there, only I can never eat it all. This time was the exception. I ate every single bit of it. In the back of my mind I was thinking that “I still had 18 WW points left for the day as well as all of my 35 flex points left. I could fit this in and not completely bankrupt my points balance. This was my cheat for the week.” Even though that meal didn’t go as well as I had planned, I was still OK.
Last night, I was invited to go see Twilight again with some friends. Of course I had to go! I’d been at work all day and hadn’t eaten anything. I thought I might gnaw my arm off and didn’t really want to tempt myself with nachos, popcorn, candy and soda. I had some food stored in the fridge at work so I made a quick chicken wrap before heading to the theater. That helped. I wasn’t starving when I got there, but got some popcorn anyway. It wasn’t horrible, but I could’ve done without it.
Most days I had quite a few points left for the day and I didn’t touch my flex points at all until the weekend. I had 6 flex points leftover for the week even after the splurge. And with everything said and done, I lost 6lbs last week! **does the cabbage patch dance** I’m looking forward to this week and hopefully another loss.
Oh, I updated the ticker on my page.
Healthy Snacks
100-calorie healthy snacks
- 1 mozzarella string cheese
- 1 squeezable yogurt
- 1 cup skim milk w/ice
- 1 cup of grapes
- 10 small carrots w/ 1/4 cup hummus dip
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1 cup of watermelon cubes
- 1 medium sized banana
- 1 large apple
- 1 toaster waffle
200 calorie snacks
This list can be consumed before and/or after a workout. A light snack before a cardio or strength training workout can boost your energy, and a snack consumed 30 minutes after a workout will help recharge your worked muscles.
- turkey roll up 3 oz deli turkey slice w/2 oz low fat cheddar
- 3/4 cup strawberries w/1 cup 1% cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1 apple w/1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 15 celery sticks w/3 oz low fat cheddar
- 1 cup cubed cantaloupe w/ 5 oz turkey slice
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk w/half a banana
Weight Watchers Oven French Toast
Prep: 20 min / Bake 1 hr / Serves 12
1 - 1 lb loaf French bread cut into 1 inch slices
1 pint fat free half & half
2 cups fat free milk
1 - 16oz container fat free egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 large apples, peeled & chopped
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light stick butter, melted
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Place 3 rows of the bread in the baking dish lengthwise, overlapping the slices slightly to fit.
- In a bowl, combine the half & half, milk, egg substitute, vanilla, 1/4 tsp of the cinnamon & the nutmeg, beating with a whisk until blended. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Uncover he baking dish. With the back of a spoon, lightly press the bread into the egg mixture.
- Combine the apples, brown sugar, melted butter and the remaining 1/4 tsp of cinnamon in a medium bowl. Top the bread mixture evenly with the apple mix. Bake until puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Per serving (3/4 cup): 246 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g s fat, 0 g trans fat, 8 mg chol, 397 mg sod, 43 g carb, 2 g fib, 10 g prot, 17 mg calc
Points: 5
Day 5
Once again, I walked with Reese. I’m so sore, and she’s telling me she’s taking it easy on me. My legs feel like JELLO for goodness sake! I feel awesome though. Like I’m really accomplishing something.
I found half a 12-pk of Diet Coke in my home today. I thought I had drank it all. I opened one and drank about half of it, and realized it doesn’t taste good anymore, so I dumped it out and refilled my water bottle. Food-wise, I’ve done pretty good. I did slip a little bit yesterday. I made cheezy stuffed pizza bread for the kids, and ate entirely too much. That totally set my entire day back, but I walked with Reese for the first time that day.
Today on the other hand I did awesome! I had 2 scrambled egg whites with one slice of american cheese and chipotle tabascco, along with 2 slices of toast. I made a sammie out of it. I got so involved with housework today that I forgot to eat lunch. For dinner I made home-made chicken noodle soup. I had 2 bowls of that with a couple of rolls, and more walking.
I think I said it the other day, but I’ve been feeling fab. Tons more energy. I’ll be weighing myself on Monday to see how I’m doing. I would be happy with losing a pound at this point.
Gotta Have a Game Plan
So ladies, how’s it going? Are you still hanging in there? We’ve made it through the first work week and have the weekend yet to survive. I’ve managed to maintain a reasonable amount of self control this week and I’m pretty stoked about that. Tomorrow will be my test though. My family and I are going out to dinner to spend the Red Lobster gift cards we all got each other for Christmas. I’ve been scouring the online menu already trying to decide what I can have. The cheese biscuits may very well be the death of me. Seriously. Do you know the love I have for these delicious morsels of heaven? The cheese. The garlic. My gosh. I don’t care for fish. Maybe I can get some grilled shrimp. Well, we’ll see. If worst comes to worst, I still have all of my WW flex points for the week. Wish me luck!
Update: Hark! I found exactly what I needed! The nutritional info! Cheddar Bay Biscuits are 4 WW points each! I’m so screwed! LOL
Weight Ticker
How do I post a weight ticker?
Ok Ladies, News Flash
Ok, how many of us ladies are using Crystal Light? I’m one of them, and that is coming to an abrupt halt.
After looking at the Nutrition Facts of Crystal Light and the Facts of Special K2O its obvious that Special K is better for you. You see, Crystal Light directions say to use an entire packet for a 16.9-oz bottle of water. Well, the recommended serving size is 1/2 a packet.
Here are the Facts for 1/2 packet of Crystal Light: 5 Calories, 75mg of Sodium, 30mg of Potassium. Now double that for the entire packet. Absolutely, astonishing.
Here are the Facts for an entire packet of Special K2O: 30 Calories, 35mg of Sodium, 6g of Carbs., and 5g of Protein, and 5g of Fiber.
Sure there are more calories, but also more of the good stuff, like protein, and fiber. I, for one, will be using Special K from now on. I just thought that anyone who is using the alternative would like to know.