Wherever it takes me

So in my last 3 weeks I’ve had some small NSV’s - nothing to get really excited over.

But tonight, tonight, this was it!  I went out to dinner with my mom, sister, hubby and kids.  We went to California Pizza Kitchen.  We’re led to the table and I ask the hostess for a nutritional value menu.  She tells me that they don’t have one.  So I peruse the menu, only to find that there is not a heck of a lot that is points friendly - and considering that I’m still a WW newbie and there was no nutritional value attached it proves how bad the menu really is.

So I decide on a pasta dish - but only if they have whole wheat pasta.  Of course the waiter tells me that they don’t have any Whole wheat pasta.  So I decide to order a kid’s menu grilled chicken and baby broccoli.  It was perfect - the portion was exactly right and I left the restaurant satisfied - not stuffed!  In addition, I refused the bread AND didn’t have a drink.  I am really very proud of myself - I really I am starting to feel this lifestyle change affecting my life in a positive way. 

Here’s to the small changes that add up to huge differences!!

I’ve really pushed myself this week.  After the great experience of Zumba last week I took another class Monday night and then returned to the class  tonight.  I have stayed on plan, dipping into my weekly points (since the WW site doesn’t apply Activity points until the weekly points are exhausted). 

I ordered a heart rate monitor with a calorie burn calculator to help determine just where I need to be with my eating on workout days.  Hopefully it will get here before my next class. 

I’ve made the mistake of stepping on the scale daily and my numbers are up since Monday morning, but I know that can be related to the water retention for muscle repair, and possibly that I am burning more calories than I am accounting for continuing the starvation mode.  So even if the final scale number at the official weigh in is a gain this week I’ll be ok with that. 

I know for sure that I’m making more conscious food choices, and that the exercise is a big part of a complete change in my body and shape.  So, that’s my week in a nutshell.

Had my weigh in today and only lost .8lbs.  But I did lose and, combined with my loss from last week, I’m down almost 6lbs in 2 weeks.  I can’t really complain about that!

I think I figured out what I did wrong though. It’s a combination of the same mistakes I made the last time I did WW and some new ones.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Momentum program it’s using daily points to make up your food intake for a day.  Currently, my daily points value is 30 per day (I sooo can’t wait for that to go down!!).  Anyway, in addition to your regular daily points there are these things called activity points.  Activiity points are supposed to be added to your daily points value on the days that you work out.

So, this week, there were a number of days where I didn’t reach my daily points value AND on my Zumba day (which is considered high intensity work out and should be granted 4 additional points) I only used 21 points. 

All of a sudden, as I was thinking about the disappointment of my week and just feeling eh I realized I was falling into my bad habits of not using my daily points.  Last week, I used all of my points every day and lost 5 lbs. There is a reason this program works - but you have to work the program.  If you starve yourself your body goes into survival mode and holds onto the fat.  Exactly what I don’t want to happen.

Just to make sure, after my meeting today, I asked my leader about the activity points.  She confirmed that on activity days you have to add at least half the activity points to your daily goal (ie: 2 pts for my Zumba days) or else your metabolism stops working. 

Well, duh!!  It totally makes sense.  Why do I fall into the pattern of thinking that less is more when I know that that isn’t necessarily the case?  I know better now and my goal this week is to stick to my daily points value and add the activity points where appropriate.  And today begins a new week.  One which finds me utilizing all 30 of my points!

With my Zumba obsession I checked out the gym where the Monday night classes are held.  If I just take the class at the gym it will cost me $10 per class, but the gym itself (which is 24 hours like my current gym but offers classes and daycare and is aroud the corner from my house which my current gym is not and does not offer) offers a $29.99 a month membership if you sign a 15 month contract.  My current membership is $10 a month but I’m not using the gym and I would be much happier saving myself some extra money and getting to take classes - which I really love.  So I’m going to pay my $10 and check out the gym prior to the Zumba class on Monday and if I like it sign up at that gym. 

Happy losing!!

Those ones where you feel like you’ve been so off plan?  I’m having one of those this week.  If I haven’t gone overboard and used up way more than my allowance for the week then I’ve ended up under points the remainder of the day.    Grrrr - I feel so out of sorts this week.  Last week was so easy and this week is just a struggle.

In happier news, I did a Zumba class last night.  I loved it!!  It was sooo much fun!  I can’t wait to do it again.  For those who don’t know what Zumba is - it’s a fitness class based on latin dance using principals of core training and aerobics - it’s really high intensity and a ton of fun.  It really didn’t even feel like exercise - other than the sweat pouring off of me and the beet red face

I can’t wait until the next class and can’t wait to get this week’s weigh in over with tomorrow and move forward.  More to the point I can’t wait until my next Zumba class on Monday night!!

So the first week had me weighing in at -5 lbs.  5 lbs!!!  Ok, so my other scale at work - the non WW scale - had me weighing in at -6.9 which of course I liked better but I made the decision to use the WW scale as the “official” weight.

It was actually surprisingly easy to stay on plan this time.  I think this is just making sense - I guess it had to sometime right?  I was able to get my head around the fact that it’s time to get rid of this excess weight once and for all….

So, until next week - happy losing!!

So I joined WW at work again.  After not stepping on the scale for over a year, I was pretty sure where I stood based on the way my clothes (do not) fit.  And I was right - 20 lbs up from where I started last year!  I am not disappointed in myself - I knew I let myself go and the depression and stress of my life over the last year more than contributed to the gaining.  I’m really glad that it wasn’t more than that…..

It’s going to be a long road though I know.  I have a lot of support at work and a little support at home but I know that I can do this!