February 5, 2007

Yup, I'm still on Weight Watchers. I know I haven't posted in some time, but I have not left the plan. I know that I have two choices: stay on WW, or gain my weight back. I just wish I would stay on plan a little more often. Let's just say December was not a "diet" kind of month. I really self-destructed early this year, thanks especially to working in a school and being bombarded with cookies and other assorted crap for the entire month.

But it's a new year, I lost the Christmas weight and I'm currently at 192. That's 94.5 pounds down from my highest, and I have that 100 mark back in my sights.

Good thing I am feeling motivated again too, because, you know what? SOMETIMES IT IS REALLY HARD. I don't think many people understand how hard it is when you have a close relationship with food. I am obsessed with meal planning. I know that for me to be successful, I have to plan when and what I'm going to eat. So yesterday, Superbowl Sunday, I knew I needed to eat breakfast before church and groceries, lunch when we got home, and dinner before the game. All went well until it was time for lunch and my husband says "i'm not hungry". Now this made me feel guilty, like I was some slob for being hungry when he wasn't, but I got over that and had a snack anyway, because we were going to the mall, and really, it is EVER smart to go to the mall hungry?

You know what happened, right? The husband got hungry at the mall, and I had to SIT and WATCH him eat Arby's in the food court. It was horrible. He doesn't get that at all, that I wasn't hungry, but wanted to eat all his curly fries anyway, and it took all my self-control not to take them.

Then later....we had to stop and drop something off to a friend bowling near our house, and they had a HUGE superbowl spread out. They told us to go ahead and have something, but you know there was nothing core over there. All I could do was look at the tortilla chips calling my name. I just wanted to get home and have our nice planned dinner.

Noone understands the way that food calls your name sometimes.

Posted by Mary Elizabeth at 2:57 PM | Comments (43)

August 11, 2006

Some people say losing weight is easier in the summer because you can exercise outside, you go swimming, you can eat fresh fruit, etc, etc, etc. All true. But what just KILLS me every summer...parties. Weddings. Showers. Housewarming. BBQ's. Kids' birthdays, whre they only serve pizza and ice cream cake!!! For the Love Of GOD is there no end!!!

Ok, I got a little carried away. But you see my point. This weekend I have a concert, a BBQ/birthday, and a housewarming. Is it any wonder I get a little obsessive about my meal planning? Do I have a choice?

It IS possible to stay the course during parties. But it takes a lot of work, and planning. You have to talk to yourself...say SELF: this is not the last time you will ever see or eat food. You don't have to try EVERYTHING. You can even eat beforehand so you are not starving when you get there. And then, here's the other thing....you can TALK at the party instead of eat. Really. Ask questions. Play a game (note: drinking games are not as helpful here). Just stay the HECK away from the chip bowl, because you know once you dive in there, there's no going back.

I can do this. I currently weigh 196, 90 lbs down from where I started. And I want 100 down, so I will not over-indulge this weekend. Wish me luck.

Posted by Mary Elizabeth at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)

July 17, 2006

So you're going along, losing weight and doing pretty well, or at least hanging in there, when along comes....a vacation. So you plan for it, obsess, really, thinking about what you'll be able to eat on this vacation.

What will I eat in the car? I can't stop and eat at the rest areas, that food is fried and wayyyy too many points.

What will I eat when we get there? Where are we staying? Can we stop somewhere and get a salad?

And then the vacation hits. You start off small, eating pretzels in the car and stopping at Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. So far, so good. But then it gets harder. Dinner was later than expected, and you're really hungry! So you have a few things not on the core list. White rice, some bread, full-fat ice cream...

OH NO! Now it's all downhill and you might as well have some pizza and ice cream, you already blew it.

That is the vacation mentality.

Sigh.

Posted by Mary Elizabeth at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

June 4, 2006

Just in case you were wondering. Weight Watchers really does work. I'd be at goal a long time ago if I followed the damn plan every week. But I've been following it more weeks than not lately, and I'm down now to 197. Finally broke the 200 barrier, and almost hit 90 lbs. lost total from the beginning. So it does work.

And as you know, I do core, but my mother recently rejoined with me again and she likes the flex plan better. So I thought I should tell you about her too. She is the reason I started, after all. She offered to pay my way and go with me, which she did, and got to lifetime, but then gained it back, like so many people do. She started coming back with me a couple months ago (Feb? March?) and has really been determined and motivated. She's lost twenty pounds now and is back to not having to pay for meetings. She is such an inspiration. If she wasn't my mother, I'd be jealous! I'm so proud of her though, and I hope I can keep losing the way she has been. Really, she just decided that enough was enough. She still goes out, goes to parties and all, but she's very picky about what she eats, and portion control is the biggest thing. She is definitely better at that than me.

I'm having a good week this week too so hopefully another loss is in the works!

Posted by Mary Elizabeth at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)