Weight Loss Adventures

As promised, now is the time to talk about weight loss. I can actually type that sentence with a smile on my face.  :)  See?  The holidays were ((ahem)) rough, and I gained 2 pounds.  At my next weigh-in, (last Thursday) I had lost 2.4 so I am STILL officially lighter than when I started going to WW Meetings. (that's the goal right?)  


Overall, I have lost about 12 pounds since early November (I started changing my eating BEFORE actually weighing in-attending the meetings).  Even though this is not earth-shattering, I feel amazing.  For the first time in a LONG time, I don't "just" feel like, "I can do this."  I feel like I AM DOING THIS. :)  Tonight, I have a lot of hope.  Maybe we can get second chances.  Maybe we can change our fate or our destiny or whatever ((insert cheesy, inspirational, classical music here)).


I thought about writing a short list of things I've been "living on" lately in case some of you are interested in mixing up your routine or are looking for some healthier options.  


My only advice for some of the following food items is to be brave. :)  Try it. You might like it.  


Reduced-fat peanut butter
eggs-eggs and more eggs!  
low-fat sour cream
"healthy harvest" applesauce cups (no sugar added)
Fiber Plus applesauce cups (try cran-rasperry!)
celery
peanut-butter-banana smoothies w/ splenda (I can give you the recipe if interested) 
potato bread (Aunt Millie's...higher fiber...fewer calories....all the benefits of wheat bread, all the yummy goodness of white bread!)  
mini packs of m-n-m's (only one...you can only eat one!)  :)  
1/2 slices of Kraft singles (yummy melted over eggs in the a.m.)
bananas
CLEMENTINES! CLEMENTINES! CLEMENTINES!  These are so yummy and delicious...I would seriously classify them as a "dessert."  Super easy to peel, seedless and not messy at all.  I peel them at stoplights and eat them in the car
"Lite" string cheese (again, super yummy)
"I can't believe it's not butter" spray (0 fat, Tim loves it...you know it is good if it is 'healthy' and my husband loves it!)  :)  


Surprisingly, I find I am more satisfied with what I am eating.  Saturday afternoon, we were being lazy about our lunch options, and I made a super-easy, super delicious egg dish with tomatoes, spinach and a little bit of cheese (also added spray butter and seasonings).  Before, I probably would have just settled for a "hodge podge" of snacks over a few hours...chips...cereal...peanut butter and jelly, etc.  


I am also surprised by the fact that I am RARELY hungry.  WW has taught me that when you are hungry, you should eat.  I used to eat around 11 a.m., get home late and make dinner around 7 or 8.  That's about 6-9 hours without eating...that is WAY TOO LONG.  Now, I have learned to prepare for my hungry times.  Instead of "packing a lunch," I pack for ALL DAY.  I leave work prepared for a mid-morning snack (something quick/subtle/easy usually fruit while my kids are working or reading around 9:30 or 10), lunch, and an after school snack (cereal bar, pre-packaged peanut butter and crackers, etc.)  I eat that in the car or at my desk around 4 or 5... after a big bottle of water and my snacky-snack, I am ready to keep on truckin' till dinner...and I don't come home ready to eat anything that's not nailed down. 


YOU DON'T HAVE TO STARVE, in fact, if you are, you are doing something wrong, my friend.  


Example Given:  


Tomorrow, for lunch, I am taking a salad:  spinach/iceberg lettuce mix w/ mixed nuts, blue cheese crumbles, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and lite rasp. vinagrette dressing (fruit on salad used to freak me out, but this is fantastic.  It is copied from O'Charley's California Chix. Salad recipe)  1/2 peanut butter sandwich, carrot sticks w/ fat-free dip, and some kind of fruit or cereal bar.  


Tomorrow night, I have P/T conferences so I am looking forward to eating something healthy and scrumptous from Subway.  


Breakfast is still up in the air, probably toast/coffee in the car  around 6:30 and fruit around 9am.  


In other news, we were napping today and Tim said, and I quote, "You feel skinny."  

I feel skinny? Why not. Let's just go with it.  :)  I am also surprised by my level of energy.  I forgot how it felt, and yowza, it feels good.  Also, there are bones and tendons in my neck?  Did you know hiding under all that softness there was a collar bone down there?  Well, its there in all it's glory, and it's a tad bit sexy if I don't say so myself. 


So, let's re-cap.  Eating healthy can be delicious. You are NOT supposed to spend the majority of your day mimicking a Hungry Hungry Hippo.  You can change your destiny.  Tomorrow is Monday. Think of something you have always wanted to do and take a baby step by the end of this week.  Let me know how it goes.  


Sweet Readers, if a sugar addict can lose 50 pounds, spend a year relapsing, lose 12 pounds and then write an entire blog about how she thinks she could make fruit a dessert then surely YOU can accomplish the impossible. :)  

My best to you...now go buy some butter spray and clementines!  


Love, 
H.