Starting back... Long day tomorrow so may not make it to gym, but my goal is for this week to follow all health guidelines.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say hi. I've gained, lost, gained and became heavier then I've ever been and I'm back trying to change. Started ww two weeks ago and I'm already down 9 lbs. I'm hoping that as long as I stick to it, the weight will keep coming off. I need to be happy and healthy again.

I started December 2, 2013. My (mini) goal for the month was to lose 5 pounds. Well I didn't do it by the 31st, though I did lose 4 pounds. I still felt very satisfied with my progress. But by January 3rd, I did it! Here's my progress so far:

Start weight: 170
Week 1: Maintained
Week 2: -2 (168)
Week 3: -1 (167)
Week 4: -1 (166 week of Christmas!)
Week 5: -2 (164 happy to make under the 165 mark)
Week 6: ??

Week 6 ends today for me, and I did a pre-weigh this morning... And I am down another 3... 161!!!

I got size 12 pants for Christmas (size 14 was my biggest and those pants have started to get baggy). Not only do I fit into them, I fit into them well! They look great, and make me feel great.

As an aside, I got married October 26, 2013, just 2 and a half months ago. I hadn't started WW at that point, but on my wedding day I weight 175. That's 14 pounds I've lost... Way to kick that newlywed 15 in the butt!

January is half over, so I guess it's just time for a mini-mini goal. Since I still have 16 pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal weight of 145, I would like to just keep losing at a steady pace of 1-2 pounds a week. So my goal for January 31:

157 Just 4 pounds to go.

amandie - GL with school! Hope your back feels better soon.

Serenity100 - (re: cheesecake) you're stronger than me! I'd be looking up the points for that!
- I haven't tried the smoothie recipie with their mix. I agree, it seems overpriced. The WW world seems split as to how to count smoothies; approach with caution. I have had good luck generally with using chocolate protein powder in banana smoothies (yum) but that was when I was maintaining and not on plan. If you count it you should be fine. (Banana, milk, scoop of chocolate powder, ice).

jaimie1980 - Welcome! I grew up and went to college in Iowa, and now live in Illinois. Meetings helped me a ton! Sounds like you've got some lovely plans for May.

shanhat81 & Tereyin - Welcome!

DrivenByAmbition - great goal!

abinks - you're doing great! I tried to lose 5 during December but gave up through the holidays Not a great attitude.
- I gained 15 for my wedding, it's funny how bliss can affect eating and moving. Congrats on your great results!! Enjoy that wedded bliss.

AFM (as for me) - found out the beer I enjoy (darker beers) really pack a points punch. I really know better, to do my homework ahead of time. It is easier for me to stay on track at work, where I can bring in what I need, and when it's gone it's gone. Sooo current guess is that I have 12 WP left for the work week but with plans for some exercise this week. I think it's doable.

Hi All! I really get encouraged by reading all of your posts.
Re: the Smoothie/Shake. I subscribe to the etools so once I get all the ingredients I will get the correct points. I did read on the WW main site that if you make a smoothie, any kind, you have to count your fruit, or limit it to just one serving of one fruit. Because then people would be throwing in all kinds of fruit and mixing it up and then the calories would be for five fruits, not just one.

Everyone wait on the smoothie, until I figure the points. . .Amazon already shipped the protein powder. . .I have to get the unsweetened cocoa.

When I make smoothies all I use is fruit usually one banana and a handful or something else, and either almond milk or yogurt. I have only been counting the milk and yogurt. Why would I need to count the fruits? If I ate them separately throughout the day wouldn't they be zero points?

Aaaand you're now at the place where many heated discussions are had.

Bottom line is to do what you're comfortable with.

If you're not counting the fruit and you stall, then start counting fruit.

My 2c... count it.
Really, smoothies fall into a grey area and you need to keep an eye if you do choose to not count them. They can be a slippery slope.

If you can keep up with only counting the yougurt and milk, enjoy.

I'm on the "count it" side, too, but I have to watch my weeklies and hoard my APs.

On another topic -- does anyone else hate going to the grocery store? It's not even the lifting and the carrying. It's the budgeting and couponing and selecting and planning. It takes FOREVER.

