Nervous!

Tomorrow will be my first WI since re-joining WW last Sunday... I'm really nervous. Even though I did well most of the week and worked out 4 times, I feel like I ate too much last night and today. Points went WAY out the window both days.

I had a few "good" moments: at dinner last night (at Miranda, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn -- the owners are lovely, and the food is excellent!) -- I managed to take only half a piece of focaccia from the bread service, rather than several pieces. My friend and I shared apps and mains, and passed on dessert.

Then today -- I had lunch with a friend at Ippudo, one of many new ramen restaurants in the east village. Man, it was delicious! Big bowls of perfect ramen -- unfortunately, unlike many other ramen places, this was super-heavy on the noodles, and light on the veg. I didn't realize how full I was until I walked home.

THEN tonight, I had a few friends over for dinner. Lots of baby carrots and hummus. A pretty healthy spinach salad, with this dressing. Brilliant! I don't recall seeing many other salad dressings in a pump bottle, but it made me think, WHY don't I see this more often??! Oh, then after the salad, some leftover moussaka and pastries my friend Lisa brought.

Anyway. Trying to balance my foodiness with WW -- I think I just need to start cooking more.

By the way, if you have a weight loss blog, or just any stories to share -- please do comment! I love hearing about your successes, what works, what doesn't ... and just a little bit about you!

Snacky-monster, desserts, workout

Started off great -- same breakfast as yesterday -- my new favorite breakfast of whole wheat toast*, hard boiled egg whites and Laughing Cow cheese -- 4 pts. *the bread I'm using is this hearty Balthazar bread -- I have 2 huge loaves of it in my freezer, and I'm waiting to use it up before I go out and buy WW or other low-point bread.

By the afternoon, I was in a hella-PMSy mood -- all I wanted to do was snack! Luckily, I only had healthy stuff around: had a 2-pt bag of WW multigrain crisps... an apple ... some grapes... I also have a big bag of Baked Lay's in my desk drawer and checked out the label: 10 chips = 2 pts. I opted for ONE single chip, and made it last! (I know, I should just get rid of those to avoid temptation)

AND... this was big for me: I had a potluck dinner party on Sat (the day before I started WW), and had all these fabulous leftover homemade desserts in my fridge. Brought them into the office today, and resisted temptation to have any... until there was just one bite of berry crumble left, so I gave in to that. The "old" me would have had a piece of each, and would have kept picking away all day.

Another thing to be proud of: I knew I had to go to the gym tonight, but was feeling super-lazy. Even procrastinated leaving the office. But I finally did it! I did a one-hour iScupt session -- I really need to start working out with weights more, and I know I'm going to feel this tomorrow.

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I've done WW on and off many times over the past 10 years -- each time I was truly successful with it (maybe 2-3 times?) it was because I had a new "gimmick". The first time it was just the whole points system, and the "newness" of it... another time it was because I had the community boards on the WW website, and the accountability that brought.

This time? I feel like it's this blog! I WANT to see that little dragonfly (up above) fly to the right! This is the first time I've started to check out other people's WW blogs, and I'm inspired by their little flying scales, flowers, etc!

146 lb pics.... and Jamaican food

So -- I'm a spaz, and can't figure out how to get the pics on the left, and the words on the right -- I thought I hit the right button. Anyway. Pics from this week! I usually don't wear glasses, but was on this day... and they were still a bit tinted from being outside.

Oh my... those shorts might be just a *little* too tight for me -- anyway, they'll be looser soon enough! They're my favorite treadmill shorts -- I really can't run on the treadmill in workout pants, I just get too hot.

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Third day on WW – started off great: 2 hard-boiled egg whites on hearty whole wheat toast (Balthazar bread) with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese – I think the bread must be about 3 pts, for a total of 4. Very filling.

THEN… yesterday I mentioned that I was going to be scouting some restaurants in the Bronx for work (I work for a food / travel TV show) – and I had a feeling the Jamaican place would be tough. They were rumored to have great jerk shrimp (not too bad), as well as excellent beef patties (I LOVE these – but they’re about 10 – 12 pts each!).

I didn’t do as well as I could have – but I didn’t scarf down as much as I would have in the past. Shared both with a co-worker.

Later had a small amount of leftover pesto pasta (really should have measured it), with a boatload of broccoli. Met friends for a drink, and stuck to just ONE vodka / soda (2 pts), and drank water the rest of the time.

I will be SO psyched to see the changes in pics to come!

Win a food scale!

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Day 2

I just took a few "before" pics... will get around to (reluctantly) posting them soon. I recall hearing from people who were successful with their weight loss that they'd wished they had taken before pics, so they could see how far they had come. Soon.

Yay for day two OP! Except that I'm not feeling so proud of my workout tonight -- I ran 5 miles yesterday and was a bit achy today. Decided to take a break from running, and took a pilates class. I've only taken pilates once before -- that last time, it was a challenging class. This one wasn't. Still, it's better than nothing, right?

I know, I could have exercised more afterwards -- but I hadn't eaten much today, and was hungry and just wanted to get home to eat. Will have to make sure I have some almonds or something an hour or so before the gym so that doesn't happen again.

Tomorrow won't be easy: I work for a food / travel TV show, and I'm going scouting in the Bronx, including a place that supposedly has amazing Jamaican beef patties. I LOVE those... but not sure it's worth the 10 - 12 points each. Hm, I wonder if I have the willpower to just take one bite...?

Question for anyone reading this: do you reward yourself regularly for your losses? One time I was on WW I made a list of non-food rewards I'd give myself for every 5 lbs lost: a bunch of flowers, a new workout top, a pedicure. Need to come up with a new list! Suggestions?

Good workout / day one

I did it! Had a successful first day back on WW -- 19 points. Especially proud of myself since I have a fridge full of fabulous food, leftover from a potluck dinner party last night. I froze whatever I could, and am taking my time eating the rest -- eg, lunch was one cup of pasta with pesto, to which I added a boatload of broccoli.

AND I dragged myself to the gym -- on a day like this when I have no other plans, I find that I sit around in my gym clothes all day. Finally got myself to go to the gym at 8:30 pm. Yay, did 57 minutes on the treadmill, resulting in 5.1 miles. Will do a shorter run tomorrow, but add weight training. If you've never done it before, iTrain is a godsend.

So far I've managed to resist the leftover homemade fabulous desserts in the fridge: carrot cake, apple cake and a berry crumble. Might have to donate those to the office tomorrow.

Back on WW! 146.4

Today's weight: 146.4.

WOW! I did NOT expect my WI to be that high! For the past few weeks, I've been feeling my weight going up, but kept attributing it to PMS. (um, PMS for a whole month? Denial, anyone?) More denial: I genuinely thought my jeans were getting tighter because they REALLY shrunk in the wash!

Today was the moment of truth, as I returned to a Weight Watchers meeting for the first time in about 2 years. (Wow, it's all computerized now... it's about time!) I first went to WW in, I think 1999 or 2000. A few people in my office were doing it, and I thought, sure, I'd love to lose 10 lbs or so.

At that time I started at 141, and gradually made my way to 128 -- I looked great (those are still some of my favorite pictures, from that time). Stopped going to meetings, wavered in the 130s on and off for years. Several times back to WW throughout the years. Up. Down. And I'm back again!

When I weighed in today I expressed shock that my weight was that high to the woman weighing me in -- she said to me, "that's the last time you'll see that number". Those simple words meant so much to me! I know... this program DOES work! And since I'm spending the money to do this even though I'm trying to be frugal these days, I really have to make the effort to make it work!

I know -- to some people, wanting to lose 20 lbs isn't all that much. But considering all three of my sisters are overweight (two are morbidly obese) -- I want to take care of this NOW, before my weight creeps up and I'm in the same boat as them.

So -- trying for a 10 lb journey at a time. A pound a week. I welcome any comments, words of suggestion, stories, etc!