I think that may be why I haven't gotten there in too long! I want to switch gears into "more Paleo" but it's tough to get the system to change. I try to break it down one week at a time, but getting to the store hasn't been easy.

Hubby doesn't mind going on quick trips, and picking up lots of fruits. Veggies, on the other hand, aren't on his radar as much. Can't complain, overall!

Well, that's done for another week. Yay.

Does anyone read the Skinnytaste blog?? I think I'm going to make these for dessert this week -- I just need to go to the nice spice store (Penzeys) and get some vanilla extract.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/11/c...ip-clouds.html

Chocolate Chip Clouds
Skinnytaste.com

Adapted from Hershey's Kitchens
Servings: 30 • Serving Size: 1 cookie • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 1 pt
Calories: 53.7 • Fat: 2.2 g • Carb: 8.4 g • Fiber: 1.7 g • Protein: 1.1 g

Ingredients:


1/2 cup egg whites (room temperature)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips


Directions:

Heat oven to 300°F. Cover cookie sheet with silpat or nonstick silicone pad.


Using a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together in large bowl at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar a little at a time, then vanilla, beating well after each addition until you get stiff peaks, the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is glossy.

Sift cocoa onto egg white mixture; gently fold until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Makes 30 to 32 cookies.

Bake 34 to 40 minutes or just until dry. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack. Store covered, at room temperature.

My master plan is to save three for myself and have my husband take the rest to work the next day. This worked well with the unhealthy candy cane fudge I made in December.

OMG YES to the grocery store. All the fresh, healthy foods seem to cost more too. Also, the fresh vegetables only last a few days, so you have to restock some of the veggies mid-week. And you can't tell your family, I'm eating the fresh veggies, you stick with the frozen. hahahaha

Lost 3 more pounds week 2! The downside is that now my daily points went down 1 point. Geez. It's okay, because I wasn't even eating the full points sometime. I gained weight on "junk" food snacks, not real food meals, so I really don't eat that much food to be satisfied. Crazy, I know.

Hi everyone! Congrats to those who lost. Welcome back to some of you and welcome to newcomers!!

School is going well so far and I feel a lot better than last Friday! I peeked on the scale today and I'm down to 164.8 from last week's 168, I was 168 the week before last so it's basically a whoosh from water and whatnot but I wasn't expecting to be back in the lower 160s already! Let's see if Friday brings me lower numbers.

I've decided to cut out drinking, maybe until St. Patrick's Day. I was able to drink and lose all the way down from 230 but it's different now- I can't drink and lose at the rate I want... Well I probably could but I'd be a starving drunk ß!tch and that's no good for everyone involved. :-D

Making bacon wrapped chicken stuffed with a little cream cheese, garlic, spinach and Greek yogurt with broccoli and some lemon pepper brown rice on the side for dinner tonight.

Have a great evening, all!

Yummy! I want to make this instead of my dinner, lol. I wonder if I can omit the cocoa powder because I personally prefer white chocolate macadamia nut cookies... Time for some experimenting this weekend!

I have lost 2.5 pounds since Christmas for a total of 12.5 since October. My three month weight-watchers online membership is ending, and I am not going to continue it because of money. I am hoping I can do it on my own, but would love to know of an app that does the same thing. I have asked the question on different topics, and not yet received an answer. Anyone???

I flaked on dinner last night -- I write books and grants and my job has some weirdski hours. Husband came home and was like, "Um .. dinner?" I was like, "Oops." So we had one of my two Plan Bs -- Flatout pizzas.

I don't measure my husband's, but this is what's on mine: 1 Flatout, 0.5 cup Wegmans pomodoro sauce (love this stuff -- low sugar, few preservatives, tastes great, not $$$), 0.25 cup LF mozz cheese, 13 veggie pepperoni slices, a handful of sliced onions. I bake it at 400 for 8 minutes, and then when it's done, I put a cup of greens and a drizzle of olive oil (0.5 tsp) over the top. And lots of crushed red pepper.

I held at 163.5 this morning so I'm crossing my fingers that it'll hold for my official weigh-in tomorrow